Last month, I had the pleasure of having dinner with my best friend and her colleague during their layover in Savannah. As we ate croissant rolls and Texas cheese fries we joked with each other, but also took time to lay all our goals out on the table. Honestly, we had no intentions of sparking conversation that would inspire each of us, but clearly that just comes naturally when ambitious people gather together.

As we began discussing where we are currently, it was clear that we understood the importance of small steps to chase big dreams. More importantly we appreciated the insight from one another. I mean of course the three of us go to work day in and day out and are surrounded by dreamers and doers, but very seldom do you have the opportunity to converse with your coworkers about their dreams. It truly is great to be among like-minded people who understand a struggle, but are far from defeated.

At the moment, Sean and Kieara are flight attendants traveling the world and still find time to nurture their dreams. Sean is a freelance photographer who has found that working for the airline provides him with a new platform to nurture his craft. He now has the opportunity to take photographs around the world! I must mention that the photos I’ve seen are beautiful! Kieara is a recent grad school graduate who felt that being a flight attendant would give her the opportunity to travel freely and the schedule still allows her to work occasionally in her field of juvenile psychology. Currently, I work in news production and understand why accepting my current position was a good move–but I have my eye on becoming a producer before my 25th birthday.

We understand that individually we are where we are…for whatever reason exists. This conclusion was created after less than 2 hours of enjoying appetizers, meals and sampling food from each other’s plates! Although we had very little time, the conversation still remains vivid to me because we aren’t defeated by the trials we’ve experienced or the doubters and naysayers. The heart of this matter is that you should strive to surround yourself with dreamers and doers who understand that the struggle is working for your good. It’s always nice to have friends who appreciate your opinion, encourage your dreams and push you when you forget to push yourself.

After such inspiring conversation I decided to create a vision board with my sister. So for about 2 weeks we slaved over magazines, over analyzed our layouts—but in the end we stayed focused on laying out our visions for the year. It’s been said several times before to write out your vision and make it plain—and that’s exactly what we did.

I encourage you to own where you are in life and trust that this is a part of the plan designed just for you. Know that greater is in store even when it seems so far away. It’s so crazy to think that this all was sparked while enjoying buttered croissant rolls and Texas cheese fries with friends. So here’s to another year of chasing the dreams you’ve always wanted, reaching self-fulfillment and trusting that your struggle has a purpose. Trust me when I say–it’s working for your good.