A recent late night talk with a very wise friend led us to
the subject of dreams. Why people dream, and why some people don’t dream. And
why some people have dreams and don’t pursue them. My like-minded friend and I
thought about the people out there who simply didn’t dream or didn’t try to
live their dreams. “I don’t understand,” she said, and neither did I.
On the way home from my friend’s house, I thought about
those people who were on the brink of chasing their dreams – those people who
are at a point in their lives where they can choose the road they’ve always
wanted to choose or they can choose the one society deems “realistic.” Or maybe
they’re choosing between the path everyone pushes them to pursue and the path
they actually want to pursue.
It’s a hard decision when you’re standing at these
crossroads. Your first step down this new unknown path will affect the outcome
of every moment for the rest of your life.
No pressure, right?
I don’t remember actually coming to that split in the path.
Ha! Maybe I just skipped down the path so incoherently that I didn’t even see
the fork in the road! (With me… it’s quite possible.) Or maybe the decision was
just that easy for me. Now that I think about it – I did have a split in the
road. I guess it was probably the point I started my dance studio. For those
who have been reading the blog, you know the story, but here’s the quick
catch-up: I was working the typical nine-to-fiver and just knew that life wasn’t
for me, so I quit my job and (as cliché as it might sound) followed my heart
and pursued a career in dance. For me, it was a no-brainer.
I was lucky enough to have an easy decision, but I feel for
those who struggle with their direction, especially those dreamers who have
watchful eyes surrounding them – watchful “realistic-thinking” eyes. Or those
who believe great ambitions are expected of them, ambitions everyone has
considered a reality for them since they were little, and if those ambitions
weren’t fulfilled, the only reality would be failure. The pressure on these
dreamers is immense, and sometimes dreams that started out pleasurable and
adventurous can turn into tasks, responsibilities that suck the magic out of
the experience.
My best advice to those people (take it for what it is and
do with it what you will) – you HAVE to push away all of those thoughts and
expectations. Yes, those people are important to us. No, we don’t want to let
them down. But truly the people who love you will love you and support you no
matter what you do. The tasks that you complete and the goals you reach in life
are not always the most important thing. Yes, they make for some cool stories
and they allow you to check some things off that bucket list, but happiness,
true inner happiness, is the utmost goal that anyone should strive for.
If happiness means performing on a Broadway stage or traveling the world or
being a photographer that snaps that perfect action shot to grace the cover of their
favorite magazine, then that’s the path for you. If happiness means raising a family,
running a farm, starting your own small business, or simple adventures with
friends, then that is the path your footsteps should mark.
Each life is measured differently. Each person defines
success differently. For some, success is wealth. For others, success is
experience. Success is family. Success is adventure. Success is compassion.
Success is influence. Success is teaching. Each person needs to look inside
their own dictionary and figure out how they (not the people around
them) define success. But one thing that is for sure, one common definition
between everyone is that success is happiness – that feeling inside that makes
you feel like beams of sunshine are bursting from your heart, the butterflies
in the chest, and the smile that slowly spreads across your face when you think
about an experience ahead or a goal completed.
Happiness is where you find dreams. Pursue your happiness
and your dreams will be there.
And by the way, for those who are standing at the crossroads,
for those trying to figure out what exactly your dreams are and what
path will make you happy. For those who just aren’t sure what their next step
should be or what exact dream they should pursue…. Think about this: Who says
choosing one path puts another to darkness? Roads throughout the entire world
leave each other and then intersect again. Why can’t our dreams? Why can’t one
dream lead to another? And if you’re at a point in your life where you see no
path to your dreams, then by golly, make a new one! (How do you think those
paths got there in the first place?) Choosing one path for life doesn’t erase
the road to another. You may just be taking the scenic route…. which has better
views anyway! Dreams can overlap each other. So choose a path not for finality,
but for happiness. And if multiple paths are calling out to you, explore them
all! That’s why God gave us four-wheel drive.
No comments:
Post a Comment