The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”—Eleanor Roosevelt.
That life that you used to dream of, do you still think it’s possible? Where you are right now, with all the things that have happened, do you still believe it’s achievable? Are you still taking steps to make it happen? Even if you haven’t checked one thing off, do you still have faith that it can happen?
Once upon a time, no matter how unrealistic it seemed, I dreamt big. I was propelled by the seemingly impossible without much thought of how to get those things. But life gets in the way, and you decide to just live day by day. But day by day living without a dream feels empty. Personally, without a dream, without desiring impossible things, the drive for any sort of achievement is gone. Even though I have a list of things that I want to achieve, the drive to bring them to fulfillment has been missing for many years.
But I want you to dream again, to believe that you can, and are able and that whatever you have put on paper it will happen. I want you to dream big, if the dream is for a purpose or if it’s for your enjoyment---if it’s a vacation or a career. Dig through the rubble of life, of disappointment, of responsibilities, of doubt, of fear, of societal expectations and possibilities and limits, and locate that switch-- flick it on.
Be brave for yourself. You won’t always have people cheering you on. You won’t always have people’s support, even the ones from whom you expect it. Your ambitions, your dreams, your ideas won’t always make sense. There are some waiting to see if all your ambitions will amount to anything. But don’t stumble in pursuit to prove anything. Life is a race, not a competition. There is work to do, and it will get done. Its completion is your proof. And life is funny too. Often you chart your course and set out on the path, only to find yourself in a place you never expected. Be open-minded to that. There are things that may happen, decisions you may have to take that may cause your path to change. Stay the course.
I remember back in elementary school, a common poster in classrooms hailed this quote: “Reach for the moon. Even if you fall short, you’ll land among the stars.”
So, shoot for the moon. Whatever that high place is that you are aiming for, pursue it, remembering also that there is a time and a season for everything. If it’s in your heart, there is a time for it to come, and a season where you’ll see it flourish and you can enjoy it.
Don’t be your own stumbling block. Whatever it is that you want for yourself, whatever it is that you want to achieve, there’s room for you, there are resources for you, there’s a place for you. And whatever it is that you want, go for it. The life that you want is available to you. Be brave and seize it.
