Dreams are beautiful, but reality is harsh. When push comes to shove, how many people will simply give up their dreams? Mr Wow and I are dreamers, but there was a time when we stopped dreaming. Our first business had failed and we lost our way. Thankfully, we got over that phase and have never looked back since.
Following your dream gives you a sense of meaning and purpose. You will face challenges along the way, but you will also unleash your potential and realise the amazing things you are capable of accomplishing.
For those of you who need some encouragement, here are four reasons why you should follow that dream of yours:
- Your Dream Gives You Meaning and Purpose
- Your Dream Brings Out the Best in You
- You Will Probably Regret If You Give Up Your Dream
- You Will Inspire Others to Pursue Their Dreams
1. Your Dream Gives You Meaning and Purpose
Since young, I always dreamed of starting my own business. That dream came true. Now, I dream of becoming a successful blogger and I am working towards it.
What is your dream? All of us have different dreams, but what makes our dreams similar is that they are constantly beckoning us to follow them, to chase them, to realise them.
Eleanor Roosevelt once said, ‘The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.’ Your dream is who you are and what you will become. It gives you meaning, purpose and direction in life. You see a destination and are motivated to get there. There is something to look forward to each day, and you are hopeful and excited about the future. Without dreams, life will be quite depressing. You are like a boat adrift — aimless and unfulfilled.
Your dream is who you are and what you will become. It gives you meaning, purpose and direction in life.
2. Your Dream Brings Out the Best in You
All great achievements of mankind, from moon landing to the conquest of Everest, began with a dream. These dreams became reality because the people behind them were not just dreamers. They were also doers. And they kept trying and trying… not giving up till they crossed the victory line.
To attain your dream, you too will be a doer with a plan. You will turn your dream into a series of goals and set out to achieve them. There will be multiple hurdles along the way, but you will find the courage, strength and resilience to overcome them. You will learn to ignore the naysayers and persevere. A better version of yourself will emerge.
3. You Will Probably Regret If You Give Up Your Dream
An 80s song I really like is ‘Keeping the Dream Alive’ by Freiheit. It goes like this:
Tonight the rain is falling Full of memories of people and places And while the past is calling In my fantasy I remember their faces The hopes we had were much too high Way out of reach, but we have to try The game will never be over Because we’re keeping the dream alive…
The young are usually full of hopes and dreams for the future. However, as life progresses and ‘reality’ jolts them out of their fantasies, many often lose their youthful idealism and stop chasing their dreams. They become jaded and end up going through the motion of living without really feeling inspired by anything. We all know what happens next.
Someday when they are much older, they will look back with regret and lament the lost time, the misspent youth, the dream that they did not pursue. Regret is a dreadful feeling, so don’t give up on your dream so easily.
Life is short and you only live once. Make the most of it and don’t waste your time doing something you detest. Don’t just survive. Live and keep the dream alive.
Someday when they are much older, they will look back with regret and lament the lost time, the misspent youth, the dream that they did not pursue.
4. You Will Inspire Others to Pursue Their Dreams
Have you watched the 1999 film ‘October Sky’ starring a very young Jake Gyllenhaal? I recently watched it on Netflix. It’s a biopic that tells the true story of Homer H. Hickam Jr., a coal miner’s son who was inspired by the launch of Sputnik 1 in 1957 to pursue amateur rocketry.
Hickam and his friends would eventually build a successful rocket and win the top prize at the National Science Fair in Indianapolis. Like all success stories, their journey was not without obstacles and setbacks. Besides budget constraints (rocketry is a very expensive undertaking) and vehement parental objections, they were also accused of starting a wildfire with a stray rocket and got arrested.
Today, Hickam is an author and a former NASA engineer. His memoir ‘Rocket Boys’ was a New York Times Best Seller. I was very moved and inspired by the movie (highly recommended).
Hickam’s story is about staying true to yourself and following your dream, no matter how unachievable it might seem. You too can be an inspiration to others with your diligence, determination and dedication.
To all the dreamers out there, I hope you will, like Hickam, always have the courage to follow your dreams. When in doubt, read this inspiring poem by William F. O’Brien:
May the bright future that beckons be realised.
Effective goal-setting is fundamental to achieving success in life. Read my article How to Set Goals and Make Them Happen to learn more.
More about life: Why Being Knowledgeable is Important | 10 Life Lessons from Clash of Clans | 13 Timeless Quotes to Help You Navigate Life Joyfully | 10 Motivational Quotes to Fuel Your Success | Dying to Learn: 5 Things Death Teaches Us About Life
