Each one of us have a dream in our heart. I don’t mean flavor of the day or an impulsive wish that come and go away like bubbles. Dreams are those that stay! Dreams never disappear because they matter to us. Have you heard, people say with so much passion and energy ‘I want to change the world’, ‘I want to make a difference’, ‘I want to do what I love’, I want to be a musician’, I want to have my own business’, ‘I want to empower women’, ‘I want to help orphaned children’, ‘I want to help people find their purpose in life’? All these are their dream statements. Do you also notice the energy and emotion when they express that.
Have you heard people say, ‘it is close to my heart’? which means fulfilling those dreams gives them joy, happiness and makes them feel fulfilled. Isn’t it?
Dreams are so dear and near to all of us however, I have also noticed that not many of us act on them and more surprisingly some of us never act ever on them. They let their dreams die in their hearts and some of them without even trying. There are some who would give everything they have got but those are fewer in comparison.
It makes me wonder why?
What is behind such a widespread phenomenon?
Why don’t people take their own dreams seriously?
Why do they put their dreams that light them up, makes them feel so happy, on the side?
What makes them downgrade priority of their own personal dreams?
What else could be coming ahead of their own dreams?
What is in their thinking or in values or in beliefs that stops them from putting their own dream first?
Many people tell me they never asked this question to themselves before? Some of them surprise me when they tell me nobody asked them this question before? Why are people waiting for others to ask this question?
Many others tell me they derive pleasure and happiness in dedicating their lives for their children or family members. That is great and noble, but what about their own personal dream? Children are a responsibility until they grow into adults which is about 18-20 years, what about before that and after that?
Do you agree, living for others does not have to mean that it comes at the cost of your dreams, right? Both the goals are different. They are mutually exclusive though there is dependency because we live in a society structure.
Many people tell me it is easier said than done. I don’t deny that. That is true. But being difficult does not make it not important or less important, right? After all, there is only life that you experience. Why don’t they take their own life seriously, the only one they have got?
Many of them don’t acknowledge it openly but they seem be afraid of standing out as an odd one in the society. Do you agree that everybody is unique, so odd in some way anyway, right? Besides, your dream is about you, not about others?
Many people tell me but what will others think? Would they not think that I am selfish?
Ask yourself, if not you, who will think of your dreams? Who is experiencing your life? It is you? Who is responsible for experiencing how and what you want to experience? Is it being selfish or being responsible?
Why don’t people trust their own heart?
In conclusion I would like you to seriously think, if you don’t take yourself seriously, nobody else will. No matter what you do, if you do not take full responsibility and take yourself seriously don’t expect others to.
