When I was five, I wished for 100 puppies. Now, at 19, I wish for three different degrees. We never seem to stop dreaming, or at least I don’t.
Dreams are the reflection of your emotions and desires, transformed into attainable things. However, dreams aren’t always as attainable as they seem. Yes, I understand that nobody is actually getting 100 puppies. I’m talking about the dreams we actively strive for, ones that would be considered realistic with accurate goals.
Sometimes, though, life doesn’t always work out in favor of our dreams, and we see ourselves struggling to keep up with all our aspirations. I’ve noticed that with all my dreams, I’ve had to make sacrifices just to let one dream occur.
I couldn’t tell you one time in my life when I only wanted one thing. I’ve always strived to do as much as I could, but now that I’m older, I’ve realized that growing up and focusing on one dream means having to let go of others.
In high school, I was interested in three different career options; therefore, I knew I would be getting three different degrees: interior design, film and law.
However, triple majoring wasn’t really an option. As the years went on, I eventually lost the desire to become a lawyer so that I could fulfill my dream of having a career in residential design and scriptwriting. Yet, even while writing this, I’m realizing that it still might not be possible.
My whole life, I’ve been told I can do whatever I put my mind to. Which was correct, and I did, but at what cost? I could strive for things and achieve them, but it always came with a lot of risks.
Don’t get me wrong, I loved the positivity and encouragement that my family placed on me, but it gave me a sense of unlimitness. Yet this wasn’t super helpful, considering that as humans, we are limited.
We face physical restrictions, defective knowledge, narrow processing abilities and, our biggest limitation, mortality. Our minds and our bodies can only take us so far before we give out. In order to achieve any number of dreams we may have, sacrifices are inevitable.
Typically, in between your own dreams and your own health, something always ends up budging, which is why we have to understand our priorities.
When first coming to college, I made it my mission to partake in everything I had the opportunity to. Unfortunately, this wrecked me. Being a part of too many organizations, plus taking on my classes, as well as trying to make time for myself, led me into a downward spiral. I wasn’t clear on what my priorities were when it came to my involvement.
I sacrificed my hours of sleep, my food intake, my social life, all to keep up with everything I wanted to do.
“So what, you lose a few hours to stay up studying.” “It’s not a big deal if you skip lunch this one time to finish up the assignment.” “I won’t make plans this week and catch up with my friends another time.”
Don’t worry, I’ve used every single one of these excuses, and all it managed to do was sink me in a deeper pit. If you make a habit out of unhealthy choices, in the service of your dreams, you won’t be able to achieve anything.
There was a point in my life when getting four hours of sleep was normal for me. Surviving on two cups of coffee and one meal was healthy in my mind. If it wasn’t for the people around me helping me realize that I was not taking care of myself, I would’ve never known otherwise.
I had this mindset that I can do it all, but I can’t, and that’s okay. It took me a while to understand, but when it comes down to it all, it’s okay to not be able to conquer some goals. It’s okay to fail at reaching certain achievements.
Once we understand what is most important to us and our personal limitations, we can let go of certain dreams.
It sucks, I know, and it goes against everything that’s been taught to us as children.
Yes, you can achieve your dreams, maybe not all of them, though.
I’m sure not all goals are impossible, but sometimes it’s hard to achieve all of them at once.
No amount of ambition we have should overrule our body and mind’s needs, disrupting their way of practical functionality.
Sooner or later, you will have to let go of some dreams. So let’s take a realistic approach, view your dreams for yourself, find out which ones are most important to you, and chase those. Be okay with letting go of the rest. If they reappear in your future, then pursue them; if not, learn to let go.