There
are four kinds of people, by my count: people who walk the road to their dreams
without difficulty; people who struggle along the way but keep going, their
worthy goal always in sight; people who find the road too hard and stop in a
place they don’t really want to be; and the standstills.
The
first person is almost one to be envious of. Perhaps they have better means to
be successful, more privilege, or their aims are closer than most. They could
find true happiness in places others would find mundane, not good enough. But
props to them for easily achieving what they wanted, no matter how grand on the
success scale.
Person
Two is admirable. It’s one achievement to be successful, but it’s another one entirely
when they have had to fight with every step of the way. Their goals might be
far out there, some even beyond sight, but they keep moving forward,
determined, courageous, full of faith in themselves and in whatever power they
believe will aid them. You can’t help but cheer for them from the sidelines. Their
story will likely inspire a biography and movie, and the actor portraying them
might just get an Oscar. Bravo!
I
can’t blame the third person really, especially since it’s a common fate. This
person wished for a certain life,
perhaps spent several nights in bed looking up at their ceiling and dreaming,
but when it came down to it, they were knocked off course by reality and
practicality. Fear only let the dreams exist in thought. “Someday,” Fear
whispered to its victim, until either it was much too late (they’ll discover on
their deathbed) or the wish was tucked into a corner, behind stacks of bills
and To-Do lists and forty hour work weeks, gathering dust and cobwebs. This
third person, responsible and realistic, may then take on a life that he or she
finds mediocre compared to the one they imagined for themselves once upon a
time. Periodically they might dust off the dream, take a wistful look, and then
return it to its place with a sigh of, “Maybe someday.” Or worse, “If only…”
It’s
hard to tell the difference between the ones accepting their reality for what
it is currently and the ones who stand still. This fourth person is plopped in
the middle of an intersection, and in a panic, they just…don’t go anywhere.
They dream of nothing, they spin in circles with too many options, too many “what
ifs”, and in the end they take whatever life happens to hand them. A convenient
job position, a living recommended by a trusted source (or one a little more
headstrong), whatever it is as long as they don’t have to make the decision themselves.
Even if they start in one direction, whether curious or perhaps drunk on brief
confidence, they’ll usually change their minds and back out before they can go
too far down the path. They don’t know what the future will hold, mainly
because they skirt around the topic and cover their eyes the moment they seem
to catch a glimpse of how soon tomorrow really is.
I’m
a tragic combo of three and four. My life is built on convenience, what’s easy.
I picture what could be and say, “If only.” When I’m not busy trying to find a
dream that is powerful enough that I’m willing to take risks, I’m sitting in a
messy jumble, blanket over my head, shouting, “I can’t see you, future! You don’t
exist!”
Thus
far, I’ve successfully screwed up parts of my life. I’ve recently been going
through regret of the past—the kind that does you no good because unless you
meet a time traveler that’s willing to drag you back to high school so you can
make different choices, you’re stuck with that past. But I’m not stuck with my
present. The present is ever changing, so why not manipulate it so that
tomorrow is a future I’m excited for?
It’s
because I’m busy accepting parts of my life that I don’t want but are
practical, and I’m busy spinning in a circle. “I don’t know where to go! I don’t
know where to go!”
Well,
of course I don’t know where to go; I haven’t answered the big question yet.
Where
do I want to be?
So
to Person 1 and 2, you go, guys and gals! Seize your happiness! Don’t be
ashamed at the ease or the difficulties!
Person
3, take a deep breath and plunge! To quote one of my favorite actors, Jim
Carrey, “You can fail at what you don’t want, so you might as well take a
chance on doing what you love.” You have every right to want something, and to
go for it. Don’t let your life pass you by, your dreams being nothing more than
a whispered what could have been.
Fear’s a bully, and while you don’t have to get rid of it, don’t let it boss
you around. It’s your life! Your responsibility. It’s the only thing you are in
charge of 100%.
Person
4, you don’t have to have all the answers, not in one sitting. Quit spinning,
choose a path. It might not be the right one, or the paths after, but if you
don’t try, you will never know what could happen. Wouldn’t you rather have
fifty failures and a final, wonderful success than a life spent in the same
place, running with as much passion as a robot? You can’t find what you love if
you don’t look for it.
It’s
easier said than done, so may this year be the year I devote myself into
looking. Looking, trying, doing, and achieving. But most of all, believing that
I can do it.
Good
luck to all of you on your journey. You deserve your happiness. You deserve
more than wishes and dreams. Now go and
make it happen. People do it every day. Why not you?
