This post is not about love. But, this is a cool picture so I'm running with it. This post is however, about dreams. From a young age we are told to manifest in the magic of our dreams.
"You can be anything you want when you grow up. If you try hard enough all of your dreams will come true."
As time moves on those encouraging words transcend into talk of reality.
"You have to make a living. You need to be more realistic. How many professional horseback riders are there really, Shelby?"
We take the comments and push our dreams to the back burner, leaving them to rot in an condemned dream hell. Unless you are like me. I never quite gave up on my dreams, and while most could see the unconstitutional backing their thoughts held, my mind shunned the idea.
Instead of learning, over the years, that my dreams were perhaps better left on the book shelf I have spent my time making the perfect fuel concoction to keep them alive. Sure... I no longer want to be a horseback rider, but change or not my fire still burns.
Here is the thing with dreaming, there are always going to be people who put you down. I can still remember the choir class where the teacher so blatantly pointed out that having recorded a demo did not mean you were going to be a singer. She looked straight at me because she knew I had gone to a booth in the mall and recorded a song on tape. I will never say sorry for trying to be Taylor Swift, and did not apologize to her for trying to become something. She may have not thought of that moment after it was done, she surely did not think of me after my time was up in her class. But I still think about it. I still think of all the people who tried to stand in the way of my dreams. That cheer coach, that boss, the choir teacher. It is unhealthy to fuel your fire with too much resentment, but three people seems to be just enough.
And here is the other thing with dreaming, there are always going to be people who push you up. There are going to be people who want you to succeed no matter what the task is, let them encourage you and let them help you. A professor I had in college reached out recently and asked about my path. He was an amazing man so I felt comfortable telling him all these crazy dreams I had. He supported each and every one, even going as far to say he would "Read the hell" out of my book. These types of things, encouraging letters from professors and kinds text from friends, are what you need to hold onto. Let them fuel your fire even more.
Of course, there is also your own passion for the dreams you have, but that should be a give in. If you aren't passionate about your dreams then chances are they aren't really your dreams.
Now, of course none of my dreams have actually become a reality. But that doesn't mean I'm giving up. Then one day, when I'm talking about how I did achieve my life's greatest desires to Ellen Degeneres, they will be watching. My friends, family, and great professors will be proud. And my greatest critics, they will be in shock, rubbing their eyes at the sight of a girl who didn't give up. Oh, and yes, please feel free to call and apologize.
*This blog does have some haste in its words... but this is life, and life has haste.
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