When In Pursuit

When in pursuit of dreams, ensure the dream you pursue is your own.

(@scsquared)

I have had the opportunity to speak to and listen to the hearts of many people, it has allowed me the opportunity to learn more about the world around me. It has also taught me things about myself and shown me things I do or don’t want for myself and my life.

One of the saddest things to witness is someone pursuing someone else’s dreams. This comes in a couple forms, and they all end in dissatisfaction and emptiness. They are:

1. Pursuing an expected dream – You know them, their parents, teachers, friends etc… expect them to do something because of some talent or affinity they have. Some see it as encouraging the person, yet the person feels pressured into it. It happens, quite innocently too. Note, not everyone that sings well wants to be a singer.
2. Pursuing a projected dream – These would be those cursed with parents who weren’t able to be a this or a that due to some circumstance in life and now have pushed these dreams onto their children. Just think of TLC’s programme Toddlers & Tiaras or those parents who harp on not being able to go to Law school, and like by osmosis, their child wants to be a lawyer.
3. Pursuing a manipulated dream – Theses poor souls were manipulated to change the dream they were pursuing, because someone convinced them that this other dream was the one they “should” have instead. No, these are not projected or expected, those are innocent, this one is purposed to change the dream being pursued.
4. Pursuing a stolen dream – Yes, people steal the dreams of others. These tend to be a result of lack of a personal dream, failure of achieving your own dream, and plain old jealousy (or bad mind). These are never innocent either, you know you are stealing someone’s vision when you do it.

Most of us are walking around with dreams, some dreams are simple and some grandiose but all dreams are meant for their own person. One person dreams of having her own pet spa, while another dreams of making beautiful desserts, yet another person simply longs to parent and another to help other fulfill their dreams.

Pursuing a dream takes guts, only the brave truly do, and they go unnoticed everyday. These brave people who determine that they will see their dreams fulfilled are not just Nelson Mandela and Oprah, they are the secretary who saved to help her daughter finish university, the guy bagging groceries and even the man who pours your wine. They pushed through odds you would never know of, but they are living their dreams, decide to live yours.

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