If you had to choose a dream to follow what would it be?

• Author: PeacefulDharma
• Filed under: Passion, Uncategorized, Writer, Writing
• Date: Sep 28,2009

This might seem like an easy question to answer for a child or a young adult, but what if you are sitting in your mid-thirties or older with little to no direction, what then? Do dreams have an expiration date?

When people who’ve found their dream are asked, “What advice do you have for people pursuing their dreams?” you always hear some variation of: “Find something you enjoy doing, stick with it and never let it go.” This is obviously very sound advice coming from someone who has already found their life’s calling, but it’s not too reassuring for those of us who require GPS directions to Inspiration Land. But, okay, let’s play it their way just for fun.

Find something you enjoy doing.

I love this sentence (please take note of the sarcasm). There are a lot of things that I enjoy doing, but none could actually make me money, nor could they be considered dream material. Another problem is that I am not extremely good at any one thing in particular.

My first enjoyment as a child was drawing, but after the crayon stage I pretty much gave up on all things art related. I still draw, quite nicely, but it’s nothing special and I certainly wouldn’t consider it my life’s calling. In my mid-teens I became obsessed with music, joining the school band and becoming quite enamored with any and all things musical. I’m still in love with music, but unfortunately I don’t possess any type of talent other than having good taste.

And then there is writing. Deep inside of me is a writer waiting to flourish. I knew this back in eight grade when my English teacher gave us a 500 word descriptive writing assignment and I wrote nearly 2000 words. It was like someone gave me a license to talk on paper without the worry of being timed or getting cut-off in mid-sentence. My words flowed easier on paper than they ever did through voice. They still do. However, I am not skilled at writing. The love I have for it is forever there, but I struggle with spelling, grammar and punctuation constantly.

Stick with it.

Okay, so once a person has found something they enjoy doing, the next step is to stick with it. This either means glue the guitar you want to play forever to your fingertips or it could simply mean that one should hone their skill. I suppose I’ll go with the latter.

If I choose to peruse writing as a career choice, than it only makes sense that I should write. A lot. All the time. I should also find a writing class to help improve my skill, which will make me more confident and secure when it comes to sharing my work. Got it.

Never let it go!

I suppose even the best artists, poets, and musicians thought of giving up at some point or another. It’s only human nature to hit a brick wall, even when in pursuit of something that one loves to do. The key must be finding something so enjoyable that the passion knocks aside any obstacle in the way.

For me, and a few others my age, the main obstacle is going back to school. I’m in my mid-thirties, with a daughter who is about to graduate high school. Returning to a classroom just seems a bit ridiculous. But, if I want to pursue my dream, night classes might be a move in the right direction. They do not require a lot of money, can be taken in the evening after work and the classes are short.

Do dreams have an expiration date?

Probably. But, the people who said: “find something you enjoy doing, stick with it and never let it go” never mention an expiration date. I don’t think people who are successful with their dreams think in terms of age, because time doesn’t really matter to them. The only thing that matters greatly is keeping their dream alive and moving forward. Until we can think and feel as passionate as most successful dreamers do, our dreams will never become a reality.

To wrap things up, people (including myself) who are not perusing their dreams are too busy making up excuses to follow what is in their heart. At some point, the decision has to be made to either sit at home and dream the dream or get off your butt and live the dream. We have that choice.

So, the next time a person who is living out their dream is asked what advice they can give, listen closely. They just might know what they’re talking about.