Is There a Need for Looking Inside Ourselves to Make Our Dreams and Goals Come True

Beginning the moment they develop speaking skills, children are asked by the adults in their lives what they would like to be when they grow up. More often than not, kids say that they want to be such and such because their parents make a living doing it. Still, other kids say they want to be this or that because it looks exotic and fun. No matter the case, from an early age, kids are instructed to aim for the stars and to do their best. While these same kids often do not grow up to be rocket scientists and ballerinas, with passion and hard work, they might come close.

I have always believed that in order for an endeavor to be even semi successful, you must want it to be successful. If you want something to be a success, you must put in the effort and be willing to make sacrifices. People who want to succeed but refuse to do anything more than voice their dreams rarely succeed. While, I believe, it is true that some people are destined for greatness and others for mediocrity, passively standing still, waiting for destiny to take over, is a great way of making sure you die unfilled. We are given a set number of chances in life. If we blow them all, we aren’t given a “do over.”

I once had this friend who had her cards read religiously. One evening, she was told that her dreams of becoming a doctor would come true. The psychic saw her as a doctor, no question about it. Believing that her future was set, she began to slack off in school. Her grades slipped dramatically. She barely made it out of her junior year. When senior year rolled around, she went into panic mode. Would Tufts judge her solely on her junior year academic performance? Would she still be able to get into her dream school? When last I heard, after proving herself at her “fourth choice” college, she had transferred into Tufts. I am glad things have worked out for her. Yet, why did my friend who had been a studious, hard worker her whole life suddenly stop in her tracks and believe that fate would take over? In general, why do many people give up after putting in so much effort?

Simply put, we become tired and scared. We see the fulfillment of a dream just around the corner and we shut off. After meeting people who have achieved their goals and hear that they aren’t as fulfilled as they thought they’d be, we begin to question why we bothered to come this far. If they, having achieved such greatness, are that miserable, what is the point of going any further? We forget that not every experience is the same. Too tired from working to get to this point, we throw in the towel and look for an easier route.

If we can’t count on ourselves to keep going when the road gets hard, how can we expect others to support us? When it comes down to it, we decide whether or not to achieve our dreams. Yes, life can be unfair. (You work and work, but don’t get the credit you deserve.) Yes, life can be difficult. (The function hall you booked your reception at burns down the week before your reception is to take place, leaving you to scramble to find another venue.) Still, if you want something bad enough, you’ll achieve it to whatever degree you can despite every unfortunate situation and setback you encounter. Life is what you make it for better or for worse.