essay on follow your dreams

Essays About Dreams In Life: 14 Examples And Topic Ideas

Dreams in life are necessary; if you are writing essays about dreams in life, you can read these essay examples and topic ideas to get started.

Everyone has a dream – a big one or even a small one. Even the most successful people had dreams before becoming who they are today. Having a dream is like having a purpose in life; you will start working hard to reach your dream and never lose interest in life.

Without hard work, you can never turn a dream into a reality; it will only remain a desire. Level up your essay writing skills by reading our essays about dreams in life examples and prompts and start writing an inspiring essay today!

Writing About Dreams: A Guide

Essays about dreams in life: example essays, 1. chase your dreams: the best advice i ever got by michelle colon-johnson, 2. my dream, my future by deborah massey, 3. the pursuit of dreams by christine nishiyama, 4. my dreams and ambitions by kathy benson, 5. turning big dreams into reality by shyam gokarn, 6. my hopes and dreams by celia robinson, 7. always pursue your dreams – no matter what happens by steve bloom, 8. why do we dream by james roland, 9. bad dreams by eli goldstone, 10. why your brain needs to dream by matthew walker, 11. dreams by hedy marks, 12. do dreams really mean anything by david b. feldman, 13. how to control your dreams by serena alagappan, 14. the sunday essay: my dreams on antidepressants by ashleigh young, essays about dreams in life essay topics, 1. what is a dream, 2. what are your dreams in life, 3. why are dreams important in life, 4. what are the reasons for a person to dream big, 5. what do you think about dreams in life vs. short-term sacrifice, 6. what is the purpose of dreaming, 7. why are dreams so strange and vivid, 8. why do dreams feel so real, 9. why are dreams so hard to remember, 10. do dreams mean anything, what is a dream short essay, how can i write my dream in life.

Writing about dreams is an excellent topic for essays, brainstorming new topic ideas for fiction stories, or just as a creative outlet. We all have dreams, whether in our sleep, during the day, or even while walking on a sunny day. Some of the best ways to begin writing about a topic are by reading examples and using a helpful prompt to get started. Check out our guide to writing about dreams and begin mastering the art of writing today!

“Everyone has the ability to dream, but not everyone has the willingness to truly chase their dreams. When people aren’t living their dreams they often have limited belief systems. They believe that their current circumstances and/or surroundings are keeping them from achieving the things they want to do in life.”

In her essay, author Michelle Colon-Johnson encourages her readers to develop a mindset that will let them chase their dreams. So, you have to visualize your dream, manifest it, and start your journey towards it! Check out these essays about dreams and sleep .

“At the time when I have my job and something to make them feel so proud of me, I would like to give them the best life. I would like to make them feel comfortable and see sweet smiles on their faces. This is really the one I like to achieve in my life; mountains of words can’t explain how much I love and appreciate them.”

Author Deborah Massey’s essay talks about her dreams and everything she wanted to achieve and accomplish in her life. She also tells us that we must live our values, pursue our dreams, and follow our passions for the best future.

“Fast-forward 5+ years, and my first published book is coming out this May with Scholastic. And now, let me tell you the truth: I don’t feel any different. I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity, proud of the work I’ve done, and excited for the book’s release. But on a fundamental level, I feel the same.”

In her essay, author Christine Nishiyama shares what she felt when she first achieved one of her goals in life. She says that with this mindset, you will never feel the satisfaction of achieving your goal or the fulfillment of reaching your dream. Instead, she believes that what fulfills people is the pursuit of their dreams in life.

“My dream is to become a good plastic surgeon and day after day it has transformed into an ambition which I want to move towards. I do not want to be famous, but just good enough to have my own clinic and work for a very successful hospital. Many people think that becoming a doctor is difficult, and I know that takes many years of preparation, but anyone can achieve it if they have determination.”

Author Kathy Benson’s essay narrates her life – all the things and struggles she has been through in pursuing her dreams in life. Yet, no matter how hard the situation gets, she always convinces herself not to give up, hoping her dreams will come true one day. She believes that with determination and commitment, anyone can achieve their dreams and goals in life. 

“I have always been a big dreamer and involved in acting upon it. Though, many times I failed, I continued to dream big and act. As long as I recollect, I always had such wild visions and fantasies of thinking, planning, and acting to achieve great things in life. But, as anyone can observe, there are many people, who think and work in that aspect.”

In his essay, author Shyam Gokarn explains why having a big dream is very important in a person’s life. However, he believes that the problem with some people is that they never hold tight to their dreams, even if they can turn them into reality. As a result, they tend to easily give up on their dreams and even stop trying instead of persevering through the pain and anguish of another failure.

“When I was younger, I’ve always had a fairytale-like dream about my future. To marry my prince, have a Fairy Godmother, be a princess… But now, all of that has changed. I’ve realized how hard life is now; that life cannot be like a fairy tale. What you want can’t happen just like that.”

Celia Robinson’s essay talks about her dream since she was a child. Unfortunately, as we grow old, there’s no “Fairy Godmother” that would help us when things get tough. Everyone wants to succeed in the future, but we have to work hard to achieve our dreams and goals.

“Take writing for example. I’ve wanted to be a professional writer since I was a little boy, but I was too scared that I wouldn’t be any good at it. But several years ago I started pursuing this dream despite knowing how difficult it might be. I fully realize I may not make it, but I’m completely fine with that. At least I tried which is more than most people can say.”

In his essay, author Steve Bloom encourages his readers always to pursue their dreams no matter what happens. He asks, “Would you rather pursue them and fail or never try?”. He believes that it’s always better to try and fail than look back and wonder what might have been. Stop thinking that failure or success is the only end goal for pursuing your dreams. Instead, think of it as a long journey where all the experiences you get along the way are just as important as reaching the end goal.

“Dreams are hallucinations that occur during certain stages of sleep. They’re strongest during REM sleep, or the rapid eye movement stage, when you may be less likely to recall your dream. Much is known about the role of sleep in regulating our metabolism, blood pressure, brain function, and other aspects of health. But it’s been harder for researchers to explain the role of dreams. When you’re awake, your thoughts have a certain logic to them. When you sleep, your brain is still active, but your thoughts or dreams often make little or no sense.”

Author James Roland’s essay explains the purpose of having dreams and the factors that can influence our dreams. He also mentioned some of the reasons that cause nightmares. Debra Sullivan, a nurse educator, medically reviews his essay. Sullivan’s expertise includes cardiology, psoriasis/dermatology, pediatrics, and alternative medicine. For more, you can also see these articles about sleep .

“The first time I experienced sleep paralysis and recognised it for what it was I was a student. I had been taking MDMA and listening to Django Reinhardt. My memories of that time are mainly of taking drugs and listening to Django Reinhardt. When I woke up I was in my paralysed body. I was there, inside it. I was inside my leaden wrists, my ribcage, the thick dead roots of my hair, the bandages of skin. This time the hallucinations were auditory. I could hear someone being beaten outside my door. They were screaming for help. And I could do nothing but lie there, locked inside my body . . . whatever bit of me is not my body. That is the bit that exists, by itself, at night.”

In her essay, Author Eli Goldstone talks about her suffering from bad dreams ever since childhood. She also talks about what she feels every time she has sleep paralysis – a feeling of being conscious but unable to move.

“We often hear stories of people who’ve learned from their dreams or been inspired by them. Think of Paul McCartney’s story of how his hit song “Yesterday” came to him in a dream or of Mendeleev’s dream-inspired construction of the periodic table of elements. But, while many of us may feel that our dreams have special meaning or a useful purpose, science has been more skeptical of that claim. Instead of being harbingers of creativity or some kind of message from our unconscious, some scientists have considered dreaming to being an unintended consequence of sleep—a byproduct of evolution without benefit.”

Author Matthew Walker, a professor of psychology and neuroscience, shares some interesting facts about dreams in his essay. According to research, dreaming is more than just a byproduct of sleep; it also serves essential functions in our well-being. 

“Dreams are basically stories and images that our mind creates while we sleep. They can be vivid. They can make you feel happy, sad, or scared. And they may seem confusing or perfectly rational. Dreams can happen at any time during sleep. But you have your most vivid dreams during a phase called REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, when your brain is most active. Some experts say we dream at least four to six times a night.”

In his essay, Author Hedy Marks discusses everything we need to know about dreams in detail – from defining a dream to tips that may help us remember our dreams. Hedy Marks is an Assistant Managing Editor at WebMD , and Carol DerSarkissian, a board-certified emergency physician, medically reviews his essay.

“Regardless of whether dreams foretell the future, allow us to commune with the divine, or simply provide a better understanding of ourselves, the process of analyzing them has always been highly symbolic. To understand the meaning of dreams, we must interpret them as if they were written in a secret code. A quick search of an online dream dictionary will tell you that haunted houses symbolize “unfinished emotional business,” dimly lit lamps mean you’re “feeling overwhelmed by emotional issues,” a feast indicates “a lack of balance in your life,” and garages symbolize a feeling of “lacking direction or guidance in achieving your goals.” 

Author David B. Feldman, an author, speaker, and professor of counseling psychology, believes that dreams may not mean anything, but they tell us something about our emotions. In other words, if you’ve been suffering from a series of bad dreams, it could be worth checking in with yourself to see how you’ve been feeling and perhaps consider whether there’s anything you can do to improve your mood.

“Ever wish you could ice skate across a winter sky, catching crumbs of gingerbread, like flakes of snow, on your tongue? How about conquering a monster in a nightmare, bouncing between mountain peaks, walking through walls, or reading minds? Have you ever longed to hold the hand of someone you loved and lost? If you want to fulfill your fantasies, or even face your fears, you might want to try taking some control of your dreams (try being the operative). People practiced in lucid dreaming—the phenomenon of being aware that you are dreaming while you are asleep—claim that the experience allows adventure, self-discovery, and euphoric joy.”

In her essay, Author Serena Alagappan talks about lucid dreams – a type of dream where a person becomes conscious during a dream. She also talked about ways to control our dreams, such as keeping a journal, reciting mantras before bed, and believing we can. However, not everyone will be able to control their dreams because the levels of lucidity and control differ significantly between individuals.

“There was a period of six months when I tried to go off my medication – a slowly unfolding disaster – and I’d thought my dreams might settle down. Instead, they grew more deranged. Even now I think of the dream in which I was using a cigarette lighter to melt my own father, who had assumed the form of a large candle. I’ve since learned that, apart from more research being needed, this was probably a case of “REM rebound”. When you stop taking the medication, you’ll likely get a lot more REM sleep than you were getting before. In simple terms, your brain goes on a dreaming frenzy, amping up the detail.”

Author Ashleigh Young’s essay informs us how some medications, such as antidepressants, affect our dreams based on her own life experience. She said, “I’ve tried not to dwell too much on my dreams. Yes, they are vivid and sometimes truly gruesome, full of chaotic, unfathomable violence, but weird nights seemed a reasonable price to pay for the bearable days that SSRIs have helped me to have.” 

In simple terms, a dream is a cherished aspiration, ambition, or ideal; is it the same as your goal in life? In your essay, explore this topic and state your opinion about what the word “dream” means to you.

This is an excellent topic for your statement or “about me” essay. Where do you see yourself in the next ten years? Do you have a career plan? If you still haven’t thought about it, maybe it’s time to start thinking about your future.

Having dreams is very important in a person’s life; it motivates, inspires, and helps you achieve any goal that you have in mind. Without dreams, we would feel lost – having no purpose in life. Therefore, in your essay, you should be able to explain to your readers how important it is to have a dream or ambition in life. 

Dreaming big sounds great; however, it’s easier said than done. First, you’ve got to have reasons to dream big, which will motivate you to achieve your goals in life. If you’re writing an essay about dreams in life, mention why most people dare to dream big and achieve more in life. Is it about freedom, money, praise from other people, satisfaction, or something else entirely?

For example, you could watch movies, play video games, relax every night, or give up all of them to learn a complex skill – what would you choose, and why? In your essay about dreams in life, answer the question and include other examples about this topic so your readers can relate.

There are many answers to this question – one is that dreams may have an evolutionary function, testing us in scenarios crucial to our survival. Dreams may also reduce the severity of emotional trauma. On the other hand, some researchers say dreams have no purpose or meaning, while some say we need dreams for physical and mental health. Take a closer look at this topic, and include what you find in your essay.

Weird dreams could result from anxiety, stress, or sleep deprivation. So, manage your stress levels, and stick to a sleep routine to stop having weird dreams. If you wake up from a weird dream, you can fall back asleep using deep breaths or any relaxing activity. You can research other causes of weird dreams and ways to stop yourself from having them for your essay about dreams and sleep.

The same areas of the brain that are active when we learn and process information in the actual world are active when we dream, and they replay the information as we sleep. Many things we see, hear, and feel in our everyday lives appear in our dreams. If you want to write an informative essay about dreams and sleep, look into more details about this topic.

Tip: When editing for grammar, we also recommend taking the time to improve the readability score of a piece of writing before publishing or submitting it.

People may not remember what happened in their dreams. Studies show that people tend to forget their dreams due to the changing levels of acetylcholine and norepinephrine during sleep. This will be quite an exciting topic for your readers because many people can relate. That being said, research more information about this topic, and discuss it in detail in your essay. 

Although some people believe that dreams don’t mean anything, many psychologists and other experts have theorized about the deeper meaning of dreams. Therefore, your essay about dreams and sleep should delve deeper into this topic. If you’re stuck picking your next essay topic, check out our round-up of essay topics about education .

FAQS on Essays About Dreams in Life

There are many great short essays about dreams; you can write your own too! Some great examples include Do Dreams Really Mean Anything? by David B. Feldman and  Dreams by Hedy Marks.

Writing about your dreams in life is a fantastic creative outlet and can even help you plan your future. Use a prompt to get started, like “What are your dreams in life?” or “What do you aspire to be in ten years?” and begin writing without thinking too much about it. See where the pen takes you and start mapping out your future with this writing exercise.

Meet Rachael, the editor at Become a Writer Today. With years of experience in the field, she is passionate about language and dedicated to producing high-quality content that engages and informs readers. When she's not editing or writing, you can find her exploring the great outdoors, finding inspiration for her next project.

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Essay on Follow Your Dreams

Walt Disney once said, “All our dreams can come true if you have enough courage to pursue them.” Mr. Disney means that following your dreams is important because that is how you make them come true. If you follow your dreams, you will be setting up how you live your life, and you are going to be inspired by many along the way, like, Walt Disney.  

Following your dreams is important because it will complete your life and overall make you happy. When you pursue your aspirations, you are setting yourself up for life. Pursuing your aspirations can make you happy; if you do what you love, you will be content. Following your dreams is important because it determines how you live your life.  

Walt Disney is a great example to visualize the importance of following your dreams. While he is remembered for his many great successes, Disney also suffered his fair share of struggles. He dreamed to be a successful animator, so he did everything in his power to achieve his dream. He applied a tremendous amount of effort to his work, and in 1937, he had his first great success: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Nowadays, the name “Disney” is one you hear every day. His fame happened because he followed his dreams until he was satisfied with what had been achieved, and in the end, he became one of the most successful animators ever.  

Following your dreams is important because that is how you achieve them. When you follow your dreams, you are going to be inspired to rise above and do what you love by those like Disney.

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92 Powerful Follow Your Dreams Quotes to Inspire You to Reach for the Stars

Embarking on the journey to fulfill your dreams is an exhilarating adventure that often requires determination, courage, and unwavering belief in yourself. In a world filled with challenges and distractions, the wisdom encapsulated in ‘Follow Your Dreams Quotes’ serves as a guiding light, reminding us of the power of our aspirations and the potential within us.

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Follow Your Dreams Quotes to Encourage You to Never Give Up

1. “Aim for the moon. If you miss, you may hit a star.” — W. Clement Stone

2. “The most important journey of our lives doesn’t necessarily involve climbing the highest peak or trekking around the world. The biggest adventure you can ever take is to live the life of your dreams.” — Oprah Winfrey

3. “You’ve got to follow that dream, wherever that dream may lead.” — Elvis Presley

4. “Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience and the passion to reach the stars to change the world.” — Harriet Tubman

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5. “Leaving what feels secure behind and following the beckoning of our hearts doesn’t always end as we expect or hope. We may even fail. But here’s the payoff: it can also be amazing and wonderful and immensely satisfying.” — Steve Goodier

6. “Follow your dreams, they know the way.” — Kobe Yamada

7. “Too many of us are not living our dreams because we are living our fears.” —  Les Brown

8. “If you knew how great your little dreams are, you wouldn’t let them die.” — Michael Bassey Johnson

9. “I have not always chosen the safest path. I’ve made my mistakes, plenty of them. I sometimes jump too soon and fail to appreciate the consequences. But I’ve learned something important along the way: I’ve learned to heed the call of my heart. I’ve learned that the safest path is not always the best path and I’ve learned that the voice of fear is not always to be trusted.” — Steve Goodier

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10. “We have come this far walking on the seashells of our dreams.” — Avijeet Das

11. “The subconscious mind is like a garden. Whatever you plant in it will grow and flourish. So be mindful of your thoughts, for they shape your reality.” — Itayi Garande

12. “Don’t just follow or chase your dreams; hunt them.” — Emmanuel Apetsi

13. “Follow your dreams and never ever stop believing in yourself. And one day you will achieve your dreams and feel happy that you never gave up.” ― Avijeet Das

14. “So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable, and then, when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable.” — Christopher Reeve

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15. “Sometimes life is about risking everything for a dream no one can see but you.”

16. “Wherever your dreams take you, know that this is precisely where the universe needs you to be.”

17. “You have to dream before your dreams can come true.” — A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

18. “Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors where there were only walls.” — Joseph Campbell

19. “Don’t be pushed around by the fears in your mind. Be led by the dreams in your heart.” — Roy T. Bennett

20. “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” — Eleanor Roosevelt

21. “Hope lies in dreams, in imagination, and in the courage of those who dare to make dreams into reality.” — Jonas Salk

22. “Every morning you have two choices: continue to sleep with you dreams, or wake up and chase them.”

23. “Dream no small dreams for they have no power to move the hearts of men.” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

24. “The building blocks of life are basically anything and everything you can use to reach your dreams.” — Patrick Sverns

25. “Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly.” — Langston Hughes

26. “Giving up on our dreams because life became rough and the road got bumpy is tantamount to blowing out our own pilot light.” — Dr. Mara Karpel

27. “The only dreams that come true are the ones you chase, if you do nothing, you get nothing.” — Joseph Atser

28. “My advice to anyone, whatever their field, is to never be afraid to chase a dream because of the risk of failure or ridicule.” — Jason Ayres

29. “If you can’t believe in miracles, then believe in yourself. When you want something bad enough, let that drive push you to make it happen. Sometimes you’ll run into brick walls that are put there to test you. Find a way around them and stay focused on your dream. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.” — Isabel Lopez

30. “If you feel a vastness of passion towards a particular goal, you owe it to yourself to follow through with it. Because what your soul desires, is ultimately what you need.” — Robin S. Baker

31. “Life is full of regrets, but you will never regret chasing your dreams.”

32. “Passionately pursue your dreams and strive to have a good spirit while you do… for it will greatly help you make those dreams a reality.” — Rachel Sazon-Reyes

33. “Do whatever brings you to life, then. Follow your own fascinations, obsessions, and compulsions. Trust them. Create whatever causes a revolution in your heart.” — Elizabeth Gilbert

34. “Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will.” — Suzy Kassem

35. “As soon as you start to pursue a dream, your life wakes up and everything has meaning. ” — Barbara Sher

36. “It is better to risk starving to death than surrender. If you give up on your dreams, what’s left?” —  Jim Carrey

37. “It is never too late to be what you might have been.” — George Eliot

38. “Next time you are filled with passion and a desire to create change, remember to take steps towards your dream, not leaps. ” — Calvin Simpson

39. “Don’t ever let someone tell you, you can’t do something. Not even me. You got a dream, you got to protect it.” — Steven Conrad

40. “If you have dreams you want to pursue, the time is now. There is no perfect time, and there is no better time. There is only the time you lose while you’re making excuses.” — Holly Lisle

41. “Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dream.” — Paulo Coelho

42. “Don’t give up on your dreams, or your dreams will give up on you.” — John Wooden

43. “The only limit to the height of your achievements is the reach of your dreams and your willingness to work for them.” — Michelle Obama

44. “Lose your dreams and you might lose your mind.” — Mick Jagger

45. “Don’t let people discourage you from living your dreams.” — David DeNotaris

46. “It is precisely the possibility of realizing a dream that makes life interesting.” — Paulo Coelho

47. “One day you will wake up and there won’t be any more time to do the things you’ve always wanted. Do it now.” — Paulo Coelho

48. “If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.” — Henry David Thoreau

49. “The things you are passionate about are not random, they are your calling.” — Fabienne Fredrickson

50. “If a little dreaming is dangerous, the cure for it is not to dream less but to dream more, to dream all the time.” — Marcel Proust

51. “When you follow your dreams, you encourage other people to follow theirs.” — Nafessa Williams

52. “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you’ve always imagined.” — Henry David Thoreau

53. “Allow your passion to become your purpose and it will one day become your profession.” — Gabby Bernstein

54. “Dare to dream, but even more importantly, dare to put action behinds your dreams.” — Josh Hinds

55. “Breathing dreams like air.” — F. Scott Fitzgerald

56. “Just follow your dreams and be patient.” — Angelique Kerber

57. “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” — Walt Disney

58. “If you can dream it, you can do it. ” — Walt Disney

59. “I would encourage you to set really high goals. Set goals that, when you set them, you think they’re impossible. But then every day you can work towards them, and anything is possible, so keep working hard and follow your dreams.” — Katie Ledecky

60. “Once in a while it really hits people that they don’t have to experience the world in the way they have been told. ” — Alan Keightley

61. “To be a human being is to be in a state of tension between your appetites and your dreams, and the social realities around you and your obligations to your fellow man.” — John Updike

62. “Follow your dreams no matter how long and winding the path may be.”

63. “Life is a song—sing it. Life is a game—play it. Life is a challenge—meet it. Life is a dream—realize it. Life is a sacrifice—offer it. Life is love—enjoy it.” — Sai Baba

64. “Leaving what feels secure behind and following the beckoning of our hearts doesn’t always end as we expect or hope. We may even fail. But here’s the payoff: it can also be amazing and wonderful and immensely satisfying.” — Steve Goodier

65. “Can you remember who you were, before the world told you who you should be?” — Charles Bukowski

66. “I would rather die of passion than of boredom.” — Vincent Van Gogh

67. “No matter the size or scope of your setbacks and they are sure to be many and varied, the only way to achieve your dreams is to move past the snags that trip you up. Greatness only moves in one direction: forward.” — Darrin Wiggins

68. “To define your life is to delight in your dreams.” — Lailah Gifty Akita

69. “A man is not old until regrets take the place of dreams.” — John Barrymore

70. “People who lack the clarity, courage, or determination to follow their own dreams will often find ways to discourage yours. Live your truth and don’t EVER stop!” — Steve Maraboli

71. “Nothing happens unless first we dream.” — Carl Sandburg

72. “If you can be anything in life, be a dreamer.”

73. “Follow your dreams. I am not saying it’s going to be easy, but I am saying it’s going to be worth it.” —  Moffat Machingura

74. “We may place blame, give reasons, and even have excuses; but in the end, it is an act of cowardice to not follow your dreams.” — Steve Maraboli

75. “If you don’t build your dreams, someone will hire you to help build theirs.” — Tony Gaskin

76. “So many people live their lives not knowing the real and exact reasons why they live. They follow anything for something and they do something for anything. When you live life with a blurry vision, you live a blurry life. Vision is life, and a life without vision is a dead life.” — Ernest Agyemang Yeboah

77. “I don’t dream at night, I dream all day; I dream for a living.” — Steven Spielberg

78. “When you make your dreams come true it may be only for yourself, but there are hundreds and maybe thousands who’ll be inspired.” — Thomas Meyer

79. “If you are working on something that you really care about, you don’t have to be pushed. The vision pulls you.” — Steve Jobs

80. “If you dream of becoming an eagle, you follow your dreams and not the words of a bunch of chickens.” — Penny Johnson Jerald

81. “If you’re waiting until you feel talented enough to make it, you’ll never make it.” — Criss Jami

82. “Reach high, for stars lie hidden in you. Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal.”  — Rabindranath Tagore

83. “When you take the step towards your dreams you will be met with fears because you have never traveled this way before. As you go, you will discover that you had nothing to fear. Through overcoming your fears you give those that follow you hope that if they pursue their dreams, they will achieve their dreams.” — E’yen A. Gardner

84. “Dreams are illustrations… from the book your soul is writing about you.” — Marsha Norman

85. “If a lion turned every time small dogs barked at it, it would be the laughing stock of the jungle.” — Matshona Dhliwayo

86. “Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning.” — Gloria Steinem

87. “If you want to be successful in this world, you have to follow your passion, not your paycheck.”

88. “Dreams are not what you see in your sleep, they are the things that don’t let you sleep.” — Cristiano Ronaldo

89. “Dreams are illustrations… from the book your soul is writing about you.” — Marsha Norman

90. “When it comes to fighting for your dreams, be a dragon. Breathe fire.” — Richelle E. Goodrich

91. “You see things; and you say, ‘Why?’ But I dream things that never were; and I say, ‘Why not?” — George Bernard Shaw

92. “Breathing dreams like air.”  — F. Scott Fitzgerald

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‘Follow Your Dreams’ and Other Terrible Career Advice

E ver since the last millennials and the first Gen-Zs entered the workplace, those of us from earlier generations have been warned that we need to remake the modern work world to keep our younger workers happy, engaged and on the job. The Gallup organization has even identified 12 key elements of young employee engagement, which include “feeling cared about by someone at work” and “feeling that their opinions count.”

Having worked in most facets of the entertainment industry since 1974, from a bottom-rung production assistant to the top of NBCUniversal’s headquarters at 30 Rock, I agree that the problems in today’s workplace are real. But I also think many management experts have identified the wrong problem. The real problem is that too many of us, young and not so young, have been told too many lies about what it takes to succeed at work—and not nearly enough truths. All those bright, shiny aphorisms that are spoon-fed to young employees, like “follow your dreams” and “know your worth” and many more? Well, the truth is that they don’t really work at work.

“Follow your dreams” is the exhortation of many college commencement speeches, but it is nightmare job advice. Americans are already raised on a diet high in dreams, from fairy tales to superheroes. My own TV networks have been highly successful in selling dreams—but ask any lawyer logging billable hours on a time sheet how much their work life resembles the legal drama “Suits.”

The larger truth is that professional dreams can be incredibly limiting, particularly at the start of our work lives. When we enter the workplace convinced that we already know what we want to do in a specific field and are committed to it at all costs, we’re saying, in essence, that there is very little left for us to learn, discover or be curious about. That nothing else could make us happy or fulfilled. But we can’t dream what we don’t know, and the world of “I don’t know” is expanding. According to the World Economic Forum, roughly a quarter of all jobs may be “disrupted” in the next five years. This level of change requires us (at any career stage) to be more open to new options, not less. Even the so-called safe routes may not be all that safe.

For years, tech company leaders have told students that one economically resilient thing they can learn is how to code. There’s been a push to make coding a high-school graduation requirement. But last February, the CEO of the AI giant Nvidia said that programming and coding are no longer vital skills, AI will handle it, and humans should focus on developing expertise in areas like biology, education, manufacturing and farming.

Think that’s an overreaction? Consider Blockbuster. Once valued at $3 billion, the now-vanished video rental chain dominated the marketplace and employed 84,000 people in the late 1990s. Blockbuster was right that Americans wanted to watch movies from the comfort of their couch; it just failed to see that they wanted the movies delivered there too. So here’s a new truth: Rather than follow your dreams, follow the opportunities. Early in my own career in television, I said yes to two roles in which I had zero interest: managing the budget for a documentary series and learning the “new” technology of CDs. The first one taught me about the economics of getting a show on the air, the second about the quick changes technology visits on entertainment.

By developing my knowledge and appreciation for all aspects of getting quality productions on the air, I came to value each department responsible for a show’s success—not just the more glamorous ones. When I moved up in management, eventually running multiple cable TV networks, I was better prepared than some of my peers, who had a more limited portfolio of experiences. Yes, we all benefit from goals and dreams, but the key is knowing the difference between possessing dreams versus allowing dreams to possess us. Following opportunities is more likely to lead us to new skills, connections and people. Even when the opportunity doesn’t pan out exactly as we intended, we learn from it. And along the way, opportunities allow us to develop new and better ideas of what our more mature professional dreams might look like. After all, how many of our early dreams are really ours, as opposed to other peoples’ dreams grafted onto us? This truth about “follow your dreams” highlights a companion lie and truth: We may be told “know your worth,” but the truth is you need to “work on your worth.” The mantra of many life coaches, “know your worth,” says you should never settle for anything less than you deserve. But while we deserve good friends, partners and even unclogged shower drains in our first apartments, as young people early on in our careers, most of us are somewhat worthless, and we should expect to be treated that way.

Indeed, the blanket statement “know your worth” conflates our personal and professional worth. I’ve watched many entry-level and early-career employees trip up when their otherwise enviable self-worth manifests as entitlement. Instead of wanting to be treated with decency and fairness, they expect to rapidly ascend to higher positions and salaries. My generation certainly deserves some of the blame. We created participation trophies for kids, which turned success and failure into synonyms. As these kids grew up, we offered college deferrals and wait-lists to postpone delivering bad news, as well as trigger warnings and safe spaces, even though we know that the real world is often both uncomfortable and offensive—and bad news usually travels faster than good.

So it’s no wonder that when young people start working, too many feel betrayed—or at least bored—by tasks that don’t inspire or obviously benefit them. They were told they could do anything, and now they’re being told to schedule zoom calls or get three iced lattes.

But here’s the truth: While we are all born with personal worth, we have to earn our professional worth. No matter your academic record, the summer internships you’ve held or even your last job, when we step into a new workplace, we start fresh. And when our careers are beginning, that often means doing the menial labor, the unsexy assignments and the mindless tasks we might feel are beneath us. But someone has to do them. Why wouldn’t it be us? On the job, people will only know our worth once they know our work. That takes time, effort and consistency. It’s not based on potential or promise but on results.

I learned my “workplace worth” fresh out of graduate school when I was hired as a production assistant on a kids’ TV show in Boston. Each PA was assigned a cast member, and as the most junior employee, my cast member was Winston, an English sheepdog. My primary responsibility was to follow him around the set carrying a pooper scooper. I had two university degrees. Winston, on the other hand, was a true nepo-baby, the precious, unhouse-trained pet of one of the show’s producers. Plus, as an on-camera star, Winston out-earned me.

But while many days I felt like working for Winston was beneath me, I never showed it. I acted like I was pursuing an honors degree in pet sitting, and each poop pickup was an extra-credit opportunity. The work and the attitude paid off. When an associate producer position opened, I was promoted. I pursued a similar strategy for much of my early career: If I wanted to be a valuable asset to my colleagues and bosses, I knew I needed to add concrete value to their days by showing up, staying late and doing whatever needed to be done. So maybe we need to set aside the current myth that remaking the workplace will somehow unleash a wave of professional success. Instead, it might be time for a healthy dose of truth. For young employees who want to feel “engaged” at work, the truth is, you need to engage with your work first. On the job, our worth is determined not by how we feel but by what we do.

If you want someone to care about you at work, care about them first. The best way to have your opinions heard? Prove by your actions and accomplishments that you are someone worth listening to. Looking back, I was only able to work my way up to the top because I started at the very, very bottom. Not only did this starting point allow me the opportunity to really understand the TV and entertainment world, but I also had real empathy and appreciation for the people now doing the work I once did.

Whether you are starting out or starting over in your professional life, letting go of workplace clichés and learning a few genuine and underappreciated truths might ultimately land you a dream job well beyond any of your wildest, 20-something fantasies.

Bonnie Hammer is vice chair at NBCUniversal. This essay is adapted from her new book, “15 Lies Women Are Told at Work: and the Truth We Need to Succeed,” which will be published by Simon & Schuster on May 7.

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Essay on My Dream

List of essays on my dream in english, essay on my dream – essay 1 (100 words), essay on my dream – essay 2 (250 words), essay on my dream to become a soldier – essay 3 (300 words), essay on my dream and fears – essay 4 (300 words), essay on my dream life – essay 5 (400 words), essay on my dream to become a doctor – essay 6 (400 words), essay on my dream – essay 7 (750 words), essay on my dream – essay 8 (1000 words).

Every night I dream of living a life of a celebrity. In my dream I see myself dressed up like a model posing for cameras. It is my dream to work in the film industry and become famous. But, for that, I will have to work really hard. My mother always tells me to concentrate on studies and live up to the dream of becoming a model. My father also supports me and he says that he believes in me. Once he told me that I should help others and be in good books of the people to win their heart as it will help me make my dream come true.

Every day I like to take some time aside from my responsibilities to think about my dreams and all the goals I want to achieve. My dream is to become a successful businessman. Business is something that has always intrigued me. As my father is a businessman, since childhood, I had this keen interest to be a part of or to lead a business.

Only having a dream won’t help, I also need to work towards the achievement of my dream. As doing business is not as easy as it seems, first I need to understand the basics of what business actually is. This will the first step towards my dream. So after completing my intermediary, I have enrolled myself in a reputed college to do my Bachelors in Business Administration (BBA). After completing BBA, I will also do my Masters in Business Administration. By then I will have gained the complete knowledge on business and its functioning which will help me reach my dream.

Apart from the theoretical part, I can always count on my father to share with me the practical experiences and advices that will help me shape my dream. This will take me closer to my dream of becoming a successful businessman. I have also started reading magazines about successful businessmen and their success stories in order to gain some idea that will help me in the long. I will put the best of my efforts and work hard towards achieving my dream.

Introduction:

My dream to become a Soldier started on an Army Day (January 15th), when I was still in High School. I witnessed the tribute paid to martyred soldiers at the Amar Jawan Jyoti in India Gate. It was followed by parades displaying Tanks, Missiles, and War Helicopters etc. The impression I received that day motivates me to realise my dream to become a Soldier.

Love of a Soldier:

The history of Indian independence and the life of freedom fighters has always fascinated me. Those who were responsible for the air of freedom we breathe today, loved our motherland and dedicated their lives to its well-being. These seeds in me have developed a sense of love for the country. It has also nurtured my dream to become a soldier and safeguard it.

Spirit of a Soldier:

Apart from academics, I started to collect all details about how to realise my dream to become a Soldier. I began to understand the values that inspire a Soldier to willingly face challenges and responsibly safeguard the nation even at the cost of his own life. This inspired me to study well and keep myself fit to achieve my dream to become a Soldier.

Training of a Soldier:

I also understood about the training before service. The feeling of pride and mutual loyalty is imbibed among the trainees. They are also trained to willing sacrifice for the country’s honour, with a do or die spirit. A sense of fearlessness, fairness and honesty are inculcated during the disciplined training. These components further kindled my dream to become a Soldier.

Lifestyle of a Soldier:

On the one hand, the soldier’s life is a life of self-sacrifice. On the other hand, the lifestyle it offers far exceeds my expectation, and fuels my dream to become a Soldier. Opportunities to advance in ranks, paid study holidays, subsidized housing, free medical coverage and recreational facilities are provided, apart from regular salary and perks. Lifelong pension is awarded after retirement.

Conclusion:

Many young people in the country offer the time of their life to work for big Corporates. But, I am here to pursue my dream to become a Soldier and dedicate my life to the welfare of the nation. I often encourage my friends to follow my dream to become a Soldier, at least for a short service tenure ranging from 10 to 14 years.

At a very early age, my dream was to do something big in life. But along with that I still had some fears also. I want to have a successful career, and for this, I had set an aim. It is quite essential for everybody to get them to establish professionally and successfully. Besides this, few other dreams are also necessary for me like health, relationships, and many different aspects of life. However, I also fear to get fail in achieving all these targets.

Career Dream and Fear:

When I was a kid, my dream was to become a doctor. But during my growing age, the Bollywood industry fascinated me and then my dream of becoming doctor changed to an actor. When I passed my class 12 th , the only goal that hit my mind was becoming an engineer. I always fear of dreaming about big things, but if you have potential then, you can achieve anything in life.

Dream and Fear of Health and Fitness:

When I was young, I was not so much concerned about my health. But now I realized the importance of having good health. My dream of becoming fit and healthy was only achieved due to strong willpower and eagerness of doing regular exercise. With this thought, I managed to lose around 15 kg easily. Now, I don’t fear about eating any food as I compensate that with my daily workout.

Dreams and fear about the relationship:

There is a special place of relationships in my life, and sometimes I fear about losing the important people in my life. But, now I realize that instead of thinking negative, we should try to spend more time with the people. It is as essential as my dream of good career.

Thinking only about the career and success with the little amount of fear might not offer you complete happiness later. It is good to become serious about your career, but you should also try to overcome any fear for a more successful life ahead.

Life is a dynamic process that has its ups and downs. Juggling the disparities of life can be very stressful at times and that is why you get your mind wondering in thoughts. Most thoughts are usually based on what people desire, which we call the dream life. The desires in life may not always be achieved but it is good to have a picture or at least an idea of the kind of life on desires to have. In America, people have the American dream but you as an individual should ask yourself; what is your dream life?

How my dream life looks like:

Socially, I have always imagined myself being a very influential person in my society. Currently in school, I always have the urge to influence someone but I still lack the confidence and resources to do so. I have always wanted to travel the world and explore different cultures of the world through interactions with people. I also imagine of having a great family with whom I can travel the world with.

Career-wise, I want to work at the comfort of my own home and be flexible so that I can always have time for my family. Spiritually, I have a desire to always be in good terms with God and follow the doctrines of my religion.

Economically, I want to be self-actualized at an early age so that I can focus on my influential personality, having all the resources I need. I want to be satisfied with what I will have achieved and work on living a happy life.

How I plan on living my dream life?

Living the dream life can begin any time that you chose to be as an individual. For my dream life, the things that I can achieve while still at school is the ability to have a spiritual wellness and flowing the doctrines of my religion. I can also start learning to appreciate whatever I have and living a happy life.

For the desires that I cannot achieve at the moment, I will work towards achieving them by shaping and redirecting the pathway. For example, my career, I will pursue something in the university that will allow me to work from home without necessarily going to work.

A dream life is basically the desired of one’s heart inform of an imagination. A dream life does not affect the reality in any way.

A dream is something that helps you to mold your future and aim your life to an appropriate goal. Dreaming big will help us to work for it harder and finally achieve it. Without desire and aim in life, we cannot focus and work hard to fulfill our dream.

My Dream to become a Doctor:

The biggest dream of my life is to become a doctor. I have seen many doctors, who save other people’s lives and they feel happy in the satisfaction they get through this activity. I want to be a doctor, who will serve good for this society and help poor to get good medical care without expecting big money in return.

Doctors are respected in all places and among all types of society. In spite of being different in many things like wealth, religion, etc., everyone will be in need of the best doctor to treat them honestly. I dream of being one such doctor to whom anyone can come without any doubt and fear of being tricked.

I don’t want to be a doctor who just works for money. I want to help others who can’t afford big budget treatments and choose their fate due to their lack of money. When a person is cured of their illness, the smile that appears on their face will be the greatest reward I will ever get. My dream is to become a doctor, who is praised for the kindness and get rewards through others blessings.

How to become a Doctor?

To get the admissions in a medical seat is not that easy. But I will work hard and crack the competitive exam to get a merit seat in the college. I will work hard from the beginning to end to improve my knowledge and keep updated about every upcoming and ongoing development.

I would like to choose the specialization when I can actually decide which one will suit my desire. I have an aim to serve the people in their needs and once I grow big enough to decide the correct career to fulfill my dream, I will work harder to achieve that as well.

After achieving My Dream:

Once I complete my whole medical courses I would be looking to practice in a well-reputed hospital to perfect my job. With this perfection I will start my own clinic and serve people for the rest of my life along with this I will help other students also to get trained to become a good doctor. I will make sure that my dream will come true at the best time.

We all have some sort of ambition or dream. My dream is to become a world class chef. Dreams play a very important role in moulding our future. There is a saying that “if you can imagine it, you can achieve it; if you can dream it, you can become it”. This saying implies that if you can work hard and put in your best to achieving your dream, it is very possible to live your dream. Working hard to achieve ones dream is easier said than done but if you put in your best effort and never give up, dreams are achievable.

In the path of achieving my dream, it is important that I take one step at a time. Even if I have a very big dream of becoming a word class chef, it is best for me to take steady and small steps by setting both long term and short term goals, by doing this, I am always working towards achieving my dream. When I take one step at a time, it helps not to rush into decisions and take things easy.

I know becoming a world class chef is not very easy and can only happen if complete and proper training from a very reputable institute and there isn’t much I can do at the moment to speed up the realisation of my dream since I am still in school. However, I still do my best to set my dream rolling, I follow a lot of cooking websites and blogs, watch cooking shows, read culinary books and I practice my cooking to sharpen my skills every time. These are all little steps I am taking towards achieving my dream. Though my goal is to become a world class chef, I have small goals in place for each month and year to come so that I can reach my dream.

A major hindrance to achieving my set goals and my dream is the lack of inadequacy of motivation. A lot of people have given up their goals and dreams just because they got tired on the way. It is extremely important to remain motivated and only stop is when the dream has been achieved. Highlighted below are some useful tips that I have used to keep myself motivated on the journey to reaching my dream:

i. Anytime I see that I am running out of drive and energy and I am becoming too tired to stick to my set goals, I try to remind myself of what my dream is and the feeling of pride and joy I will experience when I achieve it and become a world class chef. It feels like pressing a reset button and starting with a refreshed mind again and working harder towards achieving my dream.

ii. Long term goals and short term goals are set towards the ultimate goal of achieving my dream and as I reach these short term goals, I try to reward myself for my achievement. The reward can vary from eating dinner at my favourite restaurant or buying myself a new phone I wanted or going out with my friends. Rewarding myself is a very good way to remain motivated towards the achievements of my goals and ultimately my dream.

iii. When I work too much and have no time to relax and play, my productivity drops and I become dull. Therefore, it is a good idea to have some time for myself away from work to focus on something fun that I love. I find time in my schedule every day to engage in some form of leisure activity or sport.

iv. Having people who believes in my dream and support my goals around me makes all the difference. Having positive people helps me find the strength and courage to push on and not give up on my dream. They motivate me to work hard and do the best to achieve my goals and my dream.

v. A mistake is nothing more than an experience and an opportunity to try again and do things much better. So, instead of getting heartbroken and disheartened to the point of wanting to give up on my goals and dream when I face a tough time or make mistakes, I learn from the mistakes and move on as the tough times and mistakes make me a lot stronger.

I will keep working hard towards achieving my dream and I believe that I will become a world class chef one day.

Who in this world does not have a dream? A dream to buy a car, a dream to be a scientist, a dream to do something for the society, or just a dream to live a life with contentment. Something or the other, but surely every person has a dream. It is this dream that drives you to work hard, achieve your milestones and ride towards success in your life. Success need not be becoming the wealthiest person on the earth. Achieving even your smallest dream can be a huge success for you. Since childhood, you come across various fields which often you think of as your ultimate targets. However, most of them are just fantasies and fade away with time. Still, there are some things which just stick on to your minds and these very things eventually go on to be your dreams.

My Dream – My Passion:

Like others, even I have a dream. My dream is to join the intelligence unit of the country and serve my country with pride. Usually, in order to serve the country, people think of joining the armed forces. However, I have a different point of view. I dream to join the intelligence unit and provide inputs to these armed forces so that they can protect the country in a good way and not many lives are lost fight battles with our neighbours.

Where did it all start?

Since my childhood, I have been fascinated by the role of intelligence and the methods of work they are used to. I had got a chance to be with a couple of people early in my life who were in the same field and it is from here that I got so much stuck up with this profession that I have dreamt day and night to be a part of this elite team. Moreover, I feel that I have it in me to research about things as well as people and am known in my circles to extract information from nowhere. I feel that this talent of mine can prove helpful for the country as well. Intelligence plays a crucial role in the security establishment of the country. The inputs gathered from intelligence units help the government and the forces to plan their steps both at diplomatic and at the level of securing the borders.

Another thing which excites me about this dream is that it is not a conventional field such as common occupations which are sought after by most of the youth of our country. Another very important thing to mention here that you need not formally join the intelligence to realise this dream. By keeping a check on your surroundings and providing proper information to the police in case you notice an unfavourable incident is also a form of your contribution to the security agencies of the country. If everyone remains active, a lot many incidents such as terrorist attacks can be averted.

Why having a dream is so important?

Dreams are very important for everyone. Without dreams, there will be no desire to pursue. There will be no objective to reach. We will all be nothing without dreams. Not having dreams resembles pursuing a traceless homicide. It resembles following an undetectable shadow. It is a loathsome goose pursue. We should comprehend what we need to do and pursue that desire.

A great many people have dreams. Successful ones or little ones. Indeed, even the best individuals had dreams and that is the thing that has made them what they are today. Envisioning is basic for a person. Without dreams, you will lose enthusiasm forever lastly prefer not to live. You will be exhausted and tired of the equivalent dull schedules of your everyday life and won’t discover an enthusiasm for the most energizing things. Just with dreams, will you discover a reason to carry on with your life? You will begin buckling down towards the fantasy and will never lose enthusiasm forever. You will never tire and dependably be spurred. This is the most ideal approach to end up effective. So, dream and dream big. It is the only way to achieve contentment in life.

Be that as it may, with dreams, comes extraordinary duty. It is not just sufficient to dream and disregard that fantasy. Numerous individuals dream, however just some wake up and work for it.

It is basic to buckle down for your fantasies. Without this diligent work, a fantasy will just remain a craving in the subliminal personality and will never be accomplished.

On the off chance that you don’t have a fantasy, you can never appreciate the extravagances of life or all that life brings to the table. You will never feel that delighted sentiment of accomplishment. You will never get pride in what you do and what you have accomplished. Every one of these things is vital for people and without these emotions, there is no inspiration.

In the event that you don’t have inspiration, you will be a disappointment throughout everyday life. You won’t have the capacity to accomplish those objectives and will have a hopeless existence. You will never appreciate the extravagances of life and you will never feel glad. You will be a disappointment and you will be nothing throughout everyday life. We should go that additional mile to achieve our objectives. Disappointments may come, however a state of mind to continue proceeding onward and attempting to enhance is completely accomplished by dreams. Dreams are the fuel that continues invigorating you to go further. Regardless of whether there are numerous snags throughout everyday life, you will, in general, continue moving further and attempting to be superior to anything your identity. Consistent and endless enhancement is extremely imperative in advancing throughout everyday life. It improves your identity and furthermore whatever you need to advance in. It causes you to gain from your missteps

Only having career objectives and succeeding professionally can disregard you after one point throughout everyday life. Work as constantly to accomplish these as you do to understand your ultimate dreams. Having a dream is not important. What is important is striving continuously to achieving it. The sense of satisfaction you acquire once you have attained your goals cannot be explained in words and has no alternative in life. So, strive hard and live your dreams. Who knows, what is there in store for you?

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Essay on Dreams and Aspirations in Life

Students are often asked to write an essay on Dreams and Aspirations in Life in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Dreams and Aspirations in Life

Significance of dreams and aspirations.

Dreams and aspirations are vital in life. They give us a sense of purpose and direction. They motivate us to work hard, be persistent, and overcome obstacles.

Types of Dreams and Aspirations

Dreams and aspirations can be personal, like becoming a doctor, or collective, like working for world peace. They can be short-term or long-term, realistic or idealistic.

Realizing Dreams and Aspirations

To realize our dreams and aspirations, we need to plan, set goals, and take action. We also need patience and perseverance, as success may not come immediately.

In conclusion, dreams and aspirations are essential for a fulfilling life. They inspire us to strive for greatness and make a positive impact on the world.

250 Words Essay on Dreams and Aspirations in Life

Introduction.

Dreams and aspirations are the fulcrum of human existence, shaping our lives and paving the path towards success and fulfillment. They serve as a compass, guiding us through life’s labyrinth of opportunities and challenges.

The Power of Dreams

Dreams are not mere figments of our imagination but powerful catalysts for transformation. They propel us to transcend our limitations and foster a sense of purpose. The dream of a better life can instigate revolutions, as seen in the civil rights movements, while the dream of knowledge can lead to groundbreaking scientific discoveries.

Aspirations: The Fuel of Progress

Aspirations, on the other hand, are the tangible targets we set to achieve our dreams. They are the milestones that mark our journey towards our dreams. Aspirations keep us grounded and focused, preventing us from getting lost in the vast sea of dreams. They provide the motivation necessary to overcome obstacles and persist in the face of adversity.

The Interplay of Dreams and Aspirations

The interplay between dreams and aspirations is a dynamic and ongoing process. Dreams provide the vision, and aspirations provide the roadmap. They are interdependent and mutually reinforcing. Without dreams, aspirations lack direction, and without aspirations, dreams remain unfulfilled.

In conclusion, dreams and aspirations are the driving forces of life. They embody our hopes, desires, and ambitions, forming the blueprint of our life’s journey. Embracing them can lead to a life of fulfillment and satisfaction, a life that resonates with our deepest values and ideals.

500 Words Essay on Dreams and Aspirations in Life

The essence of dreams and aspirations.

Dreams and aspirations are the invisible forces that propel us forward on our life’s journey. They are the compass that guides us, the wind that fills our sails, and the beacon that illuminates our path. Dreams are not mere figments of our imagination; they are the blueprints of our future reality. Aspirations, on the other hand, are our desires for the attainment of something higher, something grander, something more profound.

Dreams are the seeds from which our future grows. They are the visions we create in our minds of what we want our life to be. Dreams give us a sense of purpose and direction. They are the catalysts that set us on our journey towards self-fulfillment and self-actualization. Dreams are not bound by the constraints of reality; they are the realm of the infinite, where anything is possible. They are the canvas on which we paint our future, the clay from which we mold our destiny.

Aspirations, however, are the fuel that powers our journey. They are our desires for achievement, our yearning for growth, our longing for self-improvement. Aspirations are the driving force behind our actions, the motivation that pushes us to strive for excellence, the hunger that compels us to reach for the stars. Aspirations are not just about wanting to achieve something; they are about the journey towards achievement, the process of growth and self-improvement.

Dreams and aspirations are interdependent and interconnected. Dreams give birth to aspirations, and aspirations breathe life into dreams. They are two sides of the same coin, two halves of the same whole. Dreams are the destination, and aspirations are the journey. Dreams are the vision, and aspirations are the action. Dreams are the blueprint, and aspirations are the construction.

The Role of Dreams and Aspirations in Life

Dreams and aspirations play a pivotal role in our lives. They shape our thoughts, influence our actions, and define our identity. They give our lives purpose and meaning, drive and direction. They inspire us to rise above our limitations, to transcend our boundaries, to defy the odds. They push us to explore, to innovate, to create. They challenge us to grow, to evolve, to become the best version of ourselves.

In conclusion, dreams and aspirations are the lifeblood of our existence. They are the essence of our being, the core of our identity. They are the wings that enable us to soar, the roots that ground us, the fire that ignites our spirit. Without dreams and aspirations, we are like a ship adrift at sea, a bird without wings, a flame without heat. With dreams and aspirations, we are unstoppable, unbreakable, invincible. They are not just a part of life; they are life itself.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

• Essay on Dream Vacation
• Essay on My Dream Destination
• Essay on Bihar of My Dream

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

Happy studying!

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15 Reasons Why You Should Follow Your Dreams

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“Never let it be said that to dream is a waste of one’s time. For dreams are our realities in waiting. In dreams, we plant the seeds of our future.” ~ Unknown 

As a kid, I was told to “ follow my dreams .” Was it the same for you? 

My parents wanted me to discover what I’m good at so that could become my career. The universe had other ideas for me (and I’ve followed many other paths). But today, I wondered about my dreams.

Can I still pursue my dreams? Am I too old? Too stuck in a rut? Isn’t following your dreams unrealistic; isn’t it meant for kids?    

The quote above about dreaming and going after your dreams made me dive deep, and there are plenty of reasons why you SHOULD follow your dreams . No matter what anyone else says. 

I’ve got all the reasons and inspiration you need to go after your dreams right here. 

Table of Contents

What Does It Mean to Follow Your Dreams?

To follow your dreams is an inspirational concept that’s meant to motivate you to find your life’s purpose or to live doing what you love so it doesn’t feel like work. Following your dreams goes beyond your “passion” or “life’s purpose.” You have to figure out what your dreams are, what you want to do in life , and how these dreams can improve the life you are living and your well-being.  

There are so many stories of people who just gave up their highly successful career to build houses in Africa… or others who left their life and families and friends behind to chase adventure after adventure. 

You hear how happy these people are, now that they’ve run off into the sunset and are living their life’s purpose . But is this practical for everyone? 

What if you are the main caregiver to a sick and ailing parent? (I am, by the way.) Of have young kids to put through school and college? Or what if you actually like your job, although it doesn’t feel like it’s your “purpose?”   Where do responsibilities fit into “following your dreams?”

And suppose you don’t quit your 9-5 and change course completely. Does “not pursuing your dreams” mean you are a failure? Or can dreams be “smaller ,” fit into your current lifestyle, and simply inspire you to become more self-aware and live a good life ?  

To go after your dreams is a lot more complicated, and it looks different for everyone . 

Yes, you can absolutely chase the dreams you had as a kid … but you can also dream new dreams that work with your life now . And these “ordinary” dreams, even though they aren’t ordinary at all because you've dreamt them and you are going to make them come true, are totally worth pursuing .

Reasons Why People Don’t Pursue Their Dreams 

People don’t chase their dreams because they: 

• Have responsibilities and other priorities at this time 
• Feel guilty     
• Are scared , and their “comfort bubble” is too comfortable 
• Listen to bad advice like “your dreams aren’t realistic to follow”
• Don’t want to be judged by others 
• Ask others to validate their dreams  
• Have failed before , and have given up 
• Only see the end result and not the value in the journey or process 
• Don’t believe in themselves  
• Don’t believe they are worthy of having dreams, much less following them 
• Don’t believe the dream will work out , so why try when there isn’t a guarantee? 
• Want to fit in with the crowd instead of being authentic and true to their dreams 
• Are “lazy” – it’s too much work putting in the effort to make their dreams come true 
• Try but give up early  
• Wait for the “right time”  
• Don’t have enough time  
• Have doubts    

Tips to Get Started on Your Journey to Go After Your Dreams 

“Follow your dreams; they know the way.” – Kobe Yamada  

But how can you go after your dreams ?   Here are some tips to get you started on your journey to chase your dreams and make them a reality: 

• Find your dream: The first step is reflecting and defining what your dream is. (Hint: it can be anything .)
• Believe in your dream: If you don’t believe, your dream won’t come true. But you can start small, and believe smaller step by smaller step too. 

Use daily affirmations, mantras, and meditation to help you focus, boost your self-confidence, and remind you to keep believing. 

• Develop a clear vision: Now that you have a dream, see it . Visualize it . Make a vision board that you put up next to your study or on your fridge so you can be constantly reminded of your dream. 

Remember to be specific . See everything in the finest detail – the more detailed your dream vision, the clearer you can see it, the more you want it, and the better you can plan to make it happen. 

• Share your dream: You can keep your dream to yourself, but sharing helps you further believe it’s possible to achieve your dream. Plus, if you have a trusted someone, they can help keep you accountable . 
• Plan your dream: Remember the detailed vision of your dream? Use that to plan how you are going to achieve your dream. Plan it like a goal using SMART ( s pecific, m easurable, a chievable, r elevant, and t imely) strategies. 

Get a dream journal and write about your dream and plan. Manifest your dream .  

• Work on your dream: Follow your plan , and don’t give up . If you feel like giving up, remind yourself why you are pursuing your dreams. Or re-read the list below of why you should go after your dreams. Find what resonates with you and use that as inspiration and motivation.  
• Enjoy the journey: The journey of chasing your dream is just as important as the end result. Enjoy every step of it, and remember to be grateful . 

15 Reasons Why You Should Follow Your Dreams 

“As soon as you begin to pursue a dream, your life wakes up and everything has meaning.” – Barbara Sher  

You surely want to also feel like your life has meaning (or more meaning) and feel excited to get going after something as important as your dreams. Right? 

If you have any doubts, here are 15 reasons why you should chase your dreams (and never stop chasing):   

1. The Negative Impacts of Regret  

Regret has a huge impact on your life . It damages your mental health , causing anxiety , depression , helplessness , and even hopelessness . Regret can even negatively affect your immune system and more. 

You’ll one day regret inaction: not going after your dreams. But if you do take the chance , you’ll achieve something wonderful .  

2. You Have One Life 

You only have one life , so why not go after your dreams and make the most of it?  

You don’t know what tomorrow brings or even the very next second. 

Make every second count by visualizing your dreams and taking steps toward actualizing them. 

3. Remember Who You Are Pursuing Your Dreams For 

You are chasing your dreams for yourself . It’s something you’ve dreamed about and it’s something you desire. 

In case you don’t know, you are worthy and you are enough. You aren’t selfish if you follow the path toward your dreams for you . Doing it for yourself empowers and motivates you . 

4. The Endless Possibilities and Experiences

What you send out in the universe comes back to you . If you send out positivity, possibilities come to you. Just like you are going after dreams, success (your definition of what success is) can chase you too. 

When you go after your dream, you open a door and follow a path . While you are focused on this dream you’ve visualized, there are also endless possibilities and experiences you get to enjoy . 

5.  You’ll Face Your Fears and Become More Self-Confident

Pursuing your dreams is scary . It means stepping out of your comfort zone, trying something new, and going after what you want. 

Your dream will come to mean so much more to you as you follow your plan and journey. There’ll be no stopping you now . Every success or achievement will boost your confidence and you’ll be able to overcome your fears . 

6.  You’ll become an Inspiration for Others

When you live authentically and follow your dreams, you’ll inspire others who are too afraid to live for their dreams. 

They’ll see that you can do it, and they’ll think that maybe they can too. With every success you achieve, they’ll feel more confident and will soon set about their own dream-chasing journey.

That being said, you shouldn’t only go after your dreams in the hopes to inspire. Becoming an inspiration to others should just be a natural by-product. 

7. It’s on you to Make Your Dreams Come True 

No one else can achieve and live your dreams for you . Not your kids. Not your partner. Not your bestie. 

Besides, everyone has their own dreams , and it’s their responsibility to chase their dreams, just like it’s yours to chase your dreams. 

8. Make Life Interesting 

Even if your life is already interesting, going after your dreams adds even more interest to your life.  

And if your life isn’t interesting, don’t you think it is time to have some challenges and adventures, grow as a person, and be who you truly are? 

Just think of the stories you can tell at dinner time or over coffee with friends. 

9. You’ll be in Awe of Yourself 

No, not in a narcissistic way. But when you go after what you want in life, you’ll realize that y ou are capable of doing so much more than you thought you could. 

This is worth celebrating .  

And you’ll be becoming and living the best version of yourself.  

10. It Could Add Meaning to Your Life 

I don’t want to say that following your dreams will add meaning to your life. Your life now is NOT meaningless. You aren’t meaningless. 

But if you feel that life lacks meaning, going after dreams will add meaning . And if you already have meaning in your life , your dreams and the pursuit thereof will merely enhance the meaning that’s already there. 

11. Prove the Non-Believers Wrong 

You may have negative people in your life who don’t believe in following dreams. And there may also be those in your life – close family, friends, and colleagues – who second-guess you . They don’t think you have it in you to reach for the stars.  

So why not prove them wrong? Why not shine? 

Those who don’t believe in you don’t get your “why” and they certainly haven’t taken the time to understand your passions and dreams. 

12. Add to Your Happiness 

Again, I’m not going to assume that only the unhappy go after their dreams. You can be perfectly happy with your life, but want more . 

According to research , living a meaningful life , or an even more meaningful one, reduces stress, helps you live longer, and increases your happiness .   

13. Meet Kindred Souls  

Being who you are completely and being happy with who you are as you follow your dreams allows you to connect with kindred souls – people who are also on their journeys to follow their hearts. 

Being around others who have a similar journey helps you to stay positive and keep going during tough times. 

14. You Give Back 

What I mean by giving back is that when you go after your dreams, you do something that brings out the light in you as you do something you are innately meant to do . 

So when living a life where you leverage what you are best at , chances are you give your best to the world in return. You can make a positive impact on your community or society at large.  

15. Live With Dignity 

You take a stand for yourself when you decide to pursue your dreams, no matter what the haters say. 

During hardships and successes on your journey, you can keep your head up high . You are living your life on your terms, and that’s powerful. 

Final Thoughts on Following Your Dreams 

Choosing to make your dreams come true isn’t easy , and the journey may not be easy either. But you have so much to gain when you do go after your dreams. 

If you feel stuck or unmotivated on any part of your dream-following journey , revisit your vision board , read over your plan in your journal , and find inspiration in the tips and more in this article. 

Remember, you’ve got this ! You CAN follow your dreams . For more inspiration on getting started with your dream journey, check our song list about pursuing your dreams . Play it when you’re cleaning, working or soaking in the tub and allow yourself the time to get psyched!

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Following your dreams is possible! Here are 10 reasons to do it

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10 reasons to start following your dreams now

6 ways to start following your dreams, what to avoid while following your dreams, quotes about dreams that will keep you going, haters are going to hate.

If you catch yourself daydreaming during the workday, you’re not alone. We all think about following our dreams sometimes. But how do you know if you should actually go for it? 

Maybe you want to finally travel the world. Or you can’t stop thinking about starting your own business . Whatever your dream is, the idea of actually following that dream can be terrifying. Instead of doing what you really want , you may feel like you need to meet the expectations of others. 

However, connecting with your true self is more than worth it. Studies show that living as your authentic self can help you find more meaning in life , among other benefits. People who refuse to follow their dreams for fear of what others think are missing out on life.

Research has clearly shown that people are far more likely to regret what they didn’t do , than what they did. We tend to think that if we push down or ignore our dreams, they’ll go away. The truth? At the end of your life, you’re almost sure to wonder why you never followed your dreams.

The good news is that you can still go for it. It might be scary, but if you believe in yourself , you’re unstoppable. Plus, the benefits of following your dreams far outweigh the cons. 

Here are ten reasons you should face your fears and start following your dreams.

• You’ll regret it later. When you’re older, you may ruminate on what could have been. By then, changing courses will be more complicated. You’ll be struggling to make up for the lost time. (It isn’t impossible, though, and it’s never too late to follow your dreams).
• You might discover something unexpected. There’s no guarantee you will achieve your dreams — and sometimes that’s a good thing. You’ll learn something about yourself and be happier because of it. You might even discover a new dream in the process.
• You’ll step out of your comfort zone . You’ll try new things, gain new skills, and become a well-rounded person. This is how you grow. 
• You’ll make mistakes. But this is how you learn and ultimately become the best version of yourself. Fear of failure will only hold you back, so don’t be afraid to make a few missteps . If you’re following your dreams, you’ll have an easy time finding inspiration get up and keep going. 
• You can inspire others. Eventually, young people and even your friends will ask how you made it to where you are. You can encourage them to pursue their own dreams, too. 
• You get to make your own rules. Life is full of arbitrary limits on what we can do. Set your own rules and live life by them. You’ll feel free once you shed others’ expectations and start doing what you truly want. 
• You’ll be happier. There’s nothing more fulfilling than living the life you always wanted. Pick an end goal, make a plan , and make your dreams happen — that’s an amazing way to find true happiness. Plus, pursuing something that aligns with your values will undoubtedly lead to greater success . 
• You’ll feel better at work. Every job has its challenges. But, when you’re working toward your dream, they’ll be much easier to deal with. Even if it’s just a side hustle , following your dreams can transform your attitude about your professional life. 
• You’ll find your people. Something magical happens when you start chasing your dreams: you meet others doing the same thing. You will find the people with whom you belong .
• You’ll feel like your life is complete. You’ll feel inner peace when everything fits together. Instead of living to please others or taking the beaten path, you’ll know that you got the most out of life. That’s why people follow their dreams. 

You need a lot of courage to build a happy life. We often focus on the reasons not to do something, so we must train ourselves to focus on the positive .

If you need help finding the courage to follow your dreams, reach out for support. Having an objective outsider can help you  set clear goals and stay accountable to yourself. Once you have a plan, there’s no telling what you can accomplish.

You might feel like you’re stuck in a rut. Inertia sets in, and you resign to staying where you are. Don’t let that happen. 

Here’s how you can start making progress toward your dreams.

• Have a clear vision. Be specific. Paint a clear picture of how you want to change your life. Here are some questions to consider:
• What time do you want to get up in the morning ?
• What does your morning routine look like?
• What kind of dress code do you want for work?
• Are you working in an office or outdoors?
• Do you meet with your team every morning, deciding how to tackle the day? Or maybe you work independently? 
• Do you see yourself helping people directly or working diligently in the background?
• After work, what’s your preferred routine?
• What kind of home and neighborhood do you want to live in?

Describe your ideal for every aspect of your daily life. This will motivate you to work towards following your dreams. 

• Meet people who have achieved what you want. Buy them a coffee and ask how they got there. You might gain a mentor who has already achieved what you’re hoping to who can help you on your journey.
• Practice future-oriented thinking. Make a list of milestones and achieve them step by step. Positive thinking is the key to accept this as a long-term pursuit and stay on track.
• Set achievable goals. How will you meet your milestones? Set long and short-term goals that will inch you closer to your dreams. Make sure to track them and celebrate each small step. And dividing your long-term goals into manageable steps will keep you motivated .
• Accept that setbacks are inevitable. Life is full of twists and turns. Don't give up. Hard work and resilience will help you when times get tough . And what seems like a setback might turn into a great opportunity as your plans evolve and you learn more about yourself. 
• Help others along the way. Following your dream is more rewarding if you can lift others up. Find your community and support each other . It feels great to celebrate each other’s wins, further motivating you to keep going.

Many things can pull you off track when you’re pursuing your dreams. Watch out for these pitfalls.

• Negative self-talk. Pay attention to your thoughts. Stop yourself when you hear words like “I’m not good enough” or “I can’t do it.” You might not be able to do it right now — but you will one day. Use positive self-talk to protect your well-being.
• Toxic people. Don't let naysayers talk you out of your dreams. They have their own problems, and they’re simply projecting them onto you.
• Bad motives. Avoid looking for external validation. Fame, fortune, and love are no replacement for your sense of self-worth. Pursue what makes you happy and nothing else.
• Quitting. Your dreams might change as you grow older but always pursue something. Life stagnates when you decide to settle.

There’s no shortage of inspiration out there. Here are some of our favorite quotes about following your dreams.

• “The biggest adventure you can ever take is to live the life of your dreams.” - Oprah Winfrey
• “Don’t dream your life, but live your dream.” - Mark Twain
• “If you can dream it, you can make it so.” - Belva Davis
• “A winner is a dreamer who never gives up.” - Nelson Mandela
• “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” - Eleanor Roosevelt
• “Each dream you leave behind is a part of your future that will no longer exist.” - Steve Jobs

Everyone in your life will have an opinion about your dreams. Some will offer valuable advice while others will try to stop you. Only one person’s opinion matters: yours. Keep this in mind as you start following your dreams.

Take the first step towards pursuing your dreams by investing in yourself.  BetterUp can help you get clarity and gain the skills you need to achieve your goals.

Transform your life

Make meaningful changes and become the best version of yourself. BetterUp's professional Coaches are here to support your personal growth journey.

Elizabeth Perry, ACC

Elizabeth Perry is a Coach Community Manager at BetterUp. She uses strategic engagement strategies to cultivate a learning community across a global network of Coaches through in-person and virtual experiences, technology-enabled platforms, and strategic coaching industry partnerships. With over 3 years of coaching experience and a certification in transformative leadership and life coaching from Sofia University, Elizabeth leverages transpersonal psychology expertise to help coaches and clients gain awareness of their behavioral and thought patterns, discover their purpose and passions, and elevate their potential. She is a lifelong student of psychology, personal growth, and human potential as well as an ICF-certified ACC transpersonal life and leadership Coach.

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Follow YES! For Teachers

Seven brilliant student essays on your wildest dreams for 2020.

Read winning essays from our spring 2020 student writing contest.

For the spring 2020 student writing contest, we invited students to read the YES! article “ Alicia Garza: How to Prepare for 2020 ” by Kate Werning. Alicia Garza, co-founder of #BlackLivesMatter offered this advice, “Clarity inside of chaos can help us find direction when it seems like everything around us is unstable.” Lots of things may keep students up at night or make them anxious. Students wrote about what they might accomplish in their wildest dreams for themselves or for this nation—and the steps they would take to make this vision a reality.

THE WINNERS

From the hundreds of essays written, these seven were chosen as winners. Be sure to read the author’s response to the essay winners and literary gems that caught our eye.

You can hear four students read their winning essays on the Irresistible podcast. Be prepared to be inspired! Thank you to author and Irresistible’s founding director Kate Werning for sharing these powerful stories.

Middle School Winner: Theo Cooksey

High School Winner: Kira Walter

University Winner: Athina Amanor

Powerful Voice Winner: Sary Barrios

Powerful Voice Winner: Avery Chase

Powerful Voice Winner: Daniel Cook

“Can I Dream?” Winner: Maitreya Motel

From the author Kate Werning: Response to Essay Winners

Literary gems, middle school winner.

Theo Cooksey

Brier Middle School, Brier, Wash.

Looking Back to Move Forward

I’ve never really looked at long-term goals for myself, as Alicia Garza suggests in the YES! article “How to Prepare for 2020” by Kate Werning. Other than my goal of reaching Eagle Scout before I turn 18, I tend to live day to day. I’m 13, so shouldn’t I just, well, be a kid? Isn’t goal planning and future planning something adults do? To be honest, when I read the article and learned what the topic was, I locked up like a clam. Sharing dreams of how I could positively change the world makes me uncomfortable. Why would I open myself up to that level of critique, especially in middle school? Although I would love to see advancements to reduce the effects of climate change and uneven wealth distribution, I can’t visualize myself impacting these issues right now.

This led me to wonder why I stopped thinking about my ability to influence the future in a way where anything is possible. What made me narrow my scope and start looking down, rather than seeing my potential? I believed I couldn’t possibly change the world if I could hardly impact myself. If you’re always working hard at fitting into a world by other’s standards, how do you have time to dream of your possibilities? This made me ask, “When did I allow this box to contain me?” When I realized I wasn’t accepted as myself.

When I was young, I possessed an immense personality that couldn’t be contained. I was a giant, perpetual motor hurling questions, wanting answers, always moving. However, over years of school, my personality withered, and my motor followed suit. Going from a storm to no more than a summer breeze, my motor was barely able to push paper. Why did that happen? I quieted my voice, so I wouldn’t be told I was too loud. I suppressed my motor, so I wouldn’t be told to stop moving. I spoke less so I wouldn’t constantly be told to stop talking and stop interrupting. 

After spending so much energy shrinking my personality, I hardly had time to look up and think about what I wanted to do. How do I get back to looking up and out into the world? I believe that this assignment has given me the chance to start doing just that. As I uncoil the past, undo the steps and remember the moments that quieted and contained me, stole my voice, and seized my motor, I am determined to recreate what I lost. I will slowly rebuild my motor into an impervious hurricane that will break out of the box that limited me. My opinion will not be hidden from others.

As I lift my head up, I will start with the small things and my familiar spaces. For me, these are working on what affects me directly, like school and what I enjoy outside of school. I will build the forge in our backyard with my dad to pursue blacksmithing together. I will continue to hone my skills in archery. I will dust off my trumpet and give myself the chance to hit the high notes. I will earn Life Scout rank to put me one step closer to Eagle Scout. By keeping my head up and moving forward with a plan, I no longer need to be the kid who internalized everything.

Becoming a better me now, at 13, will make me a better person who may just be able to influence climate change and build a more equitable wealth distribution system when I get older.

Theo Cooksey, an eighth grader from Lynnwood, Washington, is an avid reader and video game player. Theo plays the euphonium and trumpet, and is an expert in Star Wars movies and music. During the COVID-19 quarantine, he is learning to bake and is building a forge.

High School Winner

Kira Walter

Mamaroneck High School, Mamaroneck, N.Y.

Turning Flowers to Trees

 Maybe we used to be trees. Rainforests of friendly monsters, scraping the sky, communicating, and reaching the sun. Maybe roots used to run where we couldn’t see them, connecting us to each other and spreading through the world like telephone lines across our continent. But somehow, though the earth stayed warm and the rain fell on our soil, we evolved from trees into flowers. Flowers alone in our own empty fields, roots too short to reach anything. 

At a high school with over 1,000 students, I notice how we pass each other on the street, in the hallway, lucky if our eyes meet for a moment, if our hearts touch for a second. We are isolated. Although I hope for a world where none go hungry, where violence is absent, where rivers breathe with cold clean life, and wild creatures run through lush green forests, I first hope for a world where we can connect. A world where America’s youth doesn’t have to contemplate whether it is better to live in the light or commit suicide in the darkness. 

My wildest dream for this nation is that people will reach out to those suffering, to America’s youth whose second leading cause of death is suicide. It was not too long ago that a friend approached me about trying to take her own life; she locked herself in a bathroom filled with poisonous gas, waiting for her breath to go soft and blow out like a candle in the wind. We had always been distant, but she chose to share her secret with me because she had no one else to share it with.  

According to the Jason Foundation, 3,069 high schoolers in the U.S. attempt suicide every day. Among this group, four out of five leave clear signs of depression. So why do so many signs, such as drug use, sleep shortages or extreme mood swings, go unnoticed? The answer is isolation. People are so separate from each other that the chances of being discovered are nearly impossible. Although many try to ascribe teen suicide to the pressures of excelling both academically and socially, overcoming these obstacles can be easier than they seem. Easier as long as students have someone to support them through struggles. 

Many teenagers who take their lives are members of healthy families and are surrounded by friends, but they feel as if they can’t share their troubles with them. They fear that this would be a burden on those they care about and so they remain silent. Teens let dangerous secrets collect like water droplets in a jar. One day, this jar reaches its capacity, problems overcome them, and alone, they surrender. In Kate Werning’s YES! article “How to Prepare for 2020,” Alicia Garza explains that “clarity inside of chaos can help us find direction when it seems like everything around us is unstable.” I dream our community will teach suffering teens to find that clarity – that we will help them blossom on a path to success. 

In modern-day society, too many people shame others for attempting suicide. They identify them as troubled and accuse them of being too weak to deal with life’s challenges. To combat suicide, I’ll make sure to do the opposite. I’ll reach out, check in with, and cheer up my peers. I’ll try to comfort those in need of comfort. Because in an ever-changing world of frightening dangers and darkness, we need to be trees with roots linked together in harmonious peace. We need to support each other into a new decade, out of the shadows and towards the sun.

Kira Walter is a sophomore at Mamaroneck High School in New York. Kira writes for the school newspaper and plays on the varsity tennis team. She has enjoyed studying classical piano since she was five years old and volunteers for the American Legion in her free time. When she grows up, Kira aspires to continue her passion for writing.

University Winner

Athina Amanor

Spring Hill College, Mobile, Ala.

Woman with No Nation

“You sound like a white girl.” “You’re an American baby now.” “Wow, you actually speak very good English.” “Did you live in a tree?” 

As a Ghanaian immigrant living in the United States, I’ve heard it all. Statements from my own family members living back home and from friends I’ve made in this foreign land serve as reminders that there really isn’t a place for me. I’m too American to be African, yet I am too African to be American. Even college professors have laughed while a fellow student mocked a group of African languages by clicking his tongue at me and asking,  “What did I just say in your language?” disregarding my offense and reinforcing ignorance. Many of my anxieties and doubts about self-worth stem from these types of interactions. I have adapted, self-monitoring to the highest degree, in order to be more palatable and to fit in. 

As an outwardly appearing “African American,” I fight negative stereotypes when interacting with white people, striving for excellence in both academics and athletics and hoping to outrun stereotypes and shatter prejudices. Within the African American community, I appear as a poser. I walk, talk, and think too differently to be welcomed there either. For my relatives, I speak too “American,” too fast, and I stress all the wrong syllables. I’ve carefully created so many personalities, slipping out of one skin and into the next to appease others, that I hardly recognize my true self. So, when I hear words like,” go back to your country,” a tidal wave of confusion hits me. Sometimes I wish I could, but I know the same alienation I feel here would be waiting for me in Ghana because I would still be seen as an outsider. I am a woman with no nation. I worry about being viewed as second class, about not being awarded the same rights and freedoms, about losing my culture, and about losing irreplaceable familial relationships. 

So, what in my wildest dreams do I wish for this nation? I wish for acceptance. I wish for understanding. I wish for kindness and an egalitarian mindset for all. I wish for the extinction of xenophobia and the predominance of support. I wish for a community in which I do not feel the need to prove I am not a threat, where my culture is not a trend, and above all else, where being me is enough. My wishes may seem far-fetched and on par with beauty queens claiming to want nothing more than world peace, but I am aware that I must make efforts on my own behalf and not simply put wishes out into the world.

In this new decade, I continue to fight for my dream by working with refugees and  building bridges between them and other volunteers as both groups work together to create a safe space filled with the same friendship and sense of belonging that I’ve craved for myself. I continue to make strides towards my dream by rejoicing in differences and staying open to immersing myself in new experiences without judgment. I continue to make leaps in my effort to make my dream a reality by engaging in intercultural, interreligious, and interracial dialogues, fanning the flames of mutual understanding.

And, as I look at the next ten years, I plan to make bounds towards realizing my dream by doing something we all struggle to do in life:  to discover who I am outside of the carefully curated personalities I put on and give that person all the support and acceptance I so willingly give to others yet constantly deny myself. This new decade demands that I stop viewing my self-ascribed status as a woman with no nation as weakness, and make way for the potential it holds. 

Athina Amanor is a Ghanaian immigrant who recently completed her undergraduate coursework in cellular and molecular biology. As a recently retired student-athlete, Athina enjoys staying active by taking long walks, going for short runs, and playing tennis with her older brothers. She hopes that her concern for the human condition and openness to helping others serve her well as she pursues a career in pediatric cardiology.

Powerful Voice Winner

Sary Barrios

A Borderless World

As I walk into the kitchen, I see both of my grandmas stirring the masa and my mom putting the tamales de carne on the stove and cutting different fruits to boil in the pot for caliente . It’s Noche Buena and my dad, my siblings, and I are hanging ornaments and lights. At the bottom of the tree, we arrange the Three Wise Men and the animals on one side, Mary and Joseph on the opposite side of each other, and place Jesus in his manger at the center of them all. Lastly, we put the star on top of the tree, and turn on the beautiful lights. At 8 p.m., we gather around the table to eat. We pray to God for all the good things he has brought to us in the past year. Then, we pass the tamales de carne around, talk about our family in Guatemala and how they’d decorate their tree with clementines and light fireworks at Christmas, and laugh at my brother’s jokes. Everyone is together in one place, one day, one moment. But that’s all a dream.

Instead, it’s only my parents and me at the table. Some people are able to see their family every single day or at least once a week, but my parents are forbidden to see their relatives. They went through a lot to get here, and they’ve never gone back to Guatemala. While they are grateful for the opportunities here, the borders they crossed are like a cage, keeping them from seeing their loved ones. So when I dream of a better future, I dream of a world without borders.

These boundaries keep our families apart. A few months before I was born, my dad received a call: my grandpa had passed. My dad had a hard time dealing with not being able to see his father during those last few days he was alive. This was devastating. I see other kids with their siblings, playing soccer, bonding, and telling each other jokes, but I only see my siblings every two years if I’m lucky. I can’t imagine how I would feel if my siblings were here. I know I wouldn’t feel as lonely as I do now. 

It’s not easy to be a child of immigrants, feeling scared every second of your life, and constantly thinking about “what ifs.” Last summer, when I was at camp in Maine, miles away from my parents, immigration police arrived on my first day. I wasn’t allowed to contact anyone, and I had a meltdown. It was heart-wrenching to think about being separated from my parents, and yet these borders have stopped my parents from doing the same—seeing their mothers forever. Can you imagine not being able to see your mother?

A borderless world is like an eagle soaring through the sky, completely free. In a borderless world, families would be united and everyone would live without fear of someone searching for them. In her YES! article “Alicia Garza: How to Prepare for 2020, author Kate Werning says, “We are often called to reflect on our lives, and how we want to mobilize for ourselves and our communities.” I often reflect on this beautiful dream that one day our world would be borderless, a dream that I will fight for.   

At the camp in Maine, I learned about the Hawaiian word ohana . Ohana is the spirit of family togetherness. It means that no one is ever going to be forgotten or left behind; they are stuck with each other no matter what. Ohana can also mean “nest,” which is where birds go to be safe with their families. Just like birds, immigrants want to be with their families in a safe space. Everyone together in one place, one day, one moment. 

Sary Barrios is a Guatemalan American student at Mamaroneck High School. Sary’s passion is to help others and give back to those who are in need of more. She has a huge love for her heritage and family.

Avery Chase

Kirkwood High School, Kirkwood, Mo.

There is a French photographer who said: “I will never be able to take a picture as beautiful as I see it in my eyes.”

Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a rare disease—there are less than 200,000 patients in the U.S. I was a competitive gymnast at nine years old. At a tournament,  I awkwardly dismounted from the bars and landed on my ankle. That moment changed my life. For the next eighteen months, I saw six doctors, four therapists, and three psychologists, took three  trips to different pain clinics, and missed about 100 days of school to search for answers to “the sprained ankle that could.” I was one of the “lucky” ones. That summer was a revolving door of experts dismissing me one after another.

The pain I experienced was beyond my ankle. I understand that I grew up differently, that most kids don’t divide their family moving cross-country for chronic pain rehabilitation. I have been living with CRPS for nine years—with a brief remission circa seventh grade—and a prognosis of “years to a lifetime.” Some days I’m better at accepting what I know and what I don’t. Other days it’s easier to lie in bed complacent to the pain. No matter what type of mindset, I must constantly strive to recover and hide disappointment every day that wasn’t pain-free. Outsiders haven’t seen the pictures I’ve seen—not through my eyes. Outsiders don’t know what it’s like to watch a 70-year-old squat better than you or realize that the only “record” you hold is “Longest-Stayed Patient,” not “Highest All-Around Score” in a gymnastics meet (where I really wanted to be).

It’s difficult to paint a picture of when my body physically shakes uncontrollably. My eyes scan it slowly, realizing my helplessness. Or the picture of mornings I wake up with a split lip after having habitually chewed it. Or the days I wish I wasn’t a breathing mortgage for my parents. Or the nights I spend praying for the safety switch, trusting my body will scientifically pass out if pain exceeds a threshold. There are still stories that I can’t tell and stories I don’t want to remember.

In psychologists’ offices, I go mad trying to cling onto any word I can to describe my pain, and, too often, I fail. In my wildest dream, I’m able to paint the masterpiece that finally allows people to understand the years and tears. Currently, I am trying for a picture-perfect life. I’m taking steps to overcome my highest anxieties by listening to doctors, pushing through compulsions, getting out of bed, and challenging cognitive distortions. I am living the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life. I know that the steps to overcome Chronic regional pain syndrome don’t necessarily mean a pain-free life. I can’t change the existence of the problem itself, but I can change the way I deal with the problem. In my wildest dream I can accept myself and whatever I accomplish, even if it is not perfect.  I can learn to accept that CRPS and everything it comes with will always be a part of my life, my disappointments, and my triumphs.

The pain translates to today. Every day, I make decisions based on that gymnastics meet nine years ago and the hundreds of hours of doctor’s appointments and clinic visits throughout the years. I wonder who I’d be if I skipped gymnastics that night. If Boston is simply a city with smart colleges, not just medical treatments. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to understand a life without my pain. What I do understand though is that being healed won’t change me. I know how it has influenced me, but I doubt I will ever stop learning either. For that reason, my life is a life with CRPS, with and without pain. I am who I am because of these experiences and the circumstances I have yet to face.

Avery Chase lives in St. Louis, Missouri, the city with the most neurotic weather in the country. Avery coaches gymnastics in her free time and has an irrational fear of cats. She plans to attend Kansas University and study social work.

Daniel Cook

Fighting the Undertow

Have you ever been caught in an undertow? Imagine swimming through waves—feeling the cool rush send a shock through your body— when a force begins pulling you away from the shore. You try swimming back to the beach but feel the current’s grip dragging you farther out to sea. After a minute, your arms and legs begin hurting. You start choking on water as you gasp for air. You attempt to yell for help only to be choked on by more water. Your mind is in a state of panic as your body begins shutting down. Suddenly, you remember what your parents told you, “Swim parallel to the shore.” You turn and start swimming again. Every muscle screams in agony, but you keep fighting. Finally, after what seems like an eternity, the force stops. Relief floods your mind. You slowly swim to the shore and crawl onto the sand. Falling flat on your back, you breathe peace back into your soul. 

Life is full of undertows. Today we are faced with so much political and social injustice that many people feel as if they are caught in an undertow of emotions. I was caught in this particular undertow for a while. As a gay male living in the Deep South, I have struggled with finding my place in society. I have often asked myself questions such as  “Who do I want to become?,” “What do I stand for?,” and “How can I help others?.” With the start of the new year, I have decided it is time to face these questions. 

I am an activist at heart. It is my purpose. With the help of the YES! article “How to Prepare for 2020” and Alicia Garza, I was able to pinpoint objectives that I should focus on instead of aimlessly treading through life, being swept further away from my goals. I want to be able to hold my husband’s hand in public without eyes glaring in our direction. I want to have a place of worship that accepts me. I want to be able to enroll my children in school without the fear of them being bullied for having gay parents. I want a job without having the fear of being dismissed because of my sexuality. I want to be seen as an equal instead of as an “other.” And most of all, I want to live in a world where I don’t have to fear being murdered like Matthew Shepard. 

In order to achieve all of this for myself and people like me, I have to be more active. The article helped me outline steps I can take within the next year to help myself and others in the LGBTQ+ community. These steps include getting involved with a local LGBTQ+ activist organization, getting trained in how to provide safe spaces for people to freely discuss issues affecting them, and reading more literature and research on LGBTQ+ issues while  making these resources more available to the public. If I can conquer these steps, I will have made 2020 worth wild. 

2020 is the year I have decided I will no longer be a victim of the undertow. By focusing on my goals and following steps to achieve them, I will have the knowledge and ability to get out of the treacherous current of fear and anxiety about being who I am. I will no longer drown in the self-doubt accompanied by not knowing what I stand for. I will glide through the waters of hate and social injustice and hopefully arrive one day on the shores of equality, love, and acceptance. 

Daniel Cook is a proud gay man. Daniel was born and raised in Alabama and embraces his Southern roots while also advocating against the social injustices around him. He wants to use his privilege to help others have their voices heard and dreams of a world where all lives are valued and no one is considered an “other.”

“Can I Dream?” Winner

Maitreya Motel

High Meadow School, Rosendale, N.Y.

Can I Dream?

How do you dream in a nightmare? How do you solve a puzzle when half of the pieces have been stolen? I remember being barely twelve years old when the shooting happened at Parkland. My dad held onto me like I would vanish any second, sobbing while we listened to the news. 

When you’re 12 years old, you’ve thought about death a lot in theory, but rarely in a way that’s grounded in reality. You normally aren’t considering, “Oh, it could happen like this. Someone could have a gun and you could be in the bathroom at the wrong time. Someone could have a gun and your sixth-grade classmates could sneeze at the wrong moment. Someone could have a gun and shoot you. And you won’t be able to say goodbye to your mom and dad or tell them how much you love them. When’s recess?” 

I guess kids used to dream about being movie stars and star football players and millionaires. Now, I look around and we’re praying to make it through high school. And beyond that? Will the planet be liveable? Will our kids be okay? We want answers and guarantees. Are there any guarantees anymore? Our dreams are survival based. How much can you dream before waking up again? 

But I do have a dream.

My dream is to have the luxury of dreaming. My dream is to live in a world where what matters most is that new movie or first date. My dream is for us to be kids again instead of feeling like the future is on our shoulders. If I lived in this world, I could breathe again. Maybe, just this once, I’d get to sleep.

Maitreya Motel, an eighth-grade student at High Meadow School in New York, has been writing and producing her political Vlog “Eye On Politics” since age 10. Maitreya has been a featured speaker at women’s marches, climate change events, and political rallies, and is a member of her town’s youth commission and her county’s climate-smart commission. Her best pals are her two rescue dogs, Jolene and Zena. 

Dear Theo, Kira, Athina, Sary, Avery, Daniel,  Maitreya,

Thank you so much for sharing your writing with all of us (and some of you have shared your essays in your own voice on the podcast, too!). It takes guts to be real and vulnerable in public—to share your struggles and to be audacious enough to have dreams & compelling visions in a world where there is so much suffering.

At Irresistible , we believe that healing and social transformation are deeply connected— and that a critical foundation for both is radical honesty. To face where we feel vulnerable and afraid and powerless. Where we’ve been humiliated, shortchanged, discriminated against, or told to give up. To really feel into those places, because our deepest truth is what connects us and can become the source of our greatest power. We have to be real with ourselves about what hurts and scares us most, and connect with others’ heartbreaks and fears to move in a journey toward change together.

I see that courage in each of you. Avery, we feel you so deeply when you say “It’s difficult to paint a picture of when my body physically shakes uncontrollably. My eyes scan it slowly, realizing my helplessness.” Athina, we connect when you talk about feeling like a “woman with no nation.” Theo, I remember when I’ve been there too when you say “Sharing dreams of how I could positively change the world makes me uncomfortable. Why would I open myself up to that level of critique, especially in middle school?”

Yet despite the discouragement and pain, you still have big dreams—and I want to live in these worlds you are visioning! Maitreya’s world, where kids “have the luxury of dreaming.”Sary’s “borderless world [that] is like an eagle, soaring through the sky, completely free.” Daniel’s world where he is “able to enroll [his] children in school without the fear of them being bullied for having gay parents.” I want to follow your leadership and the leadership of youth organizers all over the country—you truly are “ Generation Transformation .”

As Kira paints for us, “Maybe roots used to run where we couldn’t see them, connecting us to each other and spreading through the world like telephone lines across our continent.” I see each of you growing those intertwining roots through your commitments to working with refugees, volunteering with your local LGBTQ+ activist organization, and training your bodies and minds toward your goals.

Especially now, as 2020 is turning out so completely differently than any of us could have imagined, the moves you are making toward your visions are critical. I’ve often felt like my hard work trying to contribute to liberation movements has been futile, that the world is getting crueler in so many ways. But I also remember that even though I’m only 32 years old, I am amazed at how much has already changed radically in my lifetime— toward a world of more racial justice, immigrant rights, LGBTQ+ & gender liberation, disability justice, and so much more. It does get better.

adrienne maree brown teaches us that in every small action we take, we shape change. Even under the intense conditions we currently face, this remains true. With our big visions as a strong north star, we find the next right move we can make toward freedom.

Keep dreaming, keep taking action, and keep sharing your story with powerful honesty. I’m right next to you on the journey.

—Kate Werning

We received many outstanding essays for the spring 2020 Student Writing Competition. Though not every participant can win the contest, we’d like to share some excerpts that caught our eye:

My wildest dreams would be a world filled with non-judgmental people, self expectations—not anybody else’s expectations of me—being me and loving it, less school stress, and, of course, free puppies! —Izzy Hughes, The Crest Academy, Salida, Colo.

I want to imagine a place where I can go wherever I want without having to worry about another person violating my body. No one should ever touch another person without their permission. That is what I want.  —Ruby Wilsford, Goodnight Middle School, San Marcos, Tex.  

Type 1 diabetes is not a choice or a result of poor life decisions. It is an autoimmune disorder in which the body attacks itself. How can Americans justify that it is acceptable to pay seventy-two times the worth of a life-or-death product? —Elise Farris, Spring Hill College, Mobile, Ala.

I was born on April 26, 2005, in a hospital in Appleton, Wisconsin, the home of the first hydropower plant and the “world-famous” Harry Houdini Museum. Then, at age three, my family moved to Beloit, Wisconsin, a town on the board of Wisconsin and Illinois. My parents sent me and my siblings to a Catholic school 12 miles north in a town called Janesville, Wisconsin. It was like living in two cities at once. My family lived in one and my friends and their families lived in the other. I thought the situation was fine, but as I got older, I started to notice things. I noticed how my friends felt uncomfortable when we went anywhere else in Beloit besides my house. I noticed how adults grimaced when I said I was from Beloit. And, suddenly, I felt my situation wasn’t fine. —Charlotte Mark, Craig High School, Janesville, Wis. 

Pandemics happen when we fail to be aware of how interrelated we really are—when we fail to note the doors we open, the hands we shake, and the spaces we share every day. Mindful of these connections, we realize that the health of one of us affects the health of all of us. We must care for our fellow beings, even if it means personal sacrifice. —Donald Wolford, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio

I can help others, but I also need to know what to do when dark thoughts manifest in my own mind. —Natalie Streuli, Brier Middle School, Brier, Wash.  

If I’ve learned anything in the past 13 years, it’s that things never go as planned. Having a rough draft of your life is okay, but never expect it to turn exactly how you imagined. —Emerson Reed, The Crest Academy, Salida, Colo.

There are about 40 million food-insecure people in the United States and 13 million of those people are children … I want these people to go to sleep full and knowing that they will get another three meals tomorrow. —John Francis, Our Lady Star of the Sea, Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich.

… I was floating, levitating in midair when the voice began slowly whispering. His voice washed over my body like warm sunlight on a summer day. “This is what inner peace feels like. You tried your best and did the most you can, but to achieve this, you must continue on.” He disappeared and the world collapsed on itself. I was motivated to do better but now looking back I wish I had started sooner.   —Nicholas Tyner, American School of The Hague, Wassenaar, Netherlands

Failure isn’t a dangerous monster we should run from. It is a beautiful seed of a flower yet to blossom. —Jarrod Land, Mamaroneck High School, Mamaronec, N.Y.

I’ve yet to figure out how to complain about my perfectionist nature without it sounding like a twisted form of bragging. As it turns out, whining about being tired of trying so hard just makes it look like you’re fishing for praise. Ironically, you rarely get either.  —Claire Beck, Kirkwood High School, Kirkwood, Mo.

I can never talk to my parents about my feelings directly because what goes into the pot is an argument and what comes out is unsolved problem soup with a side of tears. —Tracee Nguyen, President William McKinley High School, Honolulu, Hawai’i

I’m not exactly sure what I want to be when I grow up, but I am certain that it’s not going to require me to know how to find points on a graph or to understand slope intercept form, well at least not to the point that I need to study the subject for months on end, and why do I need to know how to find the cubed root of a six-digit number on paper? Who doesn’t have access to a calculator? —Lauren Ragsdale, Lincoln Middle School, Ypsilanti, Mich. 

I can’t truly say how many nights I’ve spent tossing and turning because something was crawling around in my head. The anxiety smothering any free thoughts I had, forcing me to stay awake, and to start questioning every choice I’ve ever made. Those nights are always the hardest considering who I want to be: somebody who believes without fear of judgment, somebody who loves who they are, somebody who helps without prompting. —Daniel Heineman, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio

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Essay on My Dream for Students and Children

500+ words essay on my dream.

Everyone has a dream in his life which they want to achieve when they grow up. Some kids want to become rich so that they can buy anything and some want to be a doctor, lawyer, or engineer. But only you know that for achieving these goals you have to work hard and stay attentive to it. In this essay on my dream, we are going to discuss the basic things that will help in achieving my dream .

Determination

For turning a dream into reality the first thing that you need is determination. This will help you in a lot of ways. Firstly, it will help you decide the course of action for doing anything. Besides, it will also help you to plan the journey ahead. Also, it will help to take things slow and maintain a steady pace towards the dream.

Moreover, no matter how big my dream planning and setting short term goals will always help. This is important because rushing to your dream will not going to help you in any way. Besides, there is some dream that requires time and they follow a process without following it you cannot achieve that dream.

Staying Motivated

Lack of motivation is one of the main causes that force a person to leave his dream behind. So, staying motivated is also part of the goal. And if you can’t stay positive then you won’t be able to achieve the dream. There are many people out there that quit the journey of their dreams mid-way because they lack motivation .

Keep Remembering Goal

For completing the dream you have to keep your dream in the mind. And remind this dream to yourself daily. There come hard times when you feel like quitting at those times just remember the goal it helps you stay positive . And if you feel like you messed up big times then start over with a fresh mind.

Reward Yourself

You don’t need to cover milestones to reward yourself. Set a small target towards your dream and on fulfilling them reward yourself . These rewards can be anything from toffee to your favorite thing. Besides, this is a good way of self-motivation.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Take Some Breaks

Working towards your goal not mean that you work day and night without stopping. Apart from that, due to continuous efforts, people soon start to become de-motivated. So, taking a break will help your body and mind. For doing so, take a break in between your schedule for some time an engage yourself in other activities.

Stay Among Positive People

Your company affects you in a lot of ways than you can imagine. So, be with people who appreciate you and stay away from people who distract and criticize you.

Don’t Hesitate to Make Mistakes

To sum it up, we can say that dreaming of a goal is far easier than achieving it. And for fulfilling your dream you need a lot of things and also have to sacrifice many things.

Above all, for fulfilling your dream plan and work according to it because it will lead you to the right path. And never forget to dream big because they help in overcoming every obstacle in life.

{ “@context”: “https://schema.org”, “@type”: “FAQPage”, “mainEntity”: [{ “@type”: “Question”, “name”: “What’s the best way to achieve a dream?”, “acceptedAnswer”: { “@type”: “Answer”, “text”: “There is no best way for achieving your dream. However, there are certain things that can help you in achieving your dream like being clear to your goal, keep trying, being determinant and several other qualities.” } }, { “@type”: “Question”, “name”: “What can be the biggest dream of anyone’s life?”, “acceptedAnswer”: { “@type”: “Answer”, “text”:”From my point of view being healthy and happy can be the biggest dream of anyone’s life. “} }] }

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• May 10, 2021

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How to Follow Your Dreams

Last Updated: April 18, 2024 References

This article was co-authored by Trudi Griffin, LPC, MS . Trudi Griffin is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Wisconsin specializing in Addictions and Mental Health. She provides therapy to people who struggle with addictions, mental health, and trauma in community health settings and private practice. She received her MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Marquette University in 2011. There are 10 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 51,245 times.

We all have goals in life, things that we dream of doing or being. They may be small or they may require years of work. Following your dreams may not always be easy. You'll never achieve a long-term goal by just sitting and day-dreaming about it. You will instead need to commit to a vision, carefully plan, and learn how to stay focused for months or even years. While reaching your dream might be hard, with organization, motivation, and self-discipline you can do it.

Making a Plan

• Try writing your goals down. Which one is the most important to you? Which do you feel most excited or passionate about?
• Be specific. Saying, “I want to teach” is not very specific. You need to have a goal that is detailed, measurable, and allows you to properly plan. A better goal is, “By 2025 I want to be a professor in English and teach at a college.”
• Think about what skills you might need to accomplish this goal. If you are terrified of public speaking, you will need to work on feeling at-ease speaking in front of large groups of people. Know that this is a skill you will need to work on to achieve your dream.

• What are you doing for a career?
• Where are you living?
• Who is with you?
• What do you look like?
• What are you wearing?
• How do you feel? (Happy? Fulfilled?)
• You can even try writing out your ideal day, start to finish, starting with what time you wake up. This can give you even more clues about the life you want.

• Let your vision shape your long-term goals. There are a lot of different kinds of colleges, for example. What kind is best suited for you? A big university? A community college? A private, liberal arts school?
• Weigh advantages and disadvantages. Say that you really don't like big environments; you're more of a small-town girl. Teaching at a private school in a college town would make you feel more comfortable and at home.
• Maybe you discovered that your ideal day starts with you waking up at 10am. What sort of lifestyle would allow you to do that? Does that fit with your plan to become a teacher? Could you potentially hold all your lectures in the afternoon?

• To become a professor, you know that you'll have to do a bachelor's degree and then go to graduate school. What other stages will there be? How long will the whole process take? Find out.

• You see a long road ahead of you in becoming a professor. Break it into smaller parts and plan! Your map might look something like this: Get bachelor's degree in English (4 years); Apply to graduate programs (0-1 years); Do a Master's degree in English literature (2 years); Apply for Ph.D. programs (0-1 years); Do a Ph.D. (3-5 years); Apply widely for teaching jobs.

Following the Plan

• One way to improve your discipline is to have a routine, making time for your goals every day. If you're in school, for example, treat it like a day job: every day you will either be at class or studying from 8am to 5 pm.
• Develop habits that further your goals. Wake up earlier, for instance, or, for the budding professor, read literature in your spare time.
• At the same time, nix habits that are undermining you. If you are constantly distracted by the internet, turn off your wi-fi when you need to work.
• Make the time. If urgent tasks are keeping you from your plan, make time to devote to your goals. Wake up earlier and spend an extra hour on it every day. Use your spare time on weekends or in the evenings.

• Sometimes goals need a complete reboot. Opera didn't work out. You may have to reassess what you want in life. Go back to your long-term vision and ask whether anything has changed. Reconsider your ambitions.
• At other times, our goals might only need minor tweaks. Say you took a killer class on comparative literature in college. You still want to study English, but also Spanish literature. Your overall goal is mostly the same, but you've just changed a small point of focus.

• Recognizing progress helps us to stay motivated, particularly when the long-term goal is a work of years or decades.
• Whether large or small, celebrating progress better allows you to stay motivated and to keep your eyes on the long-term prize.
• Some studies show that we get more motivation if we see these steps as learning opportunities rather than just as a means to our goal. When you review your progress, focus on what you've learned and how you've grown rather than just on what you've accomplished. [7] X Research source

Staying Motivated

• Practicing good work habits, reviewing goals, celebrating progress – all of these should help you to maintain your focus.
• Remind yourself of what you are doing in moments of doubt. Think about why you want to achieve your goal in the first place. Keep your long-term vision in the forefront. [9] X Research source

• Ask the people that you trust for advice, if need be. Listen to them. Try to be humble enough to recognize any mistakes that they point out.

Finding great mentors is key for building skills and success. "Everyone needs a coach. It doesn't matter whether you're a basketball player, a tennis player, a gymnast or a bridge player."

• Owning that there is a chance of failure is not admitting defeat. Instead, it allows you to temper your ambitions with reasonable expectations.
• A budding professor should know that many people never reach this goal. Most never finish school. Others complete a Ph.D. to find that positions are very competitive and never land a job. Knowing this ahead of time is good – it will help you to cope in case of failure.

• Avoid catastrophic thinking. Someone who thinks catastrophically about failure probably does not have reasonable expectations. A failure does not close all doors. It may close some, but others are still open. In a way, coping with failure is about finding these other open doors.
• Have a backup plan. So, your plan to become an opera singer fizzled. That doesn't mean that a career in music is out for you. Perhaps you are better suited to sing in a chorus? Or, perhaps you can use your real skills in music to become a voice teacher?
• Make adjustments as necessary. Say that you planned to go to medical school. You did a pre-med degree, volunteered in hospitals, and did everything the right way. But you couldn't get into a program. You have options: you can either apply again or come up with a new plan, like going to nursing school.

• Highly-motivated people are constant learners. They read, they analyze, they find new and more efficient ways of doing things. They know that growing as a person is linked to learning. Cultivate these habits. [13] X Research source
• Look closely and carefully at yourself. Be honest. Why did you fail to get accepted to any of your medical school choices? Was it your B- in biology? Maybe you could have written a better admissions essay?
• Locate the possible problem and plan a solution. For example, decide to retake biology and study harder to get a better grade. Or, rewrite your admissions essay and have other people read it. Then, plan to reapply to the same programs next year.

Expert Q&A

You might also like.

• ↑ http://www.goal-setting-guide.com/long-term-goals/
• ↑ http://www.forbes.com/sites/glassheel/2013/03/14/6-ways-to-achieve-any-goal/
• ↑ https://www.mindtools.com/page6.html
• ↑ https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/long-term-focus.htm
• ↑ http://news.vanderbilt.edu/2012/08/long-term-goals/
• ↑ http://www.forbes.com/sites/nextavenue/2013/07/19/how-to-stay-motivated-and-accomplish-anything/
• ↑ https://www.inc.com/peter-economy/12-habits-of-extraordinarily-motivated-people.html
• ↑ https://hbr.org/2011/04/strategies-for-learning-from-failure

About This Article

If you want to follow your dreams, set a concrete goal related to your passion, like becoming a professor of English. Once you’ve set your goal, break it down into as many concrete smaller goals as you can, and give yourself a timeframe for accomplishing each step. These steps can be as small as setting aside time every day to read and research, or as big as getting a Master’s degree. While working toward your goals, periodically review your progress and adjust your goals, and remember to congratulate yourself for what you’ve already accomplished. To learn strategies for staying motivated and coping with failures, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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