Of all the things I have dreamed of being in my life, probably only an astronaut was not one of them. My dreams took me to the catwalks of Fashion Week, the inside of gritty New York City hospitals, off roading through the Australian Outback with an SLR slinging around my neck, and driving across the Sahara as part of a heavily armed envoy. But none of this seemed like enough. I had a lot of dreams, but was looking for something concrete. I should be a world-famous writer, a doctor, or a lawyer. I wanted to be one of those people who knew what they wanted to be since they were 5, drawing pictures of skyscrapers and stethoscopes; already too smart to ingest the Crayolas they were drawing with. Instead, I kept transitioning between dreams in a not so seamless process. I felt like I was being led down different roads by a crappy GPS that kept recalibrating. I really relate to that guy in those Allstate commercials.
Until recently, I realized that I am not static and neither is life. Things keep changing, moving, shifting, sometimes towards us and sometimes away from us. Our only goal should be to run with the current rather than fighting against it. So I asked myself why should dreams be static and held in place by some notion of what we think we want? Dreams should be elastic, revolutionizing themselves every day as we get a better idea of not only what we want, but what it is that we truly need. Right now I dream of becoming the best writer and real estate agent I can be. In a few years from now, those dreams will still be present, but I may be dreaming of becoming a wife and mother.
So maybe striving towards our dreams every day is secondary and creativity becomes primary. Creativity in living the life of our dreams every day, rather than waiting and striving for some notion of our dream life that is only supposedly going to occur in the future. So let’s be creative every day in what we do and who we are. And we might even find that our dreams are actualized every day when we’re living a life we’re actually happy about NOW. So let your dreams be elastic, but you’re creativity in seeking happiness everyday be undeterred. <3
This blog was originally a part of a community post on According to Aletheia. Check out the other contributors at;
“Until recently, I realized that I am not static and neither is life. Things keep changing, moving, shifting, sometimes towards us and sometimes away from us.” Such a beautiful post! I love the way you write – so inspiring
Thank you so much Hannah!
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I was reading your blog because of the cross-posting from “according to alethia.” You spoke to me so deeply that I am now a subscriber. I, too, have always envied those who knew their path in life before they could even talk. I am several decades older than you and still struggling with “what to be when I grow up.” I have done so many things in my life/career from symphony personnel manager to magazine proofreader to massage therapist to business owner, but each one dissolves into another, sometimes by choice and sometimes by force. It is only rather recently that I have begun to see this lack of singular focus to be a blessing rather than a curse, since I always cringed when someone would ask, “What kind of job are you looking for?” In my heart and soul, I know of what you write here.
You summed it up so perfectly in the writing of your final paragraph, “So maybe striving towards our dreams every day is secondary and creativity becomes primary. Creativity in living the life of our dreams every day, rather than waiting and striving for some notion of our dream life that is only supposedly going to occur in the future.” I have often been caught up in the what will occur in the future rather than the here and now. I think you are right, that maybe creativity is the primary goal. When I look back on my life and “career” in the light of creatively rather than just looking a “dream” goal, I do see a thread rather than a jumble of different and unrelated “jobs.” I am almost ashamed to say that at age 55 I am still a “work in progress”, and that I am finally beginning to embrace the “change” that has been the constant in my life. Yes, “Things keep changing, moving, shifting, sometimes towards us and sometimes away from us.” has been very true in my life, too.
After a long dry spell of not having a “real” job since my small business failure I have two unexpected and unsolicited job offers. Each one would take me on a vastly different path than the other. I have been agonizing about this, but now you’ve given me yet another tool to help in making my decision.
Thank you so much for your beautiful and insight writing in this post. It has been just the gift I needed today.
Thank you so much for such a lovely and motivating comment! It sounds like you have had a life and careers to be proud of! You must have met tons of amazing people and shared some really interesting/crazy/special experiences. There is nothing to be ashamed of! My mentor always says that if we’re not moving forward, then we’re dying…so it’s a wonderful thing to be work in progress! I wish you tons and tons of luck in your new position and just suggest that you embrace the change and beauty that comes with them and with moving forward in a different direction! Would love to be keep up to date with how you do!
Well I did it, Kristina. I actually put some writing out. Launched my blog this week http://www.thisiswednesday.blogspot.com It was really thrilling/scary/cathartic. I don’t know where this is going, but I am just going to trust where the divine is leading me. Thanks for being one among a “cloud of witnesses” who got me to this point.
It is the journey, the ever changing path, not the destination. People who have arrived have also died. Success can also be a prison. So yup, beautifully put, embrace the journey of life! Imagine how many people have shut out their dreams because of static ideas of what success means. Imagine if the mass population realized what you are saying, imagine how much better our world would be with that much creativity!! Thanks for sharing and keep writing.
Dziekuje slicznie!