Every one of us has goals and aspirations. We each have that little bit of daredevil in us, stubbornly insisting “I can do this!”– even when others don’t see it happening. Call it human nature, whatever. We’re dreamers. Even the most realistic individual strives and pushes to be the best version of themselves. Despite this universal truth, dreams are often dismissed and pushed aside when they don’t fit- either with your own assessment of what’s achievable, or someone else’s.
In the immortal words of Kanye West: “You can’t tell me what dreams to have.” Of course listening to the constructive (or not-so-constructive) criticisms of your public sphere is useful and productive- but only to a point. You have to be willing to Kanye West your way into the attitude of a person who is both informed, and still aspiring to great heights. It’s possible, I swear; but it’s not always easy. The easy thing is listening to naysayers or merely cautious advice, taking a step back and falling into whatever route is more comfortable, familiar to you.
Speaking as a lowly English grad with some fairly limited options currently, I live for those larger than life dreams set in my 3-to-5-to-10-to-infinity year plans. These are the kind of things that keep me going, help me not to spiral into an Anne Shirley-esque depth of despair whenever I clock into work. Everything is UPHILL from here, it’s a tough hike but I know damn well that view at the top is gonna be worth it.
