“Don’t tell me the sky’s the limit when there are footprints on the moon.”
– Paul Brandt
What does your dream life look like? Is it what you’re living right now? Or, is it something that you gave up as life took over & now feel it’s too late to do anything about it?
We have all grown up with ideas about the ideal age to do something or be someone. Every society and every culture has its own unwritten timelines on roles to be played, careers to be chosen and expertise to be attained.
If you decide to defy what the majority thinks, there is in all probability a bumpy ride ahead to reach your goals and live your dream. But, what’s important to remember is that it’s your life, and no one more than yourself cares about how it turns out. So why worry what ‘people’ will say? After all, would their opinion bring you any closer to the way you want your life to look!
What does live your dream mean?
A very common question we have all grown up with is ‘what do you want to be when you grow up?’ Now it’s interesting if you think how it kept changing as you became more & more aware of the options available to you. It might have started with a say, becoming a parrot training astronaut. But, it mostly ends up with financial stability, success and a mix of power, influence & things in the same line.
Your dream would be a happy mix of these extremes where you get to do what your heart desires and the practicality of the latter. It’s what you wish your life looked like. Living your dream would mean you are content with life, proud of yourself and truly happy with how it all turned out – you wouldn’t have it any other way.
What happens when you decide to live your dream?
When you decide to live your dream, the most important thing that happens is you start valuing yourself and your life as it should be. You begin to –
- Become more clear about your priorities in life.
- Take responsibility for what happens with your life.
- Use your time & energy in a more focused & efficient way that leaves more time than usual to actually have some fun.
- Become more mindful of every day.
- Open up to more learning & opportunities.
- Put effort in improving yourself.
- Lead a more balanced & meaningful lifestyle.
- Value your personal life as much as your professional one.
- Actually start living your life instead of simply existing.
- Have contentment, pride & happiness in your life.
What does it take to live your dream?
The most important thing is to have the courage to dream without going into the ‘how’ of it. It doesn’t need to fit in with the conventional version of a perfect life. Rather, it should be what you feel in your heart is right for you, a picture that puts a smile on your lips.
At this point, if you’re thinking, “Well, that’s all fine, but how do I start living my dream?’, then my dear friend, you should start writing rather than thinking.
When you write down your thoughts, they become more real – goals to be achieved rather than just wishful thinking. If you’ve conviction in your dreams & the willingness to pursue them, it becomes all a matter of planning & the right attitude – a positive attitude, willingness for self-improvement, goal setting & committing to the action plan.
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What does it mean living the dream?
To be living a life that makes you content & proud of yourself is living your dream life. It can mean different things to different people, but the feeling remains the same. Here are a few examples of ordinary people (in no particular order) who believed in themselves to achieve the extraordinary and lived their dream.
– JK Rowling
I started liking her work better after learning how she succeeded in the absence of what we consider essentials when it comes to making our dreams come true. Joanne Rowling (her real name) faced a deluge of seeming impossibilities from being broke, clinically depressed with suicidal thoughts, single-handedly bringing up an infant daughter on state benefit to being rejected by at least 12 publishers.
She plodded on and channeled her hardships, heartbreaks and dark thoughts into her writing, eventually becoming one of the bestselling authors in history. Passion and determination can overcome any hurdle thrown by life. There is no fixed rule or fixed age to live your dream.
– Beethoven
This legendary musician fought against back-breaking odds like deafness, depression and on-stage musical disaster in front of a huge audience to be able to do what his heart desired.
After going essentially deaf (severe tinnitus), he wanted to end his life. But, retrospection and love for his art brought him back from the brink. Though he never performed in public after a musical fiasco in front of a large audience, he found a different way to keep following his dream.
Having gone almost deaf, he connected a metal rod to the piano and bit on the other end with his teeth to hear what he was creating. This idea was so advanced that even today, headphones based on this technique are available to the exclusive few. No conventional notion or life hurdle could stop him from pursuing his passion.
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– Elizabeth Cotton
She wrote the American folk classic ‘Freight Train’ when she was only 12 years old. But, she features here because it wasn’t until she was in her 60s that she could follow her dream and perform in public.
She was so intent on following her passion that she taught herself to play the guitar. Being left-handed and unguided, she played it the other way round – fingers for bass and harmony, and thumb for melody.
Nothing was strong enough to stop this go-getter with melody in her soul. She won some major awards and became one of the most famous songwriters in the 1950s and 60s – a time of American folk revival.
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– Artist Grandma Moses
American folk artist Anna Mary Robertson Moses began her successful career in arts at the age of 78. She won many awards, two honorary doctoral degrees as well as sold a huge number of her creations. In 30 years, she created over 1500 canvas arts.
A childhood filled with hardships, the
Grandma Moses was named “young woman of the year” by Mademoiselle magazine at the age of 88. Age is only a number for those who believe in their dream and in themselves.
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– Kimiko Nishimoto
This young-at-heart Japanese lady decided to try out a photography course for beginners by her son. Ten years later, she had her solo exhibition at a Japanese gallery and has been unstoppable since. Her fun and quirky self-portraits are now famous worldwide.
After discovering her passion at the age of 72, she has been clicking and even editing her photos for the last 17 years. Even though technology usually isn’t thought to be the forte of the elderly, she has been proving everyone wrong in a delightfully creative way.
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– Johanna Quaas
To live your dream doesn’t necessarily mean ignoring our other responsibilities, duties, obligations or must-dos. A very good example is German gymnast Johanna Quaas who took up gymnastics professionally at the unconventional age of 56.
Due to family obligations first with kids and then grandkids, she couldn’t practice professionally what her heart desired. But, she found a way of still being connected by working as a PE teacher.
A floor-and-beam routine in Italy in 2012 got her Guinness Record certified as the oldest gymnast. When asked at the age of 86 (while still actively competing as a gymnast) whether age proves to be a hindrance for her, she replied, “No, absolutely not. If you stick with it, you can definitely carry on at a high age. I’d like to still be competing when I’m 90.” And that’s the spirit that should guide us all.
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What is your dream?
So, what does your dream life look like? What is the version that’d really make you happy without worrying about how it’ll look to others?
Because if you think about it, the people who initially did something outstanding or wonderfully different became a touchstone for success, leaders in their field. The followers simply accepted their qualities as the benchmark for eligibility.
If you believe in yourself, then you have the power to break
What are you passionate about? Are you still in doubt whether the efforts would be worthwhile?
What a truly inspirational post this was! It is never too late to reach your dreams, life is for living every single day of it!
Thanks Elizabeth…it’s a really humbling experience when your thoughts can inspire someone even a little bit.
I agree, age is but a number and should not be as a restriction in achieving your goals and living your dreams.
This is very inspirational. Thanks for the encouragement!! I feel like sometimes I shy away from things because I feel its too late!
Thanks Holly : )
I used to have this mentality : “i’m too old for that” “it’s only for young ones”. But as we mature through time and experience, we learn that attaining your dream has no age limit. And that’s what i’m living for. Thank you for sharing this delighting post.
Thanks Chai : )
I love this! Such a good reminder to all of us, young and older, that we shouldn’t put ourselves or anyone else in a box!
Absolutely true Jessica…it applies to all generations
This is such a nice post and very it is really very inspiring to read. I do believe that you can reach your dreams at any moment, anytime and at any age.
Thanks Catherine : )
There are so many idols around us to tell us to keep going and never give up, to tell us it’s never too late to live your dream. Loved it!
Thanks Monidipa : )
So inspiring and so true. I think I found my dream late, but after reading this I know it never too late.
Thanks for the inspiring post! I know it must be amazing to be able to do what you really want to do but for me, personally, it’ll be a bit difficult if I choose to live my dream since I have bills to pay and a son to raise. Hehehe. Hopefully one day though 😀
That’s the point Janine…that thing about ‘one day though’ is the attitude that makes dreams come true…all the best