Daring to Dream
As my mind has been cluttered with preparations and stresses in returning to school, I have been thinking a lot about what this year holds and where I will be at this time next year. I am beyond excited for my classes and experiences I will encounter this last year but also anxious about the serious implications it holds. People, with the best intentions, have been saying things like "it's your senior year! Arn't you so excited?" and "what are your plans after graduation" and "wow, senior year already? You're growing up so fast!". While I have deep gratitude for the people in my life who care enough to ask, sometimes all I just want to shout "I am actually quite anxious and terrified about life after graduation. I have no idea where i'll be, or what i'll do and I don't need reminders that my life is ticking away quicker than a time bomb, and that in a flash, it will all be over.
You see, I have become quite comfortable with the "adult in training"
version of myself and though life can be super stressful around me, I am still part of a stable structure. That structure is found within my university, my friends, and my family and the thought of these structures becoming disconnected or damaged in any way is a ghastly idea. I imagine myself walking across the stage and receiving the diploma I have worked so hard for. I imagine celebrating with two of my best friends as they join their lives together in marriage the following day. I imagine rejoicing with friends for what we just accomplished and tearfully saying goodbyes as we part ways, each to continue on their own path. Then after the excitement has worn away, I imagine feeling alone and vulnerable still searching for a job, an apartment, and for purpose. I see bills piling up, student loan payments beginning, and a whole lot of emptiness inside my soul. The moment when my deepest hidden fears become reality, and I become someone i'm not only to make ends meet.
The one constant rescuing me from this quicksand way of thinking is my dreams. Ever since I can remember I have been an optimist and a dreamer like most children are I suppose, but also like most children, I have been robbed of this beautiful joy somewhere along the way. The older I get, the deeper my dreams sink, gasping for breath as they drown in pools of realism and responsibility. Many times, even the idea of dreaming is ridiculed in the adult world because it steals time away from practical solutions and important conversations. But what if dreaming is more than a thought, more than an ideal, and much larger than any childish notion?
Every concept, every business, every product ever invented have one small thing in common, they all started with a dream. Some of these dreams happened by accident, developing over time and others were so large and unimaginable that no one believed they could ever happen. Imagine telling people a few centuries ago about automobiles, ipads, and the amazing portal called the internet; they may have thought you fell off the carriage head first and gone mad. Yet those things exist because of dreams and from people determined enough to make those dreams become a reality.
So I say, you know? I am going to dream, and i'm going to dream big! My head isn't so far in the clouds that I forget reality, but I also leave room for dreams, knowing that someday, they may become reality. I understand that not all my dreams may come true, perhaps none of them, but why should I limit my thoughts to what already is? This only allows fears and anxiety to completely take over, killing minds and slowly demoralizing the entirety of human existence.
They say the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem, and I believe that the first step in making dreams a reality is sharing them in a concrete way, turning vapors to solids and and creating innovation from concepts. This can only be accomplished if 1.) you allow yourself to dream and 2.) you allow those dreams to escape your mind and enter into the real world, and 3.) you take action in making these dreams a reality. How much better would society be if we became people who were taught the dangerous combination of both dreaming and hard work?
If you ask me what my plans are after graduation, I will probably still tell you I am not sure, and that this uncertainty terrifies me, but if you search deeper you will a find a girl who is daring to dream. Daring to dream about traveling the world one continent at a time. Daring to dream about creating self-sustainable efficiency housing for those who don't have a place to call their own. Daring to dream about studying in Australia or the UK for my masters in design. Daring to dream about full-time missional living. Daring to dream for my godly husband and beautiful children. Daring to dream for the success of my own design firm in staying true to my values. Daring to dream to live life to the fullest, and never ignore opportunities to learn and grow. These are just a few of my dreams, won't you dare to dream too?
Until Next Time,
K.L.E
You see, I have become quite comfortable with the "adult in training"
The one constant rescuing me from this quicksand way of thinking is my dreams. Ever since I can remember I have been an optimist and a dreamer like most children are I suppose, but also like most children, I have been robbed of this beautiful joy somewhere along the way. The older I get, the deeper my dreams sink, gasping for breath as they drown in pools of realism and responsibility. Many times, even the idea of dreaming is ridiculed in the adult world because it steals time away from practical solutions and important conversations. But what if dreaming is more than a thought, more than an ideal, and much larger than any childish notion?
Every concept, every business, every product ever invented have one small thing in common, they all started with a dream. Some of these dreams happened by accident, developing over time and others were so large and unimaginable that no one believed they could ever happen. Imagine telling people a few centuries ago about automobiles, ipads, and the amazing portal called the internet; they may have thought you fell off the carriage head first and gone mad. Yet those things exist because of dreams and from people determined enough to make those dreams become a reality.
So I say, you know? I am going to dream, and i'm going to dream big! My head isn't so far in the clouds that I forget reality, but I also leave room for dreams, knowing that someday, they may become reality. I understand that not all my dreams may come true, perhaps none of them, but why should I limit my thoughts to what already is? This only allows fears and anxiety to completely take over, killing minds and slowly demoralizing the entirety of human existence.
They say the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem, and I believe that the first step in making dreams a reality is sharing them in a concrete way, turning vapors to solids and and creating innovation from concepts. This can only be accomplished if 1.) you allow yourself to dream and 2.) you allow those dreams to escape your mind and enter into the real world, and 3.) you take action in making these dreams a reality. How much better would society be if we became people who were taught the dangerous combination of both dreaming and hard work?
If you ask me what my plans are after graduation, I will probably still tell you I am not sure, and that this uncertainty terrifies me, but if you search deeper you will a find a girl who is daring to dream. Daring to dream about traveling the world one continent at a time. Daring to dream about creating self-sustainable efficiency housing for those who don't have a place to call their own. Daring to dream about studying in Australia or the UK for my masters in design. Daring to dream about full-time missional living. Daring to dream for my godly husband and beautiful children. Daring to dream for the success of my own design firm in staying true to my values. Daring to dream to live life to the fullest, and never ignore opportunities to learn and grow. These are just a few of my dreams, won't you dare to dream too?
Until Next Time,
K.L.E
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