The first response I would expect to hear when anyone mentions this statement is, “What to do? This is life.” I believe that the point of this statement is not to provoke the common folk who are living on regular wages. Instead, I think this statement reminds us all that every day spent on earning a steady “paycheck” comes at the cost of our dreams. Of course, it will be unrealistic to think that we can all achieve our dreams and forsake a steady income in today’s context. However, it would not be crazy to think that we can achieve our dreams knowing that many people are willing to give up theirs to do what is required to keep the basic functions of the economy going. At this juncture, I would like to clarify that these dreams that I am referring to are not limited to becoming rich or famous but something as unconventional as being a successful farmer, photographer, or anything you feel is your passion. So after clearing the air, allow me to share more about this irony i.e. the poison that keeps us alive.

Surviving is not living

Regardless of our socio-economic status, we all need a purpose in our life to function properly. I realized this when I was struggling to keep myself motivated to work at an optimal state when I was still working for a salary. During that period, I could never afford to think about what I want and like because every spare moment of inspiration is used to enhance my performance at my job or presentation. What remains of my energy would be spent on meeting friends and buying the next tech gadget in the market. In short, that could not be a sustainable life to live.

Our life cycles does not include time for pursuing our dreams

I am not sure about the rest of you, but sometimes I feel like I have wasted a day when that day was not productive. What I am trying to say is that it will never feel right and sometimes even “wrong” to pursue your dreams. After all, dreams are hard to achieve and often take a long time. Therefore, it is normal to feel like we can afford to let go of our dreams and work for a living instead. To make things worse, life is actually very demanding as some of us might have kids and families who depend on us. In such cases, many would not dare to risk their family’s needs for their own “selfish” dreams.

What can we do about our dreams?

I think it is reasonable for us to defer our dreams but never to let go of them completely. After all, what makes us regret the most are things we have not done in our lives. As human beings, we need to plan ahead and set aside time for our own lives even if we were occupied for the bulk of it. The only mistake one could make is to live for others and regret when looking back. Be it a fulfilling endeavor and a good cause, living solely for others will unlikely be sustainable.

Closing Thoughts

Hopefully, this post is a nice break from the nasty market that we have all been dealing with one way or another. Life shouldn’t be about living with only one purpose, even if it is to achieve our dreams. I sincerely hope that more people will realize that there is more to life than working for money and hoping to be rich one day. Remember to live your life even at your busiest and don’t forget to dream.