To All The Girls Who Are Fighting To Keep Their Dreams Alive

Normally when I wake up in the morning I feel invigorated. I feel ready to embrace the possibilities that come with every waking sun. On this particular morning, however, I woke up feeling crestfallen. It was almost as if my dreams were once circling overhead well within my reach and then all of a sudden they were plummeting to the void.

It’s strange how some days we can feel so empowered and then others we’re on the brink of defeat, hardly maintaining our composure. If nothing worth doing is easy, then I imagine the feeling you’d get after finally consummated your dreams would never grow old. It must be something that leaves an eternal impression on your heart, because who could forget all the struggle that came before it. It’s like waiting in line to see your favorite band. It almost makes the experience more worthwhile just for having made you wait that extra hour surrounded by hordes of screaming fans. Imagine how worthwhile your dreams will feel when you achieve them after years of waiting.

Perhaps what we really need is to make a change. If you consider yourself someone who exhausts their energy trying to exceed their own expectations, give yourself a break. Energy is one of our most precious resources and if we are always sprinting, we forget we’re not in a race, but a marathon, and we run out of steam. Sometimes the best thing we can do for ourselves is recognize when to stop so we can return to what we’re doing with a fresh dose of inspiration and a renewed perception.

If you’re someone who can’t make time for the things that light a fire in you, consider shifting your priorities. Now is as good a time as any to start doing what you love, and most successful people today will tell you their only regret in life was not starting sooner.

Dreams can be ancient or newborn, realistic or star-reaching. They come in all shapes and sizes but the one thing that matters is the person behind them. It matters what the dreamer believes. It matters if the dreamer believes they deserve the splendors curated by their souls.

Thankfully, no one has to believe in our dreams more than us. Of course, support always helps, but it isn’t mandatory. This is good news because it means no one else is responsible for making them happen or not happen. That’s completely up to us.

I wonder if the obstacles that emerge in the wake of our greatest desires are simply a test of our faith in ourselves. It’s almost as if we’re being asked to prove our resilience so that we have the capacity to handle our dreams when they make their grand entrance.

I know I’m not the only one who wakes up disheartened, trying to be heard in a world that’s too distracted to listen. I know I’m not the only one who feels like giving up and trading my eager efforts for something easy, something that won’t reject me again and again.

I also suspect I’m not the only one who knows deep in her core that it will all be worth it someday. Because dreams are always worth it.