All people have their own dreams, talents and interests. Everyone has something to make them happy and gives their lives meaning. But many people never have the opportunity to pursue their own dreams as they seek to live the dreams of others. Sometimes parents, family members, friends and society want us to be something we want to be nothing. This can make life very difficult as carrying another person's dream is carrying a heavy load everyday.
A lot of parents desire the most effective for their kids. They work hard and make sacrifices, and they hope that their children will elect to follow a certain career or lifestyle. They think that their child can have a successful and respectable career if they become a doctor or a lawyer or an engineer or an entrepreneur. These wishes may often be borne out of love but can also create a lot of pressure for the child. The child's wishes take a back seat, the focus is on making other people happy.
This is one of the biggest challenges faced by many young people today, I believe. They smile on the outside, but feel unhappy on the inside because they are living a life that is not their own. Even if they appear to be successful, they feel empty each morning. They might be successful students, have a good job, or earn a good income, but still feel that there's something missing. This is because joy is not always the result of success if there is no passion.
It can also impact a mental and emotional state in that someone else is living their dream. Prolonged stress, fear, anxiety and disappointment can result from expectations that must be met continually. Others get scared to make errors as they fear to not do justice to them. Others lose faith because they think that their own dreams are unimportant. They can even forget their identity over time.
This pressure is also placed on society. It's customary to compare ourselves to other folks. Social media portrays happy lives, fancy cars, pretty homes, and flawless careers. This leaves many feeling they have to take the same route to be accepted. They look for meaning in life rather than finding it for themselves, and for years they try to fit into some other person's image of success.
I have discovered that people are all on different paths in life. Not all things are equal when it comes to happiness. We need to honor the dreams of others, but also have the courage to find our own dreams. I believe that it would be better to live a simple life and be at peace (or in harmony, as it were) rather than a successful life that brings sadness. There's more to success than money and fame. It is a matter of getting up every morning and believing that there is some purpose to it.
Parents and families should inspire their children to discover their gifts rather than push them in any one direction. Listening, supporting and guiding is better than controlling. While all this, young people have to communicate openly with their families. It's not only about respect, it's also about being honest about what they enjoy and wish to do.
Finally, when we live our lives in order to live another people's dream, the weight of the expectations can be overwhelming. Each individual should have the opportunity to be able to find his or her purpose and utilize his or her gifts in a unique way. Family and society have a valuable role to play, but we do not want to live by their expectations.
I think the only time we are happy is when we're doing what we're called to do, working hard, and giving everything.I believe we only find happiness when we work hard and we're doing what we're called to do, and we give everything. Sometimes living your own dream is not easy but it is so rewarding to live one's own dream rather than living someone else's.
