Never Forget You’re Here To Live Out Your Dreams

Happiness lies in the joy of achievement

Many people die with their music still in them. Too often it is because they are always getting ready to live. Before they know it time runs out.”

— Oliver Wendall Holmes

We’ve heard so much about the pursuit of happiness.

What does happiness mean to you? Happiness is when you’re able to have the liberty of action or thought to pursue your heart’s desire. It’s the sense of independence, joy, and contentment that is free from any external condition. Happiness is the ability to gratify your desires in whichever way you choose without reservations or fear of limitation. That’s happiness.

Everyone has their own definition of happiness, you must find yours.

People are not the same. What makes one person happy might irk another person. It’s the unique attitudes and predispositions of an individual that will lead to varying degrees of happiness. Therefore, it’s pointless to discuss happiness in a collective sense.

I would like to believe that the pursuit of happiness is generally the freedom to go after your aspirations and dreams. Often, we fail to realize that it comes with a price. We have to decide if we’re willing to sacrifice and compromise accordingly to reach an end or a target. Ask yourself if you want it bad enough.

Most people would want the Fairy Godmother to wave her magic wand and turn their dreams into realities. They wish they had servants waiting on them while they sit on a floating throne. Unfortunately, that will not happen anytime soon. That’s the pursuit of laziness.

Any goal worth gaining requires a certain amount of investment, and I’m not just talking about financial investment. It doesn’t always have to be money, although that can be a part. There are other factors involved, such as the time required to hone a skill or sacrificing short-term pleasures for long-term success.

Success equals sacrifice, and the pie will not drop on the plate of those who just want a piece without the work.

The one thing standing between you and complete happiness is You. Only You know what you want and only You can decide to change your life.

What are the things that usually stand in the way of our happiness?

1. Material security

When you randomly ask someone what they want in life, you’ll find that most people generally desire to be rich. Having money is important when it comes to your quality of life because neither you nor those around you benefit if you deprive yourself of abundance.

To what extent then are we talking about? To the extent that you can get up and buy anything and do anything without having to worry about money. You’d also like to have some extra because you want to create change in the world.

How much would that come up to? Surprisingly, most people would shrug their shoulders at that question. They don’t really know because they’ve not considered what being rich means to them. They are unsure of how far they want to go with their goals and the lifestyle they would commit to.

Sure, some would see themselves living in a penthouse, but others would be just as content to own a ranch in the countryside. There’s a significant difference between the two. What is it you want and how much truly satisfy you?

If you’re clear about your goals, you’ll understand your abilities, what suits you best, and what you really desire to achieve. From here you will have to decide how much you’re willing to give up to fulfil that experience.

2. Relationship support

Most of us want to wake up with someone beside us because nobody wants to grow old alone and lonely. But does a steady relationship work for everyone, and if it does for you, what kind?

Are you comfortable being part of a family unit based on gender roles that help its members run with bound responsibilities? Or would you fit better into the social structure where both partners enjoy equal status and independence, having the freedom to be themselves?

This is important because putting others’ needs before your own means sacrificing your happiness for the sake of fitting in. No wonder then so many would rather remain unhappy than to break out of the system. This is when happiness often becomes elusive.

There are just too many attachments that prevent you from fully reaching out to what you desire. You would have to decide at this stage if the sacrifice is worth the while. If it is, then nothing should cause you to look back with regret. It’s a choice you have to make.

If you decide to go for it, let your conscience be clear that you’re not under any pressure otherwise it will not work in the long run.

Will you be true to yourself?

3. Passion

No matter who or where you are, there’s a fire burning inside you. All of us silently crave to make something great happen, and the internal reward is the feeling we get when we achieve it. It’s that thing that goes off like fireworks every time we think about it. You want to take that plan, that dream, or a goal and run with it. You want to skydive with it because that idea thrills you to no end.

But somewhere down the years, commitments, pressures, and responsibilities forced us to abandon the very thing that sets our soul on fire. We’re forced to settle for less. It’s quite common to decide that we’re going to attack our dreams with full-on energy and excitement, but as life takes its toll on us, we see some of that motivation to accomplish our goals fizzle out.

Before long, we’re no longer living, just merely existing, going through the motion every day.

What would it take to reignite that passion? Remember, every goal requires an investment and a certain amount of sacrifice. What would you be willing to give up to live the life of your dreams?

4. Reflection (Takeaway)

We hate to admit it, but all of us compare. We look at our lives and we compare them against the neighbors. We look with envy at that young successful colleague in the office who seemed to have it all. We compare ourselves to that character on the comedy TV shows. We conveniently choose to ignore the fact that we are unique and that our lives are ours alone and not a cheap duplicate of someone else’s.

Let’s learn to swallow our pride and accept that our lives are what we make of it. Take the time, get to know who you truly are on the inside. Rediscover that beautiful, unique, awesome person inside and what makes him or her special, because that person is trying to come out.

Do you notice the surrounding beauty? Do you see the love in the eyes looking back at you in the mirror? Are you being true to yourself? Will you grant yourself the freedom to follow your own desires?

You are a beautiful, amazing being. Greatness lies within you. Don’t let time run out on your dreams.

It’s time to let it out!