When You Reach Your Dreams and Didn’t Know It

Sleepwalking zombies say…

How about I offer you a famous quote? Only this quote wasn’t said by anyone in particular. No, it’s a quote from inside of you. And me. It’s a concept that most of us have contemplated, dealt with, even fought with in our lives. Some are struggling with it right now. All righty then, let’s hear it:

‘I need more!’ — Mr. Everybody & Mrs. All People Ever

Wait, hold on a second. I don’t need any more stuff, you might respond. Admittedly, that’s a good start. But wanting more doesn’t always have to do with physical items or products. A lot of the time, we want more from ourselves. There come moments in life when we aren’t enough. But what if this mode of thinking is a trap? What if it’s just a story in our head? What if we’re already living out our dreams, right now?

With so many goals and so much focus on the next thing to accomplish, it’s possible that “that thing” we set out to do has already been done — at least in part. Ooh, better explain that one.

When Life Feels Like a Pity-Party

Let me tell y’all, I deal with some pretty irritating anxiety much of the time. In this day and age, surely many can relate. Still, don’t you ever go through those moments where you feel like life seems simply messed up? Specifically, your life (as compared to everyone else’s)? The thing is, deep down, we know it’s not that bad. I mean, we might have a place to live, maybe WiFi, maybe a phone, possibly food in the cabinet, perhaps someone that loves or cares about us.

Even then, modern society is so global and interconnected that it’s easy to see (and ruminate over) how someone else is crushing life better than us. Uniquely us. Just to share some ways I’ve been feeling inadequate in my life, here goes a brief list. Raise a hand if you can testify:

• Not making enough money
• Struggling with situation and location changes
• Can’t get enough alone time
• Flirting with old bad habits

Those habits include things I’d thought I had overcome by now, such as eating poorly, staying up too late, obsessing over lists, not communicating with loved ones, not prioritizing my mental health, letting my emotions get the best of me, spending too much time on nonsense — Well, the list goes on.

I have also been planning to get my driver’s license since I-dunno-how-many-umpteen years ago. Okay, why focus on the bad, though? This stuff is all habits. It’s a habit of focusing on the negative. It’s a habit of worrying about actions instead of carrying them out. It’s a habit of not realizing how special life is and that my time is super valuable.

Ultimately, it’s a habit of not spending time with myself to regroup. Having anxiety without a chance to pause and regroup is, like, a suck fest. Plus, all the worrying and self-sabotage were keeping me from realizing that I’m already living my dreams. I mean, I’d still like a license. But there’s more to it than that.

Sleepwalking

Some of our dreams may have come true without us even recognizing it. It’s not by some magical mystical cause, either. For years now I’ve been wanting my own space to live in and set rules how I wanted. To eat when, what, where, how, why, and who I wanted (okay, maybe not that last one). Look, I’m in my own place now. It may not have the size I’d like, but it’s peaceful.

I’m not alone here, of course. My wife lives with me. And I was a weirdo; ever since I was a kid, I wanted to be married. So what? Count it as another dream, checked.

Oh, and she and I have been dreaming of living in the U.S. for several years. Now guess where we live? I’ve dreamed of showing her the places I used to go as a kid, of the places and people that have shaped my being and life’s story. Been there, done that. Also, since I was a kid I dreamed of being fluent in Portuguese and visiting Brazil. The past few years, I’ve had enriching opportunities to translate (because that’s how well I learned the language), and I’ve been to places in Brazil that even Brazilians wish they could go.

Am I making lots of figures? Nope. Am I staying in lavish suites and dining fine? Nope. But I’m out here, doing what I wished for.

Above it all, I’m out of the hospital, taking care of business and my mental health on my own (more or less), and trying to be an adult. I need to make some adjustments, leave my comfort zone more, and be more responsible, but still. All of these were things I hoped would happen but assumed they might never, or would take a super long time to.

I’m still young. My back feels okay.

Let’s Play Takeaway

Feelings of inadequacy were tied into the pounding headache of always jumping to the next thing, finishing what I could as fast as I could. It’s so easy to get caught up in checking off tasks that we may forget to celebrate, or even acknowledge, our successes. And I’ve heard it’s great for the soul to celebrate ourselves, give the old pat on the back. I don’t do it, sadly. That’s why I had to write this piece; to remind myself to do it. Always comparing to others is a killer too, but everyone’s on a unique journey. I’ve got my life, and you’ve got yours.

Now, CLEARLY, I could do a lot better. That goes for anyone. There’s always some way we could improve, tweak our habits, better our productivity, adopt healthier lifestyles, be kinder to others, ourselves. My point is that these improvements come with life’s lessons. They come with mistakes and pitfalls and steps backward. They are part of the journey. No one just woke up living their best life. Most people have to fight for it. If it was given, they probably didn’t appreciate its true worth, anyway.

No judgment though. Ooh, judgment is another good topic! For later.

So, “readerlings”, go and enjoy life. Take in the savory moments. Be on the lookout for how life is good, how you’re accomplishing things you always dreamed of — even if it doesn’t quite feel that exciting at the moment. Certainly, never give up on reaching those dreams you haven’t checked off your list yet.

When I sat and thought about how I was achieving some of my life’s longtime dreams, it gave me a smile. I hope you can sit, think, and pop a smile too.

— Neboh

Thanks for the read! How’s this playing out in your life? Are there some dreams you already achieved that you didn’t even notice? Are you crushing it in life? Tell me more! Peace and love as always (don’t just say it, spray it ;)