Don’t Give Up Your Dreams Without a Fight

The fighting part matters.

Photo by Stefan Stefancik from Pexels

“Pursue your dreams” is one of those phrases that can make you gag if you hear it from the wrong person — or at the wrong time. I’ve been rethinking what it really means lately. I don’t think it ever meant you get to pursue your dreams 24 hours a day, whenever you want, at the cost of everyone and everything else. That’s just dumb.

It never meant you could quit a terrible job anytime, or excuse yourself from all of your responsibilities.

It never meant you were going to make a ton of money.

The economy has jumped off a cliff, but it hasn’t landed yet. My university is about to cut most of our arts programs. They’re getting rid of theater and dance. They’re gutting the humanities. These students will be tempted to hang up their dreams.

They shouldn’t — not without a fight.

Neither should you.

Here’s what I think it means to pursue your dreams, especially now:

It means extra work on top of what you’re already doing. It means not waiting around for someone else to make your life better, no matter how many of your problems aren’t your fault.

Losing everything is a perfectly good reason to give up your dreams. But you won’t do it…