Don’t Give Up on ANY Dream!

As we are aging (LOL, not old yet, but you get the point), many of us have given up things deemed “childish” or “irrelevant” in our current lives. Sometimes it’s difficult to fit in those “just for fun” things with school, work, working out, kids, etc. It seems that our childhood dreams of being an actor, rock star, dancer, and painter fall by the wayside because that isn’t what is necessary to “survive” so to speak. You need a job that enables you to be financially independent and care for any children (or kitties!) that may come along. 

One of the things I’ve mentioned in previous posts is that it feels AWESOME to be financially independent. I’ve also mentioned that you need to take time for yourself to do the things that really make you happy (traveling, trying new foods, dancing, cooking, singing, etc.) because it really enhances your overall quality of life (at least it does mine). This post is a little different because I want to challenge all of you to do something. If you are able, pursue a dream that you let go because of pursuing a more “important” dream. The more important dream, I’m assuming, is career related so that you can be a financially independent individual. (I could be wrong, but that’s what I’m going to go with). 

I’ll use myself as an example of what I’m trying to get at, because without concrete examples, this entry is seemingly idealistic, rather than realistic. I worked REALLY hard to get through school and got lucky enough to secure a stable job. But now that I’ve “made it” in that pursuit, it seems as if I have less to fight for and more just putting in the time. I began to think about other things that I let fall by the wayside and wondered if I could do both. I wondered if I could have been successful doing other things. 

As many of you know, I am a dancer and I LOVE IT. I’ve always wanted to do something professionally with it as an adult, but with school and everything, I wasn’t able to put the time in necessary to be successful. As a child and teenager, I did some really cool things through dance and got to perform at many large scale events. At the time, it seemed so easy to do! Now that I can, I have started a journey to do this once and for all. 

I recently auditioned for the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders and was rejected AGAIN. While that wasn’t the outcome I was hoping for, it just made me more determined to get on a professional dance team. I have now dedicated my “free time” after work to pursue this. I may or may not be successful, but the pursuit is what makes me happy. I get to go to dance classes and do something I love. I challenge all of you do pursue a “lost” dream. While it may not actually happen, the fun part is trying and doing something you love!