Dream. What does that word mean to you? To me, a dream is a thought that kindles either a whimsical, happy feeling, a sense of deep nostalgia...or both of them all at once. To the dictionary-minded folk, the word dream can mean a cherished aspiration, ambition, or ideal.
As exemplified by the video above, everyone has dreams. Some are practical, some are amusing, some are surprising, and some are inspiring. What is your dream? If you had to describe it with one word, what would that word be? For me, the word would be art. To realistically capture the human spirit in both tales and drawings...that is my dream.
Are you pursuing your dream? I sure hope so...as I know that you are more than capable of doing whatever it is that you so desire. I assume that you naturally have some arguments to that, but let me remind you that, in the 21st century, we have the necessary resources to do anything we set our hearts and minds too. It's just a matter of seeing it that way. :)
Let me elaborate...for three years now, I have worked at my dream. I have a published novella and a folder full of lovely drawings to show for it. I also have countless (I have literally lost count) abandoned drafts and rather sorry-looking drawings stashed away in the deepest and darkest corners of my computer and dresser drawer. I wouldn't call those failures, however. They are landmarks on the pathway to the success of seeing my goals fulfilled.
That's not to say that they haven't felt like failures at times. I have cried in frustration and wanted to cast every pencil, journal, and sketchbook I have into the woods SO many times. But I couldn't quit, much less destroy every trace of having even tried to go after my goals. Why? Because I had a dream. I had to pursue it...to whatever end.
That being said, I want you to find your dream and I want you to pursue it...to whatever end. There may be hardships along the way, but when you reach milestones, look back, and see how far you have come, you will realize that the tears and headaches don't really matter anymore. In the grand scheme of things, you will realize that all of the hardships wouldn't compare to the consequences of giving up on your dream. That, in the end, pain is only temporary...but glory is forever.
So, just humor me. Find your dream, if you haven't already, and try pursuing it. Start small, and don't underestimate yourself. Even if it seems absolutely ridiculous, find something that makes your soul sing and do it. The world may laugh...but the laughter is only a feeble attempt to silence the soul's cry for more, for a song composed when the heart and mind unite to find joy and purpose in one's life.
On a different (yet related) note, I wanted to talk for a minute about living a life of sanctity. At times, it seems like living virtuously in this modern day and age is a physical impossibility. However, upon examining the lives of individuals, such as Pope Saint John Paul II, Mother Teresa, St. Therese of Lisieux, Blessed Chiara Badano, and Venerable Carlo Acutis, it becomes clear that this isn't the case.
Pursuing virtue goes hand-in-hand with pursuing dreams, as they require the same sort of things. A need for perseverance and an attitude that doesn't care what others think are the first things that come to my mind. Both also require courage, as the way is both narrow and lined with obstacles. But the end result is also the same: joy. Upon looking at the images and words of these holy souls, this is clear.
True joy comes from Christ and can carry one through any trial that life throws at you. True joy comes from picking up our crosses and following Christ as best we can. A final parallel that I found between pursuing sanctity and one's dreams is that you can (and should) start small, so as to avoid burnout. The saints themselves clearly emphasize this point.
Also, as I wrote this out by my family's pool, this song happened to play. I thought that the words were rather on-topic, so I decided to include it in this post...as a sort-of send-off, I suppose.
