I Have a Dream…
Written by Maria Natassija Sariati
Everyone is a dreamer. Whether they dream in their sleep or while they are wide awake. Even though there are various types of dreamers, we are still driven by the same thing at the end of the day, a dream. Some might think that the others have unrealistic dreams, and some others might think that rest need to dream bigger. Either the first or the latter, you are still classified as a dreamer.
Okay now, does the face above look familiar to you? Well, I suppose yes. Just like everybody else, she is acknowledged with several names and titles. She is known as Michelle Robinson-Obama, or Mrs. Obama, or The First Lady throughout 2009 to 2017, or the Harvard Law Student, or Malia and Sasha’s mother, or ex-Sidley and Austin Lawyer, or else. It is also applied for ‘dream’ which also has other names and titles. Some call it fantasy, some others call it ambition. It is also known as plan, objective, desire, aspiration, hope, and target.
So, the first question is, what should we call the dream? Well, the answer lies on how you see it as, and also the circumstance that you are in. As for different people who can see different things from different perspectives, it would only be fair if we equated our views to define our topic of discussion.
The dream that we are discussing here is the one that is acknowledged as the objective. The definition of Objective (n) based on Merriam Webster dictionary is something toward which effort is directed; an aim, goal, or an end of action. With that stated, please take note that we are discussing something that is directed into something we wish to pursue. A goal we know where it would end up if we thrive anyhow for it.
And the next question would most probably lead to, how big should we dream? How high should we set our objective? Well, as a matter of fact, it would be easier if we set a low objective on something. Take this as an example, it would be easier to climb the second ladder from the bottom compared to climb to the 200th ladder from the bottom, right? The energy we put to climb the second ladder from the bottom is lower than the latter option. Well, of course we could always use the elevator. But, we are talking about achieving our objectives. Taking the elevator equals to hacking the system through having the right tool to do so. The process is simplified due to the family connection or the passed down inheritance. However, this kind of tool isn’t available for everyone. Therefore, we have to take the staircase willy-nilly.
The higher we set our objectives, the greater the energy needed to pursue it. But, that doesn’t mean it is not worth the energy and the time spent. We are the one who have to make sure that the objectives should be worth every pain, every minute-spent, and every consumed ATP. It may not be easy, but we should make sure that it is worth it.
Dreaming, as a matter of fact, is a free thing to do. It costs you $0 to dream to have a new home in Manhattan. It costs you $0 to dream to study abroad, in Leiden, perhaps? Dreaming is an activity to keep someone going. The fuelled hope, to keep us sane. You cannot and should not laugh at someone’s dream, just because you think it is unrealistic or not big enough. As for, we have different perspectives on things, so it is to our objectives and dreams. It is perfectly fine to lay the objective on the second ladder from the bottom, it is also perfectly fine to set your objective on the 505th ladder from the bottom. If you are lucky enough, you could hack the system by meeting someone who is able to help you to reach the 505th ladder earlier. You would never know if you never took the first ladder, right? It may sound very cliché, but I believe in it. Just like Coldplay stated it beautifully in the form of a song, If you never try you’ll never know, just what you’re worth.
The third big question would lead to, what should we do if we have reached our objective? Well, if you have reached your 1 Million Dollar dream, you should dream to reach another milestone! To reach the 1 Billion Dollar dream, perhaps? Or pursuing anything else that you desire. Something that is fulfilling your longing. It might be quitting your job to start a foundation, or being an active congregation of a house of worship. I remember the conversation Beth Harmon and Georgi Girev had in the Queen’s Gambit series, the one when Beth asked Georgi about what he would do if he won the World Chess Championship at the age of 16. It was quite predictable that Georgi did not answer Beth’s question accordingly. But thanks to Beth he most probably would have thought about it after their match, right? Haha.
You see, My Friends, it is perfectly fine for you to dream. Whether your dream seems funny for some people or unimportant to people. It is okay, your dream should be how you feel about them because you are the one who will challenge yourself to pursue them, not other people who question you and your dreams. Your successes should never be about how your life looks to others. It should be how you feel about it. As it’s been said, I hope you will always try to thrive, to take the ladder by ladder to the nth you are trying and praying to reach. I really hope you get what you deserve.
And as for me, one of my biggest dreams is to leave traces of my thoughts. To take part of the history through my writing. Because as you may already know, we read to learn, to deepen our understanding, and we write to be remembered, to be a part of the history of the dreamers.
