Is It Ever Too Late To Follow Your Dreams?
Posted by Catherine Morgan on July 6, 2007
IS IT EVER TOO LATE TO FOLLOW OUR DREAMS? — by Catherine Morgan
With the pressures of daily life, do any of us really have time to think about our dreams? Do we even know what our dreams are? Kids know what their dreams are, just ask them…What do you want to be when you grow up? It is always such and easy answer for them. But once we do grow up, then what? Is is too late for us?
What if we never realized, that we might have been forgetting to follow our dreams? Worse than that, what if we thought we were following our dreams, but it turned out that we were living a nightmare? Then what? Is it too late? Do we get a second chance at our dreams?
When is it too late to follow your dreams? I would like to believe the answer to that question is never. I think our dreams are ever changing, and ever evolving, just as our lives are. I think that it’s okay not to be exactly sure what our dreams are, and it’s also okay if our dreams change from time to time. The only thing that is not okay, is to give-up on our dreams. Because, once you give-up your dreams, you lose hope for your future.
But why then, do so many people give-up or deny their dreams? That is an easy one to answer…..They give up because they are afraid, afraid of failure. Fear is what stops us from following our dreams. Fear is the darkness that casts a shadow over our light. And, fear is what we need to overcome if we want to reach for our dreams.
The most important thing to remember…Is to never let go of your hopes and dreams, even when you are not sure what they are. So, take some time to figure out what your greatest dreams are, and then walk confidently towards them, without fear.
This is the music of John Lennon’s “Imagine” — with inspirational quotes.
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July 6, 2007 at 4:39 pm
Lovely post. I think you’re so right about about people being afraid and this was so true in my case. i was afraid for a very long time. When I got married and my daughter was born, it began to dawn on me that if I was afraid any more it was going to effect my daughter also. She’s going to be 9 years of age this August and I’m far from being afraid now.
I was made redundant from my work place about 2 years ago. I taught myself how to design websites and create logos, icons, web templates etc by reading for hours and hours through manuals and online tutorials and magazines. I compiled small piecs of artwork I had been doing while working in a factory for 12 years. I used all these and made an online portfolio and submitted this together with an application for a University Digital Design Degree. I was accepted in 2005 and will be graduating at the age of 37 in 2008 with a ‘BA(Hons)Design for Digital Media’
So it really is never too late to follow your dreams. If you like you can check out my portfolio of images at http://www.wasims.com
I also started a pretty crazy project outside of university which I hope is going to work. The project is http://www.theglobalposter.com
By the way i hope you’re following your dreams too !!!!!!!
Kind Regards
Wasim (UK)
July 6, 2007 at 5:11 pm
Hi “Wasim” — Thanks for your kind comment. And congratulations on all you are achieving. You are a perfect example of — It’s never too late to follow your dreams. Not only that, but you are also a wonderful role model and example for your daughter.
Your gallery is beautiful, and good luck with your advertising project…You’ll have to let me know how that turns out.
As far a I am concerned - After spending many years believing that…If I couldn’t go back into nursing (because of chronic medical problems) I was a failure. I realized just before I turned 40 that as a little girl I did have other dreams besides being a mother and a nurse. I remembered that I had always wanted to be a writer, and I always loved to write. And writing is something I can do even with my medical problems. So, to answer your question…Yes, I too am following my dreams. Thanks for asking.
July 6, 2007 at 5:36 pm
Hi Catherine,
“It is never too late to be what you might have been”–George Eliot
I sincerely hope (and I do believe) that it is never too late to follow your dreams.
I just earned my first Bachelor of Arts degree, starting college at the age of 45. I started at a community college and when I then transferred to a four year university, I was diagnosed with breast cancer on my first day of orientation. But I believe THAT STRONGLY in following my dreams, even though I’m a “late starter,” that I did not stop attending college just because of this “glitch” in my plans. My journey has just stretched out a bit longer than I had anticipated. Besides, it seems that each time I’ve reached a dream, I have several more to replace it!
That is why I feel that I’m still not finished. In fact, I hope that I never stop following my dreams regardless of where the journey takes me and no matter how long it takes to reach those dreams.
By the way, I’ll second what Wasim wrote, I hope you’re following your dreams too!
Janet
July 6, 2007 at 6:03 pm
Hi “Janet” — Thanks for sharing your wonderful and inspiring story. You’re a great example of never giving up on your dreams, as well as being a great inspiration to other women diagnosed with breast cancer. (I recently did a post for BlogHer that might interest you) - http://blogher.org/node/21607
I love hearing that once you reach your dream you continue to find more…I actually think that’s the real key to a happy life.
Thanks again for your comment. And yes, I am following my dreams too…thanks.
Keep in touch.
July 6, 2007 at 7:23 pm
I appreciate your post. I’ve been thinking of this topic a lot - I remember when I was about 10, I watched the Olympics and thought “you have to start young to make anything of yourself.” It stuck in my mind and made me doubt a lot of “late” starts in things. I also got sidelined big time by what someone else thought my dreams should be - spent a lot of time studying something I knew I would hate doing as a job - and, yes, I did hate it. Now, I feel like I’m struggling to catch up on all that lost time. I agree with everyone above - it’s never too late to follow your dream!
July 6, 2007 at 7:54 pm
Hi “Movingmama” — I think you bring up a good point…A lot of us started off following dreams that we were “expected” to follow, not necessarily our own. But maybe having done that, helps us appreciate our dreams more when we finally achieve them?
Thanks for your comment. And good luck following your dreams.
July 7, 2007 at 2:38 am
It may be that many people forget their dreams at birth. Consider how many people spend a great part of their lives exploring choices to help them remember what they had forgotten about themselves, but have known inside all along!
July 9, 2007 at 7:26 pm
“When is it too late to follow your dreams?”
My guess, when you are dead.
How is the diet going?
BTW swing by my blog and check out the entries on sweet perfection (under the tag sugar substitute). It is a God send.
July 9, 2007 at 7:53 pm
Hey there “Totaltransformation” — The diet is going good, although I haven’t been actually losing any weight. I plan on doing an update soon…I just would like to be able to report a pound or two weight loss when I do.
I’ll be over to check out your blog soon. I actually have a question for you.