When we were kids, we were told to always follow our dreams. We were taught to be persistent and ever let anything get in your way. It is just like what Aristotle said that the goal of mankind is to be happy. We work for good health, wealth and knowledge because these resources are our avenues to happiness - avenues to our dreams. But do we really pursue these dreams or do they find us? To restate the question more clearly, are we really going after the right kind of happiness?
Some people are fortunate enough to know what they really want and be able to pursue it. Galileo wanted to prove the copernican theory so much that even on his grave, he did not let the church authorities stand between him and his dream. Some individuals find their dreams by accident. Take Isaac Newton for example. He wanted to show that he is better than his other classmates. He studied to hard that he was able to unlock his genius in mathematics and became the father of calculus. Not only did he do well in those fields but he thrived and became one of the most respected scientists in history. There is, however, there are unfortunate (and probably common) instances that people sacrifice their dreams for something else. It could be because of a realization that they are really happier and better in doing something else. Or worse, they are forced to abandon their dreams because of circumstances beyond their control. A person cannot fulfill his dream of becoming a doctor because of financial concerns. A worker gives up pursuing his dream job and tries to go after any job because of an unemployment crisis. I myself cannot anymore fulfill my dream of working in a lab because of serious health issues. To summarize this entry, here are just some questions I leave for you:
1. Does everything really fall into place as if to fulfill a "greater plan"? Do you believe that people can stumble upon their happiness by accident? Do dreams find us?
2. With so many things to do and to try out, how do you find your happiness when your time on this planet is limited?
3. Is your duty (to family, to God, to society, etc) enough reason to give up your dreams? Is it right to give up your happiness to serve a higher purpose? This is just like what the church teaches us about sacrificing our personal wants and taking the "road less traveled"
With so much possibilities that a person can take at this age of his life and the fact that his every action affects others, the pressure to make the right decisions is overwhelming. Just thinking about it makes it very tempting to hide and shut oneself away from the world. Unfortunately, one can only run but cannot hide forever...
