Have you noticed that we actually tend to fail when we are so close to our dream? We tend to let a small thing take us all the way back when we almost reached the aim. We tend to suddenly stop when that long awaited bird is in our hands. But why do we give up just before the finish line after e walked all the way? Why do we let a trifle
to sweep us all the way to the start? Or maybe is it us that decide to turn back just before the ending point?
I often recall the story from the “Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho about a crystal merchant. Since young years his dream was to go for holy pilgrimage to Mecca. But he was so poor that never even thought of turning a dream into a plan. Hajj was there like a shining star far in the sky that was brightening his dark reality. It was making him happy to imagine his travel and dream that one day he will reach that beautiful place. His business was growing and from poor man he turned into a reach merchant, now he could effort anything he could wish for. Years were passing he still didn’t go on Hajj but he still was dreaming about it. One day he was asked why he doesn’t go for his dream, it was so reachable now. And his honest reply was so shocking and at the same time so well known for many of us, he said: “Because it’s the thought of Mecca that keeps me alive. That’s what helps me face these days that are all the same, these mute crystals on the shelves, and the lunch and dinner at that same horrible cafe. I’m afraid that if my dream is realized, I’ll have no reason to go on living.”
As that man we are afraid that once our dreams turn into reality we will have nothing to live up to, we will simply loose the motivation to keep walking. We are excited to imagine to live our dreams but deep inside we are terrified to hit that ceiling that we built for ourselves. We think that once we climb this mountain there would be nothing else to achieve. ‘Of course I am not afraid of living my dreams. I will be the happiest person once they come true”, you might say. And you are true, our soul is excited to reach there, but our mind is terrified to imagine that life will stop at that moment, because we all know that even the most joyful celebration becomes tiring after some time.
More than the finish itself we enjoy the expectation of success. We enjoy every hard step of the way once we can since the victory. Dreams keep us alive; they make us move forward, they give us hope. And we scared even to imagine what would we do if we wake up tomorrow morning and there will be nothing to dream about, nothing to look forward, nothing to grow up to? And we choose to stay behind our dreams, let them run a bit forward and stay a beautiful mirage. We are too afraid to lose the illusionary shelter that always protects us from cold reality – the dreamland that always give hope. And that is why many people desire to get there but they themselves put barriers on their way so that they never reach that place.
And I know what some of you will say: ‘What a stupid way to look at people’s failures. Why would somebody be afraid to fulfill their dream? Excuses, excuses, excuses.’ And I will agree with you – it is an excuse. It is an excuse not to be disappointed. I love Paolo Coelho’s quote on this: “I just want to dream about Mecca. I’ve already imagined the people that would be at my side, and those in front of me, and the conversations and the prayers we would share. But I’m afraid that it would all be a disappointment, so I prefer just to dream about it.” Many of us know that some dreams are exaggerated, some are nonsense and some are even not ours. We are afraid to approach them very close, cause then the illusion will disappear and we will see all the nonimportance of our struggle.
We heard a lot of stories when people became rich and realized how meaningless their life became. We saw movies where young, brave, brilliant young people would go through everything to reach their dreams and all that light would disappear after they would get all they wanted. We saw examples where people gave their lives for unimportant things, and we are afraid to come to the same conclusion. “God punishes us by making our dreams reality” – it is true when our dreams are selfish and ego-driven, then the finish becomes the end. But not all dreams are the same.
There are dreams that take everything and leave just emptiness, but there are some that take passion and love and bring even more. There are dreams that lead to finish, but there are some that take us to another greater start. First ones destroy and empty us, second – build and make us stronger. Right dreams are the steps – every time we reach one we can stop and enjoy but we can also move forward and discover more. Every true goal is a building block of your True Self.
Already for so many years we know that Earth is round but we are still afraid to fall into nowhere once we reach the horizon. Go there and never be afraid that realization of your plan is the end – it is the beginning of even greater one.
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