“There are some people who live in a dream world, and there are some people who face reality; and then there are some that turn one into another” -Douglas H. Everret
I was fifteen the first time I had acupuncture and it wasn’t long after my first appointment that I decided the things I learned during my one hour appointments were immensely more interesting than what I was learning in school. I loved the circular and holistic thinking. One day the acupuncturist took a book off the shelf and I have been studying the medicine ever since. The years seemed to drag by until I finally graduated with my Master’s in Acupuncture, became licensed, and was able to practice the medicine myself. It had been ten years in the making, a dream I strived for and thought about everyday. I finally had done it! I was an acupuncturist!
Shortly after another thought occured to me. Now what?
What do you do when you have been working towards a singular goal for so long and you actually achieve it?
I had no idea what to do with myself even as I began practicing and living my acupuncture dream. I knew I wanted to be better, I knew I wanted to know more, do more, create more, help more people, and expand my knowledge. However, without any new real goal I felt lost. Others around me my age were still working towards their dreams and I found myself longing to focus on something. I wanted to be excited about working towards and achieving my next. I didn’t want to float around or get too comfortable. Terrified of becoming stagnant I took a cooking class, a dance class, karate and art lessons. I enjoyed them all but I needed something more. Knowing what I wanted was far easier than not knowing. Not knowing required a lot of letting go, which at the time made me very uncomfortable. It took me a while to realize that once you achieve a dream, you are allowed to have another one. It didn’t mean I wasn’t content with my previous achievements or current life situation. Dreaming and current contentment can coexist. SO, I needed a new dream, okay. It wasn’t greedy or self-centered or throwing away my previous accomplishment. Dreams keep us expanding and growing and the search for the next one can be as enjoyable as knowing. There are so many things to explore, try, and learn. Think big, think small, it doesn’t really matter, do both. But always keep dreaming.
Some people dream of their wedding day their whole life and then feel a huge let down after they get married. Some people dream of kids, a certain award, a published book, landing a certain role, or making a certain amount of money. However, sometimes the idea of achieving our dreams seems impossible and so we feel a bit of shock when they do come true. There will be gratitude, of course, but then a new search must begin and sometimes the unknowing can be a struggle. Sometimes achieving our dreams doesn’t feel the way we expected it to. We have to realize that are dreams are not the end goals but the beginning of something new. We always need to fuel our creative fire, we can always be achieving, we are always living life.
A few years later I have several new dreams I am working towards and I am lucky enough to know what it feels like to have a dream actually come true. It was a great learning process. I hope you are dreaming, that you continue to dream, that your dreams come true. Your life is full of infinite possibility, opportunities, and growth.
Advice I Give Myself 