The Sleep's Soul And The Life's Goal.

I love sleeping. So naturally, I'm a dreamer. Those hours are the sweetest bliss of my entire day (sometimes there are nightmares- but we don't talk about that). Eight (or ten) hours of bizarre stories in the form of dreams.

Hm, dreams. When five-year-old me would hear it, she would immediately picture a pink sky with rainbows and tons of chocolate. At present, however, I describe it as a pile of books under a lamplight, but with chocolates, of course. Turns out, now, when I think of the word 'dream,' I tend to realize that the path towards it is a rough and rugged terrain. Although the description changed, the idea did not.

I ask you, 'What can dreams be?'

'Anything, Ann. A dream can be anything.'

'Uhmm, yeah, sure. Like my dream of living with Doraemon.'

In this context, however, I'll be speaking of achievable dreams. So my dream of playing hide and seek with Doraemon is highly questionable.

A dream can originate from a hobby or an experience, and with time, it can turn into a passion or a life goal. For example, it could start with you visiting a science museum. Or it could be the thrill you get when you help people.

Be it going to XYZ college, traveling the world, or being an artist, the idea of a dream is so attractive. It gives a sense of direction to life. It fuels motivation. It allows room for more and more people to take huge leaps. When I asked my friends what a dream was for them, they were so diverse from each other. Yet, most people consider dreams as their very purpose in life. It was amusing that dreams are viewed as a 'do or die' indicating how near and dear they are to a person.

No matter how varied dreams are, they unite people under the circumstances of effort and work towards their particular destination. Though dreams are viewed differently by every one, the determination to achieve them and the anticipation to live them remain the same for all.

Just a vision of seeing yourself out there, is inspiring. Hearing the stories you've always wanted to be the main character of is uplifting. It is insane how much joy a simple image brings. And that makes you question, what if it's true? What if the intangible becomes touchable?

Nonetheless, dreams can be hard. It can be overwhelming to put it into action. It is scary to take a step forward when you are completely unaware of how the outcomes will be. And for that, I'd like to share an experience where I worked toward a failed dream:

Ever since the sixth grade, I've wanted to get a 100% in all subjects for my 10th board exams (yes, I was a nerdy kid). I did work for it. I calculated and recalculated my accuracy and the marks I should get. In the end, I did not get what I wanted. It felt as though I let down the sixth-grade me. But, in hindsight, I'm grateful I dreamt of having top grades. Due to this, I grew as a person. It showed me my capabilities and just how far I can go. And that's the success of a dream.

Whether or not you will get to live it word for word, you get to go through a unique journey that will take you someplace truly beautiful. Don't be so afraid of failure that you fail to start your journey. I know, it takes a lot of effort, motivation, self-control, and consistency. It becomes especially hard when you've already started your journey but it had to stop. And that's fine. It's alright to restart your journey.

When you're climbing a mountain and feel exhausted, you take a break. But you continue because you know the peak is waiting for you. You can see it. All you need to do is retrace your previous steps and climb forwards. You can do it! I know you can. Your book still awaits completion, so go finish it :)

As APJ Abdul Kalam once said, "A dream is not what you see in sleep. A dream is something that does not let you sleep." And with that, I'll hit the bed to see more dreams.

Signed,

Ann.