When did you give up on your dreams?

18 comments

1. When I was 6 years old I saw a video of an experimental missile launch. Right then I knew I wanted to play with rockets when I grew up.

   Fast forward 18 years and I was an Aerospace Engineer.

   Fast forward another 6 years and I was working at a rocket motor test facility.

   Been there ever since. Not every day is fun, but I’ve enjoyed more days than not. ‘Cause what’s not fun about getting paid to play with rocket motors?

   My dreams came true. But then, I didn’t dream of a job wherein there are probably only a hundredish such jobs in the country.

2. They’re dreamS (plural). I gave up on some of them a long time ago, like being an astronaut and winning the lottery. That doesn’t mean my life is over. I’ve had new dreams and adjusted others based on my situation and reality.

   Don’t put your life in such a small box that you can’t see the world around you.

3. Once I detached my concept of self worth from a job, even a dream job, I was much happier.

4. If I’m not mistaken, Cal Newport’s *So Good They Can’t Ignore You* makes a really compelling case that for a fulfilling career, the key isn’t doing what you love, but learning to love what you do.

   I think that the critical consensus on “doing what you love,” is swiftly changing. When we were younger, that seemed to be the rallying cry for deciding on a career path. It seems now that experience and research are indicating that it’s actually not a worthwhile or particularly rewarding endeavor, and that we’d be better off choosing work that’s meaningful or lucrative or in-demand.

   Also, not to sound too anti-capitalist, but maybe having a dream *job* isn’t nearly as important as having dream friends/relationships/families/hobbies etc.

5. I gave them up after I achieved them. Now I have no dreams and don’t know what to do with myself.

6. I don’t think I ever had “dreams”

7. When I was a teen I wanted to be a musician. I played my instrument for hours, sometimes 6-8 hours when I didn’t have school or work. I formed a band, we played some shows. When I went to college I began focusing on other things, particularly studying and getting to graduation. Now I’m almost 20 years into a career as a public school educator and I love my job!

   A friend was in a successful indie band, putting out albums and touring all over the place. And guess what, it was a job. He tells me that creating music and performing was fun, but the bulk of it was grinding away in their private studio. It was mostly hard and stressful trying to create stuff that would sustain the band, and just like any job there were days he didn’t want to be there.

   Music is a huge passion in my life. I play 2 instruments, listen to music all day, go to as many shows as I can. I love music and I’m glad I didn’t become a professional musician.

8. My dream is to travel. However I don’t want to be in a van lifestyle and I like to save money too. So I split it and make sure the jobs I work for give me 4-6 weeks off which is all I need. I want to see enough of the world for enough time. My dream doesn’t relate to my work at all.

9. Time to get a sign that says “Believe” and stick it up above your door?

   If you want your dreams to become dreams, then surround yourself around people who have the current identity that you want and work on yourself everyday to have the identity you desire in the future? Do you need a degree for all that? Probably not if you already have a BA/BS.

   Everyone gives up on certain dreams they have and replace them with new ones. Not all of us can be fighter pilots or movie stars. Doesn’t mean we don’t do things that help in the spirit of those dreams like getting a private pilot license or attending an acting class. Follow what your inner child wants. That’s probably where you’re happy.

10. I’m 49. I haven’t.

    I’m broke.

    My short film is playing TriBeCa film festival soon.

    And I have some amazing life experiences :

    Left on an iceberg
    Drug bust
    Threatened with an actual bomb
    Played a gig in Hyde park (to no one but hey)

    It’s hard. But I’m gonna do it.

11. I started chasing my dreams at 36… you still got time

12. Like in that movie *Up In the Air*: “How much did they first pay you to give up on your dreams?”

    For me, it was $45k when I was 23. Regretted it ever since, even though my income more than tripled.

13. I never gave up, but I did mature.

14. Lemme check.how old is my daughter.

15. Never…. but as I aged my dreams changed to more realistic expectations.

    I now dream of a family. A nice home. A steady job. A beautiful wife and retire with a beach house.

    All easily attainable.

16. Reframe it and move on. Try looking for what you love about “being a GM” and focus on making that part of a new dream or goal.

17. My dream was to become a professional novelist. I did that when I was in my mid-30s, publishing a novel that did pretty well, but not extremely well, with a major publisher. Now I am kind of caught – the publishers want that book again, but I don’t think I can write it, and I work for a company as a copywriter and sort of feel shitty for not publishing another book yet.

    I am trying very hard to change my approach to writing, to make it my own again, though my goal is to continue publishing books because I love it.

    Or I used to love it.

    I don’t know anymore. I feel like if I gave up on my dreams there would be nothing but an empty cardboard box typing this message.

18. When I saw they were just clouds in my coffee