How Old Is Too Old To Dream?

I’ve been thinking about dreams a lot lately. Not the kind that fill our heads while we sleep but the ones that fill our heads while we’re awake; the types of dreams that implant themselves while we’re children and for some, fade away as we get older…for others, the same dreams become more vibrant, harder to forget.

I’ve been thinking about dreams a lot lately.

For the last year or so I’ve flirted with the idea of not writing anymore. Wouldn’t it be easier to focus on my nine to five and not the life I lead outside of those hours? The life that is filled with words and stories and new ideas.

I started to think: how old is too old to dream?

Is it when you hit 30 and should really start thinking about what you should be doing with your life?

Is it when you graduate college and need to think about how you’re going to make a living?

Is it when you leave high school and enter the “real” world?

Is it even earlier when your afternoons are filled with playing pretend with your friends?

Who is supposed to stop these dreams? Our parents? Our teachers? Our friends? Or us?

I know of parents who stop their kids from dreaming before they’ve even had the chance to vocalize the desires of their heart. Why want to be an athlete when you can be an engineer? Why be an artist when you can be a doctor?

WHY?

I know adults who give up because they feel like they need to fit this mold of success. Well, who defines success?

I do. You do. We do.

No one can tell us what success looks like for each individual. Only we can do that.

The more I think about it, the more I think that you’re never too old to dream and never too old to pursue that dream.

Sure, the dreams may not look how you imagined they would before society got a hold of you but why can’t they grow along with us and morph into attainable goals?

We live in a time where we can do almost anything.

If you want to write. Write.

If you want to sing. Sing.

If you want to act. Act.

There are so many mediums that we can turn to in order to make our own dreams come true instead of waiting around for someone to give us the opportunity to do so.

I’ve been thinking about dreams a lot lately. I’m flirting with 30 and the world tells me I should pick a career and make a living and get that house with the two cars and a golden retriever. Well, I say I’m going to keep on dreaming. I’m going to keep on dreaming and keep on doing. I’m going to keep doing these things because the only person who can tell me I can’t is me and I don’t feel like giving up today.

I will continue to write and dream and live.

As soon as I finish writing this, I’m going to whip out a sheet of paper and make a list of all the dreams I have right now, at this point in my life.

I’m going to make the list and then get to work on tackling the list.

I hope once you’re done reading this, you’ll make your own list and get to work.

You’re never too old to dream.