When you’re a young kid people tell you that you can be anything you want to be, to go for your dreams, that nothing’s impossible. Then something happens; you grow up a little, start thinking for yourself, forming your own opinions and ideas. You begin to think about what you want out of life, what you want to do with your own life. You discover a passion, uncover a dream, and one day you find it – that thing that keeps you up at night with anticipation, the one thing in life you want with your whole heart and soul, the thing that has the power to bring tears to your eyes with the mere thought of it. You’re so excited, you can’t wait to tell anybody and everybody that’ll listen; you’ve finally found that mountain you know you were destined to climb! But you’ll soon find out that things aren’t quite the same.
You go up to the first person you know, full of excitement and enthusiasm, and begin telling them all about your goals and dreams and what you’re going to make out of your life. They smile in that way that folks have of smiling when they think they know something that you don’t know, and say in a voice much too sincere, “Oh yes dear, that’s a wonderful dream.” It’s not so much what they say, but how they say it. You brush it off though and go onto the next person, fully confident that they’ll be as happy for you as you feel inside, that they’ll understand, they have to understand – you’ve found the thing you want to devote your life to, something that motivates and inspires you beyond words, what’s not to be excited about!? This is a big deal! You start to realize though, after many more overly sincere receptions, and smiles that seem to signify something you’re supposedly too young to understand, that things are different now. You don’t know how or why, you just know that they are. Suddenly, the very people who once told you that you can be anything you want to be in life are now telling you that there are limitations, that you have to be “realistic” - whatever that means.
You can’t help it though, your new found discovery is simply too fresh (and, well, new!) to keep all to yourself. You really don’t know much of anything about this path you’ve chosen so you start researching, learning. The highs and lows you experience those first few months are extreme, or so they seem at the time. Everyone you talk to and everything you read seems to contradict one another. Everybody has advice to give on the best way to proceed with your dream. Their intentions are, on the whole, well meaning, but it’s overwhelming. You don’t know who to listen to or what to believe, fact and fiction are all the same. You don’t know how to counter the questions and obstacles people are continually asking and pointing out to you. Your family seems supportive and so do a couple of close friends, but they don’t know anything about it either and can’t be of much help. You start to get a little discouraged, you feel frustrated. People are wearing you down with their “buts” and “what if’s.”
Time goes by though and, slowly but surely, you get your facts straightened out thanks to people you’ve met and that have come into your life who you end up becoming friends with; people who have already been where you’re at and traveled the road you’re on, that are willing to give advice and share their experiences with you. Looking back you realize that maybe it wasn’t such a good idea after-all to go around telling everybody about your great plan. It’s a lesson you’ll learn many times over in the coming months and years, someday maybe it’ll even sink in.
Eventually, as you go along ever hungry to grow and learn, you discover those who have always been there for you and always will be – family, friends, and a few acquaintances too. They believe in you even when you find it difficult to believe in yourself, as you no doubt will at some point or another along the way. You’re not sure if these people truly understand how much they mean to you or how one seemingly insignificant word of encouragement or statement of belief from them can carry you through weeks. Their endless faith, support, and love is something that can never be repaid and makes “thank you” sound so silly and empty in comparison.
You learn how to respond to people’s questions, you learn which remarks to retort back on and which to simply ignore. You come to understand that actions speak louder than words and who cares if some people think you’re foolish or making a mistake? They have no influence anyway on the outcome of your dream unless you let them; you’re the one that has to go out there and make it happen. People will always be there trying to stop you and cut you down, even if you become world famous twice over there will still be those critics, different throughout the years but always there. Obstacles come up and things happen that slow you down, these are the times that patience and perseverance, two qualities that go hand in hand, are especially important to have.
Days go by when you’re pretty positive the whole world is against you achieving that dream you want so badly. Then there are the times where you think your dream is right in front of your face, so close you need only to round the next corner and you’re sure you’ll have it - only to find that around the next corner is another long road, with so many twists and turns it seems impossible you’ll ever get to the end of it. And you can’t forget either the wonderful moments when time seems to stop altogether, when things are going so well, so right, that you’re sure you’ve reached your mountain peak, only to discover it’s just a little sunny outcrop on your journey that allows you to look up and see the real peak, with no clouds or storms to block your view. Hold on to those moments. It’s all a part of the journey that shapes you and makes you who you’re becoming. Even the obstacles, looking back, were there for a reason, often times to make way for something bigger and better. To give you that extra dose of patience you needed to get through the next part of your adventure. The journey is a long one and will be filled with moments of happiness and despair, joy and sadness, victory and defeat. How far you’ll go no one knows.
Well, this brings us to the present. The end is uncertain, a story half finished. If I had to give myself some advice for the future based on what I’ve learned so far from experiences and people, including what I’ve recorded above, it’d be this: Keep an open mind and you’ll continue to learn and grow; try to find the positive even in the toughest of situations and life will never stay bitter for long. Remember to take chances, live with no regrets, stick up for those who need it. Be a friend to all, keep those dear to you close in your heart; love and live life to the fullest. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, be true to yourself and stand up for what you believe in. Stay strong, have faith, and never give up. Oh, and one more thing too – keep working on that patience, it’ll make life so much easier for yourself and those who have to put up with you. Never stop dreaming and working to make those dreams come true. Life’s one big adventure and the journey has just begun!
-Kayla Jarvinen
