Your Dreams Can (and often will) Change
Achieving your dream sometimes shows you that it was never the real dream
In early 2022, I found myself driving through the Rocky Mountains during a snowstorm, blasting my brother’s new EP on repeat, with a smile on my face.
After years of dreaming of moving to Vancouver (and finally doing it), I was driving back home to Winnipeg, giving up on what I thought I wanted.
Why would giving up on my dream make me happy?
Simple.
It was no longer my dream as I now realized what was actually important to me.
The dream I left behind
Delicious food was always the reason I travelled anywhere (and still is).
I still dream about the jiggae in Korea
I went to Italy because I love Italian food.
The highlight of New York was eating soup dumplings.
This was one of the main reasons I wanted to live in Vancouver. When I left, the food was still delicious, but I left it behind anyway.
I moved to Vancouver for more than just food, though:
The ocean
Living close to Asia
To open a bar in a city with more tourists than Winnipeg
A few months in, I realized what I liked about working in a bar, and what made me want to open another one (only this time in Vancouver), was the people.
Unfortunately, in Vancouver, it was hard to find “my people”.
To add, despite wanting to travel to Asia, even when I did get time off, I used it to go back to see my people in Winnipeg instead…
Clearly, I had done something wrong.
Why I left my dream behind
The main reason my sketchy drive through the mountains was so enjoyable was that I now knew what mattered to me.
People and relationships.
In Winnipeg, I had a girlfriend, family, and friends whom I wanted to be close to.
On top of that, the COVID lockdowns were ending, which meant business opportunities were popping up (while they were disappearing in Vancouver).
That was why I was blasting my brother’s new EP after all… I was excited to see him.
You’d think that leaving where it was 10 degrees Celsius to drive to somewhere that was -30 would have the opposite effect.
But knowing what you want and going for it can make you look past what would normally bother you.
So, what am I getting at with all of this?
It’s not that you should question your dreams or cease to dream whatsoever.
And it’s not even that you should stick to where your people are because that’s what matters most.
My point is that you should chase your dreams because that is how you discover what is most important to you.
Chase your dreams
My dream to move to Vancouver had been alive for years. I was willing to leave my people to fulfill that dream.
The truth is, I would have ever known that my people mattered more to me than living in Vancouver unless I had chased that dream in the first place.
At the same time, when I knew my priorities, I dreamt of moving back, and chased that dream too.
The result was a much happier and much more satisfied me. I knew what I wanted.
Does that mean I’ll never move anywhere?
No, not at all.
It just means that if I do leave Winnipeg again, I want to make sure I have enough of my people with me, too, or at least can see them regularly enough.
Dreams change
While chasing dreams, they can change often. Don’t be afraid when this happens - be happy.
This means you are closer to the truth.
This means you are growing.
We often believe that we must have one overwhelming dream for our entire life.
This leads us to forever chasing a dream, which, once reached, leads to disappointment. The hype, the build-up, is rarely worth the result.
We realize that the entire time, the journey was where the fun was.
Here’s the secret to avoiding disappointment: Keep dreaming.
Understand that the path of chasing dreams brings great adventure, fulfillment, and happiness.
Understand that this path often changes as you change.
You start to enjoy new things, meet new people, and experience new feelings. Your priorities evolve, and loved ones come and go.
Understand that in the end, what is most important is not what your dream is or if you reach it.
What is most important is that you keep dreaming and keep pursuing those dreams.
Thanks for reading