Henry David Thoreau once said: “Dreams are the touchstones of our character”. But where does all the passion and fervour many of us experience early in our lives dissipate to?

The ability to dream infinitely is not one possessed by all people, all of the time, but one place where an abundance of such talent exists is usually at a place of tertiary education. At university, I am surrounded by every kind of idealist: from optimistic young Marxists to passionate environmental heroes, from human rights warriors to guardians of animal rights. Even those who dream of conquering their field of business, knowledge or expertise in less altruistic ways are not reined in by the limitations of reality. Why then do these dreams so often turn to nothing but dry husks without even a whisper of their former grandeur?

Sheer possibility

“The most prolific period of pessimism comes at twenty-one, or thereabouts, when the first attempt is made to translate dreams into reality,” Heywood Broun once said. When you have the ability to dream infinitely, the limitations of reality or imagination are not the first walls you come up against. I have often found that the first brick wall we come up against is not in the execution of our dreams, but rather in the sheer volume and diversity of the dreams we have.

I have come across so many brilliant young minds, in my short time as a student in South Africa, that have been crushed by the absolute infinity of their dreams. When people are fortunate enough in their lives not to be able to see the horizon of their dreams, this can become a crippling reality. Uncertainty and complete awe at the complex heights their imaginations can reach often impairs these minds, leaving them gasping and unable to make concrete steps toward any of their goals and visions. Overwhelmed, they back down, meekly accepting of the mediocrity of a life devoid of dreams.

Letting go

“If growing up is the process of creating ideas and dreams about what life should be, then maturity is letting go again,” said Mary Beth Danielson. Without dreamers, life would never be what it should be.

Learning to let go of our uncertainty about our abilities is crucial for creating a sustainable legacy as a solid foundation for tomorrow’s dreamers to build upon. Often, when we dive in with our eyes closed, we achieve much more than we ever could, stagnating in our own insecurity.

My advice for all young dreamers is that, when dreams feel overwhelming, the only thing to do is start making them a reality slowly but surely. For dreams to fall under their own sheer weight is one of the biggest dangers to progress, and it can be easily overcome. Just start doing.

About the Author: Kayla is currently a second-year Journalism and Media Studies student at Rhodes University in Grahamstown, South Africa. She is the editor of the Comment & Analysis section of student newspaper Activate and she a writer for the Politics, Business, and Features sections, as well as a sub-editor for the paper. She devours books and sees herself as one of the blessed few who actually enjoy working. She is involved with student society SHARC (Student HIV/AIDS Resistance Campaign) at Rhodes and has recently graduated as a certified Peer Educator. She is the community engagement representative for the African Drum Society and is currently working with up-and-coming student society Common Ground in the same capacity. She loves watching art films and her guilty pleasure is shopping.

• Add New

Comments (0)

Write comment

Name:

Email: do not notifynotify

Website:

Title:

Message:

Please input the anti-spam code that you can read in the image.