“…Do not dream half a dream
‘Do not love half lovers’ by Kahlil Gibran
Do not fantasise about half hopes
Half a drink will not quench your thirst
Half a meal will not satiate your hunger
Half the way will get you no where
Half an idea will bear you no results…”
As a child, it seemed as though the whole world was at our feet. We did not fear speaking our minds, we lived with conviction, and we wholeheartedly believed that our dreams would come to fruition. When did that all change? Being untainted by other people’s perception of who you are, who you should be, and your capabilities, undeniably leaves all the power to you. Therefore, as a child when the expectations for you are limited, you are given the privilege to indulge in being your most true and authentic self. However, the moment expectations and responsibilities enter the self-fabricated bubble that only we know, we are trampled on by uncertainties and expectations.
Fear is the most immobilising emotion there is and it oftentimes prevents us from moving a step forward to where we are supposed to be. For some, it concludes our journey toward a dream we had envisioned for ourselves ever since we could remember. Only to leave us fantasising and longing for what could have been. Trusting in oneself is not an easy task but by letting ourselves be consumed by fear, we are only letting doubts and the idea of complacency seep into our minds. To remain stagnant means accepting a life of contentment and in turn, rejecting a life worth living in authenticity and sincerity.
Life is all about choices. We all have in us the power to choose where we go in life. We hold the choice to overcome the ‘snakes’ blocking our path to our destination, and we also hold the choice to allow the ‘snakes’ to stop us from moving further. Life is all about combating ‘snakes’ and climbing ladders, as nothing worth having ever comes easy in life. ‘Snakes’ may symbolise anything that prevents our personal growth. For some, it may be fear, doubt, impatience, people, and sometimes even ourselves. Oftentimes we find it easier to blame external factors such as people, to deter us from climbing that ladder towards our dream. We can be so focused on other peoples’ or even our peers’ success that we begin to lose sight of our own and somehow our goal has now morphed into theirs because we are trying to match their success. The problem is every individual has their own definition of success, yours may completely differ from that of your peers and may ultimately make you miserable. Do not be constrained by time frames, as everyone’s success comes at different times but that does not make it less meaningful.
There will be times when you will lose confidence, question your capabilities, lose people along the way, and even feel lonely. You may feel that now in your degree and you may have experienced something similar before. This process is all part of you discovering yourself again. Situations or circumstances change you as a person, it is important to experience failure and discontentment in order to grow and thrive, otherwise, you will always remain stagnant. However, you need to remember that you hold the power and the choice to choose how you react to these ‘snakes’ or obstacles blocking your path. Sometimes, going into the unknown is such a terrifying thing but betting on yourself will never leave you at a loss. We may not always arrive at the destination we thought we would be, but it is oftentimes better than what we could have imagined. Many people give up because they have hit a wall, but what they do not know is that if they can only surpass that wall of fear or self-doubt, there is a limitless amount of opportunities, lessons, healing, and internal growth waiting for them. Never believe that you have stumbled across a ‘snake’ or obstacle by mistake, every emotion or circumstances are presented to you for a purpose and that is for you to become better than who you were before.
Sometimes, going into the unknown is such a terrifying thing but betting on yourself will never leave you at a loss.
It is important to take a moment to look within ourselves and when we do, most of us will realise that we have lost that innocent child within us who believed that all was possible. Sometimes, believing is the hardest part but it is the first step to actualising our dreams. We owe it to ourselves to live a whole life. Not half a life, where we force ourselves to be merely satisfied when we know we are capable of more. If no one believes in you, just remember that the inner child within you believes that YOU can do it all. You have more power over yourself than anyone could ever have over you.
You just need to believe.
Reflective Questions
My goal with presenting you with these reflective questions is for it to act as a prompt and allow you to take a minute for yourself and sit with your thoughts. What I appreciate the most about reading a story, poem, or essay someone has written is that it gives me the opportunity to enter their world, in some way. It also allows me to expand on ideas that I have not yet taken the time to think about and from there I can begin to develop my own ideas. So, my hope for you is to conjure up your own ideas from ‘To Live Half a Life’, and explore what it means to you.
Now that you have explored my world, take the time to search for yours.
- What was your dreams as a child?
- What is one dream you had as a child that you still what to achieve now?
- What prevents you from actualising your dreams?
- Is it other people’s perceptions that prevent you from taking a step toward your dreams?
- What are some of the doubts you harbour?
- Are you living a whole life or half a life?
- Do you have “snakes” blocking your path (e.g. people, friends, family, fear)?
- Would your younger self be proud of the person you are today?
- What are some changes that you can make so that you can live a whole life and not half a life?
- Are you brave to begin your journey?
Background: This article of mine was published in 2022 by my faculty’s magazine. However, edits have been made to suit my developing thoughts and with no word limit restrictions.
