To the crazy dreamer,

Do not stop. I know what everyone tells you. They proclaim that you should "grow up" or "be realistic." Well, I think that it is sad that we live in a world where having high expectations for your life is deemed as being unreachable.

How can we expect future generations to have the confidence and ingenuity to improve society if we constantly tell them that they are not special enough?

There is one thing that I will always cherish my parents for telling me, which is that I can do anything that I set my mind on doing. That has been the most motivating advice that I have ever received, and it's because I believed them. I remember jumping from one couch to the other when I was a child. I would leap into the air and flap my arms like a bird. While this sounds silly, I had been told my entire life that if I tried hard enough, I could do anything I wanted. So, I was keen on attempting to fly. Although that's an extreme example, it is relevant. There is no harm in having big dreams. There is nothing wrong with having hope. There is only harm in allowing other people to rob you of both. So, when you are faced with the constant negativity that is thrown at you for dreaming big, ignore it.

Here's the thing, you can't make narrow-minded people believe that you're not crazy, so you might as well embrace their opinion of you. I've never really understood the logic of those who ask me what I'm "really going to do" after I say that I want to be a singer or an author. To answer their question, I still really want to be a singer or an author. We shouldn't entertain their negativity by giving them a different answer. Why is it laughable that we want to be something grandeur? Correct me if I'm wrong, but there are a plethora of authors and professional singers, right? So, never be sorry that you believe in yourself enough to think that you could be one among the many.

I'm not saying that you can reach your dreams with ease. In fact, I'm not saying that you will ever accomplish them with mere hope. To make your dreams a reality, a person has to also be hard-working. You can't just be the wishful thinker. If you want to prove everyone wrong, you have to be willing to work towards the "unreachable". It will cost you time, dedication, and effort in order to make your goals a reality. Sometimes, you have to believe in yourself when no one else will do it. If you want to travel the world, sell your stuff and go. There is always a way to get what you want. A route always exists, but most people are too scared or too ignorant to believe in it.

You have a choice. You aren't limited by your location or your finances. You are crippled by your mentality, and you lose to your fears. In order to make something happen, you have to take a leap of faith. You have to be willing to jump from one situation to another. So, let other people choose to give up on their dreams. Just because the path to your dreams is scary does not mean that it is desolate. Let them take the 9 AM- 5 PM office jobs.

As for me, I'm going to keep trying to fly.