I once read a story somewhere about an athlete who found an interest in gymnastics at a very young age. Upon watching a gymnastics competition on television once when she was only 5, she vowed to be awarded a gold medal before the age of 18. With a clear aim and the willpower to succeed, she immediately signed up for gymnastics classes and began to train hard for the nation league. She showed great talent and her friends and family encouraged her along the way. It was apparent that she was hurdling her way to success.
And when she was 16, the miracle happened; at a worldwide gymnastics competition, she got even more than what she deserved - two gold medals to her name. As she stood on the platform with the trophy in her hands, anyone else would have burst into joyful laughter, and yet, she unexpectedly collapsed into a fit of sad tears. You see, she had spent 10 years of her life with her eyes fixed on nothing but one gymnastics gold medal. At the young age of 16, with her one mission accomplished, she had no idea what to do with the rest of her life.
What should have been a great joy in her life turned our to bring out so much sorrow. Eventually, she learned to reassess her life and find other things that had meaning in her life, people and activities that could make her happy again.
What does all this tell us? It simply means that dreams should never be the ends of our journeys. In fact, they should only be the guiding stars to let us know whether we are on the right track. Our dreams may change, and while some may become reality, others won’t. Nevertheless, we don't necessarily need to reach are dreams to know that we once tried.
In real life, we often face the same situations. Our parents or our teachers tell us how great a school is, and all of a sudden, we may be mindlessly hurling ourselves towards that dream college or high school. But once we really receive the college application, are we really be happy? Or do we suddenly feel lost because nothing seems to matter anymore? That is the important thing to consider.
I'm not saying it's not good to have a realistic dream, and aim for it like it matters. In fact, dreams give us a sense of direction, and competing is a very great part of life. It’s just that when we seem to be living for nothing but one point in the future that things get knocked out of proportion.
Have you ever heard of Terry Fox? Getting cancer during his teenage years and then having one leg amputated, his goal was to run on one leg across Canada before the disease took him away. It seemed impossible at the time, and in truth, he never did make it, dying halfway on his journey. And yet, we still remember him for his persistence and courage to follow his dream even in the face of death.
What I’m trying to say is that life isn't really all about results. It's about what you see, who you meet and how you feel on the way. It’s the chase that matters. If you are too concerned about the future, than take some time to think about now. Achieving a dream may be only a moment's worth, and yet, to savour life – it takes a lifetime.