Why Do We Have Dreams In Childhood, But Give Up On Them As We Grow Up?
This is a story from when I was only 18 years old, which was about 4 years ago. To be precise, it will be 4 years in November. That was the most painful time in my life, one that I would rather not remember.
I was cheated out of money.
Although I cannot provide the exact details of what happened at that time, I’ll just tell it as a novel instead.
At that time, it was the summer break before entering university. I considered myself to be a skilled and accomplished person, which earned me a scholarship before graduating from high school to attend a prestigious university in the country. Before starting university, I had a four-month break, so I decided to start a small investment to earn money while studying. Even though I received a scholarship, there were still daily living expenses, and I didn’t want to rely too much on my parents’ finances at that time.
When I started investing, I wasn’t sure if it was beginner’s luck or just a fluke, but I made substantial profits — so much so that I still can’t believe I actually did it. Having experienced success before failure boosted my ego, and I began looking for ways to make even more money.
And then life took a turn when I encountered someone on social media who was making enormous profits from trading. They posted about their profits almost every day. At that time, being an innocent 18-year-old, I reached out to get to know them without ever suspecting that their daily posts were just from a demo account. Trusting them wholeheartedly, I invested my own money with them and, as if that wasn’t enough, I also encouraged my parents and relatives to invest with me.
And then life reached a turning point when I came across someone on social media who was making enormous profits from trading. They posted about their profits almost every day. Being an innocent 18-year-old at the time, I reached out to get to know them without ever suspecting that their daily posts were just from a demo account. Trusting them completely, I invested my own money with them, and even invited my parents and relatives to invest with me. I thought that since I would soon be going to university and wouldn’t have much time to study investments, this was an easy way to get rich. Little did I know that this would be the worst decision of my life.
The result is that I was scammed. In the beginning, they made a lot of profits to gain my trust and encourage me to invest more money. Later on, they started to incur losses continuously until my portfolio was wiped out. I later found out that they had colluded with illegal brokers to steal money from me, my family and my relatives.
The story after that was hell. Relatives who weren’t very close to me immediately reported to the police, causing me to be suspected of being a scammer who had stolen their money. Even though the case was eventually dismissed, the timing coincided with my entrance into university, resulting in the immediate loss of my scholarship and preventing me from attending university that year.
It’s an expensive lesson that, as I grew older, I came to understand what the world is truly like. It can be incredibly harsh. When you are unworthy of the money in your hands, you can easily lose it, and even lose the trust of friends and relatives.
But the world is not entirely cruel. My greatest fortune is that I still have parents who understand and continue to believe in me. They did not dwell on the money lost because of me and always offered encouragement. This support led me to decide to start over, eventually becoming who I am today.
Although I can’t fully claim to have succeeded yet, I am able to support myself and provide a reasonable amount of money to my parents each month as a way to thank them for raising me.
What I want to convey through this story is that
when we are young, we are dreamers.
The less experience and knowledge we have, the further we can dream without considering the risks and realities of this world.
From a young age, we are all familiar with the enchanting world of dreams. As children, our minds are bursting with imagination and ambition. We envision ourselves as astronauts, famous artists, or billionaire, and these dreams fill us with excitement and possibility.
However, as we transition into adulthood, many of these dreams fade away. The very aspirations that once set our hearts aflame are often relinquished in favor of more pragmatic pursuits. So, what happens to our dreams as we grow up?
The shift from childhood dreams to adult responsibilities is a profound one, and it’s more than just a rite of passage. As we age, we are increasingly subjected to societal expectations and practical constraints. School, career pressures, financial responsibilities, and family obligations can weigh heavily on us. The ideals we once cherished are often replaced by more immediate concerns. In essence, we are conditioned to prioritize stability over aspiration, and as a result, many of us begin to view our childhood dreams as unrealistic or impractical. This shift not only stifles our creativity but can also lead to a sense of disillusionment and missed potential. The joy and wonder of childhood dreams seem to be buried under the weight of daily responsibilities and societal norms.
Our mindset begins to change to the view that not everyone can succeed, and we cannot envision ourselves achieving success. This causes us to gradually give up on our childhood dreams.
A sentence I agree with is “You will not achieve more success than your thoughts.”
Thoughts and beliefs have such a profound impact that they can almost change your life. When the current version of ourselves has already started to give up halfway, the changed thoughts, changed beliefs, and failures become a crossroads of dreams. It depends on whether one can still maintain those beliefs and dreams.
Only then can that person overcome the traps of their mind and reach the destination of the dreams they had in childhood.
The story continues from the novel just now. Both the deception and the new beginning happened within just one year. Then, what do you think the protagonist did in the next two years? Did they give up on their dream? Did they hide in their room, afraid of the outside world, and depend on their parents? No, the story of pain has only just begun.
After that, he began to try and fail, setting an extremely unrealistic goal: at the very least, he would repay the money lost by his relatives. Then he would start tracking down the person who had cheated him and others to make them pay. The young boy’s journey began with a desire for revenge. His original dream had a slight change in schedule, with the story of revenge interrupting it.
The young man began to try and fail, doing everything within his ability. He started new businesses, failing repeatedly, and endured the pain of his own inadequacy countless times before he finally began to stabilize in the following year. He gradually repaid the money to his relatives bit by bit. The young man faced repeated failures, with some successes mixed in to maintain his mental state and keep his dream alive. By the middle of the fourth year, he managed to repay all the money.
However, after so much time had passed, seeking revenge became impossible. Reporting the incident after four years felt rather odd, but the young man thought it was okay. He had overcome the past and was now looking toward the future.
It can be seen that the young man did not give up on his dreams at all. Instead, he only postponed pursuing them in order to handle the problems and responsibilities at hand first, so he could eventually move towards the dreams he believed in from his childhood.
So what I discovered about keeping our childhood dreams alive is :
Acknowledge that dreams don’t have to be abandoned with age; instead, they can be adapted and integrated into our adult lives.Here’s how:
- Reframe Your Dreams: Begin by revisiting your childhood dreams and consider how they might align with your current interests and skills. Instead of viewing them as distant fantasies, think about practical ways to incorporate elements of those dreams into your life.
- Set Realistic Goals: Break down your dreams into smaller, manageable goals. By setting achievable milestones, you can make progress toward your dreams without overwhelming yourself with the enormity of the end goal.
- Embrace Lifelong Learning: Stay curious and open to new experiences. Lifelong learning and skill development can help you stay connected to your passions and adapt your dreams to your evolving interests.
- Prioritize Passion: Make time for activities that spark joy and creativity. Even if your dreams cannot be your primary focus, finding ways to engage with them in your spare time can provide a sense of fulfillment.
- Seek Support: Surround yourself with supportive individuals who encourage your ambitions. Share your dreams with friends, family, or mentors who can offer guidance and motivation.
I know that everyone has their own beliefs and dreams they want to achieve, but they might give up due to family reasons or various problems that come their way. However, I hope you won’t give up on those dreams. If you’ve read up to this point, I believe that everyone has reignited their motivation to pursue their own dreams again.
Because a life without dreams is too boring.
Good luck.