I've always struggled with what I want to do with my life. I kind of just fell into reporting, though I'm happy that happened. I just always had various interests and could never pinpoint what I wanted to do with my life.
Therefore, it amazes me when people know exactly what they want and go for it. I have two friends in Calgary: one works in sales with a large company and the other has run a day home.
Together they will be opening a preschool in Airdrie this fall. It's truly amazing the amount of work that they are putting into their dream. They've been held up by contractors and have been stressing about whether or not they will get into the building in time, because if they are late by even a week it might mean potential students will go to another preschool in the area. Or the stress of wondering if they'll have any students enrolled.
It's a gamble, opening a business, but one that they have taken. They've put everything into this and are striving for excellence, which is what they always do.
I often wished I had the direction that they have in their lives, but I don't know if I would be able to take a jump into the unknown like they have. Dreams take a lot of work and they're willing to go full on for it, but to be able to do that is something I think is rather remarkable and very respectable.
Even when I come across high school students that are unsure of themselves going into university, I can empathzize, while those that seemingly know what they want I kind of wonder if they'll get there. Not that they can't do it, but if they'll change once they go to university and their dreams will shift from one thing to another.
It was the same for my friends opening the preschool in Airdrie; one was studying to be a science teacher. She went on to switch from science to a general social science degree, while also enrolling at the college to work on her Early Childhood Education diploma, completing both simultaneously.
This is why I greatly respect what my friends are attempting to accomplish in Airdrie, they've had this dream since we were in university and have finally gotten to the point where they are able to go for it.
In the end whether one has a solid dream or is unsure of the future, living in the moment but working hard at what they do, it is simply important to keep working towards something. My goals are still more short-term than theirs are, I honestly can't say I'll still be reporting in 20 years, but I know they will be running a successful preschool.
It's the people who have a dream-but are too scared to act on it-that I hope will find the resolve to do it. Life is too short to dream of doing something and putting it off for fear of failure.
My dreams come in areas other than work. Work is a means to achieve them essentially which is why I've found it's important to work hard. I want to travel the world; I want to see the things I've studied in history firsthand, and to do this I need to work. So, I've found a job I enjoy to work towards these goals.
Whether dreams revolving around rewarding work or wanting to travel, reaching them is something we should all strive to do regardless of the amount of effort and stress we have to put in because the achievement will essentially be that much more special when we get there. And if we fail, it just means we have to pick ourselves up and continue moving forward.
