Essay: A bright path to lifetime success

Before I was born, my father had been a part of a traumatizing war, and had seen many people forced to give up their homes and earnings in a matter of seconds, or there would be torturous consequences. He had multiple friends die right before his eyes, and had been put in jail three different times for completely illogical reasons. But my father had a dream–or a goal that he firmly believed in. A goal is a way to measure our progress, thus, it benefits our daily lives. However, dreams can lead to lifetime success if we work hard enough towards them. Some of us have never had a dream fulfilled, maybe because we lack the imagination and confidence; or some of us may have been discouraged by others because we cared about their unwanted opinion. Or honestly, some of us just settle for ordinary when we have a chance to be extraordinary. My Father earned himself a chance to raise a healthy family in a free land. He conquered his dream through potential and perseverance. No matter how much he was threatened, pushed, or shoved around, he never let anyone stand in the way of his dream. ‘Dreams are the seeds of epic potential’ (Horton 2018). Dreams can offer unlimited opportunities and possibilities.
A true dream is the big picture.
A true dream is an ‘unbounded possibility.’
And a true dream is a symbol of confidence.
A dream could be our lifetime coaches to pick ourselves up when we fall. A dream can be defined as, ‘a strongly desired goal or purpose’ (Merriam Webster) or a vision we must work towards. Dreams are realistic goals that can lead to a lifetime of success. Take, for example, my father’s hardships I earlier described. He fought and earned his way to America and accomplished the well-known American Dream for himself, and his family. Dreams are a guiding light for our future. It is an ambition, a desire, and a form of hope. They will never have an ending; they will shape the path of our future. Our desires are not depleting, it is something that we voluntarily run the extra mile for.
The word ‘dream’comes from the thirteenth-century Dutch draugams meaning, ‘a sequence of sensations passing through a sleeping person’s mind.’ It now has multiple meanings like, ‘a desired goal or purpose,’ or to ‘think or consider.’ (Harper 2016) Due to this modern definition, it can now be used in a number of phrases such as ‘The American Dream,’ or ‘daydreaming.’ We have even created a ‘dream catcher,’ to ‘catch’ the psychological types of dreams referred to as ‘nightmares.’ Many historical heroes write about such desires, for example, Martin Luther King Jr’s ‘I had a Dream’ speech. The famous Austrian neurologist Sigmund Freud had developed the theory of psychoanalysis, or a procedure in which an analyst discovers unconscious issues based on dreams and fantasies. Although, they are different types and meanings of a ‘dream,’ a desire ‘dream’ is still life-changing.
A true dream is something we will never give up on. We will work towards it until we have gained our true potential. Some claim they are fantasies, that they are very unrealistic. However, it is because of ourselves that something was not gained. We all just like to blame other people for our failures. But what we do not realize is that our failures are what moves us forward. We only need to learn from our mistakes and continue our journey. Because with a true dream, it is about the journey, not about our destination. Some of us just do not fully believe in ourselves for the dream to become a reality. The people trapped in a fixed mindset are scared they set up disappointment when looking up to their goals. Their lower self-esteem prevents them from succeeding – or even trying – in anything. They follow the footsteps of the ‘losers’, ‘I talk of dreams, Which are the children of an idle brain, Begot of nothing but vain fantasy.’ (Shakespeare) In their perspective, a dream is a nightmare, something not worth working for.
We all let things get in the way of true dream being fulfilled from time to time, but if the desire is something you really want, you would do anything to be successful. Colin Powell once encouragingly counseled, ‘A dream doesn’t become a reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination, and hard work,'(1967) and some of us do not know the true definition of determination. We expect things to automatically be done. But we have to earn the chances, the opportunities and the favorable circumstances.
Dreams carve out opportunities for all of us. It will motivate us and always be the straight path to our life direction. These endless goals boost our confidence. Following dreams spells SUCCESS across our foreheads. And a dream cannot be without a destination. Prophet Muhammad is one of the most successful people in history because, ‘ he was the only man in history who was supremely successful on both the religious and secular levels’ (Hart). In other words, he followed a path, overcame all obstacles, and became prosperous. He followed his dream. My father pushed himself harder, until he reached his own finish line. And I too will continue to build my bridge out of my own diamond and graphene.