Dreams

From an early age, we were already shown what success and fulfillment should look like. Our parents, directly or indirectly, told us to grow up to become lawyers, doctors, or accountants. Even on TV, success is usually a man or woman dressed in a suit, carrying an office bag.

Whenever I was asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I was never really specific. I had different dreams. Sometimes I would say I wanted to be a pilot, a musician, an actress, or even a doctor. At times, it came from admiration, and other times from genuine passion and interest.

Looking back now, I realize I didn’t really know who I was at that age or what I truly wanted to become. But regardless, my dreams were valid, and my passions were real.

Reality

As I grew older, it became even harder to be specific.

The real confusion started when I had to choose my course of study in Senior Secondary School. I wasn’t doing badly in the sciences. They were okay. But the arts felt more interesting, more expressive, and honestly, more like me.

Still, it wasn’t an easy choice. My parents wanted me to go into the sciences and become a doctor or a nurse someday. My teachers and classmates thought the same.

But deep down, I was drawn to the arts.

I was scared. Scared of being seen as a coward. Scared because more was expected from me. The sciences were praised, while arts students were often seen as unserious or less capable.

I remember going to a quiet place behind my classroom. I sat there and prayed the same prayer I had been praying for a long time:

"God, what do You want me to become?"

I expected a clear answer. Maybe even a dream, something dramatic that would settle everything once and for all.

But that didn’t happen.

There was no dream. No clear picture of me in a white coat or a black suit. Instead, I felt a quiet kind of comfort. A reassurance that, at that moment, it didn’t really matter which path I chose. God would still be with me.

So I went back and made my choice. I chose the arts.

Even now, I won’t lie, sometimes I still wonder if I made the right decision.

Purpose

Fast forward to now, and I’ve noticed something. There’s a gap in our educational system. The arts are not given as much value or seriousness as they deserve. They are often seen as entertainment, not as a real profession.

But I’ve come to understand something important. Not all of us can be doctors, lawyers, or accountants.

Someone has to fill other spaces too. Everyone has a role. Everyone matters.

Right now, I study Mass Communication. And yes, this course can lead me into many different paths. But I’ve realized something deeper. Purpose is not always tied to a specific profession.

For me, purpose is bigger than a job title.

I believe we are here to bring glory to God, but also to impact people’s lives. And we do that through the assignments given to us, through our gifts, and through the opportunities we are given.

Alignment

My perspective has changed.

I now understand that we are all created to grow and evolve. I don’t believe I am in the wrong place in life. I just believe I can do better and become better.

What matters now is how I handle what is in front of me. My present assignment. Making good use of every opportunity.

The truth is, I can become many things. A doctor, a musician, an actor, a writer, a content creator, a teacher, a journalist, anything.

But more important than what I become is being in alignment with my purpose.

We grow up dreaming, and even as we grow, we are still dreaming. Then reality meets us, the truth of our lives.

We begin to see the contrast between our dreams and our reality, like mirrors and reflections.

But in the middle of it all, we discover something deeper. Purpose is the thing that aligns us.

Fulfillment becomes the goal, and impact becomes necessary.

And maybe, just maybe, the life we are living is not far from the life we once dreamt, it is just unfolding differently.