Borrowed Dreams
Whose dream are you chasing?
My dad owned his own business, but I never felt pressured to take it over. In fact, he encouraged me to go to college and discover my own path. As long as I worked hard and gave my best effort, my parents supported me every step of the way.
That's the same message my wife and I have tried to pass on to our own children.
I realize not everyone grows up with that freedom.
Some people spend years chasing a dream that was chosen for them—a parent's expectation, a teacher's advice, society's definition of success, or simply the path that seemed safest. Before long, they're living a good life, checking all the right boxes, yet quietly wondering why something still feels missing.
It's possible to be successful by everyone else's standards while never pursuing what truly matters to you.
From an early age we're taught what success should look like: get good grades, go to college, find a stable career, make a good living, climb the ladder. None of those things are wrong. They can lead to wonderful, meaningful lives.
The problem comes when we accept someone else's definition of success without ever asking ourselves a simple question:
Is this what I truly want?
Somewhere along the way, we're expected to discover our own dreams. Yet that's difficult when the voices around us are constantly telling us what success is supposed to look like.
That's why reflection matters.
Pay attention to the conversations you have with yourself. Your inner dialogue reveals who is steering your life. Are your decisions driven by your values, or by the expectations of others? Are you pursuing what matters most to you, or simply trying to earn someone else's approval?
When we stop defining success for ourselves, we slowly become the person everyone else expects us to be.
Strip away your title.
Strip away your paycheck.
Strip away the recognition.
Who are you?
That question isn't meant to discourage you. It's meant to set you free.
The beautiful thing about dreams is that they don't expire.
Whether you're twenty-five or sixty-five, it's never too late to reassess, realign, or reinvent your future. Your dream doesn't have to be grand enough to change the world. It only has to be authentic enough to change your world.
The size of the dream isn't what matters.
Ownership is.
So ask yourself:
Are the goals I'm pursuing truly mine?
Whose approval am I trying to earn?
What dream have I quietly pushed aside because it seemed impractical or inconvenient?
I suspect the idea of borrowed dreams resonates because most of us have lived one at some point. We spend years becoming who we think we're supposed to be before finally asking who we were created to become.
The good news?
You don't have to keep living someone else's story.
You can begin writing your own today.
Not by making a dramatic change overnight, but by taking one honest step toward the life that has been quietly calling your name all along.
Because at the end of your life, no one will ask whether you fulfilled everyone else's expectations.
The question that will matter is far simpler...
Did you have the courage to live your own dream?
~Steve
