It's Our Dreams That Light Our Way

All dreams have meanings and significance. They're the lights that illuminate our goals and daily motivations. They ignite our emotions so we can overcome our difficulties and get what we want.

Written and verified by the psychologist Sergio De Dios González.

Last update: 26 January, 2023

A long-awaited reunion… that unwritten novel… playing a couple of impossible notes on your guitar… the birth of your child… the love of your parents… a chat with your grandparents… stopping just to listen to the silence… having a day off… going on a special date… helping a stranger… playing hide and seek… finally finishing the race…taking a parachute jump… being the star that lights up someone’s saddest night… beating cancer… living one more day… letting today be a good day… being happy… and living happily ever after.

If there’s one thing that makes us all so similar yet so different, it’s our dreams. In fact, when we have wonderful moments it’s because we’ve nearly reached those dreams. It’s like we can almost touch them. For instance, when we’ve nearly finished that novel we always wanted to write, when there’s only one foot left before the finishing line of a race, or when there are only a few more contractions before our baby comes into the world.

It’s at these times that we think of all the effort we’ve made along the way. We think of those moments when we felt like giving up but didn’t. We think of all the people who encouraged us (and those that didn’t). As a matter of fact, we feel so much stronger thanks to everything we’ve done. However, at the same time, we become even more aware of our weaknesses.

This is when we start to feel afraid. Because we know we can’t afford to lose now. It’s also the moment when our inner strength comes to the fore and we find those hidden resources we need to take this one last step. Our self-esteem rises up and, at the same time, we feel thankful for our good fortune and to all those people who helped us get to this moment.

Let’s get up every morning remembering our dreams from the night before. Furthermore, let’s live in our own time and not count the days on the calendar. Let’s know that what we want to be is what we are. Let’s allow ourselves to be happy or sad. Finally, let’s recognize that it’s our emotions that make our hearts beat.