Relentless Pursuit of Fame And Wealth Can Actually Kill Your Dreams

 I firmly believe that everyone dreams.  Everyone has something that they want to do.  Everyone has something that they are innately drawn to.  Something that drives them.  That inspires them.  Something that they live for and work towards.  Something they are innately gifted at and want to pursue.  Even if those dreams have been deferred (as they sadly often are) or abandoned for whatever reason, I believe that dreams are the fire that burns in the soul of every sister and brother who walks this earth.

We often encourage people to follow their dreams.  To pursue their passions.  We tell those who we have love for to believe in themselves.  We encourage our children to dream big.  We tell them they can do whatever their heart desires.  We push them to follow their dreams wherever those dreams might take them.  We tell them that if they work hard and never give up their dreams most definitely can come true.

Unfortunately we live in a society that can rob you of you passion.  A society that can crush your will.  A society than can (and often will) hamper and arrest your ability to succeed.  Whether it's negativity from hateful individuals or adversities that seem insurmountable, we live in a world that will choke the life from your dreams. Ours is a society of dream killers.  It is a sad truth. One such dream killer though is one that we often don't talk about.  This killer in particular is largely one of our own creation.  That killer is the relentless pursuit of wealth and fame

Here is what I mean.  When we think of fulfilling our dreams we almost always think in terms of money and fame.  We define our success by how much we gain financially .  It almost instantly sets us up for frustration and failure.  If we aren't rich and famous or on our way to being rich and famous then it's difficult for us to see success.  Rich and famous is almost always the end game.  Because we funnel our dreams through what capitalism deems as success we often find ourselves distraught, angry, and frustrated.  Especially when the pursuit of our dreams doesn't instantly translate into wealth and notoriety.

What's sad is that even when we demonstrate brilliance and mastery we still often don't feel fulfilled or successful.  No matter how proficient we are at what we do, how dedicated we are to our dreams, or how knowledgeable and skilled we become.  It's why gifted individuals often feel like failures no matter how good they are at what they set out to accomplish.  A singer could bring down the heavens with her majestic voice.  An artist could create a masterpiece with his brush or pencil.  A writer could stir the souls of everyone who reads their work.  But if they aren't rich the prevailing mindset is that they aren't successful. Because of this many of them give up.

Now please don't misunderstand me.  I'm not at all saying we shouldn't pursue financial success or that financial success is not important. Not in the least.  We should all look to feather our nests and strive to improve our economic situation.  There is also nothing wrong with using your skills and gifts to enrich your life. Also I want to point out that EVERYONE DESERVES COMPENSATION FOR THEIR WORK(caps for emphasis).  I don't want anyone to get the wrong idea about that. Get your bread up.  There is nothing wrong with that and nothing wrong with pursuing that. I simply want people to understand that you are not a failure because you aren't rich or famous.  These things do not define you.

In the end what I'm saying is don't let the pursuit of fame or wealth kill your dreams.  Because it can and it will if you let it.  We all want to be recognized and we all want to live well.  That said, you are no less the person you are because you aren't famous or fabulously wealthy.  You are no less gifted or talented.  Don't funnel the fulfillment of your dreams through fame and finance. That my friends, is a short road to unhappiness.  Thanks for reading.

Follow me on Twitter @DocSinn