Fresh out of high school my dream was to study Egyptology. I can still remember the day I discovered ancient Egypt like it was yesterday. I was at our small town library with my mother and sisters. I was able to read Dick and Jane style books but that was about it. One that particular day I felt brave enough to slip out of the kids section and explore the adult area. I remember being nervous I would get caught, but curiosity won out and I took the risk. I don’t even know how I found the book because there weren’t pictures on the spine, but I found the most wondrous book of my life!
It was a large book about King Tut and the discovery of his tomb. The magical book was full of pictures, black and white as well as colored pictures. As I sat down at a table it seemed as if world was opened up to me. I poured over every page of that book. I studied every picture. As I grew older, I revisited that book many times and finally was able to read the words. I was still young and didn’t understand it all but that is the great things about libraries…you can always check it out again. I wonder just how many times I did check that book out through the years. But that was my dream, to become an Egyptologist and make wonderful discoveries such as King Tut’s tomb.
But unlike my daughter, I was too afraid to try to obtain that dream. I settled instead to go to work after graduation. Years went by and I married, then I had a family. Now don’t get me wrong. I don’t regret the choices I made. I love being married to my best friend and we have a wonderful daughter. I love the life I’ve made and I’m happy in it. Just because I didn’t live that dream doesn’t mean I gave up on dreaming.
I still dream about what I want to be when I grow up. Life has changed for me and I’m ready for something new. So I’m back to dreaming and trying to figure out what I want my life to be in this next stage. We never get too old to dream, hope and plan. I know this time I won’t be too afraid to try to live a dream. I might fail completely or I might discover it wasn’t what I really wanted. At least I will have tried it. But I might succeed and have a glorious time. The only thing that stops me from reaching a dream or a goal is me. I’m the only thing that stands in the way. I’ve grown a lot from the young girl who romanticized about Egypt and while I may still have stars in my eyes…I now have determination in them as well.
So if you have a wild dream – you want to own a private island, or small dream – you want to go back to school (I did that and it was well worth it), do it. At least try it. Don’t let “you” be the thing that stops you from trying. Because if we’re honest with ourselves; all the excuses are just that … excuses. You’re the dream maker. I say follow your heart and your dreams!