HOLDING ON TO YOUR DREAMS: YOU'LL GET THERE...

It's five days to my 3...? birthday and I thought I would use these few days to share with my readers some of the real life lessons I've learned in my three decades on earth.

Holding on to your dreams. I learned this lesson over and over again.
Growing up, I always said I would be a Celebrated writer, a Lawyer, a Sports Journalist, a Flight attendant...errm what again.

All those fantasies you have as a little girl.

When I left Legon, one of the things I wanted was to work in the Media space because I always wanted to go to Journalism school after SSS. Yet, my Alice would have none of that. She said I was her first and my siblings were going to take after me, a hitch or deviation from the norm was precedent set for my younger siblings, thus I ended up studying for a degree in Psychology and Political Science.

After Legon, I couldn't find a media job immediately, obviously, all the things I needed to do to prepare me for a media job were lacking on my CV at the time. Where was I when people were honing their skills on Radio Universe? After National Service, I decided to try my other passion. I grew up reading Nancy Drew, Secret Seven, All the Dean Koontz books and loved the sound of being a lawyer because you just had to read I thought. So I tried pursuing my law dream.

My first attempt, I would fail. I passed on my second attempt. How fulfilling it was to see my name, the 11th on the notice board of the University of Ghana Law Faculty. I had passed out of over 1000 applicants, I would discover later that I had to put that dream on hold until years later.

When I found a media job that brought to bare my writing skills, I was the only female among the men. Relegated to the background, probably the least of the best. If I would survive, I had to fight the norm. Women are the weaker sex, women cannot work under too much pressure, women need days off to marry, make babies and even on their period.

I held onto my dreams. Generally, what keeps me motivated as  a person, is for people to say I cannot make it. That, sounds like a challenge. I would prove you wrong and it becomes what propels me on to success.

My mother would tell me while I was a teenager, that the things people say I cannot do are the things I can actually do. That has stuck with me. I however thank God for the misplaced priorities of being in a Science Class. That taught me to dream and dream and work on my dreams because I realised then that I was in a place of not belonging where I struggled and struggled.

So for everyone I have met on this journey called life. For everyone who looked down on me academically, career wise, relationship, financially, socially whatever, thank you for pushing me to becoming the best Elikem I'm becoming. Your discouragements and times of beating me down with words have shaped me on my life's journey.

The other day, a friend, someone I've been on the same show with several times- people like that challenge you to come really prepared because their analysis of a particular book can send you wondering if you read the book at all. So, Regina put up a status on Whatsapp asking people to tell stories of dreams they held dear while growing up. People who shared their dreams were already living them, while others had veered off completely and others were finding their feet gradually. It made me realise the essence of holding on to your dreams.

I totally shelved my dreams and worked in different fields until I realised that in those fields, I did not find fulfillment, in those fields, I worked for the money, in those fields, I needed to only survive.

Today, I wanted to remind you that, after reading all the stories that Regina put up on her status the other day, one thing made sense to me, if we held on to our dreams, reminded ourselves that these are dreams we hold dear, and want to see through, if we woke up daily even if it took years, if we list them down and read them to ourselves and pasted them beside our beds, constantly reminding ourselves that, these dreams must come true. If we worked on them, no matter how long and how tough, if only we held on tight to them, then one day, those dreams would come true.

True in so many ways. If not how you envisaged it, even bigger and better. But once we stop dreaming, we stop living. Once we stop dreaming we're like chaff before the wind. Once we stop dreaming God stops coming through for us.

So I don't know what you might be going through. Did you reach your dreams? Are you on your way? Can you hold on and not stop dreaming? Could you still keep hope alive? Could you remind yourself that you are "amazing," " you can do it,"  " you can be anything" if you dream and believe it, you don't have to live according to the dictates of people who beat you down with words. You will get there.

You will get there. I'm personally not there yet. I haven't reached my dreams but then I just shared with you the power of holding on to your dreams. Dream on, I know you will get there.




Photo Source: Google Photos
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