No doubt, it's a pretty funny quote. The Germans actually have a word for this- schadenfreude, which literally means "happiness at the misfortune of others." As long as something bad is not happening to us, things can be as funny as hell. Yet, when something happens to us at our expense, it's us who is doing the suffering, and others who are doing the laughing. That's just the nature of life.
As I put this into perspective, I see countless students come into my office looking to start something new or start over. They will tell me about all the things they would like to do. Some want to make money, some just want to explore a new area of interest. And as I sit there and chat with these students, I find myself telling them to chase that dream. Pursuing your dreams has always been sort of a mantra for myself, and something I tell others. I believe that we cannot find any value or satisfaction in our lives until we are pursuing something that gives us personal satisfaction.
However, as we continue to chase the dream, it seems we drift further and further from reality, and it's not until some mishap, some shaking event that brings us back down, crashing into the ocean of reality. It's a sad fact, and it happens more often than not. Perhaps what hurts more than crash-landing in this ocean of "reality" is the recovery. The feelings of uncertainty and not knowing the answers to the questions of what to do next, how to recover, if the dream can be chased again, or if it should be abandoned all together.
It is unfortunate to fall short of your own expectations when it comes to accomplishing something. It's pretty much devastating. But, there is always a tactic to use to avoid crashing into that ocean of reality- HAVE A PLAN!
As simple as it seems, I've seen countless people go into something without ever fully thinking it through. Sometimes, this blind faith is necessary- to go without knowing where you are going. In fact, this lack of planning can sometimes put you in a place that you didn't expect to find yourself in, and what's more is that you've found that you're in a great place to be in. But more often than not, my life experience have taught me that if you're going to act on something, you'll need to think about the options that lie ahead of you before you proceed.
When it comes to education and training, I think the greatest short sight is the lack of financial planning. People underestimate the cost of the endeavor they pursue and when the money runs out, progress stops. This is a result of improper planning, and failing to budget time and money adequately. Sometimes, we find that we're guilty of not cutting costs- we buy that movie, or indulge ourselves in the $5 lattes from Starbucks without ever thinking how this affects us financially in the long run. But, it all adds up. If you spend $5 on a latte Monday through Friday, you've spend $25 in one week. Over a month you'll have spent $100 on lattes alone. Continue to add it up and that's about $1,200 for the year. Just for a frozen coffee drink.
While lack of financial planning does have the impact on your plans for the future, a lack of planning on the future also has devastating effects. Often times, I have found myself guilty of planning only one goal without considering any other alternatives. When we find that something does not go our way in this plan, we don't have any other alternatives. **CRASH** Hello ocean of reality.
With all that said, here are just three easy steps that I believe will ensure that dreams can continually be pursued:
1. Make a plan- It's better to know what you're going to do, how you're doing, and when you're going to do it.
2. Discipline yourself- Stick to your plan. Don't deviate away from it or distract yourself.
3. Create alternatives- When something doesn't go right, having another option is better than none at all.
On a final note, I think it's great to soar on the wings of your dreams, as long as you also have a parachute packed.
