Before you chase your dreams. | New Year Goals

photo by: Contributed Photo

New year, new goals. But before you chase that goal…

I want to believe that most, if not all of us, want to achieve some sort of a better life. We each have a unique image of what a better life means to us: more money, better family, better job, bigger platform, more influence, you name it. We spend a lot of time striving to get to our version of "better", but very often we forget to look into the real cost that comes with this our version of better. 

Every good thing we can think of comes with a 'cross'

The idea of attaining a "better life" tends to be so exciting that sometimes we sacrifice too much to get that better life; and sadly, oftentimes when we eventually get it, we realize that the cost was too much, and then we start to hate what we strove so hard to get.

Every good thing we can think of comes with a cross_ something attached to it: responsibility, accountability, too much work, limited freedom, and many other such things, which we rarely put into consideration as we throw away everything we have in a bid to chase after our version of better.

Take an example of your partner or your friend, you really love them, but there is just this one particular thing or two that s/he comes with that you personally hate to deal with. For example, children; I personally love children a lot, but they come with diapers, crying, and a whole lot of work. Therefore, when we choose to pursue better, we automatically choose the cross(es) it comes with, too.

You can't say, “I want to be famous but still be left alone when I go to the marketplace.” Or “I want to have children but I don't want to touch diapers.” Or “I want to attain a degree, but I don't want to study.” Or “I what a bigger house, but I don't want the burden of cleaning it.” Or “I want to have many friends, but I want to be left alone.” 

Just like Bishop TD Jakes often says, “Every king has a cross.”, every version of better we can imagine of, comes with a cost. The bible says, 

"Without oxen a stable stays clean, but you need a strong ox for a large harvest." -Proverbs 14:4 

Having in mind that there is a cost attached to every big dream also helps us get ready and more determined to reach that dream, because we know the cons beforehand.

As we passionately pursue our dreams, we need to remember to look at the cross involved in living that life we dream of. To be fair, there are some ideas I have gotten to see come to life and I eventually realized that I didn't love the idea enough to keep on carrying its cross.  

Looking into the cost of our dream life or better life helps us evaluate if our dream is really worth chasing after.  Like Dave Ramsey once said, “A dream not pursued properly becomes a nightmare.” 

Are you willing to sacrifice a relationship with your children or your spouse just to get to your better version of financial wellbeing? Are you willing to sacrifice your privacy for your music or public-oriented career? Are you willing to sacrifice hours and hours of sleep for your academic growth? 

Having in mind that there is a cost attached to every big dream also helps us get ready and more determined to reach that dream, because we know the cons beforehand.

Today, I am encouraging us to chase our dreams practically, talking to people who are already there in order to know what the cross really looks like, and if it’s really worth that cost to us or we’re better off chasing another dream. 

It’s a lovely Wednesday and I am excited that:
1. I can officially start wishing us a Merry Christmas.
2. The political air here in Uganda is a bit clearer now, as compared to the previous two weeks.