When It Is Time to Give up on Our Dreams

Photo by Anthony Tran on Unsplash

“I’m sorry to tell you that you did not get a scholarship,” my dance teacher told me in the changing room of my ballet school. I had auditioned for a ballet scholarship but failed miserably. I was not surprised that I did not get it. “Then I quit,” I said. As I packed up my things, my teacher tried to console me by saying that I could do other forms of dance. I barely listened. My dream of becoming a professional ballet dancer was over. Looking back, I realized that giving up that dream was the best decision for me.

Society tells us that we should strive towards our dreams and never give up. Experience has taught me, however, that there are times when giving them up is healthy and beneficial.

Signs it is Time to Give up our Dreams

We feel frustrated and angry.
Pursuing our dreams is usually a journey with many steps. We will feel frustrated when we feel stuck on one level. We are not progressing the way we should and are hitting roadblocks. I struggled with some aspects of dance, such as footwork in pointe shoes. I just could not improve my performance no matter how hard I tried.

We lose our passion for our dreams.
My passion dwindled as my striving became a burdensome chore instead of a joy. The pursuit became more doing what I thought I should be…