How society's expectations suppress dreams and wishes.
Welcome to my very first blog post. I am Onna, a 22-year-old girl currently based in Kiruna/Sweden. I´ll share more of my personal story in my next post.
Today I would like to look at a problem that I have been observing and experiencing in the past years. It feels a bit like an elephant in the room. Everyone knows it's there but nobody talks.
Do you know this feeling that usually comes from a place in your stomach after thinking of a dream or wish you have for your life? Do you even get to a point of envisioning a dream? When was the last time you had something big and unrealistic in your mind?
Honestly speaking I get an uncomfortable feeling just by writing down those questions...
Most of us are raised in a world of plenty. Plenty of literally everything. But still, our futures and lives are built on fearful thinking, on safety measures and society's expectations.
The dream we should be hunting down is retirement hedges, cosy houses with a dog, a sauna and a Thermomix, blending into societies beautifully build 'Perfect life' vision.
Ideas and dreams outside of that vision are sweet and exciting, but the moment we step over that thin line called 'funny dreams' and start building it, society, friends and family don't throw faith and support at you. They doubt your visions, might call you crazy and ridiculous.
Let me tell you a little story: In 8th grade, we wrote an exam about photosynthesis. One question asked us to give 5 answers to the question above. I wrote down 15. All my answers were correct. But my Biology Teacher Ms B. gave me a F on the entire test. Why? Because I did not read the question correctly. Only 5 answers were asked for...
Yes, I know! This is absolutely absurd but this is how we are taught to blend in. This is how we are taught to not dream. At that point my dream was to study sustainable agriculture and use that knowledge to build Pakistans biggest food supply chain... let me answer your question, no I did not study anything in the biology direction. Because I could not see, that I had talent or a natural understanding of it, because I was average in my eyes. A 13teen-year-old is not able to reflect on such matters! And honestly speaking no child should have to reflect on it!
Dream Bigger than Ever
Our parents were born and raised in a time of blind peace. They seemed to have it all, no war to fight, no climate to save, no virus, booming economics, the golden years of capitalism. Their only task was to fit into society and serving the community around them.
Excuse me! But where did that lead to?
It led to a 16teen year old that had to scream at the top of her lungs to raise attention to a drowning planet on which all our feet are standing.
We are drowning ourselves in self-pity, Weltschmerz, and the bitter taste of the `Perfect life` wish, which out of some kinda reason doesn't look that tempting while standing at the crossroad of life leading to that splendid little house with the trampoline in the backyard.
NOW it is time to free our generation `from the fear of the dream`!
Because only for YOUR personal dream you will find the energy, the invisible hand behind your back that will keep you going.
Our world needs us not at our worst, not at our average, not even at our best, it needs us to be bigger than ourselves.
So that's it! This is my very first blog post ever.... thank you for giving me a chance and reading till here.
I want Clouds & Rocks to be a place of conversation, critical thinking and respect. Also a place where it is the norm to speak out the unusual and the seemingly unreachable. Subscribe for your weekly dosage!
Love and Light xoxo
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