“Welcome to Hollywood! What’s your dream?” I’ve always loved that line from Pretty Woman. Because I’m a dreamer. I believe in big dreams. Ridiculous dreams. Dreams that other people may look at and think, “Yeah, good luck with that.”
And I absolutely believe we should tell young people that they can become the person they dream of becoming. But somewhere along the way, I think we started attaching a timeline to that promise.
If I work hard enough, it will happen.
And if it doesn’t happen soon enough, we start wondering if maybe it never will.
That’s the lie.
Hard work matters. Talent matters. Preparation matters. But so do perseverance, timing, opportunity, failure, rejection, changing direction, and being brave enough to keep going when the dream looks nothing like you thought it would.
Sometimes you have to hear no.
Sometimes you have to try again.
Sometimes you have to get better.
Sometimes the opportunity you desperately wanted wasn’t actually the opportunity meant for you.
And sometimes you have to be brave enough to keep believing in something that is taking a whole lot longer than you planned.
I don’t think every dream comes true exactly as we imagine it. Sometimes, if we’re lucky, it becomes something even better.
So dream big. Work ridiculously hard. Be persistent. Be willing to fail. Change directions when you need to. Take the scary opportunity. Walk into the room even when you’re not completely sure you belong there yet.
And don’t confuse “not yet” with “never.” Maybe your dream isn’t dead. Maybe you’re just not finished becoming the person who’s going to live it.
So, in the immortal words of Pretty Woman: “What’s your dream?”
