Your dream may not be your purpose
It’s great to have dreams. When you have a vision of what you want in life, it makes you feel great. Why? Because it gives you hope. It gives you hope that your future will be better than your present. Regardless of where you are in life, a dream of a better future can help propel you to new heights. Whether you are at the bottom of a mountain and looking up towards the peak, or at the top looking towards the next mountain; you have the vision of a better future in your sights.
Why then are so many people left unfulfilled when they reach a dream, or accomplish a goal? Each new reached goal brings a temporary reward because you feel great, take pride in what you accomplished and get to pat yourself on the back for a job well done. But, that feeling goes away and we are then onto fulfilling the next dream. There is a new hope that this time it will be different. This time, when we reach our dream we will find what we are ultimately seeking…happiness. Isn’t that why we constantly strive toward success? The success itself isn’t really what we want. We want the happiness that we believe comes with that success. When we don’t find lasting happiness with each new goal reached, it compels us to reach for the next goal.
How do we break this cycle? It’s by understanding that our dreams are destinations toward which we travel, but our purpose is what the journey is about. Let’s say that your dream is to run a wildly successful business and make enough money to retire without having to worry about money. That’s a great dream. But, what’s your purpose? Think about all the people you get to benefit along the way. You are most likely making a product or providing a service that will impact others. Or, maybe, you are providing an income and a health care plan that creates stability for your employees. Maybe you are even helping others fulfill their dreams…you get the picture.
Having dreams are an integral part of achieving success. However, if you endlessly search for happiness in the accomplishment of each new dream, you won’t find it. All you need to do is understand the difference between your dreams and your purpose. Once you do this, you will find happiness in your purpose while you continue to reach your dreams.