I think everyone at some point in his or her life has heard someone say something inspirational about never giving up. One thing you won't hear most people sharing is the idea that it's OK to "give up" on your dreams.
I was one of those people who used to believe that you never give up on dreams until you achieve them. You're supposed to fight for what you want. The only problem with that idea is that sometimes, no matter how hard you try, things don't work out.
Some dreams are just not meant to be.
I realized this when I decided to quit ice skating. I had been doing competitive ice skating for ten years, dedicating summers and countless hours to training towards my goal.
The day I realized that I wasn't going to achieve all that I set out to do was extremely hard. It took months for me to fully accept that sometimes dreams just aren't meant to be.
I'm not writing this article to be harsh or to crush anyone else's dreams before they've had the chance to try for them. I'm writing this article because I know someone out there is going through what I went through. They need to know that life will go on and they'll have other opportunities to dream again.
I remember thinking about how all of my hard work was wasted. All of the times I couldn't hang out with friends, the early morning practices before school, long rehearsals, and so much more seemed like a waste.
The truth is none of it was a waste. I learned so much from my time with competitive ice skating and became a much stronger person because of it. It sounds strange that something as simple as a sport could really change me but it did. I feel like I'm more prepared to take on life's challenges.
The point is, sometimes dreams don't work out. That doesn't mean that the journey you went on to try and achieve them was a waste. In fact, those are some of the most important experiences that shape us into who we are.
You will have many dreams throughout your life. What's important is that you recognize that the dream you have right now won't be your last. If worst comes to worst and it doesn't work out, don't worry, another dream is right around the corner.
