If you know anything about the 90s, you have probably heard the song "Waterfalls" by TLC. For those of you unfortunate enough to have missed this cultural gem (despite its cameo in the hilarious FOX series Scream Queens), it is a very poignant R&B slow-jam that teaches the dangers of aspiring to lofty, unrealistic dreams.

"Don't go chasing waterfalls. Please stick to the rivers and the lakes that you're used to."

I can't really argue with the examples that are given in this song; I mean, nobody wants to be entrapped in gang violence or to contract HIV. I will, however, say that perhaps the message of this song is a little vague, even in ways that do more harm than good.

You see, we are told a lot of contradictory things growing up. We are told that we can be or do anything that we want, but we are also told that we need to be realistic about what we can achieve. This is like someone baiting a child by offering her a cookie, only to swat the cookie out of her hand when she goes to take a bite.

In my own life, all I ever wanted to do was sing. When I was four years old, I remember asking my mom where the voices on the radio came from. She explained to me that they were recorded voices of professional singers. They were real people. I knew in that moment that if someone could be "a singer," that was what I wanted.

The funniest thing I encountered growing up was how naive everyone thought I was for wanting such a career. "You're a music performance major? What are you gonna do with that?" "That's a very risky field." "What's your backup plan?"

Well, I understand the risks and know to make responsible choices. The things people were saying came from valid concerns, and I am not questioning that. What I am questioning is the effectiveness.

What are we teaching children when we tell them to be "responsible"? Are we actually teaching them to have the will to survive? I don't think so. I think that, save for cases of mental illness, people will keep trying even when they fail at something.

I have seen a lot of people criticize those who tell children to dream, saying that they are just setting up children for failure. However, robbing a generation of their dreams is dooming society to failure.

Nobody ever innovated by playing it safe. They took risks. They failed a lot of times and kept going. If we as a society want the best future, we need to create space where ideas are entertained, not immediately struck down and called implausible.

So what are we going to leave our kids? I don't think it is responsible for shielding them from the harsh realities of failure, nor do I think it is acceptable to rob children of imagination, hope, and the ability to dream.

Ultimately, I think this comes down to how we see our own dreams. Looking at my own life, I could have a goal to be a chart-topping pop singer, but that is not realistic. Instead of giving up, I could try to dig deeper and see what my real motivation is.

My goal could be to become a famous singer, but being a famous singer has some appeals that I have had to dig deeper to find. I like to sing and do it as much as possible. I want to be able to use music to connect to other people.

While the goals I set may or may not come to fruition, my motivations can be expressed in my everyday life.

Life isn't about reaching an end-point; it is about taking steps. I have gone from being a chronic goal-setter to keeping my sights set on my motivations. I aim to take each day as a chance to connect with other people and to sing as often as I can.

Please do not let your goals be tangible and dull. Tell kids to keep dreaming, but let's teach them to dream the right way. Don't make life all about setting goals. Let's make room for some motivation.