I saw a dream with my eyes open

It’s been almost 2 months since I last wrote an article. For somebody else it might seem just 60 days. But for me, it feels like eternity. I can’t remember how it all started. All I know is that writing has now become my passion, a reason to put aside all the pressure, all the stress, a reason to unwind myself from the ever so hectic schedule at IIM K. I can’t agree less to the words of Joss Whedon-“I write to give myself strength. I write to be the characters that I am not. I write to explore all the things I am afraid of.” With these words, I take you through a journey of my dreams- dreams that I saw with my eyes wide open- some of which were never fulfilled, some which were and some which I am living at this very moment as I write this article. 

Years ago, in school, when her friends used to cite their dreams of becoming doctors, engineers, astronauts, this little one would wonder- why doesn’t anybody wish to be  writer? Is it not good to be one? All through school, this young girl dreamt of becoming the next J.K. Rowling, the next Jane Austein. She dreamt of making a career in writing. But alas! Her dreams were short-lived. Come class X, come the cut-throat competition to perform, and her dreams were shattered. What was the reason? Was it because she had forgotten all about her dream? Was it because ‘others’ made her forget her dream? Or was it because she felt too embarrassed telling people about her dream? The answer to these questions remains oblivious to her too. She followed her peers. She did what everybody else asked her to do. And finally she did what she never thought she would. She ceased to dream. She felt they are never fulfilled. Why waste time seeing them? Rather, why not focus on the present and outperform her peers. Today, when she looks back, she wonders how she could have been so immature. How could she have stopped dreaming? How could she have stopped doing what she once loved to do?

A few years passed. She entered college. She still ceased to dream. Probably she was afraid to. But then one day, she started dreaming again. She dreamt of getting into an IIM. When everybody else around her wanted a high paying job, wanted to pursue their higher education in the US, she remained firm. She knew exactly what she wanted to do. She wanted to study in one of the best places in India.  She knew why she wanted to do it-not to get a high salary. But for an experience that would remain with her forever.  She was still skeptical as to how she would fulfill her dream. But she was determined to. And she did everything that she could to accomplish it. Finally, after overcoming a lot of hurdles, trying situations and failures she did it! Her joy knew no bounds when she saw her admission offer. She realized that dreams do come true. So why stop dreaming? With new dreams, new aspirations and a lot of determination, she entered God’s own Kampus. 

But soon, like it had happened before, she didn’t realize when she stopped following her dreams. When she, once again, like before, started following her peers. She started worrying about petty things like grades and placements. True, times when you are put to the test get the best, and sometimes the worst out of you. But, mature that she was, and with the help of her newly made friends, it didn’t take her too long to get back on track. As Zig Ziglar rightly puts it- “You cannot tailor-make the situations in life but you can tailor-make the attitudes to fit those situations.” And this girl did just that. She learnt to make the best out of her 2 year stint at IIM K. Suddenly, things became so different. Subjects stopped becoming a burden. Placements stopped being a concern. She realized that she was living in the best phase of her life.

And then one day, she started writing again. She started doing what she had not done since years. That writer, which was trapped in a cage for more than 4 years, was finally set free. She promised herself that it would never be trapped again. It was now that she began to live her dream. It was now that she had nothing to complain about. It was now that she wished that these 2 years would never come to an end. But as all good things do, this too shall pass away one day. Yet, 2 years seem quite distant- 4 more terms to go, so much to learn, so much to gain, and so much to experience.