The Danger of Daydreams

I never really thought about daydreams as "dangerous" until I read a post by Good Women Project on the topic. What's dangerous about a daydream? But lately, I've found myself sustaining many different daydreams as I start to plan for the future and I don't like what it does to my mind. They are innocent things to me and (it is worth noting) realistic-- the future with Jake, traveling, career possibilities etc., but I hate what it does to my mind.

I have more than a few harmless dreams--I'd love to travel abroad and experience other cultures, taste new food, listen to strange music, and maybe pick up a language (or two!). But I found myself latching on to any story of young people traveling--most recently, I heard of a girl who stayed with friends in France for a year while waiting for her fiance to finish school--and trying to figure out how I could follow in their footsteps to achieve my own ends. 

And then the thought occurred to me, perhaps I just need to learn how to be content with the shape my life takes regardless of which path I ultimately choose. My "harmless daydreams" stirred my jealousy and magnified my discontent, making me feel "stuck" because I couldn't do the same things they did. Couldn't walk the same paths they walked. But that doesn't mean I will never travel; I just need to find my own way to do it, instead of pursuing avenues that worked for other people, but might not work for me. 

So I've been rethinking a lot of boxes and expanding not only my perceived options, but also my expectations for what I want the future to look like. The truth is, it never looks quite like you planned it out to be; but being such a detailed planner, this is difficult for me to embrace. Still, I try to be flexible and in the mean time, I'll be dwelling in the here and now and not daydreaming of what is to come. 

Photo Credit: Ryan McGuire