Dare to dream or not?

During lunch yesterday, my boss and I started talking about dreams, about doing what we really want to do in life.

Like most Singaporeans, we are all brought up thinking how paper qualifications are important to our future. Without them, we will have no future. It's the right thing to plan for our future, its the right thing to be responsible for our lives. It's the right thing to provide for our parents, who spent their lifetime providing for us. It's the right thing to be responsible to our families. Its the right thing to get a stable job and provide for them. It's all about taking responsibility and doing the right thing.

Get a job, get married, get a house, get a car, have children, plan for your children's future and work like hell to support all of them.

Doing the right thing aside, I asked him, if he's not bonded by any of the committment mentioned above, what would he be doing now.

"I want to be a lifeguard."

"huh? Lifeguard?"

"Not the kind at swimming pool one la. Not in singapore. I have a uncle who became a lifeguard in Thailand, he don't get paid, but meals and shelter provided for. Being a lifeguard there, you don't only sit somewhere and wait for ppl to drown leh. They bring ppl out on sailing/diving trips, they teach ppl how to ride the boats and alot more. After 3 months there, he decide he wants a change in environment, then he'll travel to another beach. They do alot of butter trade and money to them is nothing."

"Then his family here how?"

"Most ppl cannot accept this kinda thing. 10 years later he goes back home and his family ask him. What are you now? What have you accomplished. He will smile and say nothing. It's the truth he have nothing, but he's been to almost all the beaches in the world. Older ppl call him lazy, selfish and irresponsible. But to think about it, he did what he wanted to do and he's happy doing the things he do. Others cannot understand, but that is freedom. That is happiness."

After that I keep thinking about it. If fufilling ur dream means leaving your family, your girl/boyfriends, you're loved ones behind, will you still do it? Most ppl give that dream up and find the next best thing they can do and they stick to it. They spend the rest of their lives thinking that is the right thing to do and they dream no more.