The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.
-Eleanor Roosevelt
This is one of my favorite quotes of all time. Maybe it’s because I’m a wild dreamer and I want someone to validate my wide-eyed imagination. But I think there’s more to it than that.
Dreaming comes easily to me. I’m an ENFP (or an INFP, depending on the day I take the test) and my mind often goes a hundred miles a minute. Ideas and possibilities love to hang out in my headspace. I sometimes find myself staring out the window simply imagining what could be.
However, dreams are cheap and ideas even cheaper. Over the past few years I’ve started to question which dreams actually matter and which dreams are simply entertaining.
I’ve found that perseverance does not come easily to me. Perhaps that’s why it’s called perseverance. When things get hard, I want to run off and find another dream, maybe one that costs less. Or comes more naturally. Or I have time for.
But when someone genuinely believes in their dreams, they will persevere and fight for them. When I first started writing Blemished–a musical–it was all I could think about. I would stay up until 2:00 in the morning writing and wake up with ideas and storylines. I created character sketches in the middle of class. There were days, I chose to stay home and write over socializing with friends because I was passionate about what I was working on. I believed in my dream. While writing Blemished was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, it was also one of the most rewarding.
Pursuing your dreams is terrifying. And challenging. And just plain hard work. But it’s also extraordinary. And thrilling. And so very, very worth it. In the coming weeks, I will be breaking down more what chasing your dreams looks like. If you’ve ever struggled to believe in your dreams or lacked the courage to chase them, then you definitely don’t want to miss this mini-series.
In the mean time, what dream is tugging at your heartstrings? Will you dare to look at it and discover its beauty? 
Katelyn Alexander 