I see it in your eyes; the desire to live deeply and ask the questions that have tugged at the mind your whole life long. You want to see not what's probable, but what's possible in your short lifetime. The world goes by, and you passively with it. There has never been a moment in your life where you seized an opportunity that you made possible by your own merit. Something that you sought out and thought, "who does that?" and then went hard after it yourself. But you are stuck, your choices have been made, your life unalterably decided, your unhappiness assured. Or are you? The moment we stop dreaming is the moment that we give up control of our lives. Our dreams are what motivate us beyond the here and now, and, ironically help us to live the now more deeply. For if we are sure of what tomorrow and the endless days to follow will bring, there is not much to look forward to, not many dreams to entertain. But instead to approach each day as a new potential to realize another dream, well then the day is as a great work of literature that holds our attention and motivates us on as the protagonist in our own epic journey.

I write this because I struggle with my state in life. My dreams tell me that there is more to come, more to see, and more to live than the here and now. But this moment at times can overpower us into believing that we will never overcome it. We will never get beyond this state, never realize our dreams, never even come close. This becomes most acute for me when I am at home. Here I was not born, but raised for the majority of my life; here my parents were born, and theirs before them; here I have two "alma maters" that beckon me back for new reasons. Nearby, two of my friends are married and settled, and happy. I know that I would not be for now. All this conspires to say that I will never get beyond. For I am at heart a simple man, with simple hopes and dreams, that need not extend beyond the outer reaches of this city. And then again, only in doing so has my mind been opened as far as it is. I need not imitate the lives of the saints, nor of the billionaires of the world; I have only to strike out my own path, using the gifts God has granted me the very best I can.

I do not want to be the one with longing eyes. I want my eyes always to sparkle with the thought of another dream, another mountain to climb, another sea to traverse, another jungle to conquer. I hope that my dreams are the cause of inspiration in other eyes, and other minds. I hope that everyone seeks the chance to realize their dreams to become all that they were made to be! Let not your dreams be constant reminders of how little you have accomplished, but instead motivators for the life you desire to live. "Live and live deeply, and suck all the marrow out of life!!!"