A Dream Is A Wish

In the Disney film Cinderella, she told her animal friends that “A dream is a wish your heart makes.” Cinderella was encouraging them to keep dreaming and to never give up. Growing up watching this film, it provides a simple but I believe powerful message for all of us. Without dreams, our purpose in life can be questioned. If we don’t have something we wish to accomplish, we can become stagnant where we are. What the world needs are dreamers, people who seek to better themselves and make the world a better place. When you think about some of the greatest minds and people in history, there is the common theme that they had a wish and a dream. What defined these people, however, were their actions to fulfill those wishes and dreams. It is one thing to wish for something to happen, it’s another to challenge yourself to make it happen. History is made by the people who had the courage to chase their dreams, regardless of if they failed at it or not.

Taking my own experience as an example, I always wished that I would be a doctor. So, I worked hard in school, volunteered and understood what I would need to do for that wish to become a reality. Now, I am in my second year of medical school and well on my way to getting my M.D. degree. Getting here has not been easy by any means, and every day there is some new challenge or failure I am faced with. However, I am inspired by this wish and dream every day to keep going. I find that within this original wish, I modify it as I get closer to making it come true. Now, I wish to go on medical mission trips around the world as a way to use the gifts I have been given to serve others. This provides a new set of challenges, but this new aspect of the over-arching wish of being a doctor gives me a new sense of purpose and inspiration.

Another wish of mine has been to travel and experience the world. I have always believed that the more I can experience and see of other cultures and people, the more well-rounded I will be and a greater person I will become. Especially as a physician, understanding different kinds of people will be a crucial and central part of my practice as this will allow me to form meaningful relationships with my patients. More than that, though, I want to travel and experience the world to become a better person. By learning about other people, I learn about myself and how I fit into this world that we call home. I am better able to see the needs of those around me and how I can fulfill them. I have travelled all over the United States, Europe and India so far, and I am not done yet by any means. I find that the more I travel, the more places I add to the list of where I want to go. One thing that I try to do when I travel is immerse myself in the culture, not focus so much on touristy parts.

My wish for everyone, and this weekly photo challenge, is that each person can be inspired to have dreams and follow them. To have the courage to be who they are, and not be afraid to challenge their comfort zones. When you wish, wish with your whole heart. When you dream, dream big. Foster a love of learning. Never stop exploring. Wish for this world to be a better place, and take action to make that wish a reality in your own unique way.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Wish