I want my future life to be full of adventure.
By thirty, I would be married to the man of my dreams, daring and adventurous—with a fiery light so full of passion it could ignite even the most unlikely things. His fire would light my fire when mine is low, and in return, my fire would light his when he needed it. We could grow together, learn together, fail together, and discover together. We would travel the world, following each other on our young dreams of exploration as if there were no walls blocking our way. When he is afraid to leap, I would jump for him. And, when I am afraid to walk, he would run for me.
I want my future life to be full of success.
Right out of college, I would have my own business beginning to flourish; something with a catchy name and a passionate cause. People from all around would know me and want to work with me. I would feel complete, bringing guidance and expertise to people forsaken by the world and left with no voice to speak in their defense. I would feel complete, bringing guidance and expertise to those who’d felt forsaken and unheard by the world. I would show my younger self that I had become the person she needed when she was alone and lost. I wouldn’t always know which direction life wanted me to walk toward, yet I would still go unknowingly—no longer afraid of failure.
I want my life to be full of love.
When the time became just right, I would have a family—the most beautiful family. I would prefer an even number of kids, so each one has a buddy if one does not like the other. We could go everywhere together—even if having kids in public brought a little bit of judgment, our experience as a family would be more important. We would dress up in silly family costumes on Halloween, go to friends’ houses for playdates and sleepovers, and sometimes skip school for fun day trips. We wouldn’t be unhappy, never perfect, but able to grow and learn together in a healthy way. And when it was time, and my kids would have to leave home, they could always know they had a safe place here with me when they needed it.
I want a lot of things in my life, but it doesn’t mean that they will come true. That does not necessarily mean wishful thinking is a horrible thing, just something nice for people to imagine. Life will always take us in crazy directions. I may imagine this perfect life for myself: an amazing husband, amazing career, and amazing family—yet it may never be the way I always want.
If I could have one real goal, it would be to never be afraid of the uncertainty life brings—the uncertainty that I may or may not find the adventure I seek, the success I desire, and the love I crave. I believe that experiencing reality means living amidst these uncertainties and accepting them as they are—not as we think they ought to be.