The choice between reality and dreams is a question that leaves many of us wavering. I have a close friend who yearns to be an actor. It’s not a vague whim, but a crystal-clear goal: to stand on a stage, to live a thousand different lives, and to deliver lines that touch the deepest parts of another’s soul. My friend truly, deeply loves the craft.
Table of Contents
1. When Dreams Can’t Pay the Rent
But my friend is also very grounded—passionate, yet never delusional. He didn’t have the money for formal training, no industry connections, and no family “safety net” to lean on. Most importantly, he understood a harsh truth: he couldn’t survive on a dream right now.
So, he took a standard office job, working 9-to-5 for a salary that’s just enough to get by. By day, he is a diligent employee. But by night, with whatever time and energy he has left, he tirelessly reads scripts, watches films, and studies acting through every free resource he can find. The dream is still there, never extinguished, but it’s no longer his only priority. His vital mission at this moment is simply: “To Survive.”
2. Dreams for Direction, Reality for Survival
Looking at him, I realized something clearly: Our dreams tell us where we want to go, but reality decides if we have the strength to get there.
If my friend had abandoned everything to chase the dream from day one, he likely would have burnt out from the pressure of rent, food, and bills long before he ever touched the stage lights. In that scenario, the dream dies—not for lack of passion, but for lack of a practical foundation to stay alive.
Conversely, if we only cling to reality—working solely to pay bills and repeating that loop every day without a hint of imagination—life begins to dry up. Everything might run “according to plan,” but it lacks depth. You might be stable, but your soul will feel utterly empty.
“Reality without dreams is a tedious existence; Dreams without reality are a blind risk.”
3. Don’t Force Yourself to Choose Just One
I see many people becoming disillusioned, not because they dreamed the wrong dream, but because they dared to “fly” before they had anything to catch them. I also see many who live very stable lives, yet the spark in their eyes has faded because they abandoned the very thing that made their hearts vibrate.
The problem isn’t about which side to choose, but about placing them in the right positions:
- Reality as the Foundation: To handle the “Living” part, keeping the body safe and steady.
- Dreams as the Motivation: To lead the way, reminding us that life means more than just numbers.
My friend didn’t quit acting; he just moved it to a different position: it’s no longer something that must be achieved at all costs right now, but a North Star for a long-term journey.
4. Maturity Is Learning How to Let Dreams “Survive”
I used to think I had to choose: either live practically or live for my dreams. But it turns out, we don’t have to pick one or the other, as long as we don’t live just to please everyone else.
We just need to be honest enough to admit we aren’t ready yet, and patient enough not to “kill” the dream just because the present hasn’t allowed it to bloom. Reality helps us stand firm, while dreams remind us why we keep walking.
Maturity isn’t about giving up on dreams to become jaded; it’s about learning how to keep a dream alive in a harsh world.
Are you busy building your “reality” foundation or giving your all to a dream? Do you ever feel exhausted trying to balance both? Share your story so we can empower one another!
