At some point, most of us start doing this without even realising…
We edit our desires. We shrink them, soften them, or swap them out for something that sounds more “reasonable.” We convince ourselves that wanting too much is selfish, unrealistic, or childish. So we clean up our dreams until they sound safe. Polite. Acceptable.
This held us back in ways we never anticipated, leading us to settle for less than we deserved. We want something better for our children, we don’t want them to repeat our mistakes or carry the same regrets.
Therefore, to every young dreamer, stop limiting your desire. Your real desires. Your true potential. The ones that feel too big or too bold, those are the ones that matter.
You might want a slower life. Or a wilder one. You might want to leave a job that looks great on paper but drains your spirit. You might want to be single. Or finally fall in love. Maybe you want to live abroad, start over, write a book, have a kid, not have a kid, be famous, or simply be left alone for a while.
Whatever it is, if it’s honest, it’s worth listening to. Cross the limitations and go for it.
Stop telling yourself it’s too late or too much. Stop rewriting your wants to sound more palatable to the people around you. You don’t need to make your desires smaller just so other people feel more comfortable.
You’re allowed to want what you want, even if it changes everything. Even if it scares you.
You don’t have to act on every desire right away. But you do have to stop pretending they’re not there. Your desires are trying to tell you something. They’re clues. They’re your truth.
So stop editing them. Let them be messy. Let them be loud. Let them be real. And little by little, start trusting them again and from there, start using them.
“Do not ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” — Howard Thurman
✍️ Amara Ann Unachukwu
