Aide Memoire: “The Lost Dreamer: Breaking Away from the Cage of Comfort”

A couple of years ago, I built a cage for myself – a cage where no one could enter, even opportunities and dreams. I surrounded myself with the walls of this cage that blocked my sight of what was ahead of me. I thought everything I needed was in that cage, so why should I see more of the world? And I was right. Everything I believed I needed was there, but not what I wanted. Eventually, tears welled from deep inside and rolled down my cheeks, I realized the dreamer within me vanished.

When I was seven years old, as a carefree and eager kid, I told myself that I would be a nurse, model, journalist, doctor, or actress, and basically, I dreamt of every job you could have in this world. I even created a schedule for myself of what I should accomplish in the morning, afternoon, and night, which I genuinely thought was possible back then. But when I reached college, I just laughed at the little me who was over-enthusiastic about dreaming of having different professions. At the back of my mind, I think I watched too many Barbie movies. 

As I felt exhausted and overwhelmed, a feeling of void developed within my heart that overthrew all my dreams, and that was when I started to build a cage, gradually drifting away from my ambitions, aspirations, and opportunities. Until then, this feeling of void is disguised by comfort and convenience. But years later, I realized how that cage hindered me from growing and reaching my dreams. So, even when I had thousands of hesitations and inhibition, I broke away from it and, fortunately, escaped before it was too late. You know what made me do that? On an afternoon when it was raining cats and dogs, thinking that day would be the same as the days that passed by, I was reading a book, and as I flipped the page, the first line felt like a bucket of cold water flung over me. It says, “If something ignites you – chase it.” It dawned on me when was the last time that I felt my chest tightened because of excitement and wonder. But I cannot even remember it because I was too convinced I was better off in that cage – comfortable and easier.  

 The bottom line? “If something ignites you – chase it."

Chase it because you do not want to look back, pondering what could have been if you tried. Chase it because you do not just want to remember what you missed out on merely because you let your fear rob you of an experience and memory. Explore and go out of your comfort zone. Expand your capabilities. Become limitless. Do not let the ignition within you set off, but instead chase it, run after it. Break away from the cage of comfort and convenience. You are not better off staying still – go after the things that ignite you.

You, being able to read this, means that I escaped from the cage I built. I believe that you can break away from yours, too.