Having Big Dreams

Being a woman ( especially a woman of color ) in a society that centers men already means that no matter what you do, someone will have an opinion. People will always have something to say about women who talk too much, are too quiet, are too ambitious, don’t try hard enough, or keep their goals in the wrong places, otherwise translated as “lazy.” However, women always find a way to succeed, no matter what is thrown at them, which begs the question; How?

It all starts with a dream. Being ambitious. Having hope for the future.

Having big dreams for yourself, allowing yourself to dream of a life for not only one branch on your fig tree but every single branch that extends into a different path ( Sylvia Plath ). No one’s dreams are more important than the other, and in that same sense, you have all the time in the world to go after them. No matter how old you are, or how confused and lost you may feel, there is always the light at the end of the tunnel: happiness.

Even if people try to put you down, the truth is that there are people out there who would support you and push you to follow your dreams. The belief that having dreams is the first step to the life you want to have, is what pushes someone forward.

So don’t just dream, dream big.

No one said dreaming would ever be easy, though. Every moment of being discounted and looked down upon, every moment of reduction, and every moment of understanding the difficulties that come with being a woman bears on us. But life can be more than enduring.

For the women of color with big dreams; dreams to make it out of where they are, to bring pride to their families, and even the girls with dreams to live bigger than they’ve had the chance to, don’t let society stop you from yearning for more. Society will always pit everyone against a woman of color. Whether it was the whole Annabeth Chase being a Black girl fiasco, the Romeo and Juliet production where a Black woman was cast rather than a White woman, Rachel Zegler being Snow White, or even just the way makeup products have an extreme lack of shades geared towards darker skinned women. Nothing in society makes it easier for women of color to succeed.

Don’t let that stop you from wanting more for yourself. No matter what, no matter where, keep those dreams, because as you march forward through life , with dreams big enough to encase the whole world, there will be an opportunity that allows you to grow.