A few weeks ago, I was listening to Mpoomy Lwedaba’s Wisdom and Wellness podcast and something was said that has been sitting with me ever since. I have forgotten what the title of the episode or who the guest was. And no, it doesn’t defeat the purpose of this blog. You can checkout her YouTube channel here, lots of wisdom nuggets guaranteed. 

The conversation I was listening to touched on dreams and aspirations, but not in the way we usually talk about them. We often focus on getting there. Getting the house. Getting the promotion. Getting married. Starting the business. Buying the car etc, but what happens after you get it?

One example from the conversation stood out to me.

Imagine you dream of owning a beautiful house with a garden from the movies. 

Now imagine the reality.

That garden needs watering. Pruning. Weeding. Maintaining. What once took you ten minutes in your first rented small apartment now requires hours.

The dream came true, but so did the responsibility that came with it.

And the question was and remains to be, can we sustain the dreams we’re praying and wishing for?

Sometimes we are so focused on wanting more that we never stop to ask whether we’re prepared for what “more” demands.

A bigger salary often means bigger responsibilities. And njengaleyi yona, I’ll never understand it but it’s true. 

A thriving business may mean longer days.

A beautiful family means countless sacrifices.

A dream life sadly requires work to make it reality. Perhaps that is why some dreams remain dreams. Not because we are incapable of achieving them, but because we are not yet ready to sustain them. I once read somewhere that sometimes God, holds on some of our blessings because we don’t yet have the wisdom to handle those blessings. And futhi lezi ezokholo yizo ezinye that confuse because why mele ngilinde…yeyiiii ngyazdlalela!

So here’s the truth Felicia, we don’t have the luxury of drifting through life half asleep. We cannot simply wake up, go through the motions, and hope that somehow our aspirations will find us.

We have to be intentional.

We have to ask ourselves difficult questions.

What am I working towards?

What kind of life do I want?

Am I preparing for it?

And if I got it tomorrow, could I sustain it?

For those of us raising children, the question becomes even bigger. Are we creating a better future for ourselves and for them? Are we showing them what it looks like to dream, to work, and to build something meaningful?

Dreams are beautiful. They give us direction. They give us hope. But dreams alone are not enough.

Maybe today isn’t the day to ask yourself what you’re dreaming about. Maybe it’s the day to ask yourself whether you’re preparing to sustain it.

I hope murikundinzwa kumashure uko…olendlebe uzwile.

Love & light🧡