So I registered for Borderless World Volunteers (BWV), without much conviction at first. But it was a club that changed my whole perspective of life. We were responsible for doing fundraising all year long to send volunteers abroad and implement projects with local NGOs. Last year’s destinations were Peru and Africa. We organized leadership trainings for volunteers and a conference on economic development and the challenges developing countries will face for the next 2 decades. We planned restaurant fundraising outings and open mike nights. We had fun, we met a lot of people from different backgrounds and perspectives, and we learned a lot. This is an example of a life-changing experience for me. So find your passion. Unlock your potential. Create time for the things you love. Keep that flame in you constantly vivid.
So all your life, you have been dreaming of making a movie, writing a novel, climbing the mount Kilimanjaro or volunteering for an NGO in Southeast Asia… but never had the guts to take the leap. Instead, you fall into the trap of “I don’t have time right now, I have to focus on more important priorities. I’ll do it next year. I’m still young.” And then the years fly by, you cannot keep track of time anymore, and soon enough comes the time for “serious things”, such as giving your hand to a stranger or changing diapers to your 1-year old who does not let you sleep 2 nights in a row. Soon enough, the big dreams shrink in size, become more reasonable and moderated, because we have become wise adults. The tiny dreams are thrown in a drawer, to be retrieved one day, if we have time… before we die.
Before you know it, the Reaper is threatening you, ready to make an appointment with you any minute. Only then do you realize that your childhood dream of becoming an astronaut will just remain a naive fantasy, or that your promise to yourself as a kid to travel around the world was merely a candid wish that belongs to the fairy tale realm. You have regrets, but there is not even time for regrets, as the circle of life has already moved its wheel. So become an astronaut. Explore the world, its diversity and charm. Learn those two foreign languages you were so excited about. Become this eager actor who loves to give it all during each performance on stage. It is high time to live the life you dreamed of, and to live it now. Write down your objectives and goals on a piece of paper, and experience this endorphin rush in your brain every time you achieve one of these accomplishments, and make the child in you smile again with satisfaction. I can assure you, it is the greatest feeling on earth.
