Belakangan ini saya banyak mikir tentang cita-cita. Tentang tujuan hidup dan masa depan. Quarter life crisis kalo kata orang. Tapi karena saya nggak tahu kapan quarter ini selesai, saya lebih suka disebut on going crisis aja hahahaha.
Idealnya, setiap orang punya cita-cita yang dibangun sejak kecil. Kalau saya dulu waktu SD cita-citanya suka nggak masuk akal gitu. Yang paling bertahan lama adalah cita-cita jadi detektif dan jadi komikus (nggak masuk akal karena sama sekali nggak punya skill buat jadi keduanya hahaha). Sewaktu SMP cita-cita saya banyak dipengaruhi sama bagaimana keluarga saya menjalani hidupnya. Antara pingin jadi dokter (karena kakak saya dokter) atau pingin jadi dosen (karena orang tua saya ngajar). Waktu SMA cita-cita saya mulai agak realistis, tapi jangkanya pendek sekali: saya ingin masuk Komunikasi UI. Setelah kesampean, waktu kuliah cita-cita ini saya spesifikasi lagi dan saya gantungkan setinggi langit seperti saran orang-orang.
Setelah dua tahun saya adulting, saya jadi mulai mikir lagi tentang cita-cita saya yang di langit itu. Saya inginnya itu, tapi kok malah ngerjain yang ini? Emang saya udah nggak mau berjuang buat cita-cita saya ya, kok malah nggetu-nya buat yang ini.
Setelah berdialektika sama diri sendiri, saya mencapai kesimpulan: Menemukan cita-cita baru di sepanjang jalan, dan memutuskan untuk mengejar cita-cita yang baru itu valid kok!
Kita masih muda saat diminta menggantungkan cita-cita. More often than not, we dream about something we thought cool. Something that build the illusion around us that it would be meaningful. Thus, making us set it as our life goals. Along the way, when we are no longer bonded to school and we could choose our own interest without time limit, we found other thing that was more intriguing, more passionate, more tempting to fight for. And I tell you, IT IS VALID. You are valid for having a new dream. You are not throwing out your dream and choose to strive for something easier, less meaningful, no you are not. You simply just find another thing worthy your time. And it is allowed.
A woman once wanting to be a nurse but now dreaming on nurturing her own children? Valid. A man once dying to study law but now pursue acting? Allowed! A mother once seeing her family as everything but now fight for their right in congress? Why not?
The important thing is, we still have the dream. We still fight for something better. And as Obama said, better is worth fighting for. So girls, (and boys), keep fighting for your dream. The same old one or the new passionate one. You can hang it anywhere as long as you know how to reach it. And do not let anyone say otherwise. ever. Don't let anyone judge you and make you feel bad about wanting to go for different thing. Don't let anyone choose for you which dream to live for. It is your dream. You gonna live with it. It is too pity to sacrifice your method of life just for the sake of other's expectations. You deserve more than that.
So keep that beautiful dream of yours and let's strive together. For the better.
Ps. Well, even Rapunzel (My favorite princess!) found her own new dream. Better, because she already achieved her first one. Progress!
