Remember when you were a child and would think what you want to do when you grow up? If you were anything like me, you saw yourself sailing around the world, going to the moon, building a school, and owning a kangaroo. You did not know how you would do these things or even what they actually entailed. But you could sit on a swing and dream endlessly about them.

Things Aren’t as They Seem

While being a doer and a planner is very important, many of us stop being dreamers as we get older. We create rigid plans for our lives and fear being unsettled. We let our comfort zones and societal norms limit us. Conformity seems all too natural as this idea called ‘reality’ sets in and we begin to accept ‘things as they are.’

What science has revealed, however, is that things aren’t as they seem. For example, we can see with our own eyes that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. For that reason, all ancient cosmologies had the earth as the center with the sun moving around us each day. When Polish astronomer Copernicus published a book about the earth revolving around the sun, his ideas were seen as devoid of common sense. There are countless other examples in natural science showing that we should question whether things really are as they seem.

If you recognize that things aren’t as they seem, you are a visionary who is freer than most of the people around you. While you may not be able to put all of your dreams into action right now, you never give up on them. You are proactive in coming up with ideas and pushing yourself beyond your so-called ‘limits.’ Life is a journey, not a reality.

Unlocking your Potential

We all have setbacks and obstacles that get in the way of what we want. Some of us have more opportunities to live out our dreams than others. Thinking of these challenges as part of the battle, rather than as your fate, will free your mind and make it more likely that you get what you truly want.

I am inspired by the story of Wale Ifemi, who was living in West Africa on $1 a day. He joined Steemit as a blogger and within a few months made $41,000, along with another $18,000 from a story about his transformation. Exploring new possibilities beyond his immediate surroundings changed his life for the better.

A platform where upvotes turn into money may seem like a crazy idea to most people who are not familiar with blockchain technology. But here it is, making opportunities like this possible.

Childhood is the time when most of us remember being the freest, even though adults controlled most aspects of our lives. That is because we did not think as much about reality as we did about dreams and possibilities. Letting yourself dream again will allow you to unlock your potential and change your life.

Follow Millennial Fortune, your home for money and lifestyle tips: @hollyjb