"Explore. Dream. Discover."

"Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." -Mark Twain

Photo credit: brexians; flickr.com

This week I decided to look up quotes on dreams because I'm dreaming of getting all of my work done and I'm aspiring for a higher GPA.

Dreams. We all have them, we all want to make some of them come true. They come in different shapes, sizes, and flavors.  We aspire to be something better than ourselves all the time, but are we willing to take the risk?

Wishing and dreaming, as I've always been told, are two completely different things.  When you wish for something, you usually don't have the motivation to follow through and get it. When you dream about something, however, you might have a little more motivation.  

Coming to college in September I remember being completely terrified of this campus.  How big it is, so many people, I didn't know how I would survive!  But at the same time, it was a beautiful thing, though back then I didn't exactly see it that way. It's funny how 8 months can change your perspective on things.

When we graduate from High School, many of us cling to our old memories; we cling to the people we were and the old ways that we had gotten used to, even if it was only 4 years. When you get to college, you hear a cacophony of directions; the sound is deafening. Some people tell you you should be doing this, others tell you to do nothing and just try to find yourself. I can remember thinking, "Oh yeah, that's great advice."

Coming to college in itself was a step out of my comfort zone, especially to a college this enormous.  I could have gone to a University 15 minutes from my house, but I chose to go to a school 4 hours away. Why? I wanted a different perspective; I wanted more experience with different kinds of people. I didn't want to see the same people I had known for the last 4+ years.

I suppose college is really all about taking your dreams, what you want to do, and getting to that goal by coming out of your comfort zone.  Sure, there are many ways to approach such a change in your life, but honestly, I feel like you get thrust into leaving your "safe harbor."  You have more freedom to explore, to develop yourself, to develop your perspective of the world without feeling like you need to please someone else.

The picture is wonderful with this.  It's just a boat in the water, but it's so pretty, and it goes right along with  the idea of "catch the trade winds in your sails." There are other boats, possibly signifying that you aren't alone in your exploration. You look at the water, and it's almost like looking at the open ocean. An endless sea of possibilities just waiting for you.  It perfectly depicts the whole quote.

In this quote I would Say Mark Twain is trying to tell us all to get up and do something different. Try some new things out. You need to move around, otherwise you'll never learn and grow as a person.  When you explore more things, you'll come up with new goals and dreams, and then you will discover the many secrets life holds.

"Explore. Dream. Discover."