"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams"

Dreams are more than mere imaginations. It is the power that makes your possibilities endless, and the hope that you can achieve whatever you set your heart to. Your dreams are valid, and you should never let them go. 

Just like an artist that paints, there are no limits. If he so wishes, he can draw the highest of mountains and the most beautiful of mansions. Well, the same can be said of dreams and aspirations. You are the artist and architect of your life, and you can dream as you please. There's nothing like too big or too small a dream.

However, it is not enough to 'only' dream, without putting a step towards actualizing it. The bigger the dream, the bigger the hard work it requires. Turning your dreams into reality is not like pouring yourself a drink at the bar, but more like preparing lasagna— so many things go into the dish before it makes a sumptuous meal.

Take a Step Forward
To dream without taking the necessary steps to turn them into reality is like living in a utopia— an imaginary world that only exists in your mind. Purely fictional if you ask me. 

The best way to begin anything is to take the first step. Like a rocket about to launch, fire away.

Jeremy Rudd, an African-American actor who recently featured on the Tv show— City on a Hill, and also went on to executively produce his first feature film— The Night of the Heist recounts that his journey into the spotlight all started with a dream. He began to pursue his dreams right from high school— which was the point he started figuring out what he really wanted to do with his life.

Thanks to his family, Jeremy was imbibed with an entrepreneurial spirit and mentality right from when he was young. "I grew up in a household full of entrepreneurs. My family started a restaurant in the early '80s, which was very difficult at the time for African Americans. This made me learn the true value of hard work. And now, my family has 14 restaurants in the Seattle area," he recalls.

This made Jeremy learn that no matter what his dreams were, he could achieve them with focus, determination, and a well-thought-out plan. 

Like Nike's slogan, just do it. Bid for that job. Build that business idea. Take that audition. 

Whatever your dreams are, act on them. Most people usually get stuck in their minds because they overthink, and at the end of the day, they don't put in the necessary action. Truth be told, you don't need to have it all figured out, or have all the answers. What matters most is that you start with what you've got. You can easily figure out the rest along the way. 

Stay Resilient
As Denzel Washington once said; "If you pray for the rain, you gotta deal with the mud too. That's a part of it." 

Let nobody fool you, it's never going to be a smooth road.

Just like how they say pressure creates diamonds, similarly, it takes sweat, determination, and hard work to actualize your dreams. Obstacles would come hurling at you, but you've got to hold on to the beauty of your dreams. Staying resilient and not giving up will help you go even further than you've ever dreamt. 

To exemplify, Jeremy's rise to fame did not happen on a platter of gold. He had to work for it. He recounts the number of no's he got before he finally got his first movie role. "For every 50 no's, you'll eventually get a yes and get cast for a role. It took me a bunch of auditions and self-tapes before I landed my first major role. You just have to learn from your mistake and perfect your craft as an actor each time you go into the audition room," he advises.

Jeremy advises that you should never give up on your dreams. Even when you face a lot of roadblocks, be sure to keep going. When you also make mistakes, learn from them and ensure that you never make the same mistake twice. 
 

Enjoy the Journey
The journey to success can be a beautiful thing if you make it so. Let the sky be your starting point, and remember, there are no limits. When you actualize a particular dream, it motivates you to do more and dream even bigger, because you're now more confident that indeed, your dreams are valid.

After Jeremy's supporting role in the 2017 film— Burning Sands, he was also majorly noticed on Pink Skies Ahead in 2020. This got his work duly recognized and marked his big entry into the film and television industry.
 
Still, he has constantly proved that he's a force to be reckoned with in the world of entertainment. According to him, he has only just begun, and his passion is forever burning. "There's still so much that I want to accomplish with acting. I won't stop till my name is well known around the US and the world at large. I'm staying consistent and making sure that I keep getting better at my craft. As an actor, you have to constantly learn, unlearn, and relearn, so that you keep getting better every single day," Jeremy emphasizes.

Dear dreamer, even though the journey to success may not be an easy feat, enjoy the process and grow through it all.