Are you truly living your dream life or are you trapped in a script written by others for you? It’s a tough question, but one worth asking for. From childhood, many of us are told what to do and who to become. “Doctor बनो, Engineer बनो.” “Secure job ले लो, life set हो जाएगी।” Out of love or fear, parents, society, and peers often hand us their version of a “safe” dream. And without realizing it, we start living borrowed dreams. On the outside, these dreams may look like success. On the inside, they often feel like emptiness something deep hollow inside.
How Dreams Get Borrowed
Dreams get borrowed in small, subtle ways:
- Childhood conditioning — “Don’t choose arts, there’s no scope.”
- Peer pressure — “Everyone is doing this course, you should too.”
- Society’s expectations — “Marriage by this age, career by that age.”
Kabir Das captured this illusion centuries ago:
“माया मरी न मन मरा, मर मर गया शरीर।
आशा त्रिष्णा न मरी, कह गए दास कबीर॥”
(The body perishes, but illusions and desires remain. Unless we awaken, we keep chasing what isn’t ours.)
Signs You’re Living Someone Else’s Dream
Not sure if your dream is borrowed? Watch for these signals:
- Restlessness despite success — you’ve achieved, but feel incomplete.
- Achievement without joy — promotions, money, status… but no fire inside.
- Living for approval — every decision weighed against “What will people say?”
- Silent regret — that whisper: “What if I had chosen differently?”
Reflection exercise: Ask yourself — If no one judged me, what would I truly choose today?
The Hidden Costs of Borrowed Dreams
Borrowed dreams are costly — and not just financially.
- Mental cost: burnout, identity crisis.
- Emotional cost: emptiness despite achievements.
- Spiritual cost: never discovering your authentic self.
As Gulzar wrote:
“कभी किसी को मुकम्मल जहाँ नहीं मिलता,
कहीं ज़मीं तो कहीं आसमान नहीं मिलता।”
(No one ever gets a complete world. Something always feels missing.)
And that “missing piece” is often your own buried dream.
A Framework to Reclaim Your Dream
It’s never too late to stop living borrowed dreams. Here’s how:
- Awareness — Journal honestly: whose voice am I following?
- Micro-experiments — Test your passions in small ways (courses, hobbies, projects).
- Boundaries — Say no to expectations that suffocate you.
- Courage to transition — Shift step by step, not overnight.
Rahim reminds us:
“रहिमन निज मन की व्यथा, मन ही राखो गोय।
सुनि अठलैंहैं लोग सब, बाँटि न लैहैं कोय॥”
(Your heart knows its truth. Others may laugh, but only you can live your dream.)
Daily Practices to Stay Aligned
- Morning check-in: “Is today’s choice mine?”
- Share one honest thought daily.
- Protect your boundaries: every no to others is a yes to yourself.
- Affirm: “I choose my path. My dreams matter.”
Final Thought
Borrowed dreams may win applause from society, but only authentic dreams win applause from your soul.
Kabir leaves us with this truth:
“सांच बराबर तप नाहीं, झूठ बराबर पाप।
जाके हृदय सांच है, ताके हृदय आप॥”
(No penance equals truth, no sin equals lies. Where there is truth in the heart, there the Divine resides.)
So stop borrowing. Start living. Your dream is waiting.
👉 If this blog touched you, share it with someone who feels trapped in expectations. And if you’d prefer to listen, tune into the full podcast episode on Spotify , youtube or apple podcast: The Power Within You – Episode 7: Borrowed Dreams.
#ThePowerWithinYou #Authenticity #Kabir #HindiPoetry #Motivation #SelfGrowth