I used to see my dreams an improbable future state of myself. A coping mechanism for a life that was below my ideal. I knew I could be more, but the dreams seemed more like daydreams than what was actually possible. To put it bluntly, I had an unhealthy view of what was actually possible.

You see, my dreams were being held captive by a variety of captors: sleeping in, comfortable relationships, inability to endure temporary pain/discomfort, not being able to say no, the risk of rejection, fear of loss, and so many more familiar captors.

Like someone suffering from Stockholm Syndrome, I didn’t just tolerate my captors – I defended them. I justified them. It felt natural to sleep in. It felt reasonable to avoid the difficult path. It felt comfortable to spend time with the very habits and mindsets that were holding my dreams hostage.

The breakthrough came when I stopped identifying with my captors and started seeing them for what they were. The life I wanted wasn’t being denied by circumstances; it was being negotiated away, one comfortable decision at a time.

The moment I stopped sympathizing with what was holding me back, my dreams stopped looking improbable and started looking inevitable.

Each day, our dreams are steadily dying day-by-day unless we take precise actions. Time is not on our side. In fact, some of the ‘hostages’ are already dead – our dreams that will never be realized due to our inability to act. As your dreams die off, the reality becomes more painful each day. I suck at freeing these things.

It’s time to identify the real captor. So, who is holding the dreams hostage? It’s you.

Waking up early to pursue your dream isn’t hard. Enduring a moment of pain or discomfort isn’t hard. Having your dream die is hard. Don’t fool yourself and mortgage your future.