By NATASHA IMAN

alltherage@thestar.com.my

I had always envisioned 2012 as an important year. It was the year I’d graduate from high school and finally be able to take eight months off from studying. It was also the year that I would begin chasing my dream of studying in Japan.

Merely weeks before the start of my schooling year in Australia, I was given the option of pursuing my dreams to study in Japan earlier. That means I could start preparing for entrance into a Japanese university in Japan itself.

It was a rather perplexing time as I listened to endless advice from peers and family members; however, the final decision lay in my hands.

Amid all the decision-making, I found myself trying to answer an unfathomable question – was I too young to chase my dreams?

When I resorted to asking the opinions of my peers they blatantly said, “Wait till you’ve finished high school before you start pursuing anything.” Meanwhile, many of those enrolled in universities mentioned that they would start chasing their dreams after their undergraduate degree.

But what if your dream were to start before you have graduated from high school?

I could not help but to place myself in the shoes of my parents at this point in time. How would I have reacted if I had a daughter who told me that she would not regret her decision to move to a different country to study?

Would I have taken her seriously?

In situations like these where age defines maturity, it can be said that perhaps the dreams and aspirations of a youth is viewed differently.

A child may first wish to be a policeman when he grows up, but as he grows older, he may want to become a musician instead.

This transition often continues to the point where it becomes almost indistinguishable by our parents when we are truly passionate about pursuing something.

I myself have boggled my parents with dreams of being a forensic scientist after many years of watching Crime Scene Investigation shows. At one point, I even wanted to become a musician after being obsessed with a band.

While all those careers seemed viable at the time, as I grew up, I slowly began finding a true passion for writing and the humanities which all account for the decisions I have made, right up to now.

However, the dreams of an adult might be more concrete as he or she has explored further and has been exposed to more things. One could even say that they may truly know what they want out of life.

Perhaps age should not determine whether you can or should pursue your dreams; rather, decisiveness should.

I believe that you can never be too young to chase your dreams. A dream helps you determine a goal that will eventually help you plan for the future.

Listening to people make statements like “you may fail” or “what happens if you don’t do well?” might just put you off, but even if you do fail in the end, at least you wouldn’t have wondered how your life might have turned out if you had chosen not to do it. Those who dream should dare to fail, too.

Even if you do fail, there is nothing stopping you from trying again.

As American writer and philosopher Elbert Hubbard once said: “The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one.”

So, if you have a dream, the best thing you can do for yourself is to know exactly what you want and how to get there. Keep telling yourself why you want to achieve it.

As easy as chasing your dreams may sound, the road to achieving it will be filled with obstacles. Nevertheless, pursuing something that completes you, will make you happy.

So whether it be the unexplainable need to study in Japan, or dreams of becoming a Korean pop singer, nothing comes without self-discipline, perseverance and motivation.

Don’t let the negativity of others prevent you from following your dreams. Accept positive and encouraging guidance from those around you that hold constructive advice. Even when things seem impossible at times, hang in there and who knows, you might just inspire others along the way.

R.AGE is constantly looking for young contributors like Natasha Iman (@NatashaMA) to write to us about their life experiences, and opinions on current issues that affect their lives. Send your articles to alltherage@thestar.com.my or tweet us at @thestar rage if you have any suggestions/questions on what to write.