Why many dreams are on pause

It’s not laziness. It’s survival.

I’ve watched brilliant people abandon their dreams not because they stopped believing, but because life demanded something else.

Rent had to be paid.

A hospital bill landed out of nowhere.

A younger sibling needed school fees.

And just like that, the dream had to wait.

The goals that once lit you up?

Now buried under bank alerts, unpaid loans, and daily survival.

That business idea that once made your eyes shine?

Left on hold because no one tells you how expensive “just starting” can be.

The degree you longed for?

Life dragged you elsewhere.

Now you wake up, go through the motions, and somewhere between the hustle and the heaviness, you whisper,

“What happened to me?”

Here’s the truth:

You didn’t lose your drive.

The conditions around you changed.

You’re not lazy.

You’re tired.

You’re stretched thin.

You’re surviving.

Dreams demand more than desire.

They need energy. Time. Mental clarity. Emotional space.

But when your reality is built on constant problem solving, there’s barely anything left to give.

You’re not broken for pausing.

You’re human.

You did what you had to do.

But please don’t mistake survival for failure.

One day, your season will shift.

And when it does, pick that dream back up.

Not as a fresh start, but as someone who’s walked through fire and learned how to carry light.

The dream is still there.

And so are you.

If this touched you, share it. Someone out there needs to feel seen today.