What if your deepest goals were never really yours?
We grow up being told to “follow our dreams.”
It sounds noble, empowering even spiritual. But what if the dreams you’ve been chasing aren’t yours at all? What if they were planted in your mind, carefully, intentionally, and over time?
Think about it.
You didn’t wake up one day, as a child, and decide you wanted a corner office, a six-figure salary, or to own a designer handbag. Those ideas entered your brain through movies, ads, influencers, and school systems that reward certain paths and punish others.What you call “your dream” might actually be a polished version of someone else’s business plan.
How Capitalism Shapes Your Aspirations
In a world where every click is tracked and every second of your attention is monetized, marketing is no longer about selling products
it’s about selling identities.
You don’t just buy a car. You buy success.
You don’t just enroll in a course. You buy worthiness.
You don’t just post online. You build a brand.
It’s not a coincidence that everyone wants the same things:
Freedom.
Aesthetic success.
Hustle culture.
Minimalism that still costs $500 per coffee table.
Your goals were pre-packaged, algorithm-approved, and fed to you in a way that felt… organic.
The Problem With “Dream Big” Culture
Dreaming big is not the problem.
But chasing a dream that was designed to keep you spending, scrolling, and striving that’s dangerous.We’re taught to hustle endlessly. Rest is lazy. Simplicity is failure. And being content? That’s suspicious.
So what happens?
You get the job, the house, the shiny “success,”
… and still feel empty.
Because no one tells you that real fulfillment doesn’t come from achievement.It comes from alignment.
Ask Yourself These Questions
- Who benefits from me chasing this dream?
- Did I want this before I saw it online?
- What would I do if no one ever knew I did it?
If your dream needs an audience, it might not be a dream it might be a performance.
Reclaiming Your Mind
You don’t need to burn your goals to the ground.But you do need to audit them.
Try this:
- Spend time offline without ads or recommendations.
- Reflect on what brings you peace (not applause).
- Explore dreams that are quiet, private, and maybe even boring to others.
There’s power in building a life that doesn’t look good on Instagram… but feels good in real life.
Final Thought
Your dreams are not sacred by default.
Some of them are sacred because you made them sacred through reflection, meaning, and action.
But others?
They’re just expensive illusions with good lighting.
So ask yourself are you living your dream?
Or are you just following a script written by someone else?
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