Must I abandon old dreams if life did not follow the path I wanted when young?

Old dreams need not all be abandoned. Sometimes something else now takes priority, and when conditions suit, you can continue that interest in another way.

I loved drama when young and played a male lead in a student stage production. Later, attending my daughter’s school performance and seeing the students’ commitment recalled those days. She worked backstage that time. Even though I was not watching her act, it still brought many feelings.

I once told my wife that without becoming a master, perhaps I would have acted or directed. But asking myself now, what I most want remains helping people through Sheng Zhen Men. Not becoming a professional actor does not mean I suffer daily or that my former interests have lost meaning.

If Sheng Zhen Men’s foundation becomes stronger, perhaps drama or performance could help people understand cultivation more easily. This is a direction I have considered, not an arrangement already completed. Dreams can find new connections with present life. Returning to the original path is not the only way to honor ourselves.

So consider what matters most now and where you willingly spend time. Changed priorities do not make the past wasted. Interests, learning, and experiences may become useful later in a different way.