Don't let go

Here's a story that always makes me cringe.

There once was a man whose lifelong dream was to board a cruise ship and sail the Mediterranean Sea. He dreamed of walking the streets of Rome, Athens, and Istanbul. He saved every penny until he had enough for his passage. Since money was tight, he brought an extra suitcase filled with cans of beans, boxes of crackers, and bags of powdered lemonade, and that is what he lived on every day.

He would have loved to take part in the many activities offered on the ship—working out in the gym, playing miniature golf, and swimming in the pool. He envied those who went to movies, shows, and cultural presentations. And, oh, how he yearned for only a taste of the amazing food he saw on the ship—every meal appeared to be a feast! But the man wanted to spend so very little money that he didn’t participate in any of these. He was able to see the cities he had longed to visit, but for the most part of the journey, he stayed in his cabin and ate only his humble food.

On the last day of the cruise, a crew member asked him which of the farewell parties he would be attending. It was then that the man learned that not only the farewell party but almost everything on board the cruise ship—the food, the entertainment, all the activities—had been included in the price of his ticket. Too late the man realized that he had been living far beneath his privileges. 
- President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, April 2011 

I happen to be at the stage of life where many "big decisions" are made. Many of my friends are looking for work, moving to the big city or getting married. One of these friends was offered an unexpected position at the company she's always wanted to go. I was really happy for her, even though it wasn't the position that she wanted in the first place, it's a rare opportunity and chances or switching to another position later on is high. The road to our dreams is almost always uphill, requiring effort and sacrifices. Surely, it's worth it to pursue our dream?

Yet, as she considered the offer, another job opportunity came along that tempted her greatly. It was really anything related to what she wanted to do but it offered the same pay, with less commuting time and work load. Suddenly, this seemed like a good idea. Why work our life away for a dream if we can just float along to the end?

Today, I want to say to her, what are dreams if we give them up so easily? Please don't forget your passion and excitement when you began this road. The things you wanted to accomplish and become. Why let a few little obstacles persuade to take the easier route? If we don't go up hill, sweat a little and trip a few times, then we will never reach the mountain peak to see the sun rise.

We are all immensely blessed in our lives. We have families and friends, food and shelter, work and school. We are constantly given opportunities to learn, to serve, to work and to fulfill our purpose in life (btw, if you don't know what that is, the answer is to have joy. see here).

Please, don't give them up so easily. Don't break your marriage for a moment of pleasure with someone else. Don't ruin your education opportunities for a semester of fun. Don't let the love of your life pass you by because you don't have the courage to fight for it. Don't let your dream go because it's a little inconvenient. Those opportunities may never com again.

Don't let go.

中文翻譯：不要輕易放手