Let me tell you something that’s been rattling around in my heart for a long while. As you get older, something sneaky happens. It doesn’t hit you all at once—it’s more like a slow drip from a leaky faucet. People stop asking you what you dream about. They start talking more about what’s “practical,” what’s “realistic,” and what could go wrong.

And if you’re not careful, you start believing them.

You see, when you’re young, dreaming is easy. The whole world is one big open road and you think, “Heck, I can be an astronaut, a baker, and a blues guitarist before lunch.” But somewhere along the way—maybe after a few bumps, a couple of bad bosses, or one too many news cycles—your dreams start to feel like old toys. They get put on a shelf to collect dust while you chase bills, raise kids, and try to keep up with the Joneses.

Worse yet, we live in a world that’s gotten pretty good at pointing out every little crack in the paint. Social media’s like a 24/7 judgment panel, and Lord help you if you trip up. Someone’s always ready to chime in about what you “should” be doing, or how you’re not quite good enough, fast enough, or young enough.

But let me tell you this, straight from an old heart that’s seen a thing or two:
Your dreams don’t come with an expiration date.

Sure, they might change shape. Maybe you’re not climbing Everest anymore, but you’re writing a book or starting that side hustle or planting a garden that makes the neighbors stop and smile. That still counts. That still matters.

What you’ve got to do is protect those dreams like you would a newborn calf in a snowstorm—shield ’em, feed ’em, whisper to ’em in the dark so they know you still believe.

And don’t let this noisy, fault-finding world convince you that dreaming is naive. No sir. You know what’s really naive? Thinking that a life without dreams is going to fill you up. That chasing someone else’s version of “success” is going to satisfy your soul.

Keep a spark in your eye.
Keep something wild in your heart.
And for the love of all things sacred, never let the critics silence your song.

Because here’s the secret: most folks who criticize are just scared. Scared they gave up too soon, or that someone else’s dream might outshine the life they settled for. But that’s not your path. You don’t have to shrink to fit their comfort zone.

So go ahead, kid—dream big, love hard, fail loudly, and get back up. That’s the stuff of a life well-lived.

And if anyone tells you otherwise, just smile and say, “Thanks, Grandpa would disagree.”