Alejandro S.
Photography by Peyton Mears
If you’re reading this, don’t define yourself by your faults, but by your dreams.
Four years ago, I started a monumental journey that would take me years to complete: watching One Piece. This 1100-episode show seemed like an impossible task that I would eventually drop. Halfway into this four-year journey, I did.
I didn’t realize until very recently that I’ve felt down for most of my life. This constant feeling has existed in the background of everything I’ve done for years. Even with all the things people congratulated me on, I couldn’t feel the pride that I was supposed to. It’s a plaque that eats at everything that you do. Every accomplishment has a question mark added to it. Every moment is a question about how well I’m living my life. Every idea in my head is a stream of insults towards the things I’m not satisfied with in my life.
The show felt like ocean noise that was consumed by the endless content on my phone. The content only amplified the disappointments I felt about myself. The disappointments grew into a whirlpool that became a daily part of my thinking. Time drifted past high school graduation and into college. But the transition only darkened the waters. The problems causing this only continued when I realized that I was alone in my dorm.
However, it was in this environment that I took the first step towards happiness: watching the show again. I didn’t realize this at the time, but this commitment was the first sign that I could do something else other than fall into the same spirals I was in for years. I trusted that I would not drop the show in favor of a quick scroll on my phone. Each episode was a reward for the academic, physical, and social goals I set for myself. Each episode was the beginning of a new goal that I could take up in the future. Rather than letting life take me along its current, I would row out towards my dreams.
Now, I’ve caught up with the show. Instead of feeling sad about the things I missed, I care about the direction I’m moving forward in. I found value in my own company and patience with my own progress. I have learned that disappointments are not defining moments. They are the moments that test you. Even if you fail, that’s not a disaster, just a misstep. There are no more anchors, only currents taking me towards the future.
For you, it might not be One Piece. It could be an instrument you haven’t touched in years, a fitness goal that seems out of reach, or a decision that you’ve put off for a long time. Anything can spark a dream in your mind. These sparks are not distractions but the beginnings of something new. They are proof that you are still here and capable of growth.
Dreams are the planks that make up your ship. They are the things that hold our ship together as we navigate through this world. When you define yourself by your dreams, you work towards the future that you want for yourself. The main character Luffy’s most famous line is “I’m gonna be King of the Pirates.” It’s in your hands, not your past, to say who you’re gonna be.
If you’re reading this, set sail toward your future, no matter how high the waves.
Alejandro S., Florida State University
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