A Dream Achieved, A Life Unfulfilled: A Warning to High Achievers and Dreamers

Not a subscriber? Click here sign up to the Confrontation of Calling® Newsletter. (Don’t worry, we’ll save your spot here. A link will open in a new tab).

What happens when your dreams come true—and it’s still not enough?

Growing up, I always tried to do the “right” thing. As I shared in my previous blog post, I was constantly searching for acceptance—from parents, friends, teachers, and the people around me. I believed that performing well would earn me affection, affirmation, and love. So I worked hard, got good grades, behaved well, and followed all the rules.

None of those things are inherently bad. But my motive was.

I was striving to present a perfect version of myself. And for most of my life, perfection became the goal.

That path eventually led me to what society defines as the “perfect life.” I had a six-figure job, a car, an apartment, and I was traveling the world. I visited Greece; Curaçao; Turkey; Costa Rica—just to name a few. I was living the dream in my early twenties.

This was the life my Jamaican immigrant parents sacrificed for. The American Dream.

And yet, when I finally sat with the truth, I had to admit something uncomfortable:
Even though I had everything, I felt nothing.

I was deeply unfulfilled. There was a quiet but persistent knowing that there was more for me to do. Up until that point, I had never stepped outside of the expectations of others—or the expectations I had internalized as my own.

I found myself asking, “Is this all life has to offer?”

When I honestly examined my daily routine and imagined living that way for the next forty years, I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t even commit to two more years.

I was being called to step into my purpose—and it looked nothing like what others expected of me, or even what I had expected for myself. Still, I chose to follow the call of the Lord. I walked away from the six-figure career and began building my business.

Slowly, my motives shifted from “How perfect can I be?” to “How can I live authentically as the person I was created to be?”

So to the high achievers and big dreamers, I want to ask you this:

What are your motives?

Are you truly focused on living out your purpose? Or are you trying to live a perfect life?

Perfection is impossible. And prosperity means nothing without purpose and peace—two things you cannot buy, work for, or earn. They must be realized, received, and lived in.

I encourage you to take time today to reflect on your why. If your dreams are rooted in self-preservation, self-aggrandizement or self-gratification, I offer this truth: it’s an unstable foundation.

Because when you crumble, the life you built on that foundation will crumble with you.

Unapologetically,

Dianne

If this resonated with you, there’s more to the story. I share what led me to walk away from my six-figure job and choose obedience to purpose in Episode 1 of Confrontation of Calling®: The Podcast. You can listen here.