Every man’s monumental achievement comes from the smallest dreams.
People are inspired to go beyond their limits and prove to the universe that they’re capable of conquering the impossible.
But when the universe does its tricks and turns its back on you, how would you continue with what you’ve started in achieving your dreams? The answer lies in the question itself: have faith in the power of your dreams.
Such manifesto about the potent force of dreaming, in my opinion, is this year’s central theme of the best picture nominees in this year’s Oscars.
In Captain Phillips, cargo ship captain Richmond Phillips (Tom Hanks) is caught by Somali pirates. His only wish is to survive and live. He almost succumbs to despair, but clinging to his faith, he surives. The film’s heart-pounding storyline tells much about how humanity must believe in the power of faith.
In Gravity, Dr. Ryan Stone(Sandra Bullock) displays courage and strong faith to escape death in outer space. She draws inspiration from the thought of her daughter who died at the age of four. All she dreamed of then was to be a good mother and a great person. Although she wasn’t able to live her dream because of her daughter’s death, she’s forced by direst circumstances in space to realize it.
And who could ever forget Joaquin Phoenix’s remarkable performance in Her, an honest depiction of intimacy in the modern world. Theodore’s (Phoenix’s character) only dream is to find the woman of his life. He finds her in an operating system (OS) named Samantha (Scarlett Johansson).
Getting the best picture award was the critics’ favorite, Steve McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave.
Patsey, the beautiful black slave, is portrayed by Kenyan-born Mexican-American Lupita Nyong’O, who went to Yale School of Drama to pursue her dream of becoming an actor. She won the best supporting actress award.
“Wherever you come from, your dreams are valid,” said the actress in accepting the award.
My only dream upon entering college was to have a worthwhile stay in UST.
Coming from the far-flung province of Cagayan, I enrolled in UST with no assurance if I would survive and stay on. I was an academic scholar who had to maintain the cut-off grade of 1.75.
On my first semester I failed the cut-off. I almost gave up. But I fought for my dream and got a second chance.
Then the Varsitarian came along.
For three years, it has been the haven that nurtured my dreams. It has reared me to who I am now.
Without the ‘V’ my dreams would be fully empty and I would have wandered in the miserable expanse of the universe finding my worth. The ‘V’ has been one of my greatest loves in UST. TWith my first love, Becarios de Santo Tomas, ‘V’ has never failed me in achieving my dreams. It may have hurt me many times, but I know that those scars are the very reasons why I keep on living my dreams.
I graduated in college living my parents’ dream for me to walk down the stage with a medal hanging on my neck. I graduated in college living my dream of meeting the best people I could ever imagine (Jonnie, Irish, Rj, Pau, Badette, whole 4JRN1 block, and the whole Becarios BeST people). I graduated in college living my neighbors’ dream to be the first person in our barangay to graduate with honors in a prestigious school. And most of all, I realized my dream of having the best four years of my life.
