“All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds, wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act on their dreams with open eyes, to make them possible.” – T.E. Lawrence

Do you have a dream gnawing at you because you keep trying to stuff it down, but it just won’t go away? Most of us probably do, but our responsibilities and daily lives keep us from acting on them. However, some of us take the plunge anyway in hopes that, by following our hearts, we can finally come alive.

If you’ve been on the fence about following your dreams, let the stories of these everyday people serve as your inspiration. Let them remind you that anyone can achieve their dreams if they put their mind to it!

Here are 20 people who never gave up and turned their dreams into reality:

1. Even when you’re at your lowest, someone could come into your life and change it for the better. Beautiful story!

Yesterday I married this beautiful woman. After years of PTSD, crippling anxiety and depression I can finally say I am the happiest I have ever been. She sees the beauty in every little thing around her and it is by her example that I have learned to truly love life.
byu/patrickmachine inhappy

2. No matter what you’re going through, if you keep your eyes on your dreams, you can make it.

After years of struggling to get out of bed with pain from endometriosis and RA, this morning I walked 4K of the Great Wall
byu/Znev inhappy

3. Can you imagine being in that situation? What a strong woman to go through that and come out on top!

I’ve erased 100 titles by now because nothing can explain how happy I am. Four years of trying to figure out how to be an utterly single mom, homelessness, and living in my car, we finally moved into a real home. Obligatory floor pizza on the first night
byu/Cynicismanddick inhappy

4. Earning a Master’s Degree is no easy feat, so congratulations, Ma’am!

After many long years in school- my Master’s diploma came. I am so happy and proud of myself.
byu/brandsie inhappy

5. Buying a house in 2019 isn’t cheap, so this is a huge accomplishment!

Hey, Reddit! I bought my first house today!
byu/bburk437 inpics

6. Man’s best friend is literally the best birthday present ever. So awesome!

I’ve struggled with anxiety and depression since I was 15. Since bringing Mia into my life just one week ago, I’ve felt more happiness and peace than I ever thought possible. With her by my side, I know 26 will be my best year yet.
byu/710coug inhappy

7. Only the bravest among us could even think of jumping out of a plane. Kudos to you, Sir!

Just completed my certification to become a class A Skydiver! Here’s a shot from my grad jump.
byu/TheDollaLama inpics

8. Working two jobs isn’t easy, but it definitely beats being unemployed. What a heartwarming story!

After nearly 2 months of being unemployed, horrible depression, and eating nothing but rice and beans for the past two weeks I now have 2 jobs. One as a Bartender and another as a Pita Maker. I am not only very happy, but extremely grateful.
by inhappy

9. What an adorable little man! He’s clearly so happy that his dad adopted him.

Our adoption was finalized today! I’m “officially” a dad!
byu/abeeseas indaddit

10. This couple certainly deserved their very own backyard paradise!

In their 34 years of marriage, my parents worked multiple jobs to support our family. Every summer they would fill a small, round, inflatable pool with water from the garden hose for us kids. Yesterday they had their first swim in their very own pool!
byu/katnatcatnap inMadeMeSmile

11. Sometimes, the darkest times in your life reveal your greatest strengths.

I’m holding my new album CD for the first time. I wrote this album while going through depression, and I couldn’t be happier to still be alive and experience this 🙏🏾🤗
byu/passenger21 inhappy

12. To all the Harry Potter fans out there teeming with jealousy, we hear you.

My dad loves legos so for his 50th Birthday we got him the Hogwarts Castle. He’s so happy.
byu/xobbyscorpioo inpics

13. How inspiring! That’s a really great time, too!

I ran my first race today! It was a 6.5km and I did it in 44:27! I trained for two months (and lost nearly three clothes sizes), having never been a runner before. I’m so dang proud of myself!
byu/toriadenofrio inhappy

14. Mental illnesses are hard to overcome, and this is definitely a step in the right direction.

Today for the first time in my Anorexia recovery being told “I look healthy” made me happy not guilty! Yay for good mental shifts!
byu/scrlett inhappy

15. This is an important stepping stone on the path to making her dreams come true!

My Daughter Won a welding skills fest today. Best Valentine’s Day gift ever!!
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16. You’re never too old to play around with your hair color!

Grandma always wanted to dye her hair, finally happened
byu/brunomennaB inMadeMeSmile

17. Hard work pays off, so never give up on your dreams!

I’ve lost a lot of weight and can finally see it when I look in the mirror, this is the first time in months I’ve dressed up and felt genuinly decent looking 🙂
by inhappy

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18. It’s awesome how this dad has the support of his family as well. Way to go!

I’ve never seen my dad go a whole day without a drink, until this year. 27 days sober and counting!
byu/bloodblondie inMadeMeSmile

19. Creative endeavors take a ton of willpower and effort to see through; congrats to this Reddit user!

I have finished photographing the final recipe for my first cookbook! I’m a self taught photographer and home cook and I’ve been working nights and weekends developing over 100 recipes over 4 months. I’m soon going to be a published author and I’m so freaking proud.
byu/BushyEyes inhappy

20. This is a beautiful moment captured on camera. If you go after your dreams with all your heart, they CAN come true!

Gabriel Nobre, 19, with his mom and sister right after he found out he’d passed Brazil’s famously difficult university entrance exam. The young man had cut a deal with a prep course to clean the building in exchange for free classes to help him prepare for the exam.
byu/ThatDIYCouple inMadeMeSmile

Dreams seem impossible to achieve at times, but many people have started from the bottom and climbed their way up the ladder to their dream life. Just remember that anything you can conceive, you can achieve. It takes a lot to get there, but with time and perseverance, you can do it!

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