Jaycee Snelson Week 11: Dreams

 Jaycee Snelson Week 11: Dreams

I don't know how much you have been watching the winter olympics but it is on 24/7 in my home and I have been watching it religiously. I especially love watching the figure skaters and this year I got really into curling. The more I watched, the more one ad stuck out to me. This ad showed multiple USA olympic athletes and explained how their dreams had gotten them here, the biggest honor for any athlete. Overall the ad was telling people to dream big and that they could do anything they put their mind to. I thought it was so interesting because it was showcasing the power of dreams and I agree with them but to an extent. 

It's true that dreams can be a positive thing. It is a great motivator and really pushes the person to their full potential. In fact I would consider having and reaching for your dream is a great example of growth mindset, and I am learning in my Psychology class right now just how powerful a growth mindset can be. It connects a link between hard work and success pushing people to work hard to achieve their goals. However, like every power, there is a downside to trying to achieve your dreams. 

Taking the need to succeed in your dream can have the opposite effect especially with setbacks and failures. Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, some dreams will never happen. And, if you believe that the dream is not successful it can lead to you believing that the dream is not possible because of a flaw inside yourself not because of outside circumstances that are not within your control. 

So, I hope you use the power of your dream to push yourself to your full potential but just know that no matter the outcome you should be proud of how much you have accomplished. 

Comments

  1. Disha MurugupandiyanFebruary 14, 2026 at 4:28 PM

    You’re absolutely right in saying that having a dream can be both a positive and negative thing. If you had a dream, you would have a goal that you’re aiming for and you aren’t blindly just living. It would motivate you and push you to achieve it if it really is something that you want and like to do. Of course, like everything else, it can have a negative effect as well. Take Ilia Malinin for example. I don’t rigorously watch figure skating, but when I heard about an athlete that was doing skills that no one else had ever been able to do, I knew I had to keep my eye out for him. Just yesterday, he went from the favorite to win gold to not even finishing on the podium. It’s extremely heartbreaking to watch, especially knowing that he was confident in his skills and that this was one of his dreams. Although us viewers don’t know exactly what went wrong or why he was unable to execute his quads, I’m sure he’s beating himself up over it and is extremely frustrated, especially since he knew those were skills he was confident in. I hope he can pick himself up and work towards the future, as I have no doubt that he is definitely capable of it. At his young age, it’s likely that he will have the chance to go to the Olympics again, and I hope he can achieve his dream there. On the other hand, there’s also Chloe Kim. This Olympics, she was competing to achieve a feat that no one else had in her sport, 3 straight Olympic gold medals. Even though she unfortunately did not achieve that, she still seemed really happy to be on the podium, especially not knowing whether she would even be there a month ago. And honestly, it’s so heartwarming to see that the athlete that won gold was her protege. I agree with you when you say that no matter the outcome, you should be proud of what you have accomplished. Ilia Malinin was able to learn a skill no one else could do and Chloe Kim became one of the most influential Olympic athletes of all time. Nevertheless, this definitely is not the end of either of their journeys.

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  2. Casmin BuiFebruary 15, 2026 at 10:25 PM

    Hi Jaycee! Same! My dad has also been watching the Olympic figure skaters a lot on the TV during dinner, but I honestly get the hype because the way they skate on the ice is so elegant and mesmerizing. It’s so much more impressive because I’ve ice skated before, and it’s so much harder than it looks (I actually sprained my wrist recently because I fell on the ice).

    Yes! I really like how you approached this. Dreams are so powerful once you put your mind to it but it’s certainly understandable to feel like you’re going nowhere especially if there aren’t any clear signs that you are moving toward that dream. I think dreams can change though, and that’s totally ok! People age, and as they do, maybe the enjoyments they used to have can develop differently. That just gives way to new open doors and possibilities!

    I’m so glad that you reminded us to be proud of how far we’ve come. I certainly believe that a key part to achieving your dreams is acknowledging that growth is not linear, and despite the setbacks that one faces, that’s just a part of growth and human life! I think a huge part is also not putting too much pressure on yourself. Just like in the Olympics, Alysia Liu skated because she had a clear passion in showing her skill to the world rather than being caught up on getting on the podium, and genuinely loves competing so much that she feels the least stress during a competition.

    Wonderful blog, Jaycee! :)

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  3. Acintya ShenoyFebruary 18, 2026 at 11:00 AM

    Jaycee, I really appreciate the realistic approach you have towards dreams, and your attention to the emotional toll of setbacks that an overly optimistic mindset can bring. A few days ago, I was passively watching Olympic women’s downhill alpine skiing when I witnessed Lindsey Vonn’s traumatic accident. She had torn her ACL just nine days before the event, but still decided to compete in the Olympics because injuries had prevented her from competing many times, and it was her dream to compete. However, her misfortunes would continue to multiply: 13 seconds into her descent, she crashed into a flagpole and fracturing her tibia, requiring an airlift by helicopter to medical aid and numerous surgeries. The very next day, her 13-year-old dog passed away.

    “My Olympic dream is not over,” Vonn had written on her Instagram page, determined to compete despite having to ski on an injured knee. It was clear that she was determined to achieve her dream no matter what—but her eagerness to do it ended up being her downfall. Now, it’s unclear if she’ll be able to ski again. Vonn’s experience shows us that we shouldn’t try to cloak the reality of our situation with hope, because it will ultimately hurt us more than it will help us.

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