Living for The Dreams We Create Is Better Than Living In The Past

Maybe some people wonder why they were born in a certain country, city, environment, or family.

But as we grow up, we realize something powerful that we can shift our focus toward that we can actually control.

You cannot control the future. You cannot control other people's expectations or reactions, or even how they see you. But what you can control are your choices today, your actions, your mindset, your decisions.

You are responsible for your life.

The past always has meaning for the future. Where you live, where you grow up, it is never a coincidence. Maybe you feel regret in some cases, but you don’t have to stay there. You can feel it, learn from it, and still move forward.

If you think you started too late, or missed a chance, then start now. Take the step today. Ask yourself, “What is truly holding me back?”

The future is not built by wishing, or waiting, or stopping. The future is created by doing.

Life doesn’t always give you clear answers. Sometimes acceptance matters more than explanation. And in that acceptance, you find peace to keep moving.

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My Story

I didn’t grow up in Jakarta, Surabaya, or Batam, cities where business and tech opportunities feel everywhere. I wasn’t raised in a strong business family, even though some of my relatives run their own businesses and have found success in their journeys. I often visited Jakarta, but it simply meant I had to put in double, sometimes triple the effort to reach those opportunities while I live in Semarang especially alongside my studies. But no regret, I see it as an investment for the future.

My parents raised me with a blend of cultures, part Javanese, part Asian traditions, mixed with touches of Western, and my best friend said my parenting style is also part Chinese in Business, and to be multitalented girl perspective. Because I moved across different cities, islands, and provinces, I grew up with a diverse perspective.

Parenting shapes us, but once we grow up, we get to choose our own path.

That constant movement taught me not to define myself by one place alone. I see myself as diverse. Some of my friends who lived abroad feel the same. They call it an “identity crisis,” but I think, we don’t. For me, it’s richness. Too many experiences to be reduced to a single definition. And that is okay.

At the end of the day, we are still Indonesian.

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A Woman’s Dream

Once, someone told me, any someone told her that, “As a woman, don’t dream too big.”

But I’ve always believed women are extraordinary. We can multitask. A woman’s dream can shape into her work, her mission, her system of life. For me, with the right support from her family and community, she can align her aspirations with her roles at home, instead of letting them clash.

Because at the end, dreams are not only about career, but they can also be missions, values, and aspirations.

And maybe your story, one day, will inspire others. Imagine your children or grandchildren, inspired by your spirit. Or even strangers who see your journey. That’s what I’ve learned from my mom, her life inspires me, and so many people around her, in her own unique way.

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My Path

I’m a family-oriented woman. No matter how busy life gets, family is part of who I am. It doesn’t mean being together 24/7, but it does mean giving time, intention, and energy to them.

I’m also the eldest daughter who willing to take risks even more. No one in my family studied abroad, but I always believed we could. My journey has faced many delays since 2021, my plans to study abroad kept shifting. In 2025, I even applied for a fellowship program, only to see it unexpectedly closed that year.

But I’ve learned, it’s never too late. It’s never too impossible.

One of my closest friends, who still studies abroad, once told me, “I’ll support you anytime. Whenever it happens, I’ll always believe in you.”

And maybe she was right. Maybe I needed to be here in Indonesia first. Studying here expanded my local network, while still keeping international connections alive. And that, is a chance worth holding.

Three years at Diponegoro University have been a meaningful chapter. I may be 22, while some of my peers are pursuing their Master’s, getting married, or starting their careers. But this is my path. And it is beautiful.

My mom earned her doctoral degree in her 40s, even though her original plan was in her 30s. My parents and I work in different fields, and yes, my decisions once worried them. But I believe one bold choice can change everything. Not only for myself, but for my siblings too.

If you want different results, you must dare to take different actions.

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Closing

Whatever has happened, it is an experience, a lesson, a story worth being grateful for. If you reflect deeply, you’ll see that many things outside your plan became the most beautiful adventures.

In the end,

You hold the narrative of your life.

So don’t forget to live inside your own story.

You’re your own.