Dreaming the future is the start of making it
In futures research the future is thought to be an open space. Future is not a singular, it is a plural entity. There are many possible futures ahead and different options and roads to follow.
The plenty of options can also be overwhelming. Decisions are difficult to make. Young people are often pushed, usually by parents, to follow a certain path, perhaps the one they have selected in their youth or sometimes, the opposite. I remember my father wanting me to study economics which did not interest me at all. I was really bad in mathematics and working in business was against my rather leftist idealistic thoughts. Being an obedient daughter I applied for two business schools, with not much success. The exam books were pure Hebrew for me. Because of not being assertive enough, I did not have enough time to prepare for the real passion of mine, psychology and sociology. Hence, I did not get in to any of those studies, not the ones I hated nor the ones I liked. But I got in to study something in between, a compromise, social policy. It has not been a bad career but still – to tell you a secret – I still dream of becoming something else.
At hindsight, I should have been stronger in expressing my own wishes. But also, my parents should have listened me more carefully. Thirdly, I should have thought more about my future and about what is my real dream. And maybe, most importantly, I should have believed more in myself. That is called self-efficacy. Self-efficacy is something you need to realize your dreams.
Dreams tend to become true if you believe in them. But first you need to be brave enough even to dream.
Ulla-Maija Koivula, project director
