I get a lot of weird looks when I tell people I want to be a war correspondent. With raised eyebrows, I get looked up and down, I know what they’re thinking.

“How could you be a war correspondent? You’re so small!”

I am of perfectly average height, thank you very much.

Size aside, those who know me question my dream based on my personality. I’m a bubbly and outgoing person, some would even say I’m innocent (which I don’t think I am). My “delicate” mind couldn’t possibly handle the tragedy and heartache.

As of right now, I know I am nowhere near ready to be reporting from a war zone, but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to dream about it.

What makes me angry is that people, some I hardly know, question my dreams and sometimes try to talk me out of it.

I don’t understand why it’s common to tell others what their aspirations should be. I can’t say I’m not guilty of doing this, mostly before I had my own crazy dreams.

Friends who want to be famous for acting or singing received the brunt of my talks about reality. It wasn’t until someone scolded me about the “harsh realities” that I realized what I had done to my own friends.

I was supposed to be one of their biggest supporters during good times and bad.

They will face a lot of adversity coming at them from every angle, and I made it harder for them to stay encouraged.

There are days that I really question my dreams. The voices telling me that I’m not good enough or strong enough get louder. And after a while, they start to sound right.

Maybe I’m not good enough. Maybe I won’t be able to do this. For a few days, I remain in a funk. Usually compliments on my work or getting a great shot at an event pulls me out. I never realized how much these simple doubts can take over my thoughts and potentially destroy my dream.

There are some instances where talking to someone realistically can be beneficial. If someone has the dream to take over the world Dr. Evil-style, maybe that should be addressed by someone more level-headed.

However, your goals should have some level of attainability.

I always wanted to be a singer but if you actually heard me sing, you would learn very quickly that it will never happen. There is no issue with dreaming big but you need to prepare yourself that it might not happen.

Wanting to work for The New York Times is something that a lot of aspiring journalists want. Obviously, not everyone can achieve this and there is a good chance I won’t be able to.

That doesn’t mean I’m going to stop trying, but I’m preparing myself to work at other publications if need be.

Whether you want to be an artist, sound technician, construction worker or doctor, don’t listen to all the negativity and keep following your hea