Do you dream about your future? You are not alone!

As girls and women, we have incredible imaginations and tons of determination to go with it! It’s easy to use your imagination to dream up worst-case scenarios (and cause yourself great anxiety). But once you’re dreaming, you can dream of the better days, best-case scenarios, and all of the wonderful things that life can bring, because so often that’s what life does bring. Don’t look at life as an obstacle course, but rather as a treasure hunt.

During the very difficult days in Mitzrayim, Klal Yisrael were forward-thinking enough and had enough bitachon in Hashem to be able to dream of the better days ahead. When Miriam, Moshe’s sister, left Mitzrayim, she even packed along musical instruments, anticipating the great neis that Hashem would bring.

I reached out to some accomplished women to find out which of their amazing teenage dreams came true. Did they ever envision themselves where they are now? What did real life bring? Sometimes the twists and turns of real life are even better than your dreams.

Dobby Baum, singer

Teenage dreams: My number-one dream was to be an international singer. I wanted to have my own albums distributed worldwide. I also always dreamed of becoming a doctor (somehow at the same time!), and of course have a family with adorable kids.

Dreams that came true: I can definitely say yes to being an international singer — that dream is in the process of coming true, with lots of perseverance and hard work. Moving from London to New York really helped me break into the music industry. I’m still continuously working on that dream every day, no matter which hardships come my way.

What helped me achieve my dreams was strong willpower and not doubting myself. I also worked on myself not to be afraid of my talent and to let people hear my voice. As a kid, I used to sing to my bedroom mirrors, and I got my first public gig at age 11 singing a song for a fundraiser. That rush and thrill made me so excited to continue performing, although until this day I still get stage fright. But the results are always rewarding.

Whenever I recorded a song in the studio, I gave out copies to friends and family to spread the word so I would get hired to perform at events.

But of course, it’s definitely Hashem that ultimately helped me and is still continuing to help me achieve my dreams!

The becoming-a-doctor part: I’m trying to make that happen eventually. I went back to school — I am a full-time pre-med college student now, after being blessed with a wonderful husband and two beautiful kids, baruch Hashem. It’s not easy, but my dreams are important, and I want my children to see that when you work hard, it’s possible to do anything.

Surprises that real life brought: My children and husband are more wonderful and amazing than my teenage dream — that is all credit to Hashem. And my first album that I released last year is waaay better than my teenage dream, especially because I am joined by The Brooklyn Girls’ Choir, which was never in my teenage dreams at all!

Chaya Esther F., kollel wife

Teenage Dream: To marry a boy who will learn full-time. In seminary, my dream became stronger. There was a slight issue: My parents were not able to support a son-in-law in kollel. But I still dreamed and I davened to Hashem to help me.

Dreams that came true: It’s now a decade later. I am married, and my husband is still learning, and we are managing just fine! It hasn’t always been easy to give up on certain luxuries I was accustomed to, and there were some difficult times over the years, but I really worked on my emunah and help came through in the most amazing ways, such as lucrative jobs that popped up just when there were some big bills…

Surprises that real life brought: I was sure that I would support my family by becoming a speech therapist. In the end I branched out into a totally different and more lucrative field. It’s a good thing I had an open mind!