Some people have secret hidden dreams. They like to keep those dreams tucked away, partly to protect them and partly to protect themselves. There are a few reasons for that. One reason is that giving up on a dream is a good deal easier when you’re the only person who knows about it, and when your failure will only ever be apparent to yourself.

The other reason is that we are all chronically terrified of ridicule. It’s a fear of being made fun of for something deeply personal, and it’s the reason that many people never take their dreams seriously and never try actively.

There’s something tragic about a person who had dreams and never followed them. Who holds a small, hopeful light inside them that dies over the years, starved of the belief and the acceptance that keeps dreams alive. Ignoring your dream and letting it eat away at you will make you the kind of bitter, disappointed buzzkill that nobody wants to get caught with at a party.

Stand by your dreams. Embrace them. Believe in them, and don’t let anyone mock you for them.

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By Jon Westenberg

Bio:

Jon Westenberg has a thriving global audience, talking about startup entrepreneurship, writing, and innovation. He has helped hundreds of businesses worldwide grow their audience and take control of their content. Jon is a startup mentor, an entrepreneur, and a content evangelist. He is the largest Medium blogger in the Asia Pacific Area, with an audience of 120,000.

Jon has built a career on content, largely through his columns in TIME, Inc.com, the SF Chronicle, Startup Grind, the New York Observer and his blog on Medium, as well as over 40 other publications.