Sometimes We Don’t Realize We’re Living the Dream

From Malak💌

Hello there!

This might just be me reminiscing but I want to talk about the first time I watched The Devil Wears Prada.

I was in middle school, sitting at my study desk on a completely ordinary evening, wearing an elegant black dress for no particular reason.

Except that I wanted to be like them.

I was probably too young to understand the complications of the real world, or that growing up would not always be easy, exciting, or glamorous.

But I was utterly fascinated by the life I saw on the screen.

I wanted that life! I wanted to write for a living, live in New York, walk quickly through a busy city, and wear very pretty shoes while doing it.

Of course, it was never only about the clothes.

It was about becoming one of those stylish, successful women who seemed to have it all.

A couple of days ago, I rewatched the the first part of the movie.

Nearly twenty years later, that iconic opening appeared on the screen, with all those women getting dressed and preparing to face the day.

And then I saw myself.

I realized that, in my own way, I had become the woman I used to dream about.

Of course, I am talking about style.

But I am also talking about becoming a successful woman who enjoys her work, gets to read as part of the job, and explores ideas in my own way.

It does not look exactly like the fantasy I had in middle school. It is better!

I live in Riyadh, a city that never fails to entertain in you. I live in a city better than what I have imagined.

and I read & write!

Childhood dreams are not always meant to come true literally. Sometimes they quietly shape the direction of our lives.

They influence what we find beautiful, what we admire, and the kind of person we slowly try to become.

I think watching shows like Sex and the City and movies like Legally Blonde as I grew older added to that influence too.

There was something about seeing women with strong personalities, interesting careers, beautiful wardrobes, complicated lives, and stories of their own.

They were not waiting quietly in the background of someone else’s life. They were living.

And I wanted that.

Trust me, I know that becoming the woman you imagine is not always an easy task.

I have had my bad days.

I kept thinking I would do it tomorrow.

Or next week.

Or after I bought new clothes, because I kept making excuses.

But eventually, I realized that this was just procrastination dressed as preparation.

There will never be one perfect morning when you suddenly have the ideal wardrobe and the perfect life.

There will not be an official announcement telling you that you are finally allowed to become the woman you want to be.

You simply have to start.

You wear the dress.

You put on the shoes.

You do it, even when the day is completely ordinary.

You do it little by little, every day, until it becomes a habit. Till it feels like you.

I grew up to be the woman I dreamt of being as a child AND with a gorgeous, one of a kind shoe collection that would make younger me very proud.

I think we are so used to looking at the future, we sometimes forget that we have changed along the way.

We think the dream is in the future but there is a path to that dream and you have to live it and only YOU choose how.

We imagine that our real life will begin after the next achievement, the next purchase, the next transformation, or the next version of ourselves.

But perhaps some of it has already happened.

Perhaps you have already become someone your younger self would find fascinating.

You are living the dream, only in a quieter and more realistic form. I grew up to become the woman I dreamt of being as a child.

Watching both parts of The Devil Wears Prada made me feel unexpectedly inspired, and I needed to write about it.

Maybe these words will reach someone who relates.

Or someone who needs the reminder that becoming the person you dream of is not something that happens all at once.

It begins with a choice.

And sometimes, without even noticing, you look up and realize that you are already her.

About the Author:

Substack ID: Malak

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