K-Dramas Nurture Dreams

“I wish I had” is probably a common expression of regret in life. Often, we bemoan opportunities lost for lack of action. And that, I suppose, is a corollary of unfulfilled dreams. The question is: What happens to an unfulfilled dream? Does it lose substance and perish over time? Maybe it does, maybe it doesn’t, but either way, the sense of dissatisfaction lingers, plaguing you for the rest of your life. I’ve been contemplating this likewise, unwittingly regretting how I may have what I want but don’t [actually] have what I need: the accomplishment of my unrealized goal. That is until tonnes of encouragement and drive began to creep in through K-dramas. I realized that striving for an objective to the best of your ability, regardless of how challenging it may be, makes a difference.

Dare to dream big when you do, yet be willing to bear the cremains of failures and choose to try harder. The popular television series Start-Up‘s (2020) key takeaway is that. The female lead, Seo Dal-mi (Bae Suzy), is an impressively inspirational figure who starts life out of nothing, explores, follows her dreams, and eventually triumphs. Professionals who strive to succeed in a cutthroat market can get insights from her experiences. While Dal-mi doesn’t hail from a fancy background, she is passionate about what she does. Her enthusiasm is contagious, and her wisdom is invaluable. The more you follow her story, the more you know it’s all about fanning the dormant sparks of possibility into flames of success, given that you only get one shot at life.

It’s essential to life to feel like “I have a dream; a star I’m shooting for.” Your zeal for achieving it should increase in proportion to how far-fetched it may seem. There will be speed bumps along the way. A few meanders and twists too, but remember, a bend in the road is not the end of it. Go on; keep the dream alive like a fire within, rather than letting it wither away like a raisin in the sun—pearls of insight I learned from the amazing Itaewon Class (2020). The drama certainly gives you the impression of sprinting with all your power towards a target for a better tomorrow. It vividly captures Park Sae-ro-yi’s (Park Seo-joon‘s) yearning for a good life and the other protagonists’ quest for liberation while faithfully upholding each character’s unique moral values in an unjust world. Its central message—that there are no shortcuts to success and that you must have the tenacity to keep trying until you succeed—is artfully expressed through its realistic depiction of issues, including discrimination against individuals in diverse circumstances alongside corporate transgressions.

Optimism is at the heart of a K-drama. It is made in such a way that, through its storyline, overarching themes, and ramifications, it helps motivate. Every time I watch a K-drama like Navillera (2021), I grasp that failure isn’t a big deal but a failing ambition is. Shim Deok-chul (Park In-hwan), a 70-year-old retired man, is one of the lead characters in Navillera, which chronicles the story of his decision to pursue his lifelong dream of becoming a ballet dancer in defiance of his family. He meets 23-year-old dancer Lee Chae-rok (Song Kang) at a dance academy who is considering quitting ballet because of financial constraints. Nevertheless, Deok-chul’s dedication to desire persuades Chae-rok to reconsider. The elderly man actively trying to learn ballet and perform Swan Lake, despite his worsening Alzheimer’s condition, taught me that eagerness and hope can entice imagination into action, heralding a fresh phase in life.

So, fundamentally, if you have unmet aspirations, understand that they are simply delayed dreams waiting to materialize. Hold onto them, work on them, and in the interim, keep watching K-dramas for extra motivation.