When I was 4 years old, I wanted to be an astronaut ballerina.

My parents would laugh as I ran around the house in a pink tutu, making blast-off noises through my lips with my fist stuck in the air like Superman’s. I must have been quite a sight, but at the time I certainly didn’t think it was funny. It was my dream, and no matter how unrealistic it may seem now, I’ll never forget my first career choice as a simple little preschooler.

I changed my mind nearly every time someone asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, and have long since forgotten many of my childhood ideas. But the ballerina astronaut has stayed with me, still-standing throughout the years, like a historical monument. A reminder, somehow, that you can be anything as long you have the ambition, the motivation and the heart for it.

In some ways, my dream was fulfilled. The astronaut ballerina lives in me as an innocent dreamer, believing in the impossible and finding light in the darkness. There is no dream too big to chase, no situation too difficult to pull through, and nothing stopping you from success. The only one with enough power to knock you down…is you.

So stop saying you can’t, because you can. Take a chance on what you know you can achieve. The astronaut ballerina in you is dying to be free.

So go ahead. Dream.