I’ve had at least 72 dreams in my life.

These have ranged from the highly ambitious -- brain surgeon, world’s best TV host, queen of my very own island -- to the most basic of childhood ambitions -- a firefighter, an actress, and a cashier, specifically a cashier with access to a fun register. The kind with the clicky buttons. Because, fun.

I’ve given up on every single one of these dreams, and you’ve probably done the same.

Here’s why you might never achieve your dreams, inspired by the experiences of people who have actually turned their passions into possibilities.

1. You’re not willing to “hustle”

You’re fine with thinking about the bigger picture, but you’d just prefer not to sweat the small stuff. Literally.

You’re not willing to get your hands dirty to handle the nitty gritty -- like assembling the beds, installing the lockers, and fixing the toilets of your dream hostel.

Unlike these guys.

Your mom tells you you’ll never be able to pay the bills with your dream. When you still try anyway, the people around you are happy to remind you that you’re just not good enough.

Some people, like DJ Gemstarr, have the mental resolve to keep going, to learn and grow from all that criticism. But not you. You just want to roll over and quit.

When the going gets tough, you get going. Away from your hopes and dreams. You think there’s no way you can pursue your passion now. Not when all odds seem to be stacked against you.

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Maybe you should take a leaf from Crystal Goh’s book. She’s a singer who lost her voice. Yet, she pressed on and still managed to find her song.

If you’re not made of money, chances are there will come a point in your journey where you’ll have to try to get funding for your goals. When doing so, you will face rejection. Lots of rejection.

The thought of dealing with rejection, yet alone eating it for breakfast, just like these guys did, is too much to bear. So you wallow in self-pity, give up, and move on to the next dream.

You’ve been working at your dream for the past week, month, or a year. And nothing seems to be happening. Instead of being patient, keeping at it and trusting that your hard work will pay off like this MMA fighter did, you decide that it’s not going anywhere and that it’s better to cut your losses while you’re ahead.

So you never achieve anything. Ever.

You could choose to believe there’s no way you’ll ever manage to turn your passions into possibilities. Not now, not ever.

Or you could learn from the experiences of other Singaporeans, and realise that if they managed to succeed through hard work, determination and sheer will, maybe, just maybe, you can too.

We’ll leave the decision to you.

This collaboration with the Singapore Tourism Board reminds us that passion can be made possible if you really set your mind to something.

Top photo adapted from Getty Images.