I do agree with you that the material dreams are the ones that cause most of the problems. The distinction that needs to be made here is that each person is very different. The things that I needed to “give up” are never exactly the same as anyone else’s. I would be heartbroken if those who are destined for greatness don’t follow their path. It’s all about knowing what that path is. I knew that music wasn’t my path, so I reserved it for a hobby. Someone like John Petrucci, on the other hand, is perfectly suited to make a rewarding living doing what he does best. I think we’re pretty much on the same page with this one.

It sounds like “giving up” more applies to the materialistic. The band’s main goal was to write music that sells. In life when the materialistic take priority over the spiritual, one will lose every time in the end. While not being obsessed (attached, addicted)to certain things will help you see the big picture, I don’t know if giving up your dreams is necessarily a solution. Obsession may be a necessary evil. Without it we may not have some of the great heroes of history. People like John Petrucci,Frederich Nietzche,or George Washington, followed their dreams, but may have been looked at their peers as the bad father, untrustworthy friend, or crazy recluse. Everyone has their own goals. I think it’s a matter of prioritization and not being detached from your passions. Does that make sense? It’s about knowing what makes you happy, and what fills your soul. Only material dreams are success or fail, spiritual ones are a much larger gray area and can provide happiness in even moderate successes.

And I came here in the first place to share this with you: The Apostrophe Protection Society