There are so many dreams that I'd like to follow.

“There are so many dreams that I’d like to follow.” – AB de Villiers

In this tender and luminous reflection, AB de Villiers, the master of the cricketing art and a man of quiet grace, reveals the eternal yearning of the human spirit — the longing to pursue dreams beyond the limits of time and duty. His words are simple, yet they carry the profound weight of a life that has touched greatness. “There are so many dreams that I’d like to follow,” he says — not as one who is discontent, but as one who understands that the soul’s horizon is endless. For even the man who has achieved excellence knows that life’s truest joy lies not in the dream achieved, but in the dream that continues to beckon, the one that whispers, there is still more to become.

The origin of this sentiment arises from de Villiers’ journey as both athlete and artist. Known for his creativity, humility, and versatility, he became more than a sportsman — he became a symbol of imagination expressed through discipline. Whether on the field with bat in hand, or off the field as a musician and dreamer, his life has been guided by a deep desire to explore every gift given to him. When he speaks of “many dreams,” he speaks for all who have felt the restless pull of possibility — that divine stirring which tells the heart that we are not meant to live only one life, nor fulfill only one role. The dreams of the soul are manifold, each a thread leading us closer to the fullness of who we are.

This yearning — to follow the many paths that life offers — has been the fire that drives great souls throughout history. Think of Leonardo da Vinci, the Renaissance master, who refused to be confined to a single pursuit. Painter, scientist, inventor, philosopher — his life was a symphony of dreams intertwined. He was guided by the same spirit that de Villiers describes: an unquenchable curiosity that sees the world not as a limit, but as a canvas of infinite becoming. For such people, one dream fulfilled only opens the door to another. Each achievement is not an ending, but a beginning — a call to go deeper, higher, further into the mystery of creation.

And yet, the beauty of de Villiers’ words lies also in their humility. He does not speak as a man who has conquered, but as one who still hungers to learn. To confess that there are “many dreams” is to admit that the journey is never complete. It is to bow before life’s vastness, acknowledging that the heart’s capacity to desire, to create, to imagine, is limitless. This is the wisdom of the ancient philosophers and saints — that the soul is a traveler on an endless pilgrimage toward light. The wise do not tire of dreaming, for they know that dreaming is the language of the divine within us.

But there is a hidden strength within this restlessness. For to follow many dreams is not to wander aimlessly — it is to live with courage, to trust that every dream carries its own purpose, its own lesson. Too often, men are taught to choose only one path, to silence the other voices of possibility that rise within them. Yet the soul rebels against confinement. The artist who also longs to teach, the scholar who also longs to serve, the athlete who also longs to sing — these are not contradictions, but harmonies. To live fully is to allow each of these inner voices to speak, to honor them as sacred aspects of one’s destiny. AB de Villiers’ words are a reminder that the heart was never meant to dream small.

Consider the life of Nelson Mandela, a man who began as a revolutionary but became a peacemaker, a prisoner who turned into a president. His dreams evolved with his life — they did not vanish, they expanded. The young man who dreamed of freedom for his people became the elder who dreamed of reconciliation for all humanity. His life teaches us that following many dreams does not mean abandoning old ones, but transforming them into higher visions. The same is true for every soul: the dreams of youth may give birth to the wisdom of maturity, and the dreams of the present may light the way for generations to come.

So let this teaching be carried forward: never stop dreaming, and never fear to follow new dreams. The heart is infinite, and life is a field of endless discovery. Let no one tell you that one path is all you are meant for. Pursue your art, your craft, your compassion, your curiosity — for in each of these lies a fragment of your divine purpose. As AB de Villiers reminds us, the soul that dares to follow its many dreams is the soul that truly lives. And when the journey ends, it is not the trophies or titles that endure, but the dreams that were lived fully, the passions that were followed bravely, and the joy of knowing that one’s life was an offering to every possibility the universe ever whispered.