Monsoon was a nightmare in Kattappana, a small village in Kerala, back in the late 80s. The cold weather and nonstop drizzle were like adding fuel to the fire of lack of work and poverty in the rainy season. The one group of people who were least affected by the weather and crisis were the school going kids. Not everyone found it astonishing to go to school, but many found it as an alternative to the hours-long work in the rain in the fields. 

Beena was not someone who found going to school an alternative, for her school was the first step towards her dreams. Whenever someone asks, “What is your ambition?” Beena used to say that she wanted to be a doctor. Hailing from a poor family, she never knew how she would ever achieve her dreams, but she was determined to be a doctor. Unlike her classmates who said something when asked about dreams, Beena was clear about what she wanted from life and was ready to move mountains to make her dreams reality. She worked hard and studied well amidst her family background and hardships. 

The road from a mere village girl to a doctor was not straight because it was a period when money was valued more than talents. If you have money, no matter how bad your scores were you could become anyone you wanted to be. This made Beena drop her dream of being a doctor and forced her to pursue a nursing course. But, she never let the fire of her dream be blown away by the storms that life threw at her. 

She worked a few years abroad as a nurse, finally settling in the USA. She was married, she had kids, she had a family to look after, she was getting older and she had her dream. 

What would you do if you were in her shoes? Will you work for your dreams or will you give up on them? 

Beena was not ready to give up on her dreams. She knew that if she gave up, she would regret it for the rest of her life. Her husband was also of the same view. So, she decided to give it a try. She gave the entrance exam and came out with flying colours. It was a dream come true moment for her. 

Life was hard at first. She had to work, she had to study and look after the kids and family. Her husband was her pillar of strength who stood with her in the thick and thin, encouraging her and filling her with hope when she felt like giving up. 

And finally, all the hardships paid well, Beena, the mere village girl became Dr Beena. 

We live in a world where every one of us gives up something we love in order to strive. Sometimes money becomes a barrier, sometimes family becomes a barrier and sometimes we create barriers for ourselves. But are these barriers really barriers? We saw that Beena had to endure many hardships to finally be what she loved. She focused on the opportunities not on barriers. 

Our dreams are like salt to the curry of life. If we give up on our life we are forced to live a dull life just like eating a curry without salt. Everything is a barrier if you think so, and everything is an opportunity if you think so. Remember,