One of the takeaways I got from this was that instead of the usual "Follow your dreams no matter what" it should be "Follow your dreams, but be smart about". I

One of the takeaways I got from this was that instead of the usual "Follow your dreams no matter what" it should be "Follow your dreams, but be smart about". I think many who take the first advice tend to just hammer their heads at whatever obstacle is blocking whatever seems like the direct to their dreams - and as a result often get smacked over the head with such a dose of cold hard reality that they end up having to abandon their dreams instead. Some of Noah's decisions, e.g. waiting with RISD until he could get a scholarship so he wouldn't bankrupt his family, are great examples of how to do this the right way. Achieving your dreams takes tenacity, sure, but it also takes patience and pragmatism. Learning to fly takes more than just the guts to throw yourself off a cliff.