Many people talk about and use the word dream without really knowing what it is. It is important to know what a dream is before we delve into the action of dreaming. A dream is a wish or fantasy to have something or be something or somebody. Normally when we talk about a dream we refer to something that is not so easy to achieve or attain.
Now, having seen what a dream is, my question to you is, do you dream? Maybe I should ask, do you have a dream? How often do you dream and how clear are your dreams? Since I still have the privilege of answering these questions here, I will just go ahead and deal with them. I believe every man dreams and that is translated to mean that every man has a dream or many dreams. I also believe strongly that some people dream more than others and also that some see and understand their dreams more than others.
Dreaming is the stock in trade of the highly successful people and great achievers. They practice dreaming as if it were an event in the Olympic Games. Unsuccessful people dream too. The difference is they dream only when they are opportune to and so hardly ever practice it. They do not attach any importance to dreams and dreaming.
The major difference however between the successful and unsuccessful dreamers is this: the successful ones wake up and make their dreams come through or become real while their opposite number do not but at best continue dreaming, hoping to just wake up and have the dream become real. That’s the point; they only hope or wish for it to become real. That is the very unfortunate part because as the saying goes, ‘If wishes were horses, then beggars could ride’, shows that wishes only become real in fairy tales.
Successful people make their dreams become real. How do they make their dreams come true? They keep it in view and under focus by attaching to it an accompanying fruition date. This automatically transforms the dream into a goal. What is a goal then and how important is it to have one? A goal is a dream with a deadline or completion date attached to it. Dreams give birth to goals and from there, they are inseparable. What are you dreams like? What do they consist of? Do you have the talents, abilities and aspirations to achieve your dreams? Are you dreams realistic or unachievable?
The reason for this line of questions is this: your dreams, as earlier stated will give birth to your goals and your goals will bring forth the results in your life. It is therefore pertinent to note that small and insignificant dreams will birth small and insignificant goals which will in turn produce small and insignificant results in your life. There are no short cuts to this truth.
Small dreams = Small goals + Small effort = Small achievement in life
So when you dare to dream, dream big dreams. Dream dreams that are out of this world but do well to remain in reality because only then can you measure and appreciate your progress in life. Dream big dreams and set great goals. When you dare to dream, let your imagination run wild, like a Tornado, destroying every thought of impossibility about the project or your life’s endeavour.
Too many people are dream- shy. They fear to dream as if they will have to pay for it. What an irony because the only thing they will have to pay for is, not being able to dream. It cost nothing but your mind and you imagination to be able to dream but it will cost you even your life’s happiness if you do not dream at all. This is because without dreams there will be no goals and without goals, there will be nothing to achieve. You will go through this life like a passer- by and will be remembered to have done or achieve nothing in particular. In fact, you will not be remembered at all. What a wasted life!
The greater percentage of people on earth have a one- way traffic dream: grow up, go to higher school, graduate, pick up a monthly- salary- paying job, get married and have children, retire and die receiving pension. Nothing more, nothing less! This type of dream is devoid of adventure. There is no fun, no spark, and no challenge and so this way they never impact lives meaningfully. They violate the essence or purpose of life which is to live a life of purpose because of the lack of a worthy dream. One Horace Mann said, ‘Be ashamed to die until you have won a victory for humanity.’ What dreams do you have about affecting lives and making a lasting impact? If you do not have one, then you should not die just yet because there are still plenty of things for you to do.
Having said all these, when you dare to dream consider this:
If your dream does not cause you to stay awake at night
If your dream does not cause you to sleep in the day time even while crossing the road
If your dream does not choke you to the point of suffocation even in a well ventilated room
If your dream does not try to drown you on dry land
If your dream does not make you lost in your effort to find a way
If your dream does not make you rich even without a dime to your name
If your dream does not make you poor in knowledge despite your academic qualifications
If your dream does not make you sick trying to fulfill it despite your great physical health
If your dream does not make you a wanderer despite your present physical address
If your dream does not take you into solitude despite being surrounded by a great multitude
If your dream does not make you reach out to people who can make it come true despite being but your dream
Then think again …
It may not be a dream after all but mere wishes and fantasies!
