Why Even Dream?

(#2 in the series: Are You A Dreamer?)

You’re Not Being Realistic

“I used to dream when I was younger but that got me into trouble.”  I knew what my client meant.  The “trouble” to which she referred was prior disappointment at dreams proven unrealistic. This kind of past experience can obstruct our ability to conceive of alternatives to current situations.  We often limit the scenarios we’ll even consider and prematurely filter out anything that seems too far-fetched.

Imagine a conversation between logic and the dreamer:

LOGIC: This is just another one of your dreams.
DREAMER: Maybe so, but if it inspires me, who cares?

LOGIC: You’re going to be disappointed again. You are not being realistic.
DREAMER: It’s okay if my dream is a little out there.  That’s why they call it a dream!

LOGIC: Well then what’s the point?
DREAMER: We’ll get to that later.  For now, I’m just dreaming.  Who knows where it will lead or what idea it will spark.

LOGIC: But then you’ll actually have to do what you dream up!  Think about the work.  Think about the sacrifices.  What if you don’t follow through with it?
DREAMER: There is no rule that says I have to act on every one of my dreams.

LOGIC: I knew it.  You’re just a pipe dreamer.  What a fool you are!
DREAMER: Hey, some of the most brilliant visionaries started out looking like pipe dreamers.

Why Even Dream?

This imaginary conversation highlights the common fears (presenting themselves as logic) that often get in the way of dreaming.  “He’s a dreamer,” usually implies that someone has his “head in the clouds” and is not grounded in reality.  No wonder we have a hard time dreaming!  There are several important reasons to dream, nonetheless.  Dreaming generates ideas you might never have considered otherwise.  Dreaming can reveal your truest desires.  It brings in a joy and lightness that will inspire you tremendously if you let it.  Dreams which you act to make manifest will change your life.

Allow Yourself to Dream

Despite potential disappointment and the unlikeliness of certain dreams, dream anyway.  It is the best way to unearth the gold.  Save the critical evaluation for later and remember the basic rules of a creative brainstorming session: Every idea has merit.  No idea is a bad one.  The objective is idea generation, not idea critique. 

How do you set the scene for some good dreaming?  This will be our topic in the next issue.  For now, simply recall the dreams you had when you were a child or young adult.  Don’t judge them.  Just remember them.

“One of the virtues of being young is that you don’t let the facts
get in the way of your imagination.”
– Sam Levenson