Dare to Dream


On this day, how can we not reflect on the power of dreaming?  The ability to see beyond what is, and imagine what might be--what should be.  Many people will say that actions change the world, and while I can't argue against such pragmatism, I can argue that without vision there would be no purpose or direction for those actions.

Legendary basketball coach, John Wooden, once said, "Never mistake activity for achievement."  I think he meant that just because you're doing something, it doesn't necessarily make it worthwhile.  Actions, without forethought and without design, are often misplaced and/or futile.  That's where the dreaming kicks in.

Dreaming can give an identity to a goal.  It can give substance to something that has yet to be properly defined.  Think of it this way:  If life were a sandwich, dreams/ambitions would be the top slice of bread, action would be the meat, and the outcomes/goals would be the bottom slice of bread.  Without any one piece, you don't really have a sandwich.

I realize that writers need very little schooling on this concept; after all, most of us are dreamers by our very nature.  We're the PhD's of 'What if?"  However, we sometimes need to be reminded that dreaming is okay.  Imagining things as being either better or worse than what they are can have real value.  It is neither wasted time, or a frivolity of those with too little to do.

Today, we honor a man who did just that.  A man who refused to see reality as being sufficient.  As a small  token of my gratitude, I'd like to share some profound thoughts on dreaming, and hopefully inspire a few more people--if only for today--to move beyond what they know.      


“Dream as if you'll live forever, live as if you'll die today.” ~ James Dean

“You see things; and you say, 'Why?' But I dream things that never were; and I say, 'Why not?'” ~ George Bernard Shaw

“A dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world.” ~ Oscar Wilde

“Dreams are illustrations... from the book your soul is writing about you.” ~ Marsha Norman

“Dreams are today's answers to tomorrow's questions.” ~ Edgar Cayce

“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” ~ C.S. Lewis

“If one advances confidently in the direction of one's dreams, and endeavors to live the life which one has imagined, one will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.” ~ Henry David Thoreau

“Do not lose hold of your dreams or aspirations. For if you do, you may still exist but you have ceased to live.” ~ HDT

"Everything that we see is a shadow cast by that which we do not see." ~ MLK, Jr.


-EJW-

9 comments:

  1. A great blog read for a stressed-out Shelly today. My dream right now is to get my stuff done on my list today without being called to come into work to cover someone's shift at work.

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  2. Glad you liked it, Shelly! Hang in there ... when the poop hits the fan, it'll eventually dry and you can wash it off. :)

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  3. E.J.,I think this is the nicest, coolest, sweetest, greatest blog I have ever visited. Congratulations on being you.

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  4. @ TDR: Sincerely, thank you so much! I'm not a feedback sucker or anything, but it sure makes a guy feel good to know people are reading and--even more so--enjoying.

    @ Sarah: Thank you! I appreciate your comment, and thanks for following!

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  5. what an awesome blog post

    actually, all your posts are inspirational in some way.

    i dream a lot. i also procrastinate a lot, haha.

    have an awesome week :)

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  6. Those are wonderful quotes, E.J. I think if we stop dreaming, that's when we start to grow old.

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  7. oh I really really love those quotes! Great post!

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“Much unhappiness has come into the world because of bewilderment and things left unsaid.” ― Fyodor Dostoyevsky

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