Bet you were expecting a Martin Luther King analogy. Not in this piece, maybe another time. My thoughts today are somewhat more simplistic. Who knew ABBA and the words to their song, “I Have a Dream,” would speak to me at this time in my life. I’m an avid believer in pursuing our dreams, never giving up, living fully alive. Sometimes, though, I have a little trouble following my own philosophy and need a boost from one of my ‘dream weavers’.
- photo from englishgraphic.com
Along the way, challenges and setbacks can deter us. People’s words can negatively influence us far too much. Why is that? Are we inherently trained from the time we’re young to be dream squishers? Think about it – how many dreams have YOU squished or thrown the proverbially wet blanket over? Do you think you know what’s inside the heart of another person, to determine what their purpose in life may be?
It may be a good time to openly ask ourselves how we respond to the ideas and excitement of others. When someone shares their heart’s desire with you, how often do you offer your opinion of why it won’t work or what the dreamer needs to consider before pursuing said dream? I recognize there is a difference between sharing the wisdom that experience brings or throwing out flippant comments that can have enormous impact. Do we even know when we’re speaking out of turn or causing harm to another’s lifelong dream? Most of the time, probably not.
Yes, of course we the dreamers choose how we respond to those dream squishers, whether it’s a person or a circumstance, but which one of us can honestly say we’ve never allowed discouragement or someone’s words to sideswipe us? Yah, that’s what I thought. We’re all in this together, this thing we call life. Deep inside each of us is a desire to be or do something, to make a difference in some way.
Let me put it to you in the form of a question. What is it you want from others when you share something you’re thinking about doing? Do you want them to blow it all apart? Do you want their instant reaction to be, “Hey look, I’m just trying to be realistic here.”
Another thought – without a dream, would we have electricity? Airplanes? Yes I’m sure there were naysayers, and those dreamers overcame the negative, but I’m also sure there were some who would dare to dream WITH those inventors, believing that they could change the world with the realization of those dreams. It’s truly a double edged sword and a fine balance between determination to fulfill our dreams without support, or experiencing the joy of sharing our life changing moments with those who have chosen to ride the wave, jump on the bandwagon, live the dream with us.
Do you think there is an opportunity for us to improve our performance in being dream weavers instead of dream squishers? A supportive thought, an excited grin, a simple, “I know you’ll find a way,” can put you in the position of helping someone’s dreams come true. How awesome is that? You know how it feels when someone encourages you and your dreams. Wouldn’t you rather be that for someone else, than being the one who is instrumental in squashing or negatively impacting their life’s purpose?
I believe in angels – why not be one? Believe in someone’s dream. Take time to weave a bit of possibility into the fabric of a dream, instead of pulling on the strings and unraveling it.
I love this version of ABBA’s song, because they’ve included a children’s choir. It sends a great message of encouraging the dreams of those entrusted to our care, too. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFHbwikzNds
I Have A Dream – Lyrics
I have a dream, a song to sing
To help me cope with anything
If you see the wonder of a fairy tale
You can take the future even if you fail
I believe in angels
Something good in everything I see
I believe in angels
When I know the time is right for me
I’ll cross the stream, I have a dream
I have a dream, a fantasy
To help me through reality
And my destination makes it worth the while
Pushing through the darkness still another mile
I believe in angels
Something good in everything I see
I believe in angels
When I know the time is right for me
I’ll cross the stream, I have a dream
I’ll cross the stream, I have a dream
I have a dream, a song to sing
To help me cope with anything
If you see the wonder of a fairy tale
You can take the future even if you fail
I believe in angels
Something good in everything I see
I believe in angels
When I know the time is right for me
I’ll cross the stream, I have a dream
I’ll cross the stream, I have a dream
Leave a Reply