Children are encouraged to dream, to read fairytales and live in fantasy, they are also free to use their bed wedge pillow when sleeping. This imaginary world of princesses waiting for their prince charming to come on his white horse and sweep them off their feet with the help of a loyal sidekick is a land of make believe ,where slanted and embellished realities somewhat make actual existence softer and more bearable.

Or does it?

It also sets them for unfortunate but somewhat certain disappointment every time the dichotomized worlds of imaginary and reality clash.

But does it really have to be this way? Is there such a clear cut between the two?  And is the only solution rejecting our dreams; resigning to only have the waves of reality swallow us and take us where they will?

Paraphrasing Reinhold Niebuhr’s famous serenity prayer; Can’t we find it in ourselves to see reality as it is? To accept it with no judgment while realizing it’s not personally with nor against us? Can’t we find the gaps and opportunities where we can allow our dreams in and finally brave the courage and determination to navigate reality with our dreams blowing the direction of our journey?

Dreams…

We all have dreams though we may not remember them.  We all live in dreams where we may not recognize reality as our own. But only a few of us have the courage to live amongst dreams, to steer in their direction without losing sight of the world.

For here lies the difference between “existing” and “being”. We all “exist”; we all survive with eyes open, adapting to life, where it takes us and what it throws at us. While “being” requires a more proactive approach; by being you make life, and its time- place continuum your ally, you’re part of setting things, and making them happen in the real world.

After all what is the real world?

Each person chooses its own, perceiving it in a different way, tainted by his or her experiences, society, culture, heritage, and even myths and legends.

For those who exist, it stops at this point. Whereas those that “are” arm themselves with courage, patience and determination so that their dreams change states; from being pure products of the unconscious mind to concrete foundations of reality.

At this point you’re probably thinking that something’s got to give: real life has limitations that separate the possible from the impossible, a downside, a price you have to pay.

The only limitation actually comes from your mind. It tells you what you can and cannot do, setting you up for success or failure before you even try.

In the past decade, numerous studies about successful people came out, with the objective of pinpointing the traits and formulas underlying their success. In a nutshell, it wasn’t their genes, their upbringing, their culture, or their financial background that set them apart. The one general trait common to all of them  is their resilience, the fact that they wouldn’t take no for an answer, failure after failure, they got back up, recollected changed their approach and went at it again and again and again until they got to what they wanted. They never gave up, and never thought their dreams were unattainable.

So what are you waiting for?

Unleash your unconscious, dare to dream and dream big!

Dare to adjust reality so that it becomes your own, and first and foremost believe in yourself and in your dream.

Ending in the words of someone way more eloquent than I am:

“All men dream but not equally, those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity.

But the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes to make it possible. ” – T.E. Lawrence

-NN-