LOST IN DREAMS
Dreams are a playground for all our imaginations. We can control our dreams (desires), while our night dreams are beyond our control. Dreams are drivers and when we add the substance of useful work to dreams, they transform into actual tangible results. Dreams can consume us. We can build them so big. They blow out of proportion and weigh us down, as we ponder upon the complexity of it. We are lost in all its details, building it up in our minds, to a point where we lose the objective of the dream: a material, tangible result.
This article is meant to encourage you to dream and to elevate you beyond the dream and muster the energy for the work of actualizing the desired result.
I have had a dream. You have had a dream. And we all still dream everyday of our lives, from little everyday successes to lifetime achievements. We all dream. But what separates achievers from the unfulfilled is the nerve to put in focused effort and resilience to the work ahead. Life doesn't present many choices and people may not come that easy; a lot rests on you to achieve your desires.
Growing up was a challenge. Having wealthy parents and vast opportunities, it would have been easy to follow the seduction of society's expectation. But I had to carve my path. The dream was inside. The picture was in my vision and I took up the will to brave the tide. The storm was strong, because I was learning to stand again. I had to learn to face being on my own out there, in the village, every time with the memory of the wealth available to me. But focus kept me going. I had a desire, some of it were music and others. The artistes amazed me. I was thrilled with their ability to keep the lyrics to songs. I wanted some of that. I wanted fame, I wanted to be influential. Some of my dreams were mingled with external influx, but overtime I filtered them, refined them and I sublimed my objectives, my purpose and focus brought me through it.
Most people enjoy discussing their dreams and aspirations, as if in miraculous feat it would begin to drop from heaven. Some even want to pray their dreams to reality. But my dear friend, a dream is there for you to have direction; for you to know where it is you should go and what it is that demands your time and energy! That's what a dream is. It's a set of ideas and desires that come in your heart, as a result of your purpose and tendencies. Does that make any sense? What I am trying to say is: What comes to your mind, as a desire, is a result of what you are meant to achieve in life! It also means, conversely, that you have the energy, someway, somehow, inside of you to achieve it; else the dream will not be yours!
Talking about stolen dreams; they are the source of many broken hearts today. One man looks at another man's achievements and makes them a dream for him. Chances are slim that this dream can ever see fruition! Simple, they are not yours; you may not have the strength to achieve them; you may not have the right tools in your sack to work the machinery. Stolen dreams are simply selfish ambitions. You have them because you covet something someone else, be it status, money, respect or power. You think you deserve it. As a matter of fact, you do. Life is painful when you chase shadows. You can't grip them you know; the run as you come, because the man casting the shadow is running fast!
Stop daydreaming. Start adding constructive thinking to your dreams. Remember, your dreams are simply the pearls of your purpose. When you brood over them they give birth to ideas. Your dreams will give you sleepless nights sometimes; but these are the times when energy flows. Quit those narration sessions. Speak little of your dreams. Be mindful that there are slayers around. Some would simply go against you, not that they gain anything from your fall, but they will slay you just for the heck of it -they have to be on top!
A dream is the centre of hope, in some ways both are one and the same thing. Hope is looking into the future and still expecting good things from it. It's in line with dreams. The only reason we still dream is the presence of hope. When hope is lost, the dream is also lost.
Sometimes I'm impressed at how much the Nigerian man dreams. We keep looking forward to a better day when we will have a great nation, with great leaders, little or no corruption, justice and equity, unity of purpose, common drive and a unifying focus. The only reason we have such dreams is because in each pained heart is a spark of hope. I look forward to a day we would each begin to take responsibility for our dreams and working them out to reality, everyone doing his bit against corruption and the mental slavery that has kept us bound as a nation.
This hope and dream we have should be able to kick-start the change we long for. I love this analogy: Corruption is like a heavy log of wood and we are as termites, when we are driven by this dream and each of us take a bite at the wood, by saying no to every offering of corruption that passes our desk or table, that tempts; whenever we say no, we take a deep sting at corruption. Imagine every one taking these small bites, in your own corner, your own environment. The log will break up to powder and get blown by the winds! Now that's a dream worth working for. It's a dream you may have too. Quit complaining and discussing, do something, say no!
So, back to your dream. How would you give it substance? I'm not some psychologist or some expert, but I'll help you with certain nuggets and road maps, stuff I have applied to my own life.
Maintain focus. Keep your dream always before you. The best way to destroy a man is to give him an alternative. If you want to enslave a man, take him and pour your dreams like water over him; change his own ideals, his aspirations; make them yours; he becomes a walking disaster! So, it goes for you, be jealous about your dreams and aspirations. Open your eyes, for some would seek to change your dreams however, they can. Avoid too many side attractions and time wasters. There's not a lot of room. Your dream is big enough. It's tough enough. It's demanding and it's time consuming. You cannot afford too many drunken nights, too many lazy talk hours. You cannot afford to sit at that position and take the pennies while your dream dies, simply because society demands it.
Heighten your desire for success. Do this deliberately and consciously.
Heighten your desire, fuel it, feed it and then give it full attention. Remember, it's your greatest chance to succeed, because you are definitely equipped for it. Again, your dreams are your greatest chance to succeed, because you are equipped for it.
'Write your dreams and make it plain, so that whoever reads it may run with it' sounds familiar? Absolute truth: you will run with it. This may sound out of place for some, an extra chore they can't seem to handle, ah, how I wan take dey write all this thing sef. But look at it this way, like they say.' So, your thoughts put down on paper is a non-volatile memory, a piece of paper could last for generations save for the termites and the rats. Keep them written, sleep with them beneath your pillow. I have a dream box, in it I write my greatest dreams and close it, then I keep them close to me at all times.
Lastly is the best part. Work at it, work, work, work. Someone out there wants an easy road, but oh oh; life doesn't hand you too many choices, take what you can now. Take the steps and remember this, very importantly: you have your own race, some of us are tempted to look at the pace of others and get totally blown away by discouragement; hey! Stop and think: you can't possibly run in someone's life, their race is different, yours is. Pick your baton and run, your steps might be short, but be sure you are putting in your best, you'll be shocked at what the exercise would do: make you much stronger, better and faster!
Read, get to know more than just living every day, there are secrets hidden behind those pages, get inspired, get motivated. Best of all, pray for the strength to work out your dreams; I believe you can!!