Living the dream
Does it make sense to invest in dreams? This may surprise you, but the practical answer is “no”. Dreams are risky, invite the unknown into our lives, often times run counter to good sense and always come with a string of failures. For my money, they’re the single best investment of time we can make. They are entirely unique to the human species.
As far as we know, no other creatures possess the capacity to dream: a sheep doesn’t aspire to become a better sheep. A worker bee doesn’t dream of being queen one day. Their systems are focused on day-‐to-‐day survival and production. Their ways haven’t changed since the dawn of time.
People on the other hand, are different. We start dreaming from the time we are born. We dream when we sleep, we dream when we’re awake. We want to improve things. We want to be better. Dreams help us set goals and pave the path to more promising destinations.
(Jett) I think about you and your dream of being a physicist. What an incredible goal! When others (including me, in the beginning) were scratching their heads, you forged ahead! Your dream would not be denied! And while you’re still in the midst of realizing it, your dream hasn’t wavered. High-‐risk, high-‐reward. Man, I admire that about you. I am so proud that you want it so much that you’re dedicating your studies, your time, to pave that road. I know it’s been difficult. I know you’ve been tested along the way, but in the end you will achieve something that very few have ever done! And you will be different. Your experience will shape you. You’ll be in a better position to change things and make a difference. I think of your fortitude, like the time you told me that you wanted to try out for the OU wrestling team. Against all odds, you made it. You succeeded. And now, you are on your way to membership in an even more elite fraternity: physics. But dreams come with a cost. You battle the doubters. You wrestle with your inner demons. So many things are poised to try and derail you. The greater the dream, the more you hear the detractors. Don’t pay attention to any of it. Use it as motivation.
(Savannah) I think about you and your dream of using your creative mind to become a great writer, inventor or artist. You are so gifted! I know it hasn’t been easy at times; you’ve gone through dry deserts where it seems as if you’ll never complete your story. You’ve made mistakes trying to invent, sew and weave your creations. Dreaming can be frustrating, because we want it so badly. Remember, these missteps, these vacuums of creativity, they need to exist. Great creative is born from struggle. When we make mistakes or fight through creative-‐block, we train ourselves to be better, sharper and more resilient. You don’t stop being creative when you push through these events. Like a blade being sharpened on a stone, you get better. Risks aren’t really risks without mistakes.
Thomas Edison said it best: “I have not failed 10,000 times, I’ve found 10,000 ways that don’t work.” When you come up against things that conflict with your dream, think of them as a gift, a helpful sign to keep you on the right road through treacherous territory.
Stay steady. Believe. God gave you a great heart and mind. I’ve seen both of these in action. Your future is so incredibly bright. Don’t ever give up on your dreams.
My dream is to be sitting curbside, in a chair, one day soon as your dream is realized and comes parading by. I’ll be the one in the front row, standing up, clapping with all my might. I’m so proud of you! Dream big today! Love dad
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