The Dangerous Dreamers
Dreaming with your eyes open.
When I first heard this quote something just switched on inside me.
The reactions to Dreamers are varied. Some are laughed at or mocked, some are patronised in an indulgent tone or dismissed. Either way, having ‘Dreamer’ on your school report wasn’t a compliment from the teacher.
However, there is a difference between those that just dream and those that dream with their eyes open.
At some level, we all dream.
I can disappear into a dream at any given moment: I have stories half written I can wander through, or a trip to ‘What if…’ land or the past.
However, when I dream with my eyes open, my dreams are of a different calibre.
The difference is that when I dream with my eyes open I am intentional in the way that I explore and expand my dream and from there I will start to process and plan to see that dream become a reality.
I will “act [my] dream with open eyes”.
It takes courage to dream with your eyes open. You have to be able to face the fear of failure and the fear of success. Yes, you read that right: the fear of success.
If your dream comes to fruition — if your dream ‘succeeds’ — it will mean change. It is always a journey, a journey that will change you as a person and your life from here on out.
You can never accurately foresee the outcome of your dreams, it is the future after all, but I prefer to journey with my eyes open to stumbling around in an unfocused daze. If my eyes aren’t focussed I may miss some of the good bits along the way or miss the path altogether!
Dreamers are vital. Dreamers have invented the aeroplane, discovered penicillin, reunited families, started coffee shops or rehab projects. They have sung, written, or created the heart of a country’s culture.
Dreamers cross oceans to see grandchildren, loose the weight to become healthy, publish their books, or help us to sing with their songs. They make the world a better place to live in and inspire us to do the same.
Dreamers that dream with their eyes open can see possibilities, they will see a way forward, and see the fulfilment that they hope for.
It is a process and not something that happens overnight. Dreaming with your eyes open, being intentional in the way you develop your dreams, is about taking steps.
Just jacking in your job and leaving for Dreamsville is not dreaming with your eyes open. That’s close your eyes and make a wish. Who journeys with their eyes closed?
Intentional dreamers will carefully look at what they want and how to get it. A popular dream is to be an author. An intentional dreamer will look at what it means to be an author, what’s really involved on a practical level, take a course and invest in themselves, look at their motivations and internal barriers, etc.
My friend Andy is going to climb Kilimanjaro to raise money for Prostate Cancer UK. He will need to do a lot more than pull on his trainers, kiss the wife and kiddies, and take a picnic. He is serious, he is intentional in his preparation to be able to see this through. He is not superman, this will cost him mind, body, and soul, but oh, what will he gain?
Take a look at Andy’s Why and How here.
‘The Dream Catalyst Sparker: 12 Simple Steps Towards Your Dreams & Desires’ can help you begin to dream with your eyes open.
Click here to receive a free copy, with my best wishes.
And Be A Dangerous Dreamer.
Originaly posted on permissiontolaunch.website
