DREAMS

When the hopes still linger in the heart & dreams continues to float, the tired mind starts to sparkle again, because all it needs is just a push from the heart that will take it to think & fulfil higher ambitions & aspirations. Can anybody define the words which I have written above- ‘hope’ & ‘dreams’? Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung identify dreams as an interaction between the unconscious and the conscious. Many other do argue with this definition and put their own. According to Fritz Perls dreams are projections of parts of the self that have been ignored, rejected or suppressed. Many people, many opinions.

In this growing materialistic world which is full of fear, where no body has time for the other there is something that keeps the hopes of millions intact; there is something which makes someone feel that he would be recognized by the world. Those are nothing else but “dreams”. Remember that a dream unifies the body, mind, and spirit. It provides you with insight into ourselves and a means for self-exploration. In understanding your dreams, you will have a better understanding and discovery of your true self.

India today is a country abounding with opportunities and optimism. The 9% GDP growth rate of the past few years, coupled with rising incomes and progressive liberalisation, has inspired a wave of first generation entrepreneurs to the fore. New-age entrepreneurs, both small and big, are making a foray into diverse sectors and pioneering new opportunities and potential. You can be an entrepreneur and achieve your dreams regardless of where you are right now. Do make sure you have a vision, a well researched plan in place and stay positive? It also helps to take a long view as you may have to take a step back to survive for the next day.

Do you ever realize how small dreams push us further & further towards our future? When a child studies in a school, he dreams of getting into a college, and then he dreams of for higher studies. Dreams….yes we dream a lot. And hey, dreams are necessary to live, to go ahead. Just to give a glimpse of how dreams vary from person to person: a kid dreams of a playstation in the morning, he gets one in the evening; a bus conductor dreams of driving a bus one day, but he is never able to see his dream fulfilled. A son of a farmer dreams of getting a pair of new clothes, but there are many children who just have to choose between Weekender and Zapp. There are children who dream of getting into a primary school as they can not afford it but on the other hand children are using laptops in an AC room of a school. So, as you have seen in each contrasting incidents there is one case where the fulfilment of someone’s dream is almost impossible.

It hurts…yes it does hurt…when dreams are shattered…Whether you are rich or poor, when your dreams are shattered you feel that you lost something. That’s why one should have to work towards the attainment of his or her dreams. Unless, it would be just day-dreaming.

A patient in an ICU dreams of seeing another sunrise, a mother dreams to see her son near who is working for army, an employee dreams of promotion, a wife dreams of getting some life back in her dead relationship with her husband, parents dreams of finding a suitable match for their daughter, an 18-year old guy leaves home so that one day he will be like Amitabh Bachchan, a farmer dreams of better rain & harvesting, a son dreams to be like his father, so on & on & on….dreams can be of any size…it really does not matter. Dhirubhai Ambani has planned, gathered, executed and expanded his entire empire; but before even planning he had seen a dream, big dream...everything else just followed his great & strong vision. Dreams have only one owner at a time. That's why dreamers are lonely. JRD Tata has dreamt of a developing India, Narayan Murthy has given a reason to the youth of India to dream of technology. When Ambani started his business, he had very few people who believed in his dreams. But it takes a lot of courage to show your dreams to someone else. All those who achieved so much in their lives and today stand as our icon had that courage to move ahead against all odds, be it socially, economically or politically. So, if you take responsibility for yourself you will develop a hunger to accomplish your dreams. One must remember that dreams are today's answers to tomorrow's questions. All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them. J.W. von Goethe said: - “Dream no small dreams, for they have no power to move the hearts of men.”

No one should negotiate their dreams. Dreams must be free to fly high. No government, no legislature, has a right to limit your dreams. You should never agree to surrender your dreams. Ideologies separate us. Dreams bring us together. Ralph Lauren, one the best designers has once stated that “I don’t design clothes, I design dreams.” So, one should try to understand that everybody who has tasted success has had a dream…just because they thought big and they had the passion to fulfil it, they made it possible to see their dreams turning into reality. Thomas Lawrence has put in his thought in a very literary way: “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 on their dreams with open eyes, to make them possible.”

Dreams pass into the reality of action. From the actions stems the dream again; and this interdependence produces the highest form of living. It’s a process which is very tough to maintain, but it must be continued to make any organization a great one. As you have seen above how small to big dreams vary, we can assume that we all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort. I really feel that only in our dreams are we free. The rest of the time we need wages. So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable, and then, when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable. I always remembered the famous quote of Eleanor Roosevelt: “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty, strength & power of their dreams.” Many argue with me that why do I believe so much in my dreams. I simply tell them dreams are true while they last, and do we not live in dreams? I tell people I'm too stupid to know what's impossible. I have ridiculously large dreams, and half the time they come true. Dreams are the touchstones of our character.

When you dream, dream big, as big as the ocean blue. Because when you dream it might come true. Dreams are answers to questions we haven't yet figured out how to ask. It is always important to translate our dreams into reality. A dream which is not interpreted is like a letter which is not read. George Bernard Shaw says: “You see things; and you say, 'Why?' But I dream things that never were; and I say, "Why not?" So, in India we need to visualize what our outgoing president has dreamt of: the 2020 vision. We need men who can dream of things that never were. The key to realizing a dream is to focus not on success but significance - and then even the small steps and little victories along your path will take on greater meaning.

Subhas Chandra Bose, Bhagat Singh & MK Gandhi had sacrificed their lives for our country so early in their lives. If Rajiv Gandhi can become the prime minister of India at the age of 40, if Kalpana Chawala can go to space at the age of 36, if Bill Gates can start Microsoft at the age of 20, if Sachin can play for India at the age of 16, why can not we go on to make our dream a reality? It’s our life, make it count. If you take responsibility for yourself you will develop a hunger to accomplish your dreams.

Dream On Guys…

(Many lines of this post are a compilation of great words by many authors, and some mine too :)