Wishes or Dreams?
Do you have a dream?
Although closely related there’s a difference between a wish and a dream. I think the two are often confused. I’ve been thinking about the difference between a wish and a dream and looking into my soul—am I confusing wishes with dreams?
Webster’s says that a wish is desire, longing, or strong inclination for a specific thing. A dream is a condition or achievement that is longed for; an aspiration. To aspire means to have a great ambition or ultimate goal; desire strongly; to strive toward an end.
Life is like that, folks often wish for something rather than having a dream in their soul and following the dreams of their heart.
A wish can seem passive; a dream feels more active.
Wishes are free. Dreams cost me something.
I possess a wish, but a dream possesses me.
What dreams possess you?
Dreams keep hope alive.
I don’t want to wish big… I want to dream big.
Walt Disney said that all our dreams can come true - if we have the courage to pursue them. The only reason I have ever failed to achieve a dream is that I did not have the courage to pursue the dream.
FEAR: False. Evidence. Appearing. Real. If I am not pursuing the dreams that possess me then I need to ask myself, what am I afraid of, because it is usually some form of fear that is hindering me.
I was talking to a songwriter the other day and I asked him about the dream in his soul. His dream was to write a hit that inspired people to change their lives. I asked him what he was doing to help accomplish his dream and he indicated that he was not doing anything active to pursue his dream. If he is waiting for the genie to pop out of a bottle and grant him his desire he is still in the wishing stage.
There is nothing wrong with wishing; perhaps wishes are the initial stages of a dream. Soren Kierkegaard said, "If I were to wish for anything, I should not wish for wealth and power, but for the passionate sense of the potential, for the eye which, ever young and ardent, sees the possible." He was wishing for the ability to dream.
I can either wish big or dream big. Today I can hope to bump into a genie or I can face my fear and take steps toward realizing my dream. Sometimes I just wish I wasn't so afraid.
10 Comments:
wow!
time to move some of my wishes into dreams, and start pursuing them :)
Thanks for this.
Thanks for this, Rick. Currently, my dreams are stagnating; day-to-day life is getting in the way of moving toward my dreams.
Or at least, that's the excuse I use. The real problem, as you pointed out, is fear.
Fear of failure, fear of success, fear of talking to complete strangers (a necessary part of making my dreams come true), fear that my dreams aren't the right ones, etc.
Overcoming the fears and making a move toward accomplishing my goals is the real challenge.
I think sometimes I am afraid to dream because I know it will take a committment....Energy (I fear) that I do not have.
But thanks for reading my mind....
very cool thoughts. maybe the Church should start dreaming of what the Kingdom of God CAN be on this planet and stop wishing for butts to fill the pews...
I wish I hadn't read this. Really.
God is speaking, and has been for awhile. I've got to put my faith where my mouth is, and actually start living the life I dream about. The risk is enormous. The payoff is indistinct, uncertain.
Yikes.
The journey of a thousand miles begins with getting off the couch...
The journey of a thousand miles begins with getting off the couch...
yeah, or away from the pc !
I'm out of here ROFL
I think I wish too much and don't dream enough; and certainly don't act on either.
Thank you for provoking my thoughts on that matter.
great post rick! thanks for your comments on my blog, it's nice to know i'm not the only crazy one! :) have a great day pursuing your dreams!
penni left something as a comment on one of my posts recently:
"What you dream alone remains a dream, what you dream with others can become reality."
~Edward Schillebeeckx
dreams + action + community = quite a combo, eh?
great post.. glad you're back. you've been missed.
It's great to see you posting again. This post really helped me think about where I am right now. I have been dealing with some crazy, frustrating circumstances. Putting into perspective whether or not what I'm hoping for is a wish or a dream really helps. Thanks for this post. It was very helpful!!
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