Dream Catchers
“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 their dream with open eyes, to make it possible.”
You may be familiar with Native American ‘Dream Catchers’, also referred to as ‘Sacred Hoops’. They are believed to have originated from the Ojibwa Chippewa tribe in particular, who believed that the night air is filled with dreams, both good and bad. When hung above the bed in a place where the morning sunlight can hit it, the dream catcher attracts and catches all sorts of dreams and thoughts into its webs. Good dreams pass through and gently slide down the feathers to comfort the sleeper below. Bad dreams, however, are caught up in its protective net and destroyed, burned up in the light of day.
Growing up, I was often accused of day dreaming when my full attention was demanded on things I found less interesting than my fantasies of wishing I could be more than I am. It’s said those who dream in daylight are far more cognizant of things which may escape those who only dream at night and my thoughts carried me to an realization that without the possibility of making my dreams come true, why would I be burdened with such a passion to pursue them?
Our dreams are what keeps us moving towards a place where our world becomes what we were created for. But along the pursuit of these dreams you will inevitably come across the ‘Dream Crushers’, the antithesis of Dream Catchers. Dream Crushers hover in the present while dreamers fly to the future. They may attribute your dreams to selfish desires such as fame, fortune, ego, or even lacking ambition for more, but nothing could be further from the truth. Dedication, hope, and discipline is what keep dreams alive, especially when no one else sees or believes them.
When we stop focusing on the success and start focusing on the significance of our talents will we realize the important role we have been called to play in the short term existence of our being in the lives of others. You, my fellow man, were created to not only fulfill your purpose but to also be a lighthouse to stand against the strong tides of pessimism and storms of discouragement, to guide those with similar dreams as yours. My dreams are an escape when all else seems to be failing around me and gives me an awareness of freedom as when doves are liberated from their enclosure and fly into the blue heavens with wild abandon.
Be aware it’s a risk to share your dreams with others. When they’re not supportive, it is only because they lack the vision and urgency of purpose that lives deep within your heart to fill a void that only you can see. But sometimes, just sometimes, other dreams you never knew you had that laid dormant come true and open a whole new world of possibilities when you refuse to put limits on your potential.
I exhort you to continue to feed your dreams with hope and confidence that you were created to gift the world with a talent that only you can fulfill. As you pursue your dreams, don't forget this is a game you don't enter to merely compete, but to win. There will always be someone booing you in the stands, you may even hear the jeering and hissing from those closest to you. But you will also have those who are encouraging you on the side lines, listen to those voices as they cheer you on. This is a game between you and your destiny that you have to win for the people who came to watch you be triumphant.
Hold fast to your dreams, for if you allow your dreams to die, life is nothing more than a broken-winged bird that cannot experience the ecstasy of flight.