not all dreaming is created equal

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“All men dream: but not equally.

Those who dream in the dark recesses of the night awake in the day to find all was vanity.

But the dreamers of day are dangerous men, for they may act their dreams with open eyes, and make it possible.”

T.E. Lawrence

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“The universe is full of magical things patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper.”

Eden Phillpotts

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“On stormy nights they both dreamt intensively, violently – they often drowned.”

Ellen Van Neerven

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Ok. This is about dreaming & doing.

Let me be clear.

Discussing dreaming is fun, challenging & tricky. It can very easily fall into a ‘wasted unpragmatic use of energy & brain’ discussion. My preference is to discuss dreams as  ‘aspirational thinking.’

I associate this kind of dreaming with hope and doing.

Now. On the other end sometimes dreaming can be associated with ‘big thinker.’

Well. I dislike it when I hear ‘visionary thinker’ or ‘good at the big picture’ because most often, attached to it, is an implied ‘not a doer.’ This kind of thinking has a couple of nasty aspects. The first is that of someone thinks big they don’t like doing things. The second is that if you are a big thinker you can’t be good at doing.  Both are wrong and, well, bad for the dreaming business. The reality is we seem to encourage thinkers to think, and not do. and doers to do, and not think big. we seem to do this, well, I don’t know why we do this.

Look.

I love it when people realize that dreaming without doing is not worth a shit.

I love it when people realize that doing without fulfilling a dream makes you feel like shit.

I love it when people realize that the combination of being as ‘aspirational thinker’ <dreamer> and effective doer is the most powerful combination in the world.

I love it when people realize that having an undefined future is okay <but that doesn’t mean you are not doing something worthwhile or dreaming is bad>. 

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“I daydream because my future is still undefined.”

williamchapmanwritings

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I love the thought that the universe truly is full of magical things patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper.

I love the thought that dreaming is a way for our wits to grow sharper.

I love the thought that dreamers of day are dangerous men … for they may act their dreams with open eyes, and make it possible.

Suffice it to say, I love dreaming … and I love doing. But I do believe doing, without dreaming, is a lost opportunity. I say that because I believe dreaming can change the world and the future. It shapes possibilities for what can be, and should be, done.

To be clear.

Not all dreaming is equal.

But all dreaming has value because, at its essence, dreaming can destroy reality.

Well. At least change a reality that may need changing.

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“Reality can destroy the dream; why shouldn’t the dream destroy reality?”

George Moore

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“A dream will always triumph over reality, once it is given the chance.”

Stanislaw Lem

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Many people may not like to hear this, but, it really is the dreamers that change the world not the doers. This may be a ‘chicken or egg’ type discussion, but in my mind:

(1) doing is a commodity. it can be a quality commodity when executed well, but, doing without dreams is simply doing.

(2) dreamers envision the impossible and everyone else follows behind making it possible. dreams make the doing have non-commodity value.

But someone has to envision.

That is the dreamers.

Anyway.

Bottom line?

Dream.

Just go ahead and dream.

And maybe, just maybe, you will change the world.