Monday, February 2, 2009

Dream Out Loud


One can hardly write about dreams without paying homage to the most famous one of all. On August 28, 1963, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, Dr. Martin Luther King voiced his dream—he dreamed out loud. In one single address, he inspired millions and fundamentally changed the cultural fabric of our nation. His dream, like all others that yield momentous results, came to fruition at great personal sacrifice to him.

Every day we also have an opportunity to dream out loud; to muster our courage and momentum to fundamentally change our lives.

Listen to the words of Thomas Edward Lawrence. You might know him better as Lawrence of Arabia. “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.”

Today, and with the dawning of each new day in America, we need to dream out loud.

A dreamer is someone who can see beyond "what is" to "what can be". A dreamer is a person who has the creativity and courage to try new things and overcome obstacles.

Courage and commitment are key.

Naysayers will try to crush your dreams. They will find dozens of reasons why you shouldn’t even try. They will tell you that what you are trying to accomplish will take too much time or require too much effort; that your goal is futile and unreachable.

I would rather defer to the words of George Bernard Shaw: rather than see things that are and ask why, “I dream of things that never were and say ‘Why not?’” A dreamer makes a difference in his own life and the lives of others, and can think ideas into reality.

It is human nature to believe that we live in the most technologically advanced age earth has experienced and that no discoveries remain hidden for us to find and make life better. But beliefs, even in the “absolute truths” of science, can confine and stifle creativity. Thank goodness for the dreamers of the world, for they dare defy conventional wisdom and conformity. They bring us new discoveries, new methods, new achievements, and a better way of life.

A lofty dream accomplished is a triumph of the human soul, a celebration of ingenuity, of determination, and the grit of the people who work to make it come true. As long as we are trying to achieve our dreams, setbacks are never failures.

The only sure path to failure is inaction. That is when creativity becomes disposable. A dream unspoken is merely a thought.

There is a commonality among dreamers who actually change the way things are done. The common thread is that they have given voice to their aspirations. They have dared to dream out loud. It takes a certain valor, and, yes, audacity, to do that, but when you expect nothing from yourself, you get exactly what you asked for.

Hundreds of years ago, people would look at the horizon and believe it represented the end of the earth. Today we know better.

We realize that just ahead of that point where the earth and sky connect, there is always—always—something beyond the horizon. That line, that sliver of air, is not the end. For us it represents boundless opportunity for new things and new ways—a chance to reinvent ourselves and the ways we get things done.

That is the living definition of a dream.

Dream with me. Take this journey by my side. Together we will change our world.

1 comment:

  1. Sam this is an awesome note!! I wish more people (including me) would try and live this way. I love looking through your blog and can't wait to see what is next

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