“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”
These inspiring words were recorded by Eleanor Roosevelt, the wife of Franklin D. Roosevelt, the 32nd President of the United States, in a newspaper article in 1957. In the article, she spoke about the hopes and dreams of those wonderful people who were involved in the final production of U.S. Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution, and the ultimate impact they had on the new nation. In addition to being a commanding first lady, she was, in her own right, a highly respected and accomplished American political figure, diplomat and human rights activist, and an official US delegate to the UN assembly. The fundamental truth of her statement rings loudly and clearly, and has been referenced on many countless occasions around the world.
“To follow one’s dreams” is an inspirational mainstay that has been accepted worldwide as a concept meant to encourage a person to resist the temptation to stay within safe and comfortable boundaries, and instead be prepared to take a leap, to follow one’s passion, into a new and challenging direction. Far too often, so many of us feel driven to stay within our comfort zones, not because we are not able to step over the boundary, but because we are weighed down by boulders of fear and uncertainty, which have instilled in us, a sense of inadequacy and insecurity. This should not be a surprise, since nature itself has a tendency to encourage uniformity and regularity, and discourage any form of deviation from conformity. It insists on rewarding uniformity and regularity in every aspect of living, as it does with its own cycles of activity, and becomes unstable when any changes take place, for any reason.
All of human nature is focused in such a way that survival is paramount, and in order to ensure this, it becomes imperative to aim for complacency and fulfillment. The majority are quite content to adopt this state and build their lives around it, so that they may be able to conform to the needs of society, preferring group satisfaction, rather than personal accomplishment. As a result, we have become selfish and self-protective, suppressing our initiative, and our desire for getting more; burying our ambitions in the interest of security. And on the occasions when ambition stirs, we experience feelings (real and imagined) of fear, of failure, of embarrassment, or of rejection, that will force us to choose to stay locked in our own prisons, surrounded by familiarity. And we justify this choice, by finding excuses to convince us of the fact that the dreams we have are unrealistic and unattainable.
Nothing could be further than the truth!
Robert Orben, a very talented American author and speech writer for President Gerald Ford once observed:
“There are only two kinds of people in this world; the Realists and the Dreamers. The realists know where they are going, and the dreamers have already been there.”
In stating this, he was in fact drawing attention to the fundamental make-up of all of humanity. The world can be seen as made up of two distinct, but mutually dependent, groups:
“The realists:” these are the pragmatists, the conformists and the dependents, they form the large majority of any population and are the backbone of any society. They are content with the status quo, and become uncomfortable with any type of change.
Then there are “the dreamers,” the few who, by their very nature, driven by an urge of endless optimism and confidence, reject conformity and insist on achievement.
Together they form a balanced platform, since the one group will not survive without the other group .
The history of mankind throughout the ages overflows with the examples of people who have followed their dreams to fulfillment. They have all, without exception, exhibited a number of clearly identifiable characteristics, including:
-Clear Vision of the direction and the goal they hope to achieve.
-The persistence and the patience to persevere in spite of the obstacles encountered along the way.
-Rising above their fears and insecurities, face the many obstacles and keep their eyes on the dream.
-Resisting the obstacles and find opportunities to overcome or avoid them.
-Accepting each failure as an opportunity to learn from, and proceed to completion.
In all these instances, success is less dependent on the actual dreams and hopes, and much more a reflection of the person’s courage and commitment, and equally, his willingness to accept the sacrifices that might be necessary to continue.- Without these ingredients, these dreams are destined to remain just hopes and wishes!
Examples of people who have succeeded to follow their dreams to fruition can be found in every society, age, sex and category, and for each one of these, there are likely to be hundreds who have tried and failed. But for those who have succeeded, the success never happened by chance, but always by dint of commitment. For example:
J. K. Rowling: the very successful British author of the Harry Potter series, which were repeatedly rejected by dozens of publishers, before finding success.
Colonel Harland Saunders: who at 40 years old conceived of the idea of preparing chicken under pressure, and spent 10 years before receiving any kind of acceptance.
Walt Disney: now recognized as a global cultural icon, the father of the American entertainment and animation industry, failed miserably at his early efforts, and was once rejected for “lack of imagination.”
Steve Jobs: considered to be among the world’s greatest entrepreneurs, inventors and marketers. He success was never easy, but despite the many obstacles, he persisted to develop the Apple name as foremost in electronic products.
Without question, there can be no beginning without the seeds of hopes and dreams developing in the minds of the right people. But it is abundantly clear, that only a few will ever grow to full maturation, not because many of them could not do so, but rather because they lacked true intent and motivation. For any dream, however sincere that may be, which does not have a goal and a plan and the courage to complete it, will remain only a wish. In a way, this is probably what Walt Disney alluded to when he declared:
“All our dreams can come true.
If we have the courage to pursue them.”
-This is perhaps why Eleanor Roosevelt so wisely reminded us of the ‘beauty in our dreams’. For they hold the keys that will open the world for us, but only when we are ready and willing to turn them in the right direction.
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