A Salute to the Dreamers
by Lou Conjar
I admit it. I'm a dreamer. I dream of a world where everyone will be free to pursue the path which seems right for them. I dream of a world where financial troubles are a thing of the past. A world where spiritual values can be the overriding factor in our decision-making process -- not economic concerns. A world where each individual is recognized as having a specific talent or ability which, when nurtured and allowed to grow, can allow him or her to find and fill a particular need that only they can fill in this world.
What we seem to have forgotten in this world is that we are all in this together. What's good for the individual is what's good for the whole. Yes, I know. There are those who argue that if we allowed everyone to do what they wanted, then chaos would result. Society would collapse because nothing would get done. This argument is falacious, but I will tackle that at another time. What I want to discuss in this commentary is the value of the "Dreamer". Where would we be without them? Probably still in the Stone Age.
Every major advancement in history has come because someone with a dream had the courage, and the freedom, to pursue it. Unfortunately, the cost has often been extraordinary. Why? Because we have not yet learned to work together in harmony. This is something that we must learn to do. Our very survival depends on it.
Most people today are struggling simply to achieve and/or to maintain a reasonably comfortable existence. Very few people enjoy the work they do. Corporate downsizing and the transition from the industrial age to the information age has left a huge number of good, hard-working people scrambling to make ends meet. They often, after getting laid off, have to take the first job opportunity they can find that promises to allow them to reasonably maintain their standard of living. This is perfectly understandable, especially when there are other family members who are depending on them. But this is especially hard for the dreamer. They know how much better things could be. And so, with every spare ounce of energy they can muster, they work on defining, refining, and pursuing the "Dream". Some may never be able to realize that dream. But still they go on. They may even accept the fact that it's practically hopeless. But still they go on. Failure after failure may greet them. But still they go on.
They can't help themselves. The drive from within is too strong. This can be extremely frustrating to those friends and family members who don't understand the "Dreamer's" need. They can't understand why the dreamer can't be satisfied with what they have, why they can't just be thankful that they have a job. After all, there are plenty of other people who would love to be in their position and have what they have. Why can't they just be satisfied? And so, the dreamer often must fight not only the battle against the odds, but also the ire of family and friends who don't understand what drives them.
What is it that drives the dreamer so? Outwardly, it may seem to be a quest for money, fame, freedom, power or some other such thing. But, in truth, it is the Spirit within. John F. Kennedy once said, "There are costs and risks to a program of action, but they are far less than the long range risks and costs of comfortable inaction". This seems to be the feeling of the dreamer. No matter how difficult the goal may seem, it must be pursued. Accepting less is unacceptable. And so, the struggle goes on. Spirit will not be denied. But think about how different it would be if, instead of trying to DIScourage the dreamer, we ENcouraged them, nurtured them, assisted them? What if we all accepted their assertion that this was something that they MUST do? What kind of world do you think we would have then?
If everyone were encouraged to look inside and discover what they could do for the betterment of mankind, how different would the world be? Better yet, what if once a person discovered what their real dream was, they were given the full support of those around them to pursue it? Wouldn't it be interesting to find out?
Until such time, I salute the dreamers -- those who have succeeded in bringing progress to the world , those who gave it their all and failed, those who are currently pursuing their dream and those who have yet to discover it (but are searching). The Divine Spirit is within each of us. It is being heard by more every day. It expresses Itself through us. And, It will not be denied.
