Some of my clients are dreamers. Some are pragmatic. And many are a blend. Where would you place yourself?
What I often find is that the dreamers don't value that part of themselves. I understand why. Our culture seems to highly value pragmatism and "the bottom line" above all else, and dreamers get short shrift. We don't value and thus, don't nurture, people's ability to dream and create long-term visions. And yet, where would this country be without the dreamers, without those who imagined something new and different?
Think of Steve Jobs. Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell. Or Walt Disney's imaginative mind that gave us fictional characters to enjoy and theme parks in which to play. And women, whose names aren't as well known but whose inventions are just as important: Stephanie Kwolek, who invented Kevlar, and Marion Donovan, who came up with the idea for a disposable diaper. And I'll bet you didn't know that actress Hedy Lamarr was a pioneer in the field of wireless communications with her "Secret Communications System" used to help combat the Nazis in World War II.
Dreamers. Yes, oh, yes, we need them. If you have a side of you that tends toward dreaming, don't lose it. Of course, you need a practical side to make a living (unless you were born an heiress!). But dreams are good. I've heard it said that we don't keep dreams alive; dreams keep us alive. I believe that. Once we lose our dreams—if we don't create new ones—we lose hope. Your dreams don't have to create the next big thing. They are just as important if they help you be all you were created to be.
Nurture the dreamer in you. See where it leads you. Do you need some changes in career, relationships or lifestyle? Dreams and longings are a good place to start.
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