Some people are masters at small talk. For most of my life, I was quite bad at it. I didn’t even like the idea of it. But in recent years, my views about it have softened. (You can read more about the process here.) On the other hand, I’ve always loved talking about things that matter—especially dreams. Nearly everybody has one and most people are more than willing to tell others about it if they will listen.
As I talk to writers, many of them want to write full time. As I talk to singles, they often want a spouse. As I talk to business people, they have a dream job in mind. As I talk to business owners, they dream about reaching financial stability. And as I interview athletes, many of them just want a shot to prove themselves. I’m always inspired by people who are pursuing their dream, no matter what it is or what level they are at because I know they are doing it in spite of their fear.
Giving up hope would be easy for them when circumstances become difficult. Battle weariness can set in, which zaps incentive, and life just seems to slip away at that point. The desire to get up early dissipates. The willingness to go hard after a dream gives way to mere survival. The risk of taking a chance seemingly becomes too high, especially when people are giggling at our efforts while lurking in the shadows of cowardice. And eventually the dream dies.
How does a person keep the dream alive?
I’ve found that I need to be around other people who aren’t quick to crush dreams. I need their encouragement. And I need to encourage them. The result leads to an otherwise unattainable synergy. I admit to listening to the giggles a little too much in the past. But in the end, I doubt if I’ll remember a single giggle that somebody offered as I chased a dream. Instead, I suspect that I’ll be quite satisfied that I learned to take risks in spite of what others might think.
