Dreams

Dreams and aspirations are as unique as each individual person. They are what keep us moving forward – without them we stagnate, adopt negative attitudes, and become closed to all possibilities. 
 
But, what makes us stop dreaming in the first place?  I would hypothesize that the root cause of some cases of apathy is the absence of those basic needs I discussed in last week’s blog.  If you cannot imagine anything beyond basic survival, how can you aspire for more? 
 
However, in the cases of many of the young people I meet, who cannot put words to what they hope for the future, I believe it is because they were never given the opportunity or encouragement to pursue anything besides what is prescribed within the system. 
 
I can’t begin to explain the sadness I feel when I ask a seventeen or eighteen-year-old, “what do you envision as the next
step?”  And, they reply with a shrug or an “I don’t know.”  The spark of excitement I see in a younger child’s eyes when I ask the same question, simply, isn’t there. It is my fondest wish that in the short time they are with us at DRC, they too will find inspiration during a mentoring session, or, better yet, when they come to me in the middle of the day and say, “I would like to try …”. 

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Imagine the difference if we always told (and modeled for) our children:

•  Explore, investigate, play, be silly, and have fun -  instead of do your homework, get good grades, and excel on the test.
•  Dig deep and become immersed – rather than skim the surface.
•  Be willing to make mistakes and learn from them – as an alternative to - be perfect.
• Seek out unusual opportunities – instead of - follow the culturally dictated path.
•  Embrace all your idiosyncrasies and be yourself – as opposed to - conform.
• Welcome change and be bold – rather than - be afraid.
• Accept responsibility – as an alternative to - blame.
• Be kind, compassionate, non-judgmental and be willing to work together in collaboration – as opposed to - be critical and competitive.
•  Dare to - create and design, envision all the possibilities, find allies, screw-up and apologize, scrutinize and probe new ideas, become absorbed and engrossed, and blaze your own personal journey based on your interests and passions – not those determined by society.  

 
 
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