You are a creature of dreams. You can't help it. You do it in your sleep, so you can't prevent it, nor can you control what you do in your sleep. But the dreams you have when you're awake are another matter. Kipling said, " If you can dream, but not let dreams become our masters..." He was expounding wisely.And, you wanted to know, why? Simply put, I ask you to think. When you were very young, you had dreams that you wanted and expected to come true, but as you grew, they changed, you changed.Dreams cannot be our masters, it must always be the other way around, because of that change, which should be obvious, but there is more to it than that. I can recall wanting to be a horse, or a butterfly, but then I got realistic,and decided I wanted to be a horse Doctor. A vet. I kept that dream for a very long time, but was unable to pursue my dream, because my father died while I was still in high school,and there was no way I could pay for years upon years of collage. And, that is why we cannot let our dreams become our masters. Every day, someones dream dies on the vine,and we have to be able to bounce back from a dream that is broken,and reach for new dreams. Dreams can make you keep going when nothing else will, but everywhere you look, in all walks of life, there have been disappointments, and that is when you have to not let the dream become your master. I know you have heard the stories of different individuals who, against all odds, went ahead and persevered, through hardships and long years of work, to finally realize their dream of becoming a star, or a singer, or a world champion tennis player or another entrepreneur,and with the fulfillment of that dream they became rich and famous,and all because they wouldn't give up! That is what they say, but the facts don't quite bare that out. They didn't pursue that dream to the exclusion of all else. Somehow, they had other jobs, and endeavors in between to keep them going,or else they would have been on the streets, dying of hunger, all the while they were singing for nickles and dimes. And for every one who finally makes it, there are thousands who did not.They might be equal in talent and drive, but sometimes it's as simple as one person got the break that all those others missed. Right place, right time, kind of thing. And, there is also this mindset that it doesn't matter if you have to sacrifice to follow your dream,that no matter what it is, you will do it all, give it all, just to attain that pinnacle of success. Men, and women have been known to do just that. They allow the dream to become the central focus of their life, and lose husband or wife, children, home, other family, and all that they possess in the hope that this time, it's going to work. To be sure, there is a certain respect and honor to the memory of those who drove themselves all their lives, only to die unknown and in abject poverty,alone, staying true to that call,unyielding and unbending,and yet, their mark in this world is unmade, so why didn't they do something else too? Because the dream became their master. The painter forgot that for every Vincent Van Gogh, there were dozens of Vincent wannabees.But not when he was alive. No.In fact, Vincent is an excellent example of what I am talking about. He had several jobs before the paint-bug bit him,but once he got into it, the dream took over,and although he did wonderful works such as "Starry starry night" Vincent only sold one painting in his life. (1)! He committed suicide before he achieved the acclaim that he so richly deserved. I think it would be fair to say, that Vincent got so caught up in his dream, that he grew despondent over the lack of response he was getting, and just, gave up. The dream, his Master killed him.
For every Tolstoy there were dozens of who wrote in cold walk-up flats, whose fingers bled from writing all winter long, and never sold a thing. Millions of talented, dedicated, intelligent, hard-working artists have lived and died, and no one ever heard their names, nor gave them the respect they deserved,but they continued on, for the love of their calling, and not because they were being controlled by that desire to be the rich,famous and celebrated so and so. And that, in essence, is the definition of one who dreams, but does not make the dream their master. Do what you dream, but only because you love doing it, not to become someone else by the doing ! Then you will be happy,and your work will show it,and that will help you to make your mark!
OUI?
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