It’s been said a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. While this is true, the first step is not an external action per se, but rather some internal desire and dream. And often we might find ourselves stuck because we’re trying to force ourselves to take action before having a compelling vision of what we’re trying to accomplish.
To be sure, there’s wisdom in the encouragement to just do it. Many times we do get stuck in our heads just thinking and dreaming without taking meaningful steps to make our dreams a reality. But, at other times, we’ve not yet done enough dreaming.
Perhaps we pursued education, training, and jobs that were simply practical. Our focus might have been on meeting our basic needs, and it felt like a luxury we couldn’t afford to imagine anything more. Or it was merely easier to follow the status quo and expectations of those around us than to attempt to chart our own path forward.
Whatever the case, we soon lose our motivation for life when we’ve not given ourselves permission to dream and we’re just going through the motions. While this is a stable and predictable life, impotence, both literally and figuratively, is often close by as well.
A will-to-dream is allowing ourselves to desire and imagine new possibilities other than our current state. In short, it’s just having some vision for our future. The point is not to pursue some unrealistic fantasy. But it’s having eyes to see, however dimly, the things God has called us to accomplish in life. And, in fact, we’re more prone to indulging unrealistic fantasies when we don’t learn to cultivate meaningful dreams.
In the end, desires and dreams precede change. Cultivate a will-to-dream to make a meaningful difference throughout your life and relationships.
Photo by Erik Mclean on Unsplash
