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Showing posts with label idealism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label idealism. Show all posts

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Dreaming


Dreaming is a form of mental activity, different from waking thought. Dreaming occurs during sleep. The process of dream activity has been characterized by many clinical and laboratory studies. These studies show that dreams are more perceptual than conceptual. Things are seen and heard rather than thought. It should be no surprise then for you to discover that adults spends 25% of their nights sleep dreaming, but newborn children spend as much as 50% of sleep time, dreaming. You’ve heard it many times before but I’ll tell you again, “unless we begin to perceive as babes we will never reach our true potential.”(Matthew 18:3) The trials of life slowly drain dreams from our minds. We cannot submit to the apparent futility of dreaming. A dreamer must have extraordinary vision complemented by the drive to achieve his goals. Children are pardoned from any responsibility concerning the implementation of their dreams because they do not have the ability to act on them. But what of those that have the ability but choose not to act. There is no forgiveness for a person that wastes talent. I can tell you from experience that I now have less talents than I once had because of my refusal to use them.(I still have more than enough though.) Each of us is special and we should endeavor with all available strength to use these gifts to the best of our capability.

A dreamer is someone that tries to achieve all hatched possible positive outcomes. He is an explorer not affected or blinded by the sarcasms of ordinary men. His idealism makes him a man of vision. One who boldly tempts fate and dismisses the scorn of lesser men. I’m reminded of a story. There was an old sheep dog that through experience learned of the softness of hay because his first duty was the care of sheep. With age he cared less about the sheep and more about his sleep. His lack of vision caused the farmer to have him replaced. The old dog could not eat the hay but he was not about to let the sheep eat his bed. It is laziness that finds many of us in later years. We know our job and responsibility but the wisdom of experience is replaced by shortcuts and the tricks learned through experience. In life there are always those who have the keys of knowledge and refuse to use them. They will always stand in the way of your nourishment and not allow you to feed. The “Old Dog” can’t eat the hay and will not allow anyone else to eat either. (Luke 11:52) The elder statesman is always replaced with a younger hound. The youthful apprentice is relentless, full of energy, and not set in his ways. However the “Old Dog’s” wisdom should be exploited because there is much that he can teach the humble young pup if he so chooses.

We must take steps in life to follow our dreams if not the title of “Dreamer” quickly becomes a curse.