Dream dreams

What is Your Dream?

I love asking people what their dream is.

It's a great help for conversation, taking those shallow 'how-are-you-I'm-fine-thanks-you-?' conversations to something a bit more substantial and just simply more interesting, but the more I ask people the question, the more I love asking it!

There are so many different responses I get. I love to hear the variations of dreams that exist in the world, the surprising dreams, the huge dreams, the 'impossible without God' dreams, they are great to listen to. When we think of our own dreams, we may get the feeling that everyone has the same dream as us, but more the more ask, the more I realise how individual, how specific and how unique each persons dream is. There are 3 main reasons I love asking the question:

1. A dream tells you a lot about a person.
It's not just fascinating to find out what these dreams are, but you can tell a lot about a person from the dream(s) they do or don't have.

You can begin to see their passions and what is often on their mind often. You get a glimpse into what makes people tick, you begin to see people's priorities; you can see what drives them, what steers them, what keeps them going during tough times. There is so much it can tell you about that person.

2. You may be the dream catalyst for them.
There is a conversation I have far too often for my own liking. This usually starts with me asking for what their dream is in life, and they respond with a shrug of the shoulders, or a 'I don't know'. Most of the time I can't help myself at this point and need to ask the question "well, if you could do ANYTHING in the world, or be ANY type of person you want - no limitations - who would you be?" I get keen to dig deeper, see what makes these people tick.

Sometimes these kinds of people take the bait, and we begin to see some eyes lighting up, some brains churning away revealing that little more about them. They may not know the ins and outs of what career path they want to take, or what they'd love to do, but they know what they like, and they may have an outlandish, unreal sounding idea of their future (no matter how vague it may be)... I love this. It's the beginning of dreaming.

A dream can begin from anywhere, and so many places. Sometimes people hear from God directly in an audible voice. Others get a strong sense that God is directing them. Others 'bump into' their dreams as they experience life, others follow their passions and loves. But some may begin to discover their dreams because you have asked them. You may stir thoughts, and may be the first person to ever ask them that question. Who knows what you may begin in their life through a simple question, you can be the catalyst for them realising their dream.

3. It gets you thinking about your own dream.

Not always- but sometimes after asking others about their dream you get asked the question back. Then the pressure is on. Do YOU have a dream? What is it? If you have a dream, are you able to communicate it well enough to others which should inevitably get yourself excited once again? These conversations cause us to think about our own dreams as well as others. As we speak out our dreams, it gives them something concrete to stand on, something real. It stops being an unrealistic, untouchable concept that is stuck in your mind, and lays it out to be put into action. This may be slightly scary at first, but it will take you from being a dreamer, to somebody of action.

That's why I ask the question, and that's why I reckon you should ask it too.