We’ve all heard the phrase “chasing a dream.” It often carries a negative connotation—especially when it comes from your mother or other loved ones. You’re told you have your head in the clouds. You’re told that what you want to do is impractical, ill-conceived, even irrational.
But still, you have a dream. You have an idea of what could be—and that is a blessing.
What is it about the human species that allows us to conceive of something that doesn’t yet exist? For the last several days, I’ve been pondering this idea, and it’s led me down some strange roads.
Yes, it is possible to create something out of nothing. That is what we, as humans, are capable of—and it is our superpower. I proved that to myself this week. I conceived of and created a plan to bring something into the world from nothing. A vision for the future that is, by all measures, impossible.
At least it’s not possible right now. And that is what makes it a dream.
Dreams are impossible. That’s why they’re called dreams. They’re not real. They’re fanciful and impractical. Dreams take giant leaps beyond the practical realities of the world and explore what isn’t here—yet. That’s the point.
So thank you, close loved ones and family members, for pointing out that my dreams are impractical. That’s clearly a well-acknowledged statement of fact.
I thrive in this impractical state. I love dancing on the edge of the impossible. Staring into the abyss of almost guaranteed failure.
Because what great vision has ever started as a practical reality?
A mobile computing device in the hands of everyone on Earth? A rocket ship that reduces the cost of flight so daily trips to Mars are as easy as a Southwest flight to Phoenix? Selling everything online, cheaper than any store? Vehicles that drive themselves and need no fuel?
Impractical. Stupidly impossible. And yet, here we are—or at least close to it.
All the amazing dreams start out as completely lost causes. Hopeless. No way forward. The present circumstances will never allow it. You’ll never convince someone to take a ride from a complete stranger in a city they’ve never been to. You’ll never be able to stream video content over the Internet—it requires too much bandwidth. You’ll never get to vote; women just don’t vote. Eradicate the effects of infectious bacteria? Keep dreaming. You might want to get a day job—just in case.
Here’s another fact we all need to deal with: dreams only become reality when they are chased. The impossible only becomes tangible when someone decides to ride off into the wilderness and go after it. The pot of gold is only found by the person brave (or foolish) enough to chase the rainbow.
You fanciful, crazy, lost soul. You dreamer.
How dare you challenge the status quo? How dare you dream big and take on the impossible?
And yet—you will. And every once in a while, you’ll succeed. And then… everyone will want to be you. They’ll envy you. They’ll hate you. They’ll adore you. They’ll mimic you. They’ll say you were lucky—that you “stumbled upon” a simple idea at the right time and in the right place.
So, if you have one of these dreams, I say: pursue it.
Count yourself blessed by the divine that you even have a dream in the first place. Start now. Pursue it with everything you’ve got. Live big. Dream big. Go for it.
If you were looking for permission to chase that dream, consider this your permission slip.
