We all have different dreams for our lives. As preferences would have it, we are often conditioned not to support a dream different than ours for someone close. That’s OK, but get out of their way or they will steamroll you.

Many people have a path picked out for someone else that just doesn’t suit that someone. We witness this in families all the time. Dad has the plumbing business; son wants to be a musician - Sparks!

 

My mother had an expression she used that underscored this point: “Children are only lent to you.” You don’t own them and you don’t own their dreams.

 

Dreaming for someone else goes past children. Spouses, significant others, partners, lovers, friends, family, etc. can all fall under our dream umbrella, until they go out and get their feet wet doing something different. This is not the rainy day we were saving for.

 

I wanted to be a radio broadcaster since I was a teen falling asleep listening to the DJs on my transistor radio playing my favorite music. I remember, years later, when I was a broadcaster with a young family, my aunt saying to me, “That’s not a real job.” As it turns out, it was my profession for 30 plus years.

 

Somebody’s dream may not fit into your neat little picture for him or her. No one says you have to like it, but if it a burning desire for them, stand aside or you will get burned.

 

Even if we pretend to get on the bandwagon, our overriding fear may be that we think they won’t make it. They may not; but if they don’t make the effort as a result of your transparent opposition, they will attribute that failure, in some part, to you.

 

Here’s what I know for sure: I haven’t yet met anyone with the requisite passion who didn’t get to do what they wanted to do.  I’m reminded of the story of basketball player, Spud Webb. He had an NBA career for 13 years (no small feat) and won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest in 1986. Spud was 5 feet 7 inches tall.

 

There is no substitute for passion. It takes people to great heights. Just don’t make the mistake of standing on their toes, or it will be you that eventually gets stepped on.

 

All the best,

John