Dreams

Someone dozing off in a lecture ain't anything new. Specially if that someone has a brilliant track record of dozing off during lectures. It is almost like a divine gift. "Thou shalt be asleep during lectures" seems to have become the First Commandment in a b-school. In fact, it is almost like a challenge to the faculty...a constant game of cat and the mouse where we, as students, continuously experiment with new designs of falling asleep during class.

On occasions, however, the cat gets lucky. Yesterday morning's lecture on Strategic Management was one such occasion.

GK was merrily nodding during class, something that is his core competency, the only other core area being playing Counter Strike. The class roared in laughter the moment the prof. spotted the rogue. Fortunately, the prof. is a cool dude who just said "It's all right. One must dream. Only difference between anybody seeing a dream and a student seeing a dream here is that we teach you how to convert it into reality."

*Brief pause*

"So, what does it take to turn dreams into reality?"...and before an excited me could answer, a voice piped up "A Deadline." Pretty similar to what I was about to say, except for the use of word. I would've shouted out "Set a Timeframe to achieve your Dream."

Late last night, free from powerpoint presentations and mid-term review reports, my mind once again went back to the morning's drama. Dreams, huh? So, what does it take to turn them into reality?

Deadlines? Timeframe? Energy? Vision?

A dream will only remain a dream unless you decide to do something about it. Unless you visualise your dream and set a clear path forward, you will never achieve this dream. Psychologists often talk of something about "seeing what you want to be" or some such garbled stuff. For a simpleton like me, it boils down to the following: See your favorite dream, "wake up", realise what needs to be done in order to achieve it and GET GOING!! No point sitting there on your backside, buddy.

There have been many who have seen mighty, gigantic dreams. But what of those? What if they only remained hidden in some dark corner of your mind? Nothing's gained. And what if someone else chances on the same idea and gains that which was rightfully yours? The two words sting for the rest of your life...What if...

"I have a dream" - Martin Luther King Jr.

Even the illiterate shepherd boy in The Alchemist had seen a dream. The difference between him and us? He was crazy enough to follow in the path of his dream. He was crazy enough to trod the unkown path. He was willing to throw away the comfortable life of a shepherd in exchange for the travails of an unknown traveller. Are you crazy enough?

He faced troubles. You too will face troubles. Every path is strewn with pebbles. Every path has its rough moments. Yet, that is the journey that one must undertake in order to realise his dream. And only when one has travelled the path less trodden that they will realise that the pleasure lies in recounting the smiles and the tears that one has shed on the path. You would have experienced these emotions on any other path as well, but here, you've become one with the path.

Cynics may look at this post and grimace. After all, who values the words, the thoughts and the world of a dreamer?

*Smiles

You see things; and you say 'Why?' But I dream things that never were; and I say 'Why not?' - George Bernard Shaw


The dusty path calls....are you listening?