What is Your Dream?
Reading Time: 5 Minutes
What do you think of when you hear the word dream? Maybe you picture a whimsical movie scene, or search your mind for the dreams you’ve had recently. Merriam-Webster defines it as a strongly desired goal or purpose. In Old English, however, it meant amusement, great joy, or music. I love that history. It gives dimension to a word we so often use without stopping to consider what it really means.
Recently, I was chatting with a friend about the beauty of relationships. We agreed that one of the best parts of being with someone is having a person to share your dreams with. Talking about grand life plans with another can feel very vulnerable, but relationships provide a safe space to discuss the passions we aren’t yet brave enough to pursue. My dreams feel deeply personal, so I’ve probably only shared them with a handful of people. I worry that they’re impractical or unattainable.
Because of my own difficulty discussing my hopes, I’ve always admired the people I knew who had these larger-than-life dreams. Those who are bold in discussing their values and actually doing something to bring their vision to life. To start a movement. To write a book. To bring real and lasting change to our culture.
We need people to dream, especially in a world weighed down by uncertainty and problems that can feel far beyond our ability to change. Dreaming gives our lives meaning, ensuring that we aren't simply going through the motions. But before we pursue our dreams, we have to be in tune enough with ourselves to know whether they are truly ours or simply borrowed. They might be our parents’ dreams for us, our partner’s dreams for us, or simply expectations we’ve absorbed from the people around us.
Sometimes we put too much weight on others’ expectations of us, allowing them to shape our dreams. We want to make our loved ones proud. We compare our dreams to our peers, often feeling like we should follow the path of least resistance. Other times, we struggle to pinpoint our dreams. I’ve found that some of our truest hopes surface early in life and develop nuance with time. That’s not to say that your aspirations won’t change, but often our genuine wishes have been there all along since we were kids, perhaps before we had the awareness to articulate them.
A few years ago, I was walking the streets of Dresden with a good friend when he asked me a simple question: What are your dreams? I’m almost embarrassed to admit that I didn’t really have an answer. At the time, I blamed it on never having been asked that question. But the truth beneath the surface was harder to admit. I hadn’t allowed myself to dream.
That question planted the seed, bringing me to the realization that if I didn’t spend the time nurturing my dream, I might never get to experience what it could bring into my life.
Talking about our dreams reveals something deeply human: the natural propensity to hope for something we don’t yet have, to build toward something greater, and to leave a legacy.
What I truly wanted felt unachievable, so I would suppress my dream so that I didn’t have to live with the disappointment of it not coming true. But I don’t want to live that way anymore. I am overjoyed for my friends who are making their dreams come true, but I no longer want to be on the sidelines of my own life.
I invite you to dream with me. I don’t mean simply thinking about your goals or talking about what you hope to accomplish someday. I mean taking a step toward something that makes you feel deeply alive. Something that, once you begin, you don’t want to stop talking about, learning about, or working toward.
Maybe the dream feels too impractical or too far away. Maybe you aren't even sure you can name it yet. Start there.
✉️ Please do me the pleasure of sending your dreams so that I can build a community dreamboard. Submissions will be shared anonymously. Messages can be sent here.
A selection from my list of 100 dreams
To go to culinary school
To master a new language
To create a community that feels like family
To see the northern lights
To build a life with another person
To create a loving home for my future children
To sail the Mediterranean
To create something of my own
To pass down my Ecuadorian culture
To depend more on others
To become a better listener
To become an avid reader
To teach financial literacy in underserved areas
To create nutritional awareness and reform in my community
To care more about my soul and less about my appearance
To dance freely
To never stop learning