I was told that I have a childlike imagination. One that believes in Santa, fairies, unicorns and the like. It isn’t that I really believe in all those things. As an adult I’m pretty certain I have a grasp on what is real and what isn’t. But, I still hold on to those childhood characters because of what they stand for: the ability to dream. 

Once upon a time you were a little kid. You had the imagination that fought dragons. You were a princess being rescued by a handsome prince. You made mud pies and had a friend named Sam that only you could see. You believed in a bunny that gave you prizes in eggs. A fairy gifted you money when you lost a tooth. There was always a jolly man in red flying his reindeers once a year to treat you with presents galore.

As a child you weren’t afraid to dream. You were asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”

I want to be an astronaut.
I want to be a fire fighter.
I want to be a dancer.
I want to be a teacher.
I want to be a zoologist.

Always the question that ignited the dreams of children. As we got older the question continued, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”

I want to be a musician.
I want to be an actress.
I want to be a bouncer.
I want to be an FBI Agent.
I want to be a scientist.

We always wanted to be something. We didn’t stop dreaming because before we were cut loose into the world to figure things out on our own we held what Pablo Picaso said to be true, “Everything you can imagine is real.” If we could imagine that we were the world’s most famous chef, we were. If we could imagine that we would become the first woman to play in the NBA, it was gonna happen. If we could imagine to be the first person in our family to graduate with a Master’s Degree, we set a plan in motion to do it.

I don’t understand why people stop dreaming. I went through my first year in college wanting to be a teacher. My second year to be an accountant. My third and fourth year I also changed professions. If you asked me a few years ago why couldn’t I make up my mind I would tell you because I honestly didn’t know what I wanted to be. But, now that I sit on it, that wasn’t the case at all. It’s because I am a dreamer. I want to be able to know everything. Touch everything. Love everything I do. I dream of knowing just a little of everything to be able to hold an amazing conversation with a stranger to make them feel like what they do in life is the best thing for them. As I dream I help them too.

Walt Disney said it best, “All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them.” I have the courage to be everything I want to be. I have the courage to see the good in people and empower them to dream. I have the courage to make my dream come true. And I owe it all because of my childlike imagination, my naive sense of adulthood, my innocence to make the world a better place. And I am okay with that. I am okay with the fact that I am a dreamer, that I dare to dream, and I want the world to dream with me. It is our dreams, our hopes, our visions, that push us to be special, intriguing, unique. And that, that is life.

Never stop dreaming. xoxo