Whenever anyone asks a question that starts with “is it better…” then for sure the answer they get is going to most likely be an opinion from the answerer.
But when it comes to the question of being a dreamer vs being a realist I think you can nail down some great examples that prove that dreaming big is better for everyone in the long run.
With a dash of realism added in, let me explain…
So is it better to dream bit or be realistic? Dreams are wonderful and necessary to create life changing things in your life and the lives of others around you. But in order to obtain your dream you need to be grounded in a bit of reality.
Many people want to tell you that dreaming is just having your heads in the clouds and you will never accomplish anything. But there is actually a lot to be said for being a dreamer, so let’s take a look at some of the big dreamers throughout history and what they were able to accomplish. And then wrap it up by sharing a few of my own dreams…
Dreamers Throughout History
It is those who have dared to dream, and believe in the possibilities presented by these dreams, who have affected the greatest changes in the world.
Do you think that if the colonists had really believed that they would never be free of the British they would have been able to win the revolutionary war? Imagine if the founding fathers like Thomas Jefferson and John Adams authors of the Declaration of Independence ignored their dreams or thought the dream was too big, and would never become a reality.
If Henry Ford had not truly believed that every man could and would want to ride in a car, do you think that the Model T would have been invented?
If women really believed that they were destined to live the rest of their life under the thumb of their fathers and husbands, with no say in the lives they would leave, that women’s liberation would have occurred?
Keep thinking about your dreams no matter how big or small they may seem, find inspiration from the list below as well as make your own list for further inspiration:
Thomas Alva Edison
One of his creations (the one he is known for) the light bulb lights the world we live in. He not only is credited with the discovery of the light bulb, but also more than 1000 other patents that make him one of the greatest inventors in history.
Nikola Tesla
He was an inventor, electrical engineer, mechanical engineer, and futurist. He is best known (even though not taught in most school today) for his contributions to the design of the modern alternating current (AC) electricity system that powers the light bulbs from Edison. He worked for a short time at the Edison Machine Works in New York City. Before his dreams would have him set out on his own. With the help of partners to finance and market his ideas, Tesla was able to realize a lot of his dreams when he set up laboratories and companies in New York to develop a range of electrical and mechanical devices.
Bill Gates
One of (depending on the list you look at) the richest people in the world for setting up the giant software company, Microsoft. His dream was that one day every home would a PC (Personal Computer). And didn’t let anyone tell him that reality was that no one wanted a PC in their home.
Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs is the founder of Apple and considered a visionary who never let anyone tell him that his vision of everyone being able to read the New York Times or carry an entire library around in their pocket was not a reality. His vision of iTunes also revolutionized and change the music industry forever.
With a Little Bit of Work Dreams Turn Into Reality
When I created this blog, wrote my books and created the information products that help people from all walks of life create and achieve their Undeniable Vision (whatever it may be) I was just selling a dream…
I was and still do work to make sure that everyone understands they need to start with a dream because without a dream how are you going to know what you want?
I knew what I was working for, to share my success stories and inspire others to achieve their own success.
And it worked and I’ve achieved that (and continue to dream bigger)…
But again I want to stress it was not just because of dreaming (or even goal setting, which is important…), but because of comparing the dream to my reality and seeing the steps and knowing what and why I wanted to do it!
By dreaming I could see what I wanted and then started to really imagine it almost to the point I could “taste” the vision that I wanted for me and others.
But at the same time recognize the work that I would have to put in to achieve my dream…
So that is why I think (know) we all need dreams and I think (know) they’re essential to our lives.
Dream big and be grounded in reality, but don’t hate your reality, even though yours might not be what you consider ideal at this exact moment in time.
It's just part of the journey … (take a bit here stop and remember what is was like rocking that 80's haircut or that eyeliner you wore cause you wanted to be (or thought) you were a rock star.)
Remember what and where you’re at right now, doesn’t define your final destination.
Instead use any pain, sadness, or difficult times that you are in or you feel as fuel, as motivation to build your dream.
That’s the secret to success as well in keeping your motivation going and moving forward.
When you’re walking a long way, it’s impossible to see how far you’ve gone until you turn round and look at where you’ve just come from…
Then you’ll really see how far you’ve come and understand the journey and why it matters and was worth it.
Wow, just went a bit deep there, but sometimes (always) that is what it takes…
But you have to know REALITY to actually find out if a dream is for you, right?
Turn your discomfort and the way you feel right now into motivation to act (set goals and be disciplined enough to finish).
Acknowledge that you want things to change … use it as fuel, to keep the fire (your desire) burning.
Related Questions
How do I turn my dreams into reality?
One of the most effective but often misunderstood ways to turn dreams into reality is by using the Law of Attraction.
But not that woo woo think good thoughts and it will all come to me while I laze around on the sofa…
Don’t get me wrong being positive is going to be a big part of it, because I truly believe that negative attracts negative.
How Can I Use the Law of Attraction?
This is an excellent (and very important) question. After all, it doesn’t do you much good to know what the law of attraction is if you do not know how to use it to achieve success in your own life. Once you have mastered the basics of the law of attraction you will be able to apply it to any area in your life.
The First Step in Finding Success Through the Law of Attraction is to Accept
Responsibility for the Things that Have Occurred in Your Life, Both Good and Bad.
This is often the most difficult part of achieving success through manifestation because we are taught from childhood to believe that our environment contributes in a large part to the circumstances in which we find ourselves. It’s very hard to take the responsibility and acknowledge the fact that your environment was not the major contributing factor in each of these events; in many cases you will have no one to blame but yourself.
In order to help yourself move past these events take a moment and write down on a piece of paper all of the major events in your life (again, both good and bad). Leave plenty of room underneath each one. Now, take a moment to go back and review these events. Write down what you were feeling at the time they happened, how you felt before they happened and what events had occurred prior to this.
Chances are you are going to find that events occurring in your favor occurred at times when you were possessed of a positive attitude and other things in your life were going right. On the flip side, events which occurred probably happened concurrently with other events in your life which caused you to have a negative outlook on life. Coincidence?
Once You Have Accepted the Fact that You are Responsible for Your Own
Fate it is Time to Go One Step Further and Determine What it is About Your Life that You Would Like to Change.
Do you want to find another job? Move to a new house? Enter into a meaningful relationship? Receive a promotion?
Identify the things you wish to achieve and write them down. Display them in a prominent place; constantly being able to view the anticipated results of your endeavors will help to keep you on the right track. In essence, with the creation of this list you are asking the universe for what you want. Take the time to think on this for a while so that it is embedded firmly in your mind, and keep your goals specific; making a goal too big or too general is an almost certain guarantee that you will not be able to achieve it because you will be too busy worrying about how you are going to achieve it.
Raise Your Vibrations so That They are All Positive.
Act and Feel as Though You are confident that the End Result You are Hoping for is Foing to Occur.
This is an essential part of the law of attraction because it is very easy to allow your mind to begin to wander to all of the difficulties which you may en-counter when trying to achieve your goals. This will cause your vibrations to become negative and will work against you rather than for you.
Accept That it Can Happen.
Many Times Your Subconscious is Your Own Stumbling Block.
You will be attempting to convince your conscious mind that something can happen while at the same time your subconscious is picking out the reasons that it will never work. In order to help yourself overcome this stumbling block and have absolute faith in the fact that you will be able to effect this change in your life you should look again at the sheet of paper upon which you have written your goals and attempt to write them in terms that will help your mind and body accept them as fact.
It is recommended that you write these statements in the third person rather than the first; it is often difficult for the mind to accept something as fact when it is couched in such relative terms as I, me or my. For example, if you are attempting to find a new job you could say, “Millions of people every year work in jobs which make them happy.” If you are seeking to enter a meaningful relationship you could say, “Millions of people around the globe have found their soul mate and are now happily settled in comfortable, established relationships”.
The purpose of writing these statements down is to purge the negative vibes and doubts from your mind. If you are unable to accept the outcome as fact your subconscious mind is going to conjure a different outcome, and it is going to be this outcome that your mind and body focus on; therefore, this outcome is going to be the one that will become your reality and you will walk away absolutely certain that the law of attraction is one hundred percent false.
When Doesn’t the Law of Attraction Work?
As you will have gathered from previous sections, the law of attraction does not always work the way that all parties involved would like it to. Why is that? After all, in the law of attraction is universal, why does it only work part of the time?
The answer to that is found in the minds of the people who are attempting to use it to their own benefit. The only thing standing between you and success is yourself; this was discussed earlier. If the mind is clogged with so much negative energy that it cannot release the positive vibes which will attract the positive energies of the universe, the law of attraction will not be able to help them. They must first rid themselves of all of these negative vibes and start fresh.