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Dreams

Dreams - the very word conjures up vivid images, beautiful vistas and experiences, for the moment someone say the word dreams what we think of is the visions that we see during sleep. This dream can be defined as ‘a series of thoughts, images, or emotions occurring during sleep’. All of us have had dreams at one time or the other; some of them may have been happy dreams, some very strange and some downright nightmares that wake us up screaming and make us say ‘ oh I am happy it was only a dream’.

Dreams are often said to have meanings for a person. Some people believe that dreams do come true. Whatever be the truth of that it has been scientifically proved that the experiences and secret wishes we have in our mind but are not really aware of come to us in all their clarity during a dream. Henry Bromel once said ‘They say dreams are the windows of the soul--take a peek and you can see the inner workings, the nuts and bolts.’

The other way to define ‘dream’ is as ‘ambition’ or the goal in life – something that you long to achieve. Every achievement in this world – be it in science and technology or politics or any field- was the result of one man’s dream and his efforts to realize that dream. Everything manmade that we see around us began first as a dream in someone’s mind. Great achievements were the result of people dreaming impossible dreams and wondering why it cannot be made into reality. George Bernard Shaw once said, “You see things; and you say, 'Why?' But I dream things that never were; and I say, "Why not?"

Do we have dreams? Some of us may have grand dreams such as inventing a useful machine for mankind, or writing a book. Some others might have more down to earth dreams such as finding a job to support the family. For a young girl or boy it is a frequent experience to be asked ‘what is your ambition’? What is being asked it what is your goal with regard to your career. We answer ‘I want to be a doctor’ ‘I want to be an engineer’ ‘teacher’ ‘a scientist’ etc. whatever it be, it is as important to have dreams as to have noble dreams that are worth achieving. Making money by any means- by hook or crook- cannot be regarded as a dream that is noble. Similarly taking revenge on a person who has hurt you is not a healthy goal that for one’s life. Your dream should be something that does good to both you and society as a whole. Because man is a social animal. No man is an island. No man’s goal in life should be at loggerheads with the interests of the society.

Why is it so important to have dreams? Why should we strongly desire to achieve a goal in life? It is because, dear friends, only if you have a goal, a dream in your life, you will have what is known as motivation. Motivation is the ‘will’- the will to work hard in studies, the will to sacrifice an hour of watching a movie on television to studying for your exams. Dreams make you motivated to work hard and to have the right attitude to life.

In the words of Henry David Thoreau.

“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.”

I have looked at the topic ‘dreams’ in two of its interpretations, one as series of images during sleep and another as ambition. Both these definitions have one thing in common – images. What we see in dream at night are images. What we call as ambition is also an image of ourselves, as we want to be. It is the ability to see this image that marks a successful person.