Daring to Dream

It is fun to talk to youngsters about 'dreams', and as I asked them if they dream, there were giggles and smiles. After all, who on earth does not dream? Every one has dreams, big or small, good or bad, and so my question might have been quite unwanted. But I had a point in asking them whether they dream, and what sort of dreams they have! I made it clear that the dreams that small children have about what they would receive from their parents and relatives is quite different from adolescents and adults would have, and that is the kind of dreams I was keen on delving deep into.

Needless to say, our dreams are shaped and moulded by the society we live in, the kind of people we associate with, and the kind of role-models we have around. One thing however is quite interesting to note: the children from the poor backgrounds often have bigger and more ambitious dreams, and it is not surprising that many of them do achieve a greater part of their dreams, by sheer will power and determination. Those who are well-to-do and rich, do not bother to dream big, and therefore they have stunted growth, and remain where their parents had left them.

I was surprised to hear one of the little girls tell me that she wanted to be an air-hostess! Where did she come across an air-hostess, who might have inspired her to become one? This ten-to-twelve year old girl had a dream which is out of the ordinary mould that girls of this hostel would generally dare to dream; it may be possible that this girl does not know what it is to become an air-hostess, but since her eyes are clearly fixed on this dream, I would not be surprised if she becomes one after some years.

I had made it clear that most often our dreams are self-centered; we become the center of our dreams, and may not include others, our family, friends and neighbors in the dreams. If the dreams are too narrow and self-centered, then the challenges and struggles we may have to face are far greater than the dreams which include our closest circle of dear ones, parents, siblings, friends and neighbors. When we share in the collective dream of a community, we are sure to receive the approval and support of the community, which are more important for the realization of the dreams.

There is one way how we can nourish and nurture our dreams: by helping others realize their own dreams, big or small, as the case may be. We all need the support of the other people in society to translate our dreams into a reality. No dream can be realized in a vaccuum; we require a concrete human society to realize it. A dream come true also imply the acceptance of the community, and we cannot take all the credit for finally arriving at the winning point, because every dream opens up multiple possibilities to go ahead in life to slowly enter into a world where there may not be much difference between dream and reality!

Setting the World on Fire

If there is one thing that I envy the men and women of yesteryears, it is the fire that they carried with them wherever they went. They were often men and women always ablaze... they were men and women who could dare the impossible, and thank God, the world we live in had been shaped and domesticated by their hard labour. That is precisely what the present generation lacks: a zest for life; a fire that is always aglow, which can burn the ashes the hardest of rocks. The modern advancement in technology has made us timid, fearful, and complacent. A certain amount of mediocrity has set into our daily routines, and that is dangerous to the existence of the very world we live in.

There are fearless men and women in our society, but probably we can count them with our fingers. It may be time for us to pause for a while and think what has made us so timid, and lifeless? In the past, men and women managed to achieve a lot more without proper and adequate means, and today with all the means, we are not able to produce equivalent fruits. What has gone amiss? Why are most of our people are walking corpses? They have neither the enthusiasm nor the motivation, and no wonder they find themselves burden to the universe, and find ways of ending their lives in cowardly acts.

The world needs men and women with fire; the term 'fire-brand' men and women today can be seen only in museums. We had men and women who could stand stand defying the guns and rifles of the British during the Independence movement, and today even a shadow of a tree in the darm is enough to drive us mad. What is left in the world is the ashes of the fire that kept the world alive, and if we keep digging the ashes, we might find ambers, a spark or two, with which we may be able to light up the world anew. To dig the ashes is a dirty job that not many would be willing to comply, but unless we do that, even the ambers that lie quietly for us to find them, may soon vanish into thin air.

Let me present two spiritual persons who had that indomitable zeal to set the world on fire from two different traditions : Swami Vivekananda from India and Saint Francis Xavier from Portugal; there are such amazing parallels between these two gentlemen, the first lived at the end of 20th century, while the latter in the later part of 16th century. While Vivekananda set the Western world on fire, Xavier set the Eastern world on fire... both in their own way. Both of them died more or less at the same age, of 41. The beauty of these men is that their legacy is continued by countless men and women across the globe. The fire that these men ignited continues to burn in the hearts of millions today. Today I need to think I am also called to light up the life of at least one or two in my own surroundings. If all of us were to think so and make it a point to realise that dream before we breathe our last, we can truly be proud of passing that legacy to our posterity.

We have nothing to worry, even if the fire is gone out, because we have a handful of Prometheus, the true fire-brand Greek god, who stole fire from Zeus and gave to humanity. Today our prayer is to these Prometheus is to set our hearts on fire, fire that can ignite the whole world... the words of some of the fire-brand men and women of the past still echoes in my heart and mind : go, set the world on fire! But how can we set the world on fire, if we do not find the fire deep within us? If we are men and women who are burning with zeal and zest, confidence and enthusiasm, we will see that without our knowing we are warming up the world around, and soon see the world brightening up... I finding myself in perfect unison with the world around, and life is so very spectacular and splendid... is this not heaven on earth?