Crazy dreams are the ones that raise eyebrows no matter who you talk to.
So what are you doing with yourself these days?
Well, I’m….[creating an independent, online graphic novel][designing and building my own house][launching a costume design company][starting a food business][building a career as an independent novelist][insert more crazy dreams here]
You know what happens next. The eyebrows go up, the next word out of the other person’s mouth is “Wow” and that sceptical look creeps into their eye.
Wow, that’s really impressive, they say, but there’s a tone that tells you they’re already doubting.
Wow, that’s… hard work. Difficult. Expensive. Stressful. Are you sure you can pull it off? Do you really have the skills? Don’t you need a lot of money/backup/connections/a contract with someone to do that? What if it fails? Who are you to even try?
And above all…
Are you crazy?
People may say some of these things to your face, or they may not, but the doubts are frequently there. It happens throughout life: when we’re children, parents and teachers often try (with the best intentions) to encourage us in a safe, easy-to-achieve direction; later on, when we decide that the safe option isn’t good enough, our friends think we’re utterly mad. Because we’re trying to scale mountains with our hands tied behind our backs, that’s why.
And the truth is, we are crazy. Utterly, gloriously bonkers. Because when you decide to chase a crazy dream, you are signing yourself up for months, years or decades of hard work, stress, trouble, anxiety and uncertainty. It will be difficult. It will be stressful, and probably expensive. We aren’t sure whether we can pull it off; the chances of failure are horrifyingly high. We don’t know if we have the skills, and we know it would be easier if we had more connections or money or (failing that) a contract with someone who does have those things. And we frequently ask ourselves those same questions: what are you doing? Are you crazy? Who are you to even try?
But if you can pull it off, it will change your life forever.
Many of the biggest, brightest, most beautiful things in life started as crazy dreams; they came about because somebody, somewhere, had the downright foolhardiness to slog on and on until it was done. And when it was done they piled a new crazy dream right on top and kept going.
I love crazy dreams and mad ideas, because they’re potentially the start of something wonderful.
All of the examples I listed above are real ones; dreams that I, or people that I know, are currently chasing. And I know that all of us have plenty of doubts of our own, never mind other people’s. We have days (probably a lot of them) when we are stressed out, anxious, depressed, dejected, downhearted, worried, even panicked, and we think why did I do this to myself?
We carry on because crazy dreams change everything. We gain skills, experience and friends even if we don’t reach the ultimate goal; and if we do, there is nothing in life to equal that feeling. Who cares if it is mad, crazy and bonkers? It’s also thrilling and exciting and enlightening and life-changing.
The truth is, we are all gloriously insane and I love it. Keep on keeping on, folks; magical things lie ahead.
I love hearing about people’s crazy dreams, because they’re inspiring and fabulous. So tell me: what deliciously mad scheme are you working on?
