The Dreamer…

Joseph in the Bible was a dreamer. His brothers said… “Here comes that dreamer… let’s kill him”. That can often be the response you get and the way you feel when you have a purpose… a dream. Everyone is out to steal that dream from you. Others will tell you all the reasons why that is an impossible dream and why you couldn’t possibly achieve it. Often you can even tell yourself all the reasons why your dream is an impossible dream. Here are a few pointers that could be useful….
• Don’t give up on your dream. Joseph didn’t start out well with his dream. At 17 years of age he dreamed that one day his family would bow down to him. But he made the fatal mistake of sharing that information with his brothers. They not only resented it, creating a rift in family relationships, but for him it brought a dream-testing close encounter with death that also included slavery and prison. But that didn’t stop Joseph. He “saw” and clung on tightly to his dream. The beginning of a dream often generates more enthusiasm than wisdom. We can say and do things that are not useful.
• Don’t give up on your dream even though people around you don’t support you. Joseph’s brothers said, “Let’s kill the dreamer”. It’s hard to keep your dream alive when others are trying to kill it and ridicule you. But when you know that your dream is aligned with your purpose, you can hold on even tighter.
• Don’t give up on your dream even though your journey may be full of detours – unplanned events. Your dream will invite attack from others. Events will happen along the way that don’t appear to support you. Don’t let this discourage you. Attack is a sign of respect. It means you haven’t been defeated. Five times you read in the story of Joseph… the Lord was with Joseph….. So hang in there.
• Don’t give up on your dream even though it takes a lifetime to fulfil. Twenty three years went by before Joseph’s dream was fulfilled, but in the end he ruled his family, was reconciled with his brothers and saved the nation. You never know how long you will need to hang on to the dream before it is fulfilled – the important thing to remember is – never give up on your purpose.  

The Coach