Don't Be Afraid To Dream

Last week we bid an farewell to a colleague, who has been with this organisation for eighteen years. While it was sad to see him go, he has left much for us to think about.

He did not leave for a competitor or a better paying job. He left to pursue his dream of running his own business. In a private conversation, he told me that his goal is to become a millionaire before 40-years old. As I manage his Trust, I knew his age and financial situation. I knew it takes an ambitious and determined person to have that goal. What makes him a very rare breed was the farewell speech he delivered.

We all knew that he is a very capable person who has a wealth of knowledge and experience in charitable business which would no doubt make him a very successful entrepreneur. However, we did not expect to hear him reveal that his business goal is to raise 50 billion dollar funds for charities, in 30 years time.

Is he ambitious? Absolutely. Is he a big dreamer? Definitely. Is he unrealistic? Maybe, or maybe not. The point is: he dared to dream, and dared to dream big.

Is there such a thing that a dream is too big? I don’t think so. For thousands of years humans had dreamed of going to the moon; and one day we did it! A lot of good things we enjoy today (such as Internet, airplanes) would not have existed if people did not dare to dream of it becoming true. Similarly, if a 50 billion dollar charity has not already existed, to make it happen, someone has to do it. And my colleague has had this dream and is willing to take on the challenge of making it become true. What an inspiration he is!

Don’t be afraid to dream. Unless you can dream it, you won’t become it. In other words, if you can dream it, you can become it!