Daydreams−A Portal to Possibilities
I live two lives.
Since my childhood I have lived in two worlds. One was the life where, as a seventh grader, I pressed on as one with above average academics and athletics, but sucked at football (soccer for Americans). Yet, everyday, I dreamt of being a great, sorry, GREAT footballer.
As I buried my head in books after school, I would find myself transported into a game, where I received the pass from the center midfield as I sped as a right-wing forward, dribbling past two able defenders, and flicking the ball deceptively into the corner of the nets as the goal keeper leapt the other way. I would see myself run with outstretched arms towards the fans, my fans, as I get piled upon by my teammates. Invariably, I would snap out, the dream cut short by my mother's footsteps closing in to check on my progress in homework.
I am a daydreamer. The above is only a sample of the many kinds of multiple daydreams I have on a daily basis. As a daydreamer who dreams without restraints, I see myself being a management consultant, a philosopher, a social activist, a carpenter, an executive coach, a musician, a fitness enthusiast, a futurist (yes, that's a thing), a thought leader, a public policy guru, and even a bi-partisan peace-broker.
All the while, I immerse myself in my role as a leader in an organization I love.
When I am not working, I daydream. I daydream while I take a shower, shave, press my clothes, commute to work, and watch a movie. To be honest, I am easily bored by movies. My daydreams are more vivid and entertaining than some soaring saga in 4K pixelated projections.
Older productivity gurus demanded one to be highly focused in their areas of expertise. Any energy spent and attention paid to other things would be, they claimed, a distraction resulting in dissipation of the vision leading to mediocre results and average life. But there are, thankfully, many articles based on recent research that outline the benefits of daydreaming.
Daydreaming has become a means of productive procrastination for me. It recharges me as I get back to my flow state at job. It does not stem from boredom or frustration with an ongoing activity. Neither is it an escape from the clutches of reality. Contrarily, it is an appreciation of the many good ways life could be experienced.
It is a soul picnic.
Daydreaming is a way to play with life. Unlike others, I transpose my mental meanderings into the real world by dabbling in bits and pieces of it. I get a taste for it. The more I taste, the more vividly I visualize myself in those roles and scenarios. That then motivates me to engage in more of it. And the cycle continues. In several different directions and settings. And aspirational lives jostle against each other vying to be acted upon.
As it so happens, yours truly has experimented with various vocations meaningfully in a professional capacity, lived in various cities and countries, engaged with multiple coteries of connections, because I acted on my daydreams.
It is one thing to daydream and it is another to act on them. For sure, life takes a hit at some level. Such a life is not for the faint of heart or for those who believe in change being the original sin. Needless to say, contributing to different fields will extract more of you as you get started in a new world and scale that ladder. It is hard work.
As I inch towards my mid-forties and type these words, I am starting to appreciate how the many disparate pieces of daydream induced lives are coalescing to make me whole. The journey in my mind becomes visceral at some point, and gets animated in the real world, which in turn propels my dreams through new worlds.