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Monday, June 1, 2015

DON'T CHASE YOUR DREAMS


It's become a mantra of our generation 

and of all those seminars where "experts" charge you $89.99 to tell you:  

It starts with a dream ...
   ...add faith and it becomes a belief.

Add action ...
   ... and it becomes a way of life.

Add perseverance ...
   ... and it becomes a goal in sight.

Add patience and time ...
   ... and it becomes a dream come true.


Sadly, no.


Many who follow that course of action never achieve their dreams.

 Christopher Nolan 



shared some respectful, realistic graduation advice at Princeton's commencement ceremony on Monday morning.

It ran counter to what speeches like that say.

 "In the great tradition of these speeches, generally someone says something along the lines of  'Chase your dreams,' 

But I don't want to tell you that because I don't believe it," he told the students at Class Day. 

"I want you to chase your reality."

"I feel," he said,

"that over time, we started to view reality as the poor cousin to our dreams, in a sense. ... 

I want to make the case to you that our dreams, our virtual realities, these abstractions that we enjoy and surround ourselves with — 

they are subsets of reality."

The end of Inception where the camera cut to black just as the spinning top looked to be wobbling was Nolan's statement --

Cobb didn't care anymore.  He was with his kids ... all levels of reality are valid.

Nolan said, 

" But the question of whether that's a  dream or whether it's real is the question I've been asked most about any of the films I've made. 

It matters to people because that's the point about reality. Reality matters."

" I think our generation went out into the world believing 

that if we could connect the world, if we could allow the free exchange of ideas across geographical boundaries, economic boundaries, 

if we could all talk, these problems would go away. 

Unfortunately, I think by now, we have to acknowledge that we were wrong, 

that's not the case. Communication is not everything."


I agree with Nolan that reality matters, that if we sacrifice the bounties of the here and now 

for the grasping of that Brass Ring that may never come close to our fingers ...


We have ceased to live fully, to be entirely in the moment ...


and our fiction will be paler and less authentic than winning prose needs to be.


Hemingway's work is still valued and talked about ... for he lived life fully ...


He inhaled life and breathed out prose that pulsed with reality.


What do you think?

19 comments:

  1. I think the subsets of reality is accurate. It's not that we pursue dreams, it's that we pursue what we believe we can attain here in the real world.

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    1. To run the race while smelling the flowers on the breeze seems about right for me. :-) For who knows what is possible until we try, right?

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  2. I keep the dreams in my heart while my head deals with the reality. We choose this path or that one. Life doesn't always provide signposts.

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    1. And sometimes the signposts lie. I believe your way is best: let your dreams provide the fuel for actions while your head acts as the rudder. :-)

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  3. Go into any gift shop and there are girlie decor pieces with "Follow Your Dream" scribbled on them. I can't stand them. I've know people who have followed their dreams right over a cliff. I really like what Nolan advises: that we should chase our reality.

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    1. Yes, reality offers tangible handholds to grasp while scaling the cliff-face of whatever situation challenges us. If we can but see the world around us clearly then we have a chance to spot a path that will lead us to a better place than we first envisioned. :-)

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  4. I have been trying to obtain a dream or reality for some time now and for me... I have hit the bottom. Many life situation has sucked my creative side dry and my steps, sites and attention proves it. Do we get it back, can I... I only hope too. Sadly, it's a long road... dreams are for those who like me, trying and failing.

    Though I keep trying, but there is nothing I am trying for at the moment... and that thing called reality, that just sucks.

    I think I went off topic... dammit, sorry.

    Jeremy

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    1. "Impossible" just gives birth to legends. When my home burned to the ground with no insurance, when the love of my life died in surgery, when my whole city was forcibly evacuated from our homes -- I hit bottom all those times.

      Bottom gives us a place to stand, to rise, to reflect upon what is left ... to perhaps see a new path to old goals or roads to new ones.

      Wilde wrote that insanity was trying the same things and expecting different results. We must take different steps to reach new outcomes.

      Each blow, each wound, each set-back has a lesson for us if we but stand back and reflect. Those things have shaped us and surviving them has made us stronger, wiser.

      There is beauty, there is humor, there is hope ... perhaps those are the only lights in Man's dark world.

      You are never off-topic with me, old friend, when you speak from your heart. Know that you are cared for. Always your friend, Roland

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    2. You are awesome, I didn't know many of those things in your life..you are a strong person. A song line always comes to mind when I think the bottom is there... it goes like this, if you can't hold on... hold on. For me it's reaches my core, the bottom doesn't mean bottom.

      As you said getting that starting over, in my last 15 years some good, some blah and some traumatic I always hope for that I can keep getting up. Looking for anything good, praying that the day will end without a scream.

      We always have someone to talk to, chat with even if it's a social media... voices that come with good advice, is still good advice. We all do good things, some get the chance to shine and some of us are just waiting to be seen or heard.

      THANK YOU, you are a good and great friend... I wish only the top if you ever reach bottom again. Your books and stories I enjoy, cause you give life to characters and voices to parties that would be awesome... as you are the fly on the wall capturing their spoken word.

      Jeremy

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    3. I'm glad you got something uplifting from my answer. I hope and pray the way is smoothed before you the rest of this year!!

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  5. I agree with following reality - or at least consciously living in it rather than expecting to ride off on a gilded Pegasus when the prospect pumpkin explodes. Dreams are hopeful destinies but reality is the ride. Now if only the roads weren't so dang rocky...

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    1. Sigh. The roads always seem to hide a pothole I never saw coming!

      Attack our dream from as many different angles as we can often is the key ... at least it keeps us from being bored!

      Yet, reality is the product of so many who managed to salvage advances out of their unfulfilled dreams. We can do that, too!

      If you send me your email address little Hibbs' audio adventure will wing your way from Audible! :-)

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    2. You remembered! It's not that I haven't been trying to find your email address (without signing up for yet another 'something new') but here's mine canyonwhispers@gmail.com

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    3. Of course I remembered. Little Hibbs would not let me forget! His adventures will soon be winging your way! Robert Rossmann did a marvelous job in the narration.

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  6. I told The Hurricane to find her passion and go after it, so she majored in math and physics. In the process, she decided math was her passion. She is about to become Dr. The Hurricane, mathematician. Passion must be backed up by real effort.

    Love,
    Janie

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    1. Passion plus organized action equals results. I am happy for the Hurricane. :-) Dr, Hurricane sounds rather cool.

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  7. Once again your words have brought me strength, thanks for sharing your insights!

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    1. I am glad that my post helped in some small way in whatever storm is battering you and yours around. Some winters appear as if they will last forever ... but no matter the severity of the storms, spring will come.

      You are in my prayers. Always in your corner, Roland

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  8. Hi Roland ... late, but here. This post and the comments rang very true ...follow our passion and as you said to Janie .. with organised action equals results. We need the action along our own path towards our passion. It's finding our way ... but we need to step out and follow on.

    A friend this weekend said she admires how I always seem to find a way through ... my quagmires are not as severe as yours ... but I always seem to have plan A, B, C and D if possible - so if something doesn't happen then I can move on to another ... and if they don't work - time will have adjusted, or new things will have occurred.

    I do find many blogs offer many thoughts on troubles etc ... it's an interesting world - the blogosphere.

    Thanks for this post .. cheers Hilary

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