Dare To Dream On

“Here comes the dreamer!” they said. “Come on, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns.” Genesis 37:19-20

This pivotal moment in Joseph’s life highlights the perpetual struggle between those who see the need for change (the dreamers) and those who are heavily invested in the past (the settlers).

Settlers always seem to be in charge. By their nature, they stick around and establish roots. When dreamers come along and suggest there might be something outside the walls, they are thrown into cisterns.

Dreamers always pay a price, but in exchange for the hazards, they are rewarded with the glory of a new idea before it’s dented and bent by settlers who squeeze it into their visions of the past.

My friend Howard Potratz says there’s no better feeling than the one that lasts for about ten seconds between the time you float out a brand-new idea and the time someone tells you it will never work.

He’s right, and only dreamers get to experience that feeling.