"Alice laughed: "There's no use trying," she said; "one can't believe impossible things." "I daresay you haven't had much practice," said the Queen. "When I was younger, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast."
I've always felt Alice in Wonderland to be full of wisdom. At times during the past two years I've felt like I took a tumble down the rabbit hole into a world in which I didn't think I belonged or even deserved. Although everything is more amazing than I ever imagined, I am left to adapt as my world constantly changes into "something else" more quickly than I can seem to even keep track in my journal.
However, the place where I find myself relating to the story the most is in Dreamability.
If I had a nickel for every time I've heard:
- Slow down.
- Don't take on too much.
- Cut yourself some slack.
- That sounds nice, but is that realistic?
- Be careful not to burn out.
- You'll grow out of that.
- Are you sure you want to do all that at once? Try to pace yourself.
I used to think there was something wrong with me. To be honest, I often still feel out of place. You mean, everyone doesn't set goals and dream about the future every single day? You mean, everyone doesn't think they can actually affect change and make a difference?
Just like the Queen, I most definitely believe at least six impossible things before breakfast; and I wake up EARLY.
As I've lived (a little bit) longer in this world, I've grown to see this Dreamability as a strength rather than only a weakness or a difference. It's important to know, in the same breath, I understand strengths to often be two-sided coins. One side is the ability to function as your best self, realizing your full potential. The other side tends to be a fatal flaw. It's a constant battle to ensure your strengths are helping you take flight and are not the trigger of your downfall.
I've seen this in many ways. Mostly, as time goes by, I understand why people choose not to dream. I think, Wouldn't it be easier if I just went about life, day to day, rather than pushing so hard to get to something that I don't even know to be possible?
The plight of a dreamer is that we don't just envision lofty and idealistic narratives; we actually believe them to be possible, and even probable.
It may be more difficult to think big, because you know you have to take the Big Actions in order to get there. I also know a lot can be accomplished with Big Faith. Faith isn't just thinking ahead to what you know to be real, manageable, and the least amount of stress.
Faith is exercising your Dreamability and flexing your Big Action muscles, all the while knowing with Big Faith that God wants to fill in our gaps and exponentially multiply our effectiveness and reach.
So, am I crazy? Sometimes.
Do I take on too much? My 8:30 bedtime says, yes.
Do I forget to rest and sometimes rely on my own strength a little too much? Of course.
I have to keep reminding myself that faith and action make the Dreamability a strength, a reality, rather than something from which I need to grow up or grow out. Besides, what fun is it to only believe in the possible?