Dream Deferred

What is the dream that you have been putting off the longest?

Do you ever wonder what happens to a dream when you wait too long to make it happen? When I was in high school, in English class we read a beautiful poem by Langston Hughes that profoundly impacted me called “Dream Deferred.” In a nutshell, it asked what happened to a dream when you kept putting it off. I remember wondering for months, if not years, what would happen if I waited too long to realize my dreams.

Here is the poem:

Dream Deferred
by Langston Hughes

What happens to a dream deferred?

Does it dry up
Like a raisin in the sun?

Or fester like a sore--
And then run?

Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over--
like a syrupy sweet?

Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.

Or does it explode?

For a long time, the burden of my unrealized dreams weighed heavily upon me, until one day I realized that the only thing that stood between my unrealized dreams and me was my own fear. I believe it is never too late to make your dream a reality. So, with that in mind, I wonder if we couldn't add to the end one additional option for dreams deferred:

Or maybe it waits
in silent anticipation

For the day you realize
it was always yours

To grasp and soar!

If you are ready to grab ahold of your dreams and run, I am ready to come alongside you to make that dream a reality. This is why I chose the title, “Chief Dream Officer.” Dreams take all different shapes and sizes from finding the courage to take on new leadership roles in your current organization to running your first marathon to stepping out on your own to something completely different. Please reach out to me so we can set up some time to talk about how we can work together to make your and your teams’ dreams a reality.