What is wrong with being a dreamer? I will tell you what is wrong. Dreamers exaggerate. Here I was, standing in front of a mirror in a dress shop looking like a cross between a harlequin and a jokey, when I was told by the shop assistant that the outfit I was trying on was perfect for my son’s wedding. In this woman’s mind, the elevator mustn’t have reached the top floor as she gushed at me about how lovely I looked in my silky riding britches, ruffled sleeves and collar in pink, lemon and florescent green. Would she wear it? I had serious doubts. My mother and sister watched on, quietly smirking and even let out an irreverent titter when she disclosed the price. She must’ve been dreaming if she thought she could offload such a comical monstrosity. Thankfully, I didn’t heed the woman who was obviously desperate for a sale and moved on to another boutique where normal clothes were sold.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not against dreamers. In fact, I am one; my father was one and my family comes from a long line of dreamers.

Society has the movers, the shakers and then some others. All of these people are important and each has their place, but dreamers do come with some flaws.

When my dad was around, I loved to visit him and while my mother was busy in the kitchen, I was dreaming along with him. It was even more marvellous when one of my brothers came to visit and we would all sit and dream together.

Like all dreamers, Dad had a wild imagination and I loved to encourage him to dream even more. He was a commercial artist and sign writer by trade and to make work easier for himself, he would invent nifty gadgets that would dry the screen-printed posters faster; make better use of the confined space that he worked in and improve the speed of production. Sometimes he invented toys for his grandchildren and made things that he couldn’t afford to buy. When he tired of one idea, he would move onto another for a change of pace and scenery and so it was, he had many half-finished dreams lying around the house. That was his prerogative, as he believed he had all the time in the world. That is often what dreamers believe. His drawback, apart from time and lack of discipline, was that he loved to share his ideas. That is not a problem in itself except he did not choose wisely his time or the best person with whom to share his ideas. He had the mistaken belief that everyone was on his side and trusted he would make good, his promises. Therefore, while he was busy sharing his vision, someone else would create a workable product or service which coincidentally closely resembled his, and in no time, would have it bankrolled and successfully marketed abroad.

Dreamers love to create ideas and then let them simmer for a while. That is part of the process of development. This is almost as rapturous as thinking about the impact it would have on society and on his or her personal life. Another drawback is that dreamers usually grapple for lengthy periods about what to do next with the idea. How does one get the thing one is passionate about from the drawing board and prototype into the marketplace and into the hands of those it will benefit? This is when dreamers can fall flat on their faces and outside observers, including family members, find it hard to take them seriously. As a result, a dreamer may retreat and wallow in self-doubt and disappointment for a while before finding solace in a fresh new idea.

So what can a dreamer do to be taken seriously? Following, are a few basic steps that may help.

Step One:
Move on from the early thought. For most of us, contemplating in quiet, peaceful surrounds is the only enjoyable part of the process toward inevitable failure. Yes, we entertain the possibility that this time will be different but we dwell far too long in the contemplative stage because it is a fun, familiar and safe place to be. Take a risk and move on!

Step Two:
Suss out the market. If we like to keep the fruit of our labours within the immediate family and don’t want to go through the complicated processes of marketing and risk-taking, then we already have our reward. However, if our dreams include bigger things, be prepared to move on to understanding the marketplace. It may need only to put together a questionnaire and send it across the internet for responses. This is not the time to disclose in detail, our ideas. We risk losing them to visionaries who may be more perceptive. To discover if there is a niche for a product or service in the marketplace, we will want to find answers to questions such as these:
1. Would the product or service make life easier for others?
2. What kind of person would use it?
3. Would a large proportion of society be likely to use it?
4. Could a better product quickly supersede it?
5. Would it be a once-off purchase and would the demand for it diminish?
6. Is the product like pencils? We use them until they are no more and then we replace them.
7. Is there already a product or service out there doing what our invention would do and if so, could it do it better?
8. Would it be cost effective to produce and is it affordable for the average person?
9. If it is a book, has the message been told many times before?
10. If so, can it be told in a unique way?
11. What makes the story different and does it relate to a specific group of people?
12. Will the message benefit others and help make a difference to their lives?
13. Will it give them answers to their questions or will it raise more questions?
14. On a personal note: Do you have the necessary skill and talent to string sentences together in a creative way to make an enjoyable read? Do you need to acquire this knowledge through education and mentors?

Step Three:
Protect our ideas. Will the product or service be in demand? If the answer is a possible yes, then maybe it is time to protect the dream. Seek out professionals who specialise in intellectual property protection and copyright. They may investigate if an idea is unique and provide advice such as registration and global or local cover according to the laws of the land. By this time, the idea should have progressed from thoughtful planning on drawing board to prototype or in the case of a book, a final draft manuscript complete with synopsis.

Step Four:   Always network. Dreamers do not usually come as complete packages. If they did, they probably would depend solely on their skills and knowhow rather than sharing the responsibility around. That would be too risky. God never intended us to be on our own. That is why He invented families. Sometimes another may hop on board to give ideas a boost from vision to reality. One hatches an idea while another has the technical knowhow to keep it going. What do we need to make our dreams come true? A good storywriter may lack the skills of an editor to fix grammar errors and often repeated fillers. People may come to mind that we know and trust who will compliment our vision. A family member who is clever with computers may fill a gap, or we may need a tradesman who has specialised skills. *Even though our partners may consist of friends or family, it is wisdom to draw up legal guidelines and contracts for partnerships.

Step Five:
Consider sponsorship and funding. It costs time, effort and money to pursue a dream. Be sure to investigate the possibility in local and federal government for literacy, arts and science, as well as industry grants. Guidelines, suitability and application forms can be found on websites. Submissions may request trade prices to build, create on mass; reasons why the product should be produced e.g. feasibility test results; and why it is important to back the invention. It may pay to get the submission done professionally. It will cost but first impressions are important.

Step Six:
Most important of all: Always pray for God’s will, wisdom, opportunities and divinely appointed connections.

As dreamers go, we are in good company with the likes of a major Old Testament prophet and leader, Joseph, son of Jacob. Joseph was the forerunner and type of our Saviour, Jesus Christ and he was a bit of an outcast, not finding favour with his older brothers. He dared to dream big and he even told his brothers that he would rule over them some day. Like many dreams, his were God-inspired. In his youthfulness, he lacked wisdom and because of his reckless approach and inexperience, he wound up in a deep pit and then sold into slavery. Through much of his young life, Joseph found he had plenty of time on his hands to dream but in spite of that, he had a living and working relationship with the God of his father and because he did, he knew his dreams were from God. Joseph never let go of his dreams but was wise enough to put them to the side, believing that one day they would be fulfilled.

It was Joseph’s spectacular good looks, which first drew the attention of his boss’s wife but when she approached him, he would not be seduced. He had dreams and was not going to jeopardise his place with God with a meaningless dalliance. In return for Joseph’s faithfulness and trouble, there were years of imprisonment.

Where does it say in the Bible that if we do and say all the right things, life will be smooth sailing? It would seem to many Christians that we deserve that much. However, the Bible is full of examples of greater acts of faithfulness being heavily tested.

Joseph must have wondered at times if he heard God correctly when he was sitting for years in that dark, dank prison. For a few fleeting moments, his spirit was lifted when he interpreted a couple of dreams for a butler and a baker. However, when the butler was spared and was reinstated to his former position at pharaoh’s court, he forgot for a while, the dreamer in prison – but God hadn’t. Joseph’s faithfulness through mistreatment enabled God’s plan to proceed to his eventual release and promotion to the highest position in Egypt under pharaoh. Entrusted with this authority, Joseph linked with people who would help him get the work done. He needed farmers who knew the seasons and when to sow and harvest. He needed engineers to design grain silos, dams, roads and food depots. He needed labourers to make bricks and build his outposts and silos and he needed soldiers to keep order. With his God appointed connections, Joseph was accredited the saviour of greater Egypt as well as saving his family from a crippling seven-year famine.

Joseph was a dreamer, but in God’s timing and perfect wisdom, he became a mover and a shaker in the land. Are you a dreamer? Are your dreams God-inspired? If they are, then never let them go. You may have to put them aside for a while but always be on the alert to recognise when the Lord brings an opportunity your way. Moreover, when He does, grab it with both hands. If you remain faithful to Him, then one day, as sure as the Lord is true to His word, your dreams will become a reality.

‘God does speak – sometimes one way and sometimes another – even though people may not understand it. He speaks in a dream or a vision of the night when people are in a deep sleep, lying on their beds.’ Job 33:14-15 (New Century Version)