Is a Dream JUST a Dream?

There's an argument going around the Internet about whether a dream has any place in business: some say that dreaming is just wishful thinking and will never get you anywhere.  I, on the other hand, totally believe that if you don't have a dream, first, you'll never get to have a successful business. I'd love to hear your thoughts. So, do you have a dream? It is perfectly acceptable to day dream, sit and dream, dream through the night ... it's what you do with that dream that makes it a part of a business. You must act on it in order to turn it from a sigh and a wish, to something tangible and a value to yourself and others. The first step is to figure out what the dream means to you: is it something that you would like to pursue and make into a reality? If so, then how are you going to do that? Who is your client, how do you want to sell what it is that you are creating? These are all important parts of the creation process. Many of you know my favorite business concepts come from The Wizard of Oz. There is so much to be learned from the stories within the story itself. Did Dorothy have a dream of her time in Oz? Was it just due to a bump on her head? Or was she really there? Throughout the whole movie (book) Dorothy has a clear mission -- to get back to Kansas. Everything she does is focused around the fact that "there's no place like home." Do you know where you're headed, and do you have a clear mission? Dorothy, the Scarecrow, Cowardly Lion and Tin Man all have their own missions, but they have a common goal. To get to the Wizard so he can help them. They things they did to get there probably could have been done by each alone, but it was made much easier and a lot less lonely (perhaps even fun?) because they did it together. Are you involved in programs with others so that you can get to the end of your mission more easily, with fun along the way? Take a lesson from these four friends. Then there's the lesson of just don't give up. No matter what the four went through, and how they thought they were finally coming out on the winning side, some new calamity befell them. The moral of this story is Don't Give Up. Keep on truckin' til you get to the other side. When the flying monkeys came, that just sent them off with more "sticktoitiveness" and determination to get the job done. What do you do when the going gets rough? As kids we all watched the Wizard and sometimes had nightmares about the wicked ole' witch. But for me, it was the start of my dreams -- the dream of being Dorothy and finding my way to the Emerald City where I might actually be a new and better version of the wizard. What is your dream and is it only that or is it a business?