
Ask adults what they want for Christmas and you’ll get anything but straight answers. Ask them what they want from life and you’re likely to get an answer as exciting as cheap vanilla ice cream.
What happened? Oh yes, we’ve learned that there is no such thing as Santa Claus and that it’s better to be realistic than practise wishful thinking. We’ve also boxed ourselves into roles defined by our CVs and got used to focus on our weaknesses, rather than strengths.
“I can never be an entrepreneur - I am just not a creative person.”
“I could not travel on my own: I hate group holidays but I’m just not brave enough to travel solo.”
“I could not write a book - I don’t have the patience."
“I could not quit smoking, I have no will power”.
We spend so much time and energy learning to be sensible that the word ‘dream' has remained a thing of childhood or worse - a ludicrous concept on a cover of a self-help book. Little by little our world has collapsed down to the size of an office building and the reach to the stars has been shortened to the length of a daily commute. And yet we know that impossible things have been and are achieved by dreamers (although such people are usually referred to as ‘visionaries’, ‘lucky’ or ’extraordinarily talented').
Think Nelson Mandela, JK Rowling, Steve Jobs, Andy Murray, Ellie Simmonds. They dreamt big and knew exactly what they wanted 'for Christmas’.
Imagine yourself standing on top of a hill under the vast blue sky and taking a deep breath. With no ceiling and no walls it is just possible to feel that the world is full of possibilities. Make a wish, dream big this Christmas, be audacious and open to opportunities. You never know what you might unwrap.