I have had a love affair with a brand-name Bluetooth speaker for almost three years. I have always wanted this material from the first time I saw it. In fact, I can remember the exact date, time, place, and state of mind I was in. For the last three years, I have had consistent dreams (literally) about owning this very precious piece of equipment. I told all my family and friends about it and propositioned many of them to make this very pricey purchase for me, which they all declined. I constantly searched for a cheap price and tried to find a cheaper alternative that made me feel the same; I had no luck with either of these efforts. I even searched on eBay for the dreaded word “used” and had no luck. This speaker was my dream, something that I thought was unattainable, until I finally found myself in a position to purchase this speaker. I was doing research to prepare myself to finally purchase the speaker until I saw that ugly, awful word “discontinued.” My heart immediately jumped out of my chest. I felt my dream slip through my fingers within a blink of an eye.
I know that some people will think that I am insane. Many are wondering why I would lust after a material item. People will think, how can I be this worried and concerned about a material item when there is war, poverty, and disease in the world. How could I be so selfish and materialistic? Honestly, I do not have an appropriate answer to this question; besides, it was and still is my dream to own it. Though this dream will seem insignificant to some – to me, it was essential to my life as a consumer. Seeing this dream disappear like a horrible, sick, and twisted magic trick opened my mind to the larger picture of life. It opened my eyes to powerful life questions with far more profound meanings than a speaker. What happens to a dream deferred? Is a dream ever denied? What will happen when other dreams are not accomplished? Is there anything I can do to ensure that they happen? What will life be like if I do not accomplish my dreams?
We have all heard the question from the Langston Hughes poem, “What happens to a dream deferred”? I kept asking myself this very question. You see, this question has life-changing consequences. I have so many dreams that I want to achieve. I should be achieving some of them right now, but they are not coming together. I kept wondering if I should give up on my dreams or keep fighting for the dreams until they happened. What will that mean for my life if I do not achieve these dreams? Will I be a failure? Will I still have a complete and prosperous life? I spent almost three days with this question. It took all of my cognitive energy. After thinking and writing this blog, I finally have an answer.
The simple answer is that the answer is very complex. We must go through a process to determine if the dream has been deferred or denied. If it is deferred is it worthy of our time and energy? First, we have to figure out if the dream is realistic. Some dreams are not for us, and some of us are not for the dream. For example, if you want to be a professional singer and people around you tell you that you can’t sing, you should probably leave this dream behind. Second, we must decide how our life will be affected without accomplishing the dream. This means we have to decide if there will be life-changing consequences or if we can live without the dream. Third, we must decide if we will wait for this dream to come. It may take years for a dream to be actualized; are we willing to wait? Fourth, we have to be prepared for failure. It may take multiple attempts to make the dream reality. Can we accept rejection? Fifth, we have to be prepared for the nay-sayers? Some people call them haters, are we prepared for their limitations on our life? Sixth, does the dream make our lives better? Will this dream add to our overall quality of life? Does this dream align with God’s plan; will it please God? Many people probably wonder why this is the last thing on the list. People are probably thinking that this should be first. I say that you should ask yourself this question last because we are humans, and many of us try to do what we want to do. No matter if we consult God, we still want our way. If we ask ourselves this question last, we have a better chance of listening to God whisper in our ear; and doing what he wants us to do. Also, I believe you should leave the most critical person for last.
What does it mean if the answer that I get does not lean toward the dream? This means that the dream has probably been denied. In this case, it is easy for us to become down on ourselves and life. We may want to give up on all of our dreams because that one dream did not work in our favor. I would highly discourage people from giving up on all of their dreams. I discourage this because I believe that God gives us unique gifts to use for his pleasure. Those gifts may be perfect for another dream and what God wants us to do. Start to concentrate on other dreams; they may be better for you. I believe that a dream that can be achieved is achievable because it will make you better. If you stop fighting, you will stay where you are, which is no fun. Learn the difference between a dream denied and a dream deferred. Whatever you do not confuse the two.
In closing, you may be wondering about my brand name speaker. I have decided that I will buy one even though they are discontinued. The company will honor the warranty, and I can get a great deal. The speaker is insignificant in the grand scheme of things, so it does not directly fit into my process. However, this is something that I really want (and believe I need to survive). I will do anything (legal, ethical, and appropriate) to own this product. This was just a dream deferred.
Until next time:
Let God’s light shine within you and through you!
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