Anyone with a gardener’s heart will tell you that the effort they devote to it is not just about creating a beautiful landscape. It’s about dreaming.
Gardens are born when you dream of a private paradise where you can relax and refresh your spirit. They fulfill your dreams every spring when the sleeping trees and bushes awake in a joyous explosion of color. Perhaps best of all, gardens give you a place to dream new dreams.
When I’m in my garden clearing weeds or turning fertilizer into the soil, I’m busy with the same tasks in my head. Clearing the clutter of a thousand aimless thoughts gives way to turning over a thousand new ideas. From those ideas come the dreams that bring meaning and purpose to life.
In the garden, I’ve let my imagination run wild and dreamed of things that at first seemed out of reach. A big family vacation to Hawaii, retiring early, writing an epic novel. Impossible. How could I find the money or time to achieve any of these dreams? Yet, in the garden, I plotted a path that led me straight to each and every one of them. About the only thing I couldn’t do out there among the roses was execute my plans.
When you think about it, dreaming is more important than anything except your family’s basic survival. We … not a single one of us … was put on this Earth only to earn a paycheck, juggle a budget, grocery shop, do the laundry, and keep our cars in good working order.
We were born to paint and write songs, invent gadgets and find cures, design bridges and build libraries. We were born to let our spirits soar while we’re here and, hopefully, be remembered by someone when we’re gone.
This all comes to mind because my son just asked me to be the Dream Manager for his company. If that’s new terminology for you, a Dream Manager is an investment. Not in the business itself but in the people who work there. Their role is to help employees live the life they were born to live and become the people they were born to be. As the name implies, they do it by helping them identify and move toward their dreams.
Since I retired almost a year ago, I haven’t had many idle moments. I spend nearly every day pursuing one dream or another. I’m sure I won’t stop dreaming until the day I die. Deciding to sacrifice a few days a month to accept my son’s offer took a lot of thought. That is until I realized it wasn’t a sacrifice at all.
It will be like planting a new garden. Instead of roses, I’ll be encouraging people to grow. Maybe they’ll encourage others to grow. Maybe it will be like tossing a stone into a pond.
With any luck, I’ve tossed a stone in your pond today. Remember, you only get one life. Dream up one for the record books.
Where the Roses Grow 