Why It's Beneficial To Our Success To Have Dreams That Scare Us

Our society is structured to thrive by promising each of its members comfortability, in exchange for following the well-worn path and not stepping too far out on the limb of chance.

Until very recently, I forgot what it was like to have challenging dreams that scared me.

This is because I never really stopped to question whether or not being comfortable is all I’m supposed to be striving for.

Now that I’ve stopped to question whether or not comfortability is a worthy goal for myself, I’ve come to the realization that it is not.

Being comfortable is a friend of fear and an enemy of dreaming big. When we dream within our comfort zone, we do not dream big enough.

If we want to actualize the dreams within us, we must not be afraid of skidding into the grave on our backside one day, “thoroughly used up, totally worn out and loudly proclaiming ‘Wow! What a ride!'” as Hunter S. Thompson puts it.

It’s also good to have big dreams that scare us because these dreams promote personal growth.

If we are not pushing our limits and putting our minds to the test, we are becoming stagnant, and that’s what the grave is for.

Consider this: Is a ship safer docked at harbor or tossed around out at sea? The answer to this question is obvious, but the more important one to ask is: What was the ship really made for?

I’ve never heard of a ship that was made for being docked, and I don’t think any of us were made for being docked comfortably all our lives, either.

It makes me sad to think that many people never raise their sails and set out into the great unknown to take a chance on the dreams they were given.

Raising our sails requires a level of boldness that goes beyond our comfort zone, and I think that’s why many of us are so hesitant to let the wind come and take us away.

We should expect to feel a bit scared, but we should not let our fears shackle us from setting out to achieve our dreams.

The other day I was in need of a little inspiration, and turned to a movie my friend Sean recommended called, "Into The Wild." This quote from the film really struck a nerve within me:

If you want to get more out of life, you must lose your inclination for monotonous security and adopt a helter-skelter style of life that will at first appear to you to be crazy. But once you become accustomed to such a life, you will see its full meaning and its incredible beauty.

Everyone, including myself, enjoys the feeling of comfort, but it comes at too great of a cost. Our dreams are at stake. Comfort is one of the first things that has to go on the road to dreaming big.

Let us no longer be shackled to mediocrity by our desire for comfort and our fear of failure.

Let us embrace the fact that the ride will be scary at times, knowing that we have what it takes because we’ve been given the power to do it.

My latest dreams absolutely terrify me. I hope yours do, too.