Everyday Canvas

Dreams, Illusions, and Future Happiness

Prompt: Do you think wishful thinking, dreams, and illusions for what’s to come might spoil future happiness? Or, on the other hand, is it the dreams and positivity that ensure future happiness?

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This is a double-edged sword, and I am of two minds with it. As much as I think I am more left-brained, I value greatly our powers of imagination, dreams, and wishes. All these things make life worth living, whether they come true or not.

What doesn’t work is--not the dreams and wishes but--having false illusions and strongly believing in them that they will come true, believing they are bound to come true because we believe in them so strongly. I find such strong beliefs to happen to humans more often while they are in their twenties, although they may come up in later ages, also.

Truth is, nothing ensures future happiness. There are so many facets of life that change and renew themselves that, at times, it seems we are little in control. What we can control, however, is how we handle anything.

I might believe in a dream but with leeway for the changeable in circumstances. In addition, we build our dreams on what-we-know, without letting in the possibility of what-we-don’t-know altering them. Blind Willow says in Sleeping Woman, “Dreams come from the past, not from the future. Dreams shouldn’t control you -- you should control them."

The idea of who we are is a transient concept because we change all the time, but not only that, the circumstances change, also. This idea of constant change so shakes our stability that, most of the time, we ignore the concept and try to take control of our future happiness. There is nothing wrong in planning for or dreaming about the future. In fact, it makes for an easier if not a happier life, but we should also be ready, to face the changes on the way and take things with calm, if nothing turns out the way we once wanted it to be.

Believing too strongly in our illusions and wishful thinking for the future is an attachment that may well hinder our future happiness. After all, our thoughts and attachments of this-moment may be of no importance or concern to our future selves. Still, the romantic in me says,"Dream on," and the logical in me adds, "But keep your feet strongly planted on the ground."