12. Dare to Dream
An excerpt from a speech written for the graduates from Global International in Nigeria.
To you and to your future selves in those moments of struggle and disillusion, remember this: the one difference between a dream and an illusion is refinement.
Dreams are a gift — they are the fabric that make up the tapestries of tomorrow, the drive that pushes us through years like we just had. But too often we allow those dreams to remain in their raw form because the process of refining them is incredibly difficult and time consuming. But I assure you that the process is worth it — the more refinement a dream goes through, the more valuable it becomes.
One definition of refinement is “the improvement or clarification of something by the making of small changes.” Once you know your substance, once you see its true value and have it in its purest form, you’ll be able to see its weaknesses, and improve upon its strengths. Understanding the problem is the first step to creating solutions, and step by step, you can make adjustments.
A great example of this is silk. The individual strands of silk that are removed from dried cocoons in its raw form are too weak and brittle to be of any use. Purifying silk isn’t enough. To refine the silk, the individual strands are first woven together to make stronger cords. But strengthening the silk still isn’t enough to overcome the brittleness. The strands roped together have to simultaneously be run beneath a stream of water to keep them hydrated, that way improving their resilience, strength, and beauty. The result is the silk we know today that is woven into the luxurious fabrics that create the most masterful tapestries.
Dreams are a gift like the gold and silk carried by traders across the continents through the ages — they have immense value in their raw form, but gain value and meaning once refined. And yet you shouldn’t stop there — refined gold is a critical element in high-precision technology from smartphones to spaceships, and refined silk has been used over centuries to clothe royalty.
Do this with your dreams.
Use your gifts, the completion of this degree, and most importantly your heart to chase after your dreams.
Dare yourself to dream, be the change you want to see, and you will become an agent of transformation in our world for good.
