Be careful what you wish for! That is a phrase I have heard so often in my life, but one that I always shrugged off when I was younger.
We all wish for things. And sometimes we don’t realise the power of our wishes. But more importantly, when we are wishing for something we seldom stop to think about the unforeseen and sometimes unfathomable consequences of wishes coming true.
There are many short stories and books written around this saying, and even some films that aptly illustrate unwanted consequences. And sometimes the outcomes in these are awful.
So, does that we mean we should stop dreaming. Does that mean we should stop wishing upon a star?
Not at all. Wishing is the same as dreaming or crafting our destiny in our minds. And we need to continue to proactively craft our lives. It is something that we need to keep doing. It is one of the ways in which we determine how our life will turn out. And wishing is one of the ways in which we can do this.
But we do need to be more present when we wish for something. If common sense, which we know is not common, prevails, then we should always carefully consider what we wish for. We should sit a while and think about what it is that we want, and why we want whatever it is. And then we should contemplate on that and consider what the intended and unintended consequences would be if our wish became reality.
And we should be fully aware that all dreams have an upside and a downside. Our task is to review both the ups and the downs, and then after weighing these up to make an informed decision on that dream. We need to be sure that the upside outweighs the downside, and that is being realistic.
So, look up at the stars, or out into your garden and dream dreams that will work for you.