Stop Dreaming and Do It Now!

When Henry Ford first dreamed of building a horseless carriage, he was entertaining what most folks considered to be pure fantasy — even though it had already been done, albeit somewhat crudely, by others. With the encouragement and assistance of his devoted and loving wife Clara, Henry succeeded in building a lightweight, relatively low cost conveyance — in her kitchen! That humble beginning spawned a major segment of the US auto industry.

Fantasies are Impossible Dreams

What separates fantasy from reality? Of course, the answer depends partly on the fantasy. Some fantasies are actually possibilities, given the right technology and appropriate application thereof. Other fantasies have no basis in reality, and are simply impossible dreams.

What Separates Possible Dreams to Fantasies?

In the case of POSSIBLE dreams, the line of separation is usually bridged by careful thought and a substantial investment of money, materials, and hard work — a process that is sometimes expressed by the term, “blood, sweat and tears”. We should never forget that without the “sweat equity” of men and women like Mr. & Mrs. Ford, even the greatest ideas would remain mere fantasies.

Of course, many of us have fantasies which are much more modest. They could hardly be described as “world changers”. The principles remain the same, though. If you have a fantasy which is actually within the realm of the possible, you should carefully evaluate your options — and of course you must consider cost vs. the prospective benefits of developing it into an actual plan, and seeing the plan to completion.

If your idea is actually worthwhile, then you should understand one final — very important — concept. It’s simple, obvious, and much neglected. No plan will ever be developed to completion unless it is first begun.

A Man of Fantasies

Consider the great Leonardo da Vinci, as an example. He developed numerous futuristic concepts to the stage of drawing detailed plans. In a few cases, he build scale models of his conceptual devices — yet Leonardo da Vinci IS NOT known for his inventions. The reason? He had great ideas, but he didn’t see them through to completion. We shouldn’t be too harsh in judging him, though; he was engaged in other, worthwhile work, and even the most brilliant people have just 24 hours in their days!

To the rest of society, Leonardo’s fantastic and visionary concepts remained nothing but fantasy. It’s true that many of them would have required technology which hadn’t been developed at the time. Who knows, though — if da Vinci had actually begun building, he might have solved some of those problems and introduced technology many years, even centuries earlier than what actually occurred. We’ll never know, because his inventions remained only fantasies.

There’s a Solution!

There is a term to describe the process which condemns many inventions to the role of idle fantasy. It’s called “Procrastination”. There is a simple solution to the problem. It’s expressed in the phrase, “Do It Now”. Realistically, the process of developing a dream or fantasy into reality IS a process, rather than a single event — and that process doesn’t begin until somebody makes the commitment to “Do It Now”.

Procrastinate or Prioritize?

Of course, whether the problem is procrastination or prioritization depends upon how the rest of one’s time is spent. We probably shouldn’t fault Leonardo for not developing his inventions, in view of how his time was actually utilized — but what about YOU? What about ME? Are we neglecting our fantasies and dreams in favor of more important tasks, as did da Vinci, or are we investing our time in TV, Sports, and other frivolous pursuits?

Make Your Dreams Happen!

Whether the fantasy in question involves enrolling in night school, beginning a fitness regimen, sending your resume to potential employers, building a prototype of your invention, or _____(you fill the blank), nothing will happen until you decide to DO IT NOW — and then follow through. Has the Lord given you a great dream? “Do It Now”. Are you planning to someday begin the process? “Do It Now”. Are you called to a special ministry? “Do It Now”.

Ecclesiastes 9:10 (NET Bible®) instructs us,
“Whatever you find to do with your hands,
do it with all your might,
because there is neither work nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom in the grave,
the place where you will eventually go.”

In a simple, 21st century colloquialism, that scripture might be succinctly condensed to the statement, “Do It Now”.

If the Lord has inspired you to do something for Him, the scriptural command is even more intense:

“Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” - James 4:17 (NKJV)

What are you waiting for? “Do It Now”!