Dreaming big comes with failure.
If I dream of commissioning ten new pieces in the next 2 years, but only commission six, is that a failure? It is inarguably a success – I’ve helped bring six new pieces into the world.
But if I measure it only against the metric of my dream, then it’s a pretty significant failure.
And that’s true for every dream. If I dreamed of being a star on the Met and spent my career as a successful operatic baritone who never booked the Met, I could end my career thinking I had failed – even if I had spent decades making the kind of art I wanted to make.
If I dream of winning a Grammy and get nominated only to lose, am I a loser?
I don’t think the solution is to have smaller dreams. The big dreams are part of what get us motivated. They inspire action and give us a destination to aim for.
No, dream big. But then, don’t get disappointed if your life doesn’t happen exactly as you dreamed it. Instead, celebrate the good you’re doing in whatever form you’re doing it.
And then start on the next big dream.