Beware of ‘Helpful Dream Kills’
October 3, 2018
In 2003, after some failed attempts to gain university admission in Nigeria, an elderly woman I respected so much looked at me and said, “Samuel, maybe you are not a university-material. Perhaps you consider applying to other institutions”.
She’d seen me suffer trying to get that admission and wanted to console me with those words. But they pierced me deeply. I remember crying till dawn! Thank God I didn’t listen to her.
Beloved, be wary of “helpful dream killers”. People who genuinely love you so much they discourage you from your dreams because they actually care.
They think they are helping you and caring for you. They don’t want you to get hurt. They rebuke you as soon as you tell them about your dream.
Remember when Joseph told his father his dreams (Genesis 37:10), his father said, “What is this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you?”
Like the father of Joseph, they will remind you of the reality of your dream and tell you it’s only a dream; tell you it does not make any sense. They will even do the mathematics for you and discourage you from dreaming if you are not careful.
They are aware of the risk and hurt. They genuinely are protecting you from pains and disappointments.
They are aware it would take a long time to achieve your dreams but they love you too much to watch you suffer long and persevere.
They prefer you join status quo, be like them, stay average and continue in the rat race. They don’t mean evil. They just love you too much.
Can I advise you? Politely run away from them. Stop telling them about your dreams. Stop telling them about your goals. Stop telling them about what you want to achieve. Stop sharing your failures and pains with them. They will never understand.
If you have allowed people like this to kill your dreams before now, now is the time to take back your dreams.
The good news is, dreams can be restarted and rebirthed! No matter how old you are or your present circumstance, you can still jumpstart your dream! Pursue your dreams! Choose to die fulfilled! Begin to explore the possibilities of your dreams!
I believe in you.
– Dr Samuel Ekundayo
You Need Clarity of Purpose
In 2017, I applied to speak at TEDx. Rejected. In 2018, I applied again. Rejected. In 2019, I applied twice—both times, again, rejected. But I didn’t stop. Why? Because I was stubborn about my purpose. Like the widow in Luke 18 who kept returning to the judge, pleading for justice, I kept showing up. I kept believing that one day, the door would open. Eventually, it did. That TEDx stage didn’t come because I was the most eloquent or the most visible—it came because I refused to give up. I’ve learnt that any success you desire in life will demand persistence. Not talent, not applause, not connections—persistence. When all else fails, try persistence. When clarity is blurry, try persistence. When the applause is absent and the doors are locked—try persistence. Seest thou a man diligent in his work? He shall stand before kings (Proverbs 22:29). If I could share one counsel with every dreamer, it would be this: Be stubborn about your purpose. Be relentless in your pursuit. For in due season, you will reap—if you faint not. I believe in you. Dr Samuel Ekundayo | The Purpose Preacher