“Chase your dreams”

Chances are someone has said that to you more than once & this time of year seems to be a popular one to start chasing.

But when was the last time you heard the word “chase” used in a positive context other than “chase your dreams?” 

Chasing down a runaway toddler. Chasing girls. A high speed chase. 

Chase usually implies that the object running really does not want to be caught & that the chaser is exhausted. It’s not typically a labor of love but rather something done out of obligation.

In a conversation with a friend the other day I began to wonder why, then, we tell people to “chase their dreams.” When I hear that I envision someone desperately trying to grasp at whatever “next thing” may get them somewhere, get them noticed. Long term relationships don’t often start with a chase. No, they start with a pursuit. 

Pursue your dream…I like the sounds of that. It implies a love & affection in the motivation. A calling of sorts. A purpose. If I were your dream I’d want to be pursued, not chased. Wouldn’t you?

But here’s the catch: A chase is a sprint. A pursuit is a marathon. Pursuit takes time. You have to “woo” the object of your pursuit. There may be no less frustration in either case but if you’re pursuing your dream your love of it gets you through the frustration. And that pursuit is much more likely to turn into a long term relationship than a chase.

Pursue your dreams this year. And then come back & tell me how it goes.