Doing the improbable

It's not impossible, just highly unlikely.

Someone once said that to me about a dream I had to be a professional athlete.  Baseball specifically.  Right fielder for the Red Sox.  So I stopped chasing that dream, but baseball remains the one passion I have that I feel I should have not given up on.  Something I should have kept the flame burning for.

I talk a lot about dreams with people I know.  I try to empower them to find a dream, and then chase it.  Not giving up because one person says your dream is a little weird, or too far outside the box.  Not to walk away when you hit a snag or run full stride into a wall.  Dreams are not always easy, especially when you dream big.

My daughter has a dream to become a rock star, and a princess, and a mom of many adopted children, and a teacher and a pastor and a few other things.  Not separately, all at once.  And I have not once attempted to crush her dream.  Not because she's my daughter and I love her enthusiasm, but because she is a dreamer on a large scale just like her father and I believe that her dream can be achieved.

What I also realize is that with my dreams I need to include systems and networks and an entire plan.  I can't just run after them and hope that they mysteriously or supernaturally come together.  And yes sometimes my dreams leave no room for error, others leave miles and miles of errors in their wake.  But the dream, the goal, however improbable it may seem, is always being crafted and pursued.

Here's an example, not the baseball dream, but a new crazy idea.


I have a plan that could possibly end homelessness, poverty and hunger not for the world but for a few countries at least.  Ok maybe the world.  Here's the system that would need to take form.

It begins with selecting a few families in a given area and training them to do specific work (outlined below).  Take a large section of every major forest or jungle in the world.  Clear cut, using those who are stricken with poverty and homelessness to do the work, paying them competitive wages and providing them meals during their shift.  Using the same people, build timber frame housing with the clear cut trees that the workers mill themselves and piece together frames and trusses and so on.  With each house comes a 40 square foot garden that must grow essential vegetables.  Provide equipment so each house can make bread and other food staples.  Each division of housing will have an animal pen for food grade chicken, lamb, beef and pork (as customs allow).

When the gardens begin to produce, governments will pay the land workers a salary to train others to clear cut, mill wood, build frames and houses and run a garden.  With the infusion of money into these new communities the people can build and run small stores to increase financial freedom and food provision.  Each community falls under the leadership of the closest city or village and over all the countries governing body.  Wells will be dug, proper waste disposal introduced and suddenly you have a viable community that has lowered the poverty rate, hunger issues and homelessness for given areas.  The added benefit, it will take the stress away from overcrowding, and disease within local water and food supplies.  And people are training each other how to live and be a part of the work force.

See it's improbable but not impossible and who knows maybe someone might actually do this, the point is I don't think the dream is too large, or really all that crazy.

What's your improbable dream?