A dream can seem so real that it does not seem like a dream at all.
Since he was a young boy, Jake loved the water and had a dream of becoming a big-time surfer. The dream was so real that it was difficult for Jake to wake up. When he finally realized this was actually only a dream, he followed the advice of his spiritual master that he should share his important dream with others.
The dream:
Jake is a young adult growing up in a community of surfers, always in the surf. He also is as innovative and creative in pursuing and seeking knowledge as he is in seeking waves. By the time Jake was 12 years old, he had already patented three inventions, (what a dream!)
Jake's mother Debbie took great joy in home-schooling him. When she was not teaching her son, she was actively pursuing and researching the latest and most up-to-date materials and methods in the field of education. Otherwise, she was busy doing what she did best—trading in the international money markets. Debbie was Jake's biggest fan and supporter.
One day, Debbie called Jake in and said, "Jake, I want you to know how proud I am of you. In fact, if you ever have a really good idea, an idea that will benefit society and that can be a profitable future business, speak up! Perhaps, I can help you make it come to fruition."
Jake felt the same inner-exciting feeling that he felt the time he was up to bat in the ninth inning with bases loaded, and he hit a home run that won the junior series. His mind began racing and all of his ideas began pouring from his head, and suddenly the flash of chochma (insight) went off!
Jake actually spent at least two hours a day in the Pacific Ocean and was very disturbed by the poor water quality at his favorite surfing spot. And so he came up with an idea to form a local focus group of like-minded people to enable them to discover new ways to treat this age-old problem.
In their initial discussions, it became clear that the causes of the poor water quality were many, but the group would have to start somewhere. It was the majority's decision to begin by addressing the sewer issue. With Jake in the lead, everyone chipped in to come up with a state-of-the-art presentation. The project would include an online marketing campaign, a contest and a $100,000 reward for whoever would deliver the best possible idea to replace the septic systems. Jake's mom was happy to be the main sponsor.
The winner was the person who created a system in which every detail of "waste" was carefully examined and resolved. The system recycled and reused every element. The process was broken up in such a way that the system would not just produce usable water, but also actually generate energy to meet community needs. And because the design was so cost-effective and environmentally friendly, the whole town enthusiastically participated.
This program was the first of many great and practical ideas that brilliantly transformed the local waters from being a health risk to a life-enhancing source of quality water that would benefit his community as well as many other communities. These changes contributed to an abundance of recycled water that was responsible for the 30 percent vegetative growth in the city.
And then Jake woke up.
Could it really have been all just one big dream? It felt so real! Jake shared his dream with his mom. She understood his frustrations and reminded him what she had learned many years earlier from her Rebbe: "If someone says, 'I have not worked hard and I have been successful,' don't believe him. But if someone says 'I have worked hard and I have been successful,' believe him!"