Most of our fantasies, desires and dreams are ephemeral. They pass.
But what if there was a certain class of dream that just refused to go away? What if some of the things you’ve wanted to do, you will keep wanting for the rest of your life?
This is the eternally recurring dream which I described in my last essay.
And of course, it’s important to distinguish an eternally recurring dream from a passing fantasy as we do in that essay. But what should you actually do once you know you’re facing an eternally recurring dream?
Should you act now, or wait for the right moment to reveal itself?
At first, the rational choice would seem to be to act now. If the dilemma will never go away, better do something about it soon.
And doing something about it means to either act on the dream, or—if it’s not worth pursuing—to deeply analyse where it’s coming from. That way, you may be able to end the cycle of desire by uprooting the beliefs that keep it turning.
It’s easier said than done, but these are always the two options. Either go through the door or choose to close it forever and move on.
In actuality, we often make neither choice.
We stand at the threshold—torn between dream and substance, reality and possibility, responsibility and transcendence.
It’s a painful way to live. Forever unresolved; wondering if you’ve left something on the table. But in a way our response is understandable.
The recurring dream is incredibly important to us. It returns endlessly because it is a reflection of something deep within our psyches, something seeking to be brought to the light.
And so, it feels crucial for the timing to be perfect. A dream that means so much needs the perfect moment to be pursued.
Which brings us back to the dilemma: how do we know if it’s the right time to act?
Alas, this is ultimately a moot question.
Because while timing matters—there is a right time to confront your boss, go to market or launch a project—for the most sacred dreams, timing is inconsequential.
After all, the timing can only be relevant if there’s a reason to optimize for start and end. But an eternally recurring dream never ends and is always re-starting.
For what makes the dream eternal is that it is intimately connected to who you are.
It is always emerging from and leading back to you. And the further you go down that path of the self, the further there is still to go.
So, while we can’t be reckless about it, this is what we know about timing:
If it’s a project, an initiative, or a bet, then it’s a good thing to wonder if you’re starting at the right time.
But if it’s an eternally recurring dream, things are rather simple:
You are either early enough, or too late.
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