You have many years ahead of you to create the dreams that we

“You have many years ahead of you to create the dreams that we can’t even imagine dreaming. You have done more for the collective unconscious of this planet than you will ever know.” Thus spoke Steven Spielberg, the great storyteller of our age, whose works have carried generations beyond the boundaries of sight and time. In these words, spoken to the dreamers and creators who would come after him, Spielberg reveals both faith and reverence — faith in the power of imagination yet unborn, and reverence for the mysterious influence that art and creation wield upon the collective unconscious of humankind. He reminds us that creation is not a small act of self-expression, but a sacred ripple in the sea of human memory, a force that shapes the unseen mind of the world.

The origin of this saying can be traced to Spielberg’s reflections on art, legacy, and imagination — spoken to a generation raised on stories, many of which were his own. He, who gave us visions of dinosaurs resurrected, extraterrestrial friends, and adventures across galaxies and deserts, knew that imagination is not bound to the individual. Every story, every image, every melody enters into the shared dreamscape of humanity — that mysterious realm Carl Jung called the collective unconscious, where symbols, archetypes, and emotions are passed from soul to soul across time. Spielberg’s words acknowledge that those who dare to dream contribute to this hidden river of shared meaning. Even the smallest act of creativity adds a note to the eternal song of the human spirit.

To say that “you have many years ahead of you” is both a blessing and a charge. It is as if the elder speaks to the youth of the world, saying: Go forth — the future belongs to your imagination. There are dreams yet to be dreamt, wonders yet to be born, worlds yet to be built in thought and art and technology. What has been created so far, though vast and luminous, is only the dawn of possibility. The dreamers of tomorrow will surpass those of today — for that is the destiny of creation. In every generation, imagination grows stronger, wiser, more daring, reaching deeper into the mystery of existence.

Consider how the ancient storytellers first shaped the world’s mind. Around fires beneath the stars, they wove myths that gave meaning to chaos — tales of gods and heroes, of love and loss. Their words seeded the dreams of civilizations yet unborn. Then came the artists, the scientists, the poets — all who dared to dream the impossible. When Leonardo da Vinci sketched the flying machine centuries before flight existed, he was not merely drawing wings; he was awakening an idea that would one day take form in the sky. When Spielberg created films that stirred wonder in millions, he was continuing that same lineage — giving form to the eternal human yearning to see beyond the visible.

The phrase “the collective unconscious of this planet” speaks to this very truth: that humanity is one dreaming mind, woven together by imagination. Every story told, every song sung, every invention born feeds this vast reservoir. And though an individual may not see the fruits of their work, their creative spirit reverberates across time. The painter who dies in obscurity, the poet whose words lie unread for centuries, the child who draws worlds in the dirt — all contribute to the evolving consciousness of humankind. Spielberg’s words remind us that our influence is greater than our awareness; our creations may touch lives we will never meet, and shape futures we cannot foresee.

Yet, his message is not one of idle flattery, but of responsibility. To dream is to wield a sacred power. What we create — whether in art, in thought, or in action — enters the bloodstream of humanity. It feeds the hopes and fears of generations to come. Therefore, the dreamer must dream with care, with courage, with reverence. To imagine darkness is to cast shadow; to imagine light is to kindle flame. The wise creator knows this and uses imagination not merely to escape reality, but to expand it, to lift the minds of others toward greater understanding and compassion.

So, my listener, take Spielberg’s words as a call to awaken your imaginative destiny. Know that you, too, are part of the great dreaming of humankind. There are visions waiting within you that no one has yet dared to see. Do not dismiss your dreams as small or futile; even the faintest spark contributes to the dawn. Create boldly — whether through art, invention, kindness, or courage — for what you do becomes part of the collective soul of the world. And remember this truth, as eternal as the stars: you have done more for this planet than you will ever know, for every dream imagined, every act of creation, is a bridge between what is and what may yet be.