You've got to have dreams to keep you going.

The Fire That Moves the Spirit

Among the wise sayings of those who have faced both triumph and trial, few are as simple and as enduring as the words of Steve Waugh, the great Australian cricket captain, who declared: “You’ve got to have dreams to keep you going.” These words, though humble in their phrasing, carry the weight of a life tested by perseverance. For in them lies the eternal law of the human heart—that dreams are not luxuries, but necessities; not ornaments of thought, but the very fuel of endurance that drives a soul through darkness toward light.

The origin of this quote can be traced to the long journey of Waugh himself, a man forged in the crucible of sport and struggle. Known not for flamboyance but for resilience, he rose from the fields of New South Wales to lead one of the most dominant teams in cricket’s history. Yet his greatness was not born from ease. His early years were marked by setbacks, by seasons where his place in the team seemed uncertain. There were critics who doubted his talent, who said he lacked flair or the makings of a leader. But Waugh carried something within him that no opponent could see—his dream, glowing quietly like an ember that refused to die. It was this inner fire that kept him going when applause faded and faith wavered.

To have dreams is to possess a vision that transcends the present. Dreams are the compass of the soul—they point the way when the road is lost. For the athlete, the artist, the builder, and the thinker alike, dreams give meaning to labor. Without them, effort turns to routine, and life becomes hollow toil. But when a man or woman dreams, even the smallest act gains significance; the dawn run, the midnight study, the unheralded practice—all become sacred steps upon the path to fulfillment. Dreams, then, are the unseen wind that moves the vessel of the human spirit across the sea of time.

The ancients, too, knew this truth. Consider the story of Odysseus, who, after the fall of Troy, wandered for ten long years across perilous seas, haunted by storms, monsters, and the wrath of gods. What sustained him through each trial was not strength of body alone, but the dream of returning home—the image of Ithaca, his wife, and his son. Though beaten by waves and broken by loss, that dream kept him alive. So it is with all who strive: when flesh grows weary and the world grows dim, it is the dream that whispers, “Keep going.”

Yet Steve Waugh’s words also remind us that dreams must be active, not idle. They are not meant to be admired from afar like constellations in the sky—they must be pursued, shaped, and protected through work. A dream without action is a mirage, vanishing at the first touch of reality. Waugh did not simply dream of victory; he trained for it, bled for it, and led his men through battles of will and skill until they became champions. In this way, his life became the embodiment of his teaching: that dreams are not mere comforts of imagination, but challenges to the spirit—to rise, to endure, to strive for something greater than oneself.

In another age, Florence Nightingale held a similar flame. When the world told her that women had no place in medicine, she dreamed of hospitals filled not with filth and despair, but with order, light, and healing. Through the horrors of war, she kept that vision alive, transforming the care of the wounded and forever changing the face of nursing. Like Waugh, she understood that a dream, once born, demands courage. It must be nourished daily by effort, and guarded fiercely from doubt.

So let this be the teaching, passed down to all who hear: hold fast to your dreams, for they are the breath of the soul. When the path is long and the burden heavy, let them remind you why you began. When you fail, let them lift you again; when you succeed, let them guide you toward your next horizon. Do not trade them for comfort, nor abandon them to fear. Work for them as the farmer tends his fields—patiently, faithfully, season after season—until the harvest comes.

For as Steve Waugh spoke, it is not success alone that sustains a person, but the dream that gives success its meaning. Without dreams, life drifts into stillness; with them, even the smallest step becomes part of something eternal. So dream boldly, work tirelessly, and keep going. For the dreamer who endures is the one who brings light to the world.