When I was a kid, I had many dreams and the world seemed much merrier and better because those dreams seem possible. As I slowly grew up and became indoctrinated into the ways of our world, many other dreams started to fade away and some even disappeared, never to be seen or dreamt of again. The capacity to dream and to reach those dreams are a very human one. The dreams that we have tell us what our values are and who we really inside as a person. Those people who dream of becoming rich and having all the money in the world are mostly likely very materialistic; however, those who dream of changing the world and making it a better place for the next generation are more generous. Regardless of what our dreams are, there are a few things about them that we should know.
First, our dreams tell us what we value. It tells us what is important to us and what we want out of our life. It gives us an idea of the things that we believe will make our lives better and fulfill us. Secondly, our dreams contain in them hidden meanings about ourselves and insights into us. It provides the clues that will aid us in our growth into better people. Lastly, our dreams tell us where we are in a spiritual journey.
I agree completely with your description about why dreams are important and what they reveal about us...
But I dont believe in the innocence of children. In one sense, yes children are innocent because they have not necessarily been exposed to quite as many of life's harsh realities that older people are. But that does not excuse them from pain. In children, harsh words an actions are magnified. So one cutting statement from your mother is multiplied and hits harder than an adult would expect.
Perhaps I wasn't a normal kid (in fact I'm almost sure of it) but I was always cognizant of unavoidable disappointment and possible rejection that I would meet in pursuit of my dreams. No matter how much I believed in myself (or how much I still do) I know that there is an element of unreality to my dreams. Frankly, that makes me work even harder for them, but I've never allowed my youth to blind me to reality. I remember crying when I was in 5th grade in fear of getting rejected from a top college. Or slipping in and out of depressions as a freshman in high school when I realized that everything I had been working for could be rendered meaningless so easily. The older I get, the less motivated I am. But my childhood never allowed me to see the world as a "much merrier" place. I used to write in my journals, "when I am older, I hope I never forget the hell of being a child."
I think it's part of human nature to dream, because as children we dream of being cops and firefighters. Although reality slaps us in the face a little, I do not believe that these dreams are any less possible than they were in our childhood. I've heard that sometimes doctors give patients drugs that dont do anything, but the patients are cured because they believe they can be.