What It Means To Be Living The Caribbean Dream

Dream. For any Caribbean dream to come true. The first thing one has to do is dream.

Dreaming The Caribbean Dream

The second thing one needs to do is be flexible. To dream, is to create. When one is creating, one should be free to exercise their artistic side. The strict laws of science, physics, maths etc are fun killers. As one dreams and begins creating their possible future, one should do so without limitations. Our personal passions, whatever we deem valuable, should inform our dreams. Therefore our dreams should be an extension of ourselves, unique and different from those of others.

However, as we broach this topic and share what the words Caribbean dream, mean to us. Feel free to draw inspiration from the picture we paint.

By definition, for us, if a Caribbean dream is to truly be Caribbean, the realisation of this dream should be rooted, located and based in the Caribbean. Now, if one believes in the concept of the circle of life, a la Elton John’s song in Lion King. Or in our fundamental interconnectedness, that all life is life – parts that when all added together – make one big whole (circle of life).

It means that inevitably, there are parts of us as Caribbean people, that ties us to the rest of humanity and the Universe. Which means we have significants parts of our beings, notable connections and ties that are, outside of the Caribbean. Ultimately though some Caribbean people will find that for them, it is best for them to be outside the Caribbean. For us, it’s ideal for us to be within the Caribbean, forever.

After all, the Caribbean is far more complex, far more diverse than it is normally credited for being. To go further, arguably one can explore a significant part of the diversity that the world has to offer, without leaving the Caribbean. Within the Caribbean there are European parts, Anglo, French, Dutch etc. There are also American parts. Furthermore there are parts just beyond, like Central America that nevertheless have a lot in common with the Caribbean. So much so that it is possible to forget about what may be different. Such places may well be easier for Caribbean people to get situated because what is shared so definitively outweighs what is different.

Nevertheless, to get specific. Living the Caribbean dream can be summed up by being able to do what you love within the Caribbean. Sometimes, the exact opposite is true, like Thea LaFond-Gadson gloriously proved by winning Dominica’s first Gold Medal at the Paris Olympics. Nevertheless, doing what you love to do in the Caribbean, is a basic picture of what living the Caribbean Dream looks like. However, the obvious question is: what do you love to do?

The Carnival Dream.

For us, one of our nearest and dearest loves is Carnival. Another thing we love to do, is learn the Caribbean better, firsthand through travel. Therefore, adding these different loves together to achieve multiple goals at once, definitely would be considered living the Caribbean Dream to us. One of the burning questions within us is, which island really has the best Carnival?

Thus far we’d have to conclude that Trinidad and Tobago is the Mecca for a reason!!!! Followed by Barbados in a very close, second place. Outside of that, it all remains to be seen! Barbados, stands out as being the rare small island that emphatically outperforms it size on the road at Carnival time. Most Caribbean countries kick into gear during Carnival time and have a Carnival season to rival the Mecca, Trinidad and Tobago.

Where Trinbago stands above the rest of the Carnivals in the Caribbean is on the road! Barbados is, the rare gem to match Trinidad’s level of revelry on the road!! The only thing Bajan’s need to do is ensure their Carnival is two, days!!

A Caribbean Dream Must Be Bigger Than Carnival!!!!

Having begun this article speaking on dreams needing to be limitless. It would really be underwhelming if our Caribbean dream was summed up by Carnival.

In a Capitalistic world, it would be remiss of us to forget to touch on the aquisition of wealth. To successfully be living the Caribbean dream, wealth needs to be growing year on year. Furthermore, as the principle of Ubuntu would dictate (as outlined in Everyday Ubuntu by Mungi Ngomane). One needs to be sharing insights and a source of inspiration that helps ensure that one’s platform helps spread prosperity within the region too. Teamwork makes the dreamwork, ensuring that those around us are also winning, is vital to experiencing a higher, more complete, type of winning. Which includes, winning on a spiritual level too.

What does that look like? It looks like sharing sources of education, lessons, information that we learn on our journey, with those within the reach of our platform.

Relationships are central to real wealth.
Being able to walk into doors and have a certain level of mutual trust and respect that makes interviews and collaborations possible, is the true wealth that makes monetary wealth possible. Being able to spend time and exchange conversation with people you value, is a part of what living the Caribbean dream looks like to us.

Does every Dream come true? Of course no. However, as Morgan Housel points out in the Psychology Of Money, one can achieve wild success, even if most of our dreams fail. It is all in the detail, as what really matters, is which one or ones of our dreams, do come true. Plus, if who you date is a big part of your dream, we have an article for you to check out.

In the same way that having a dream in the first place, is what makes it possible for dreams to come true. Writing this post, helps to clarify what our Caribbean dreams are and what steps we need to take to realise them.

Conclusion

Now to end the article, more or less where we begun it – with location. Whilst some dreams obviously do require that one leaves the Caribbean in order to achieve them. For the most part, we live in a world that is hyper-connected. If one can provide value, one can achieve a profit. This is the modern day version of, where there’s a will, there’s a way.

With all this being said, it is a new day in the Caribbean and the World. Whereas previous generations in the Caribbean felt it necessary to leave the Caribbean to earn a substantial living. That reality is now a thing of the past. Now, we live in a world where anybody can make it big, anywhere,
because we all potentially can access a market to sell something of value in a manner that can only be described as convenient.

If we can be assured of a definite ability to create value. We can also be assured of a definite ability to attain value.

As always, there are no guarantees and what may seem or sound simple, could end up actually being complex. However, life, if you think about it has never been about the destination. Instead, life has always been about the journey, because the journey is more certain than the destination.

For this reason, most of us tend to innately do what we want to do because we want to. Embarking on our desired destination means we get to embark on our desired journey too. That is all we could ask for and that, is our Caribbean dream!!!!