A secondary or supplemental benefit that accompanies a prime benefit.

You just purchased your dream home. Your new neighbors turn into lifelong friends. An ancillary benefit is born.

I was recently chatting with a friend about NASA and more specifically Neil deGrasse Tyson (an astrophysicist who is a big supporter of space exploration). In the 5 minute video Neil makes some compelling arguments why we should invest in NASA. He claims when we dream big as a people (space exploration), many ancillary benefits are born because of that.

I haven’t exactly been part of the booster club for NASA, because I am pragmatic. There is a large financial deficit and we should be cutting spending where we can. Practical, rational, pragmatic thinking. That’s me.

I’m uncomfortable taking the long irrational path between two points. I focus on an achievable dream and carve out the most direct route that will get me there.

My dreams are very achievable. But I’m not sure if this is due to an abundance of talent or a rational approach to goal setting. The thought of coming up just short of my dream would feel like wasted time. Like running a marathon only to tumble down and call it quits before the finish. No shiny medal to adore my neck. Just raspberried hands and knees acting as terrible conversation starters.

I don’t stop myself from chasing oversized dreams because of an increased chance of failure. Failure doesn’t scare me nearly as much as the thought of wasted time. No, I dream smaller because of my own pragmatism.

Right about now I feel like the Dad in the movie Rudy.

Rudy had a seemingly impossible dream to play football for Notre Dame. His Dad wanted him to be rational and work in the factory with his brothers. He said he was wasting his time chasing fruitless dreams. After all Rudy was five feet nothing and a hundred and nothing.

Rudy had a near impossible dream to play football for Notre Dame. He didn’t dream of being a motivational speaker and having a movie named after him. Those were just the ancillary benefits that rose up from the seedlings of a dream.

Pragmatism is great for saving for retirement but maybe it shouldn’t be dictating your dreams.

Dream big, cause maybe the next blastoff leads to a new world. A world you never knew existed.