How often did we hear or read it: don't give up! Never! It feels like one hits on the original sin. It feels indeed like a call to permanent action, no matter how silly or irrelevant. Of course there is more involved than just being busy. The generalization in itself is pretty problematic: how about giving up addictions, assumptions, prejudices?

Yet there is more to it: You have to hold on to something while you are not giving up, something like your dream. And while you are holding on to your dream you are supposed to impose your will on it, fight for. It is like a contemporary taboo to give up.

Well.

First, a dream can also be a nightmare. Then dreams belong to times when we are asleep. That means we had to give up already when we fell asleep, otherwise we wouldn't. More importantly we also have to give up control which i guess is the real hard part: one cannot will oneself to sleep.

Giving up points to a different direction: upwards. Sometimes  humans have to despair to give up.

This could give us a clue: if control and will don't help us, what does? There is a difference between 'giving in' and ' giving up'. Giving in to 'normality' (who defined the  'norm' ?), to habits (not using our creativity anymore), to the Status Quo (as if there was any hint ever that things would stay the same), to somebody elses' plan or whatever our preferred illusion of stability might be is everyone's personal responsibility.
Giving in is quitting.

Giving up points to a different direction: upwards. Sometimes  humans have to despair to give up. But when we suffered enough we are ready to give up control and surrender to un-controllable (re-)sources however those sources may be called. Without surrender there is no intuition and inspiration. There is also no healing, no surprise, no wonder and no miracle. And no creativity, no consciousness. Artists and other creators knew that all along.

Once we actually give up we often feel relieved from a huge burdon. The little world in which the controlling mindset has to suffer its existence is a prison augmented by lots of self-importance.  That self-importance (and the fear of being discovered as un-important) is the driving force behind a lot of wasted human energy. The right dream comes in a different way.

Should we then give up all control? Not if we are driving a car or work with human creations like technological tools . And yes, let's have an intention. But let go of controlling our lives and the life of others.

Unless we believe that we are the ultimate hot thing in the world and have no room left for humility we will have to surrender at one point in our life!
Everyone's meeting with death comes to mind.