> When I see people with these crazy flights of fancy throwing away perfectly good opportunities to work and build incrementally to their dream lives, it makes me a little sad.

I think you're making an assumption here that your "dream life" is a destination. Which is a perfectly rational way of thinking.

But, alternatively, your dream life could instead be the journey. So, perhaps, rather than working at a job today to make your dreams come true later, maybe your dream instead is to do what you love today, and let the future take care of itself.

Not saying either is right or wrong - I know many people in each camp. Just saying there's two ways of thinking about it.