Dream A Little Dream
What good are dreams? Are they just random, meaningless mumbo jumbo that we get to ponder over in the morning and ask ourselves, "What the heck was that supposed to mean? Oh, well, it was just a dream."
Are dreams just dreams, or can they help us in our daily lives? Before I understood the real and spiritual value of dreams, I innately knew to pay attention. Some big decisions in my life were made because of dreams that I had.
One dream in particular was when I was deciding whether or not to move to Europe after I completed Chiropractic school. I was in a relationship with someone from Switzerland at the time and the thought of going to an unknown country, with an unknown language, with the unknown of the relationship working in the longterm, was…well…a whole lot of unknown’s.
One night I had a dream. I was standing on a beach watching some pretty huge waves crash onto the shore. There was someone waiting off to the left. He was a surf instructor waiting to give me a lesson. I was scared. I’m not that great of a swimmer and this was something I had never tried before. I kept looking at my surf instructor. He was waiting patiently. I kept thinking to myself, "This is the opportunity of a lifetime. I can pack it in and not take the chance, but I know I would regret it." And it was real, that feeling of impending regret if I didn’t take the chance and dive in. So I nodded to the instructor, yes.
When I woke up and recalled the dream, it was clear to me that I was going to take the leap and move to Europe. I didn’t know how I would fit in, if I could learn the language, if the relationship would last, but I did know that I would regret it if I didn’t go for it. That was the beginning of almost 8 years in Switzerland. I certainly am grateful for every bit of it.
I have had other very significant dreams in my life, too numerous to share here. What I have learned in the last 4 or 5 years is how I can work with my dreams to gain insight into my life now. I started a dream journal around that time and became amazed that with this exercise of always writing something down (even if it was only, "I dreamt") how much I was able to remember of my dreams. Sometimes the meaning is clear to me immediately. More often, though, I find I get the meaning, or insight later when I’m reading through them at the end of the month.
There are several books out there about dream symbols and such. I used to try to find meaning through those symbols until I realized that I am a unique soul, we all are. What is significant for me in my dreams, may vary a great deal from everyone else. As I started keeping track of my dreams I also noticed a pattern with different symbols that were meaningful for me and I have started my own personal dream symbol book. This wouldn’t be appropriate for anyone else but me.
If it feels good to you, get a notebook to have by your bedside and in the morning jot down anything that you can remember. Dreams do have a habit of being fleeting so write them in the notebook as soon as you can. If you don’t remember your dreams, simply write something like, "I dreamt". This cues your system into creating the habit and the remembering of dreams will soon follow. Occasionally flip back through and read the dreams again. You might find deeper insights into your daily life.
Before you go to sleep at night, you can also try asking for insight or assistance with something in particular that you might be dealing with. Perhaps the guidance will come in the dream state. One never knows. : )
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream.
Let’s take a look at discipline. It can truly be a very polarizing word. For many the word discipline has a very negative connotation. Standing in the metaphorical corner for something done "wrong" and receiving punishment. That is one way to look at it.
It certainly has been an interesting summer thus far. I am amazed that it is already midway through August. I also notice that it has been over 2 months since my last blog post. I didn’t realize that so much time had passed. Or, at least that things were moving so quickly.
Have you ever had the experience where you are so excited about a new project or a new idea that in all of your excitement you tell everyone around you? Then a few days or weeks go by and nothing comes of the project or idea. It’s as if the air has been let out of the balloon and things seem to just fizzle?
So often there are rules in our heads dictating to us whether something we do is good enough, appropriate, and/or successful.
Have you ever had the experience of being really excited about something and wanting to share it with friends, family and anyone who would listen? Just wanting everyone to know about it and to be able to take part in this new amazing thing you found. Knowing, of course, how beneficial it would be to them. In your passion for sharing and wanting everyone to know about this amazing information, you notice that the response from your friends and family is less than enthusiastic.
Benjamin Franklin once said, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.”
Today people want more out of life and they are seeking different ways to do things. The times have changed, especially in the area of health and wellness. 10 + years ago the word wellness was hardly ever used. Today it is everywhere you look, on water bottles, spa’s, fitness studios, even candy bars are trying to jump in on the wellness revolution. Yes, that is what it is. A wellness revolution. People are sick and tired of being sick and tired and are realizing that the old ways aren’t working anymore. That having a magic pill as a band-aid for every little thing isn’t the smartest way, or the most empowering way. People are taking back their health and putting it into their own hands. The question becomes, how do I empower myself and truly become “well”.