Sometimes I wonder where my dreams come from. Are they cooked up in my brain? Are they composed by my heart? Or did I arrive here on this plane with my dreams packed in my DNA from realms before?
However you think the dreams appear… here’s my point today. Do we get too busy for our dreams? My answer is Yes. And I’m doing something about that little problem immediately.
What’s on your calendar today? Have work, have kids, bills to pay, rides to give, errands, multi-tasking, facebook??? Oh yeah, we’ve all got some of those things and more. So where is the time slot allotted for dreams? Mine happens early in the morning or late at night in times of peaceful meditation. I still the mind, allow the spirit to dance and sometimes those pesky dream visions just pop up. And I think (after meditation, of course as none of us struggles to keep the brain still while meditating… hahah!), I think, “I need to get to that.”
But I’m realizing that the need to take time for my dreams has a really different priority from the other tasks of the day. The daily calendar is full of stuff that should happen… but the dreams NEED to happen. As my dreams come true (and yes, if you’re a doubter, indeed they DO come true) they change my life. My daily list to to-do’s can change dramatically as my dreams lift my life to a new level, a new vista comes into view.
So as you sit down to write your To Do list out, trying putting those dreams close to the top. Making our dreams part of our day, not just part of dream time, is a great step towards making them come true.
have fun!
su
Stress by habit?
I just got back from a lovely vacation. It was one of those times when I really did feel the stress melt away. I could look in the mirror and see a difference on my face. Ahhhhh.
Then I came home. Granted arriving the day after a huge ice storm added to the contrast, but the next morning when I woke up in my own little be
d I realized I was tense. What was the source of the tension… well, that’s what I’m finding interesting. I couldn’t think what the stressor was. I wasn’t behind on projects or bills. I didn’t need to catch up on voicemail messages or email. No one really was expecting me to be back at work for another day. So why was the relaxing buzz from vacation gone?
I’m wondering if it was habit. Can being anxious or tense from life become a habit? Yes, I think it can. I’m seeing it in myself. And in the past week since returning from the sunny South, I’ve been exploring the idea with friends and clients. Do we carry stress partly just because we’re used to doing it? And if this is the case, what to do?
Well, sorry, I’m not the magic answer lady today. But I do have some ideas… of course 😉
First, there is power in awareness. Just exploring the source of your tension, whether you’re feeling it emotionally or if it’s muscle tension, can be enlightening. I tend to carry tension in my neck and shoulders. But if my muscles are tense when waking up after a restful night’s sleep? No, that’s not right. So I’m trying to explore awareness… and when I notice the tension, I allow myself to relax these muscles often. Before I go to sleep and first thing when I wake up, I allow the tension to release as much as I can. While I’m working, I’m exploring adding small stretching sessions (even just a few seconds of releasing tension) to see if I can retrain these muscles. I want my “normal” state to be the “ahhhh” feeling I had on vacation. I’m hopeful I can accomplish it. But am clear that it took a long time of carrying tension to create one habit, so I’m going to have to work awhile of making this more restful state a new habit.
Some sources of our tensions we may see as “part of life.” But allow me to challenge this idea if I may. Perhaps your source of stress is something that is real and on-going in your life. And likely, I’m guessing this stress is something that is out of your control? And according to a much loved saying, “…grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” If you are carrying tension in your body and mind due to circumstances that are beyond your control… I challenge you to begin to let those go too.
Greeting the day feeling relaxed and refreshed gives you an amazing boost. If I can begin my day feeling fully grounded and at peace, how much easier will it be to allow the bumps in the road to pass by without throwing my off balance? And how much will my “vacation” state of mind affect those around me. I love to think that peace is contagious and I think we all might agree that the world needs all the peace we can radiate.
As always… have fun!
su
Can we choose joy.
I’m part of a small arts community in a small Midwest town. With the economic conditions in this country and especially in our area, making a living as an artist can be a bit challenging. But being part of a “community” brings strength and encouragement. This group has lifted me through my tough times.
In the past week, two important members of our community have
faced devastating challenges. One lost everything- home, studio and dear pets through a fire and another was forced to close his restaurant which is a favorite to many and has been supportive to our community as a whole. I’m sad.
I’m sad for their loss. their sadness and disappointment. I wish I had deep pockets and could do something significant financially to help. But at this point… I can’t.
But I’ve also noticed that I’m afraid. Their “hitting the wall” makes me see how close we all can be to finding ourselves in a situation where we might feel like we’re abandoning our dreams. And I wonder… how easily could that be me? Well, honestly, I don’t wonder. I know… it could very easily be me. Or so many others who are part of this small group.
And right there… I need to stop. I need to take a deep breath. And I need to remember that there IS something I can do.
I can not give in to the negative. I need to focus on the dream… my dream, their dreams, our dreams.
For those of you who know me… you know I believe that I’ve “dreamed” this life I lead now into existence. I believe that my thoughts are energy that have great power. My training and my experience has shown me that if I’m going to invest my energy into something, I need to invest it in the positive.
In this tough time, I encourage each of you to choose your thoughts carefully. Don’t spend time dwelling in the negative… those who are suffering right now don’t need more negative energy. Rather… spend your energy envisioning new beginnings for our friends. Imagine this dark time being a doorway to even a better situation. And don’t give into your own fears, if they come up. Give your own dreams this same positive energy. And when you talk with them, or see them… be encouraging. Oh… and huge hugs probably would help a lot too.
Take care of each other and…
have fun!
su
If you’d like to learn more about the concept of using your thoughts to make dreams come true, you might start where I started at http://www.tut.com. Mike Dooley is a teacher of this concept and a mentor of mine.