Dreams. They can inspire, distract, empower or confuse you.
I had a dream (while sleeping) the other night. Now, before I say more, I really don't remember the last time I had a good long dream. You know those epics you used to have as a kid? Multi-chapter dreams with well-developed characters were the norm in high school. I used to wake up with a powerful memory of not only the dream, but the warmth of the emotions experienced.
Once I woke up having had a Star Trek kind of dream. Yes, I could beam myself anywhere in the world. It was a powerful feeling and one that stayed with me for days. And, yes, there were cool flying dreams and horrifying falling dreams.
The worst dream by far was initiated by my parents forcing me to sit out all day in the heat running a family garage sale. During my sleep that night, if you can call it that, I felt genuine fear and anxiety. Every time I closed my eyes, the dream restarted with me in the heat. A fanny pack around my waist, I was being approached by a constant stream of strangers wanting to ask me the price of some cheap item at my feet.
So back to the dream from the other night. It is the only one that continues to reappear in my slumber. But why am I telling you about it here?
Well, I am convinced that this dream is in my life as a reminder to take action on my ideas. As you may know, I spent years coming up with, writing down, and completely ignoring my ideas. On September 1st, 2008 I made a decision to take action and have been happier ever after.
The dream is has some consistent elements:
First, they are all related to sports. Playing sports was my joy in high school. My passion. It gave me my social life and my ego rub. Anything that held me back from participating was incredibly stressful in my late teens.
Second, the problem is a lack of control. I am unable to get myself to do certain things, although simple, even with the reward being playing a sport.
Third, the dream is very one dimensional. The game has started without me and I am not ready.
So, here's a typical dream: I am in the locker room before a high school football game. It is a big game and I am to play a big role (quarterback, wide receiver, running back). But as the team heads out of the locker room, I identify a problem with my equipment that seems incidental. A shoestring, a helmet clasp, a hip pad. Seems simple, right? But every minute I am delayed from entering the field, the anxiety grows. The audacity of this simple problem! How is it possible that something this minor could keep me from what I want so much?
So there is no resolution in this dream. Nope. It always ends the same way. The continuing struggle to complete a simple task.
My prediction? The simple decision I made in September will, over time, rid me of the necessity to be punished during sleep. As I reward my soul with the act of pursuing my ideas, the dreams will cease to be necessary. Assuming that necessity matters.
Or maybe this is just wishful thinking . . .
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