The House in our Dreams

 

"A house in a dream is not just a building, it is a map of your inner world."

Dream Interpretation Wisdom

In dreamtime, a home is symbolic illustrating where you have been, where you are, and where you might go. It reflects our current state of consciousness. It is important to notice if it is your own home, neighbors or a new home. It is a reflection of where you live mentally and emotionally.

Each room in the house has significance as well, so it is important to notice if you are upstairs, downstairs, basement, front porch or yard. For example, the basement can be the buried past while the upstairs can be lofty dreams. The kitchen is where we are nurtured and the bathroom is a place to relieve our lovely selves.  

Our dream reveals even more when we recall our action. Were we peaceful or raging? What emotions were we feeling? We can notice if we were feeling hot or cold or if there was sunshine or darkness. Observe if there are doors or windows, elevator or stairs. There is a plethora of information in our seemingly simple dreams.

Listen to the Soul

"The soul has been given its own ears to hear things the mind does not understand."

Rumi

A great deal of time is spent trying to predict the future. We may choose to read astrology reports, pick tarot cards or project with rigid plans. We may ask assistance from a professional planner, therapist or psychic to provide us with better calculations for our future. Seldom do we reach inside to sit with insights from our soul.

If we were able to detect aspects of our future, it would alter our present momentum. If we discovered answers, it is highly likely that our efforts would be changed.  Especially if we learned of a forthcoming negative result. If we were to discover endless future fortunes, this might alter our dedication and drive. 

There is a black box placed inside of outer space projections relating our existence and various data. Our soul is somewhat the same. It is filled with information about our everlasting existence. When we are faced with life challenge, perhaps we need to listen to our soul with our heart instead of our mind.

Rough Drafts ...

"Life is like a novel. It's filled with suspense. You have no idea what is going 

to happen until you turn the page."

Sidney Sheldon

Life is like a book with numerous beginnings and endings. Several events may not make sense until we are farther along in that chapter of our life. There are both tears and laughter, joy and sorrow, and dramatic suspense. Sadly, there are situations where we do not read the fine print nor examine the sources.

Like an author, we may change our storyline. Our original intention can become altered which may surprise those paying close attention. Diverse characters enter our lives with some remaining while others abruptly exit. It is curious how we can remain completely open to where our story leads or frustrated from the lack of control.

What font do we choose to use for our approach to life? A lofty script or a bold block? How many unfinished dialogues do we have? And observe the background on which our life is printed. Have we chosen soft hues with beachfronts or harsh reds from hell?  And what of our progress ... repeating a rough draft or going for something new? Time to turn the page!

Promoting Authenticity

"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind do not matter,

and those who matter don't mind."

Bernard M. Baruch.

Life will be enhanced when we learn that we each have a gift to offer. When we recognize personal strength and accept its uniqueness, we will master the joy of learning. Each of us has the ability to share with others and by doing so, we increase kindness to others as well as ourselves. Instead of criticizing differences, we benefit through understanding.

There are obvious ways to volunteer in the community, but numerous opportunities that are easily taken in stride. Invite someone to walk with us or share gifts from our garden. If we just completed an amazing book, share it with someone. Invite a friend over to watch an inspiring movie followed by deep discussion.

Whether we are sitting in a public place or at a family gathering, notice how everyone is different in his or her features. Then notice behaviors that set them apart. We were never intended to be exactly the same. Authenticity is an opportunity to share the self whether in agreement or not. Embrace the beauty beaming from each miraculous soul.

 

Sabotage

"I am the greatest obstacle to my dreams."

Craig D. Lounsbrough

We have the ability to make our dreams come true, but self-doubt can destroy our plans. At times we refuse help or over commit. We may know what we want, but fear or lack of self-worth can suppress our joy. This impacts our motivation and drive. Being mindful of our false inner chatter can assist us in moving forward.

When we gain the strength to face our desired challenge, accept the difficult decision making, and work hard, progression becomes steady. Self-esteem and confidence increase when we retain a steady pace with appreciation for progress whether large or small. It is when we downplay our ability that our progression varies. 

Remember that we can proceed at a consistent pace if we are patient, organized, and maintain a positive attitude. Be prepared to nurture the self while unfolding these dreams. Do not let over achievement set the pace. Acknowledge limitations but proceed with praise for your adventurous spirit.

Playful Experience

"Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions."

Albert Einstein

Glancing back over life, notice situations or locations where you felt particularly alive. Were you inspired by a person or an activity? Explore why you stopped. Did you lose your passion or hit a creative block? It is interesting to renew the connection which in all likelihood would fill our sense of emptiness.

Unless you remain connected and continue to feed creative expression your personal growth can feel dull. The exploration of a new way to express the self or rekindling an old passion, consistency is necessary. Allow leniency for polishing your skill and a safe space where creativity can grow. 

Do not wait to be inspired. Create scenarios where creativity grows. Enroll in a community class, search online for demonstrations or wander festivals engaging with artists whose work draws you in. Do not expect perfection, but rather a playful experience of joy. Through creative play you can feel a sense of empowerment. 

Healing through Energy Work

"A healer's power stems not from any special ability, but from maintaining the

courage and awareness to embody and express the universal power that 

every human being naturally possesses."

Eric Micha'el Leventhal

Touch and healing have been linked together for centuries worldwide. The mystery and superstition around healing touch have been diminished as increased interest and application have been drawing energy work as a healthy practice no longer linked to just a few. It is widely used now with Western Medicine as prevention and intervention.

The ability to touch assists in reducing if not eliminating both physical and emotional pain. Doctors across the country as well as nurses are known to regularly use a form of touch as a healing element. Learning to balance human energy is not a high-tech application. The process of learning is easily learned.

Energy work can impact human conditions both physically and emotionally. Based on the belief that our thinking process contributes to the body's dis~ease it is important to be aware of emotional upset or triggers. The goal is to align the body, mind, and soul. Energy work often engages with the recipient for successful return to health.

From Dreams to Reality

"Our dreams may seem impossible, but our creativity can turn them into reality."

Malala Yousafzai

Increasing our awareness of dreamtime, we become more comfortable in the realms where creative discovery occurs. It is a given that our dreamscapes are filled with ideas just waiting to be connected in real time. The necessity is dream recall. Unless we train ourselves to monitor our dreams, the vastness of imagination goes unresearched.

In the midst of our dreams, there are creative flashes that when joined together can lead us to daytime discoveries. There are numerous ways for images to be linked together nudging our perceptions to broaden and deepen. Nuggets of lofty possibilities prance around in our sleeping visions in hopes of remembrance upon awakening.

Creative breakthroughs and startling connections frequently present in dreamtime. When we train ourselves to decipher our dreams, there is a multitude of information that can move us beyond our dreams. Being highly creative, one begins to link seemingly random ideas together bursting with originality.  

Symbolism of Flag Blowing in the Wind ...

                    "When we honor our flag, we honor what we stand for as a nation;                                  freedom, equality, justice, hope."   Ronald Reagan

This year, I may be acutely aware of our flag with confusion regarding what it is meant to symbolize. My first association with the flag is with soldiers who boldly fought in a war risking existence while honoring our flag. Then I watched these very soldiers return home only to find the absence of appropriate support and care.

The question of freedom seems out of alignment as well. This past year, I have watched numerous situations where freedom was abused by military antics. And what of this so-called justice? America is supposed to be feeding the poor with ample opportunity for housing and medical care.

I am not politically inclined, but I am used to respecting my country and those representing it. It does not seem that the symbolism of our flag is being appropriately applied. Americans seem to be joining in concern, but will our voices be heard? It is challenging to be a proud American when we are not being led by integrity and respect for all.

Drum Circle

 "The language of drums speaks to the heart louder than words ever could."

Unknown 

There is something about drumming that escorts the mind to magical spaces. Whether it is the rhythm, the sound, or permission to drift, my spirits lift. Repetitive hand movement perhaps mesmerizes the body, mind and soul. Gathered in a group of drummers, the energy easily lifts me to the sky. 

Looking around the drum circle, it is interesting to view the differing reactions to drumming.  One drummer is known to fall into a trance and who knows where he goes. There is another who accelerates his movements to a high rhythmic pace only to gracefully fall into what appears to be a state of grace. 

The act of drumming also brings out playfulness which explains the camaraderie between us. We welcome people in the park, especially children, to join us as we have extra drums. This is my sacred community out in nature where the busy-ness of life fades away. We are like children, bonded, and ready to play!  

Sense of Flight

"In order to arrive at a place you do not know

you must go by a way you do not know."

St John of the Cross

We have grown accustomed to the fast track by using cell phones, Instagram, drive up windows and express deliveries. It would be one thing if we then used the saved time for caring for ourselves, but we don't. We simply fill the newly opened spaces with additional activities. 

When we wish to explore new spaces, too often we have forgotten our sense of adventure. We tend to map everything out and secure reservations. Wandering has been lost and so has our sense of flight. No longer do we feel that pause where we choose to just be in the moment ... suspended, just floating in the air. 

If we choose to experience something different, our minds need to be open and expectant of the unknown. There is no need to puzzle everything out. With curiosity we gently move forward upon uncharted paths. Our senses are wide open to experience that which we do not know. 

 

Serving Souls

"Fixing and helping maybe the work of the ego,

and service the work of the soul."

Rachel Naomi Remen

We can view life through our efforts of helping, fixing, and serving. If we are helping someone, we may be seeing them as weak. If we attempt to fix a person, we may be overlooking their strengths. When we choose to serve, we are contributing to the unexplored wholeness of the soul. 

Through listening without an agenda, we can hear what the person is needing help with and how they wish to achieve it. We can use their thoughts to build corrective action that is in alignment with them. By serving, we can assist souls reach what they desire, not what we think they need.

When serving, we can be the safe space where souls can wander through the clutter of their mind Hearing them randomly express fears, we get a broader picture of what they may be resisting. Through prayer, meditation, or energy work, balance can be restored. Respecting each other as souls propels us towards realignment. 

 

The Private Cave

"The most precious resource we all have is time."

Steve Jobs

Time can be squandered in all kinds of ways. It can be invested in pleasurable social activities, investments with work and coworkers, or peaceful solitude to rest our weary souls. Often times, regulating time seems impossible, and once we find ourselves over extended, we may desperately need to retreat.

Whether we are dealing with defeat or sorrow, our needed remedy is isolation. Perhaps a return to the cave is where darkness is a peaceful atmosphere lacking all stimulation. It is in this seclusion that once again we can begin to hear our heartbeat welcoming us back to normalcy.

There are times seeking solitude is the best way to create an atmosphere for healing. Whether we walk in the woods, seek a mountain top or return to our private cave, the distance from our normal chaos is finally made. It is an opportunity to shed debris, heal and ponder our heart's desire.

Final Peace

"Spiritual guidance is always present, but we are here 

for the human experience."

Virginia Carlson

There are times we are blissfully content until we are broadsided by an unsuspecting event. Even though we know spiritual guidance is consistently available, our human experience leads us into unsuspecting waters. Waves can knock us off our feet and the underwater current can cause quite the swirl. Spirit guides the human back to shore.

Lessons can be regulated if we happen to apply wisdom previously learned through trial and error. Perhaps it is an unresolved issue that gets triggered, again, to finally become healed. This is all part of the human experience to learn to adjust our boundaries and increase our awareness with integrity being the guiding force.

Life is a school we never graduate from if we so choose. We can 'flunk' out, be held back a grade, graduate or pursue continuing education. There is choice in whether or not we expand, change, and grow. As students in this physical world, we are stimulated by the joy of discovery and the final peace of being an open book.

 

Misplaced Journal

 

"One day you will reflect on your journey, and when you recall how bumpy the road

you took was, you will smile and say to yourself, 'thank God I didn't give up."

Michael Bassey Johnson

While dusting, (a very rare occurrence in my home), I came across an old journal that had been misplaced. Anything to avoid the chore of dusting, I settled outside on my patio where there was a gentle breeze by my comfortable chair. Page by page, I fell back into a time occurring numerous years ago, but strangely crisp in my memory.

As I read the words I had penned across the page, I fell down the rabbit's hole rolling into darkness. Too easily I was engulfed in my past fears hearing my harsh self-criticism and judgments. Gently, I closed this outdated journal and brought my focus back to where I was on this day, in this space in time.

Over these most current years, I have bounced between regression and progression. Thankfully, I have moved forward and at long last learned to love myself. I may not like everything about me, but I unconditionally love myself for the first time, ever. I will remain dedicated to the forward movement upon my winding path of life's journey.

Two Sides ...

"Every truth has two sides, it is as well to look at both, 

before we commit ourselves to either."

Aesop

We appreciate light, especially after darkness. There comes an awareness while experiencing both hot and cold. And what is failure without success? There is danger in narrowing our scope too precisely, especially when we are unaware of our own prejudices. When our field of vision becomes too narrow, we need to broaden our view. 

A simple coin held in our palm displays how there can be two differing elements but still be one solid thing. Perhaps we are not called to throw our belief to the side, but to expand information to at least understand an opposing view. This creates a needed element of respect that does not require us to change but consider.  

The old story of two men exploring an elephant from different positions (trunk and tail) is self-explanatory. Before we dig in our heels and become stationary, it is best to do a walk-about collecting information to support or adapt what we choose to hold true. Wisdom thrives in exploration, not confinement. 

 

Sensitivity As a Doorway

 

"Your sensitivity is not a weakness ... it's a doorway."

Lee Harris

Your sensitivity is a tool that helps you navigate through life. It is not a weakness, but a sign of strength that you have earned from trials and tribulations experienced in life. You have not allowed challenges to turn you into bitterness, resentment, and hate. It has taught you compassion, gentleness and general concern for all peoples.

As a tender-hearted human, you are deeply aware of life as it unfolds and experience it deeply. These lessons allow you to be understanding of yourself and others. Your inner light grows lighting up your journey as you find your way. By embracing individual challenges, your wisdom grows.

When you use your sensitivity with other skills, your perspective remains positive as you know there is peace on the other side of darkness. Your example is needed during this time of chaos and confusion as a signal of goodness is yet to come. Do not ever be ashamed of your tears as they are beacons of hope for others. 

Truth Telling

 

"Integrity is telling myself the truth. And honesty is telling the truth to other people."

Spencer Johnson

Truth telling is not an easy task whether we are speaking to ourselves or others. It is tempting to offer answers based on what people want to hear. We think we are taking strides to keep peace, ignoring the unrest growing within from our diligence to avoiding discord. At the onset truth may be difficult, but in the long run, it strengthens our foundation.

A truth teller is open to diversity. They do not expect everyone to agree; they are simply voicing their opinion. And when this is done, they are flexible, willing to consider the beliefs of others in comparison to their own. It can be a learning experience not necessarily triggering division. 

It may be difficult to give voice to our truth, but it increases layers of strength. When we are honest, it increases our sense of integrity and allows others to clearly see who we are.  The manner in which we share our truth can be laced with compassion and sensitivity. Let us be open to truth that initiates openness. 

You Be You!

"The older I get, the less I want to win."

Olivia Ann Clarke

Never have I been competitive and I do realize this could have its disadvantages. Contests, games or races never attracted me. I would be happy to watch and cheer, but hesitant to run the race. If you have to choose between me and someone else, your indecision tells me you need to move on. Take the other person with you.

My motivation is to be an enhanced version of me, not beat you. The desire to keep moving forward to not necessarily to be 'better', but to experience diversity in thought, word, and deed. My desire to change through vast experiences results in being a more interesting human, not a combatant or victor.

There is a saying about 'you be you and I'll be me, and together we will move forward'. Doesn't that sound better than racing forward to conquer our teammate? I do not want to be better than anyone else. I want to experience your authenticity at its best, not some projection of a hyped up, single minded, game player.

 

True Navigator

"The heart is the navigator."

Lee Harris

The body is an informant. All day long it reports to us by using parts of our body. The tongue tells us if something is too hot. Our ears react if the music is too loud. Our stomach growls when we are hungry. Although these are important alerts, our heart navigates our responses, weaving us in and out of these situations.

It is the heart that picks up on emotions and gives us the choice of how we want to react. The heart directs us when we are heavy laden with sorrow. or filled with joy. The heart challenges us to determine if we want to proceed or withdraw. It guides us through darkness and light. 

With each passing day, the world swirls around us. The heart nudges us to feel and distribute empathy or compassion while the ego too often lapses into judgment and criticism. If we want life to be meaningful, false personas need to be dropped.  When the veil is lifted, our authentic self can be led by the heart. 

 

Suffering Optional

"Most people think suffering comes from not being loved enough. But

there is another kind of suffering that hides much deeper."

Michael Pinsker

We readily acknowledge the uncomfortable feeling when we move to a new location, switch jobs, or lose a friend. We rarely explore the distance within when we choose to shut down emotionally. Instead of sitting with our feelings, we increase our activities, distract our thoughts or hide perhaps in overindulgence. 

Each time we bury or minimize our inner reactions, distance creates the sense of separation. The pattern of disengaging with the self becomes a habit, moving us further from our true nature. We may even hear ourselves say, "I don't even know myself anymore." We become dependent upon the affection of others instead of self-reliance.

If we maintain appreciation, respect, and connection with our personal needs, love becomes self-born. Facing life as we know it with confidence and healthy support, we are no longer dependent upon others. If we ignore our emotional needs, a sense of numbness occurs separating us from our true nature. Embrace the self with the love that is craved. 

 

Glitters As an Unspoken Language

 

"A little glitter can turn your whole day around."

Barbara Park

Life can be discouraging no matter how dedicated and aware we are on our journey. The best made plans can erupt or our confidence can suddenly dissipate. Our reaction can cause us to be misled, confused, or depleted. Thank goodness when we remain expectant, there are little glitters reminding us we are not alone.

If we hold our hearts open to seemingly unrelated occurrences, there is an unspoken language of the Divine. Whether a shooting star, an infant's smile, or random reflection, we really are surrounded by encouragement. When we slow down, look around, and hold ourselves open, magic seems to appear reminding us of wholeness.

We must do our part in facilitating this unspoken communication. If we remain mindful that we need support our agendas will include time for meditation, expression, and creativity. No matter the dilemma, we must remember to not only ask for help, but to watch for it as well. There is no limit to the appearance of glitters, so hold thy lovely eyes open!