Too often we lose sight of what's important to us for example, enjoying nature,
exploring our spirituality, connecting with friends, traveling, and being creative.
Yet, we know that our lives are incomplete. The truth is, we can all have much
more meaning in our lives - we just don't know how to do it. This article explores different ways to live your dreams.
There are many barriers to living our lives the way that we would really like. Child
abuse, alcoholism, grief, poverty, and the like all take their toll. Yet, from deep
within us we hear a cry - a cry for more; for something inspiring.
Living an inspiring life is not just for some people. It's for all of us. We can all live
our lives more fully and do more of what we want. You might think that you're too
busy, don't have enough money, or don't know what you want, and while that's
all understandable it need not get in your way.
We need to begin by listening to our internal cry. What is it telling us? What do we
need? What is missing in our lives. And, once we know that, we need to find ways
to live our dreams.
James Hillman, in his book The Soul's Code (Random House, NY, 1996), says that
the answers to who we are and what we want can be found in our childhood
musings. He says,
"Sooner or later something seems to call us into a particular path. You may
remember this "something" as a signal moment in childhood when an urge out of
nowhere, a fascination, a peculiar turn of events struck like an annunciation: This
is what I must do, this is what I've got to have. This is who I am...If not this vivid
or sure, the call may have been more like gentle pushings in the stream in which
you drifted unknowingly to a particular spot on the bank."
Hillman believes that in order to uncover what gives us meaning or pleasure (what
he calls our calling) we need to remember what fascinated us, grabbed our
attention, or spoke to us as children. He believes those memories even if they are
only tiny glimmers or flashes of our desires hide our deeper longings to be or to do
something.
To use this method, you might want to think about yourself as a child. What did
you dream about? What did you like to play? What were your fantasies and dreams?
While it may not be clear to you what any of it means. Those memories or dreams
may hold something you need to know about yourself. You might want to spend
some time writing about it.
Dr. John Suler, who teaches at Ryder University, designed an exercise for his
students called The Therapeutic Ingredients of the Vision Quest that can help with
this. A full description of this exercise can be found here
http://www.rider.edu/users/suler/vquest.html
I found the Vision Quest to be very helpful in awakening my deeper wisdom and
awareness of synchronicity.
Suler's steps for the Vision Quest are as follows:
1. For a period of at least 4 hours, leave your room or home and go out somewhere,
anywhere. Don't plan ahead as to where you will go or what you will do. Don't do
anything in particular (e.g., don't go bowling, to the movies, to visit friends, etc.)
Just go where your instincts tell you to go. Let your "intuition" carry you. Just
wander (of course, don't do anything dangerous).
Do this alone. This is very important! If you meet people you know, you may talk
to them for a few minutes, but no longer than that. Continue on your way.
2. While you wander, concentrate on some question about yourself, something
you want to know about yourself, or some problem you have been experiencing
in your life. You could simply focus on the question "Who am I?" or any similar
question. Think, reflect, ponder this question - but also let your mind "drift."
3. The whole time keep in mind that you are on a "quest." You are looking,
waiting, expecting something. Something will happen. There will be a sign that
will give you an insight into the question. It could be something that happens to
you, something you see or hear. The world out there will give you the sign!
4. Take along a notebook or some paper, and a pen. Every half hour sit down
and write. Note the time, the place, and what has happened. Write about your
reactions to what is happening to you. Write about your thoughts, feelings, and
insights. Write these notes for yourself! You do not have to hand them in. But if
you want to give them to me (along with your paper), I will be glad to read them
and give you feedback. During the exercise, if you're anxious, frustrated, or
bored, ask yourself "why" and write about it. If nothing important has happened,
think and write about why that is so. How could you make the exercise more
effective?"
As Suler says, even if nothing happens, it helps to write about that. There can be
answers within that place of nothing.
Another way to uncover your deeper longings is to think about what you really want
to do, even if it seems impossible. Try not to let thoughts like, "I don't have the
money to travel" or "I can't write" or "I'm too busy" stop you from at least thinking
about what you'd really like to do. Too many dreams are stopped before they even
get started because of self-defeating thoughts. Let yourself dream and spend time
with this.
When you're ready, tell one person your dreams. As SARK says, "Dreams love
attention and will expand the more you share them." (Living Juicy by SARK, Celestial
Arts; Berkeley, CA, 1994). Try not to get caught up in thinking or talking about the
practical aspects of your dream; just think about the possibilities. Keep checking
in with yourself to see what fits for you and what doesn't. Something nice that
can come from sharing your dreams with someone is that your friend's dreams can
be awakened, too, and that's fun to be a part of too.
Next, imagine yourself living your dream. Imagine yourself doing whatever it is that
you want to do. Spend time visualizing this and be sure to include all of your
senses - sight, smell, touch, hearing, and taste.
When you're ready to move in the direction of living your dream, think about one
tiny step that you can take toward your dream. Make it tiny. As SARK said at a
recent talk in Toronto, it helps to think about the steps as micro-movements.
For example, because I procrastinate about painting, my micro-movement was to
put out my easel and clip paper to it that night. That's it. I did it and the next day
I put out my charcoal pencil. The next day I was sketching again.
Think about what micro-movements you could do and then set a date and time
to do them.
Every one us of us has dreams that our soul needs to fulfill. Without our
dreams, our lives are incomplete. Don't worry if you're not sure of yours, or don't
know how to fulfill them. It helps to try one or all of the exercises here, or
another one of your choice, and see what happens. Write about what you learn and
keep on trying. Dreams are lived one step at a time.
Kali Munro, © 2002
All rights reserved.
www.KaliMunro.com
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