Dream AwayWritten by Jean Slatter

Introduction

Dreams are magical.
The very essence of individual experience begins with dreaming about something
beyond what we have; something beyond our immediate reach. We all have dreams.
It starts at a very young age, maybe even before we are conscious about it, but
eventually we know there are dreams. I can remember daydreaming often as a
child. I had a favorite big rock in our pasture where I would lay and watch the
clouds go by as the delicious warm summer rays of sun tickled my face. I would
spend hours lost in daydreaming. Dreaming of the man I would someday meet to
sweep me off my feet. Dreaming of the life I would lead of travel and
adventure. Dreaming of the home I would create.

Dreaming is second nature to all of us. It’s deep within our soul and is ever-present. We would
not have created anything without dreaming of it first. Sometimes as we grow
older we mistakenly fall into the trap of feeling guilty about dreaming as if
there is something immature or selfish about it. We are told to put aside our
childhood fantasies. We may even believe that it is better not to dream lest we
be disappointed. To the contrary if we set aside our dreaming we stop growing.
Any accomplishment of mankind, big or small, began with dreaming. We can call
them something more mature; goals, aspirations, desires, visions. Regardless of
the name, they are still all dreams inspired by our need to reach beyond
ourselves.

How do dreams become reality versus fantasy? Every one of us has indulged in dreaming that we know will turn out to be nothing more than wishful thinking. But even though we are
aware it is fantasy it is still fun to think of the what if’s. What if I found
a million dollars? What if I was given the keys to that big mansion? What if I
became the president of the company? It’s great entertainment to explore
daydreams in your head. Likewise we have all had the experience of believing in
a goal so firmly that nothing would stand in the way. We knew that fulfillment
was only a matter of time. Whatever dreams we have they either turn into
fantasy or turn into reality. What determines this? How can we get what we
want?

I remember going through a phase in my thirty’s of adopting the dreams that would create a
certain social status and being mesmerized by how things were “supposed” to
look. The big house, the nice car, the clothes were all part of the program.
The movement at that time was to replace your dreams with a pre-formulated
template and approach. I noticed an interesting shift in my attitude at that
time. Everything became goal oriented and routine activities were under
scrutiny to remove any frivolous aspect. You scheduled parties with friends for
the goal of unwinding. You scheduled evenings with your mate for the goal of
spending quality time. Exercise was only done on a schedule for the precise
goal of getting your heart rate up to eighty percent of maximum. Measurable
goals, that’s what we wanted and it was fun for a while but at some point I
realized we can become so distracted by programmed aspirations that we can get
caught in the proverbial rat race and lose touch with our dreams, frivolous or
not.

Another shift occurred as I entered my forties and my dreams took on a deeper origination,
that of the soul. It became clear to me that we are on a journey with an
express purpose, a meaning, that begs to be explored and that many of our
dreams are actually a calling from our soul. We long to find purpose but
purpose can only be found deep within ourselves. At various times throughout
our lives we hear the inner stirring urging us to go within and find out what
our soul is asking for. It may be at mundane moments such as washing dishes or
commuting to work, or during profound life-changing experiences but inevitably
the calling of our soul comes forth.

Whether we are merely entertaining ourselves with wishful thinking or answering a call from
our soul it all begins with dreaming. Through our imagination there is no
boundary that can’t be explored. Lift off any dream restrictions you may have and to take the
time to ask yourself some very important questions. What do you long for? What
makes you happy? What makes your heart sing? What will it take to make your
life more joyful?

Fulfillment of your dreams is a natural process. Understanding this process and making it part of
your everyday life is easier than you think. You’ll be amazed
as your dreams come into focus with laser-like precision and life takes on a
whole new perspective. You may find that dreaming will once again be a favorite
pastime and in fact, essential to your growth.

Is there magic in dreaming? Just wait and see!