Hi Friend
I’ve been having dreams this past week that I recall when I wake up. That’s unusual for me. I tend to fall asleep, have no memory of it, then awaken ready to go. But twice within the last five days when I awoke I vividly recalled these long dreams. They both involved people I know. They both had lots of dialog (go figure). One was action packed, the other was just a coffee shop setting. Do you recall your dreams?
What I love about recalling my dreams is the blur that happens between reality and fantasy. I can be having a normal conversation with someone while we’re on a chunk of ice floating down rapids with a strangely peach-colored sky. It’s fanciful, fun and impractical. Yet it plays out as if it’s a normal and even logical. I love that about dreaming!
Imagination is such an underutilized adult capacity. It’s literally all we live in as kids and yet as we age and responsibility takes hold, we seem to abandon it rather quickly. Rarely do we encourage or get encouraged to spend time sitting around dreaming. It oddly gets us chastised, as if it’s a wasteful activity.
With so much emphasis on mental health and well being this past year I’m not sure if the power of imagination got it’s due as a vital resource. Granted the motivational type in my industry and the “influencers” on social media are flush with cliche’s, mantra’s and other phrases that come with “Dream Big” kind-of-sentiments. As far as bosses, colleagues, family and friends I wonder if there is much cheering on for “Take a break and dream a while.”
Dreams are exclusively a heart exercise.
Granted, using our imaginations seems like a mental endeavor. However, the content of such mind meanderings are fueled by our hearts. When we set ourselves to dream about our kids futures. Or we transport ourselves to a home, location or experience that are wildly far beyond our reality; those elements reside in our hearts.
They are connected to the purest of our souls expressions: hope, joy, love, freedom, faith. Dreaming opens the possibility for belief to enter. Likewise, when we relinquish dreaming, we lose the fortitude of positive anticipation. As the world continues to spin like it has the last 11 months, it’s vital we actively and intentionally imagine dynamically for today and the future.
What if we incorporated Day Dreaming into our daily schedule?
I only have memories in high school of being told NOT to day dream. Like the teachers were befuddled. “Greg why would you be drifting off to somewhere else, when there is compelling Algebra to focus on here ?” 😝 Of course I’m going to escape that by entering into my imagination to sail away.
As professional adults, the ability to access our imaginations at will, is not a coping mechanism, but an exercise. It’s literally like taking our hearts out for a run. Though of late I have been unable to run, I use that activity to unlock all kinds of things in my mind. Our hearts can get clogged up. Going out for a day dream unclogs, rejuvenates and strengthens in noticeable ways.
Have you been around a “dreamer”. They appear quite less restrained from the normal boundaries most humans put on themselves. Whether they achieve specific dreams or not their demeanor is one of hopeful anticipation.
Why don’t we dream more?
Feels impractical
Feels unattainable
Feels low priority
Feels irresponsible
The longer we’ve been alive however, the more pain our hearts bear. Giving our heart a work out is essential for us being healthy in every aspect. How our heart is, is how our life is!
Instigating Ideas
1. Take some time this week to focus on dreaming.
2. How would you describe the condition of your heart?
3. How else do you exercise your heart to strengthen it?
4. Whose dreams could you encourage?
I love the idea that day dreaming is really taking our heart out for a run. Nobody criticizes people who go to the gym to enhance their bodies. Or who read a book to expand their mind. Our heart condition is more vital than both, yet this one exercise is generally frowned upon.
Hopefully you’ll incorporate dreaming into your life. Also, I hope I keep remembering my nightly dreams. They are curious and interesting. I suspect similar to yours. Wouldn’t it be delightful if we could bridge the preposterous with our current existence?