The Seed of Dreams

There are many quotes I love about dreaming. This is one of my favourites:

If dreaming is the art of the mind, DREAM JOURNALING is a tool to use to harness our creative experience. Writing down our dreams will help us dive deeper into the abyss to unlock our aspirational life purpose.

A few newsletters ago, I shared a story about a TREE and the moment I recognized we all start as a seed (aspiration). This also applies to our life purpose or dream life. Without aspiration, no amount of inspiration or motivation will make the seed grow into a strong, fruitful tree.

Aspirations are sometimes described as the dreams we want in real life. Our aspirations are deeply embedded within us. They are aligned with our values and can be felt right in our gut when we are awake. We know we aspire to do something but can’t always articulate what it is.

Dreams can be used as a tool to clarify what one wants to aspire to. Dreams tap into our unconscious and subconscious thoughts. They can be a bit distorted and hard to understand, so we easily dismiss them as “nothing.” These same dreams provide strong clues or reminders of our aspirations.

Quotes similar to “make your dreams come true,” “live the dream,” or “keep your dreams alive.” did not resonate with me in the past. These thoughtful pieces of advice seemed incomplete.

• What is the dream?

• Is there a dream?

• How do I make THIS happen?

• What if I am already living the dream and didn’t know it?

• Once I made “it” come alive, how do I keep it alive?

This is one of the reasons why I write and journal every day.

In June 2022, I started exploring dream journaling as part of my writing journey. It took me a few weeks to figure out a method for “dream-catching” that worked for me, and it continues to evolve.

My biggest takeaways from dream journaling:

• Everyone dreams.

• We won’t remember ALL our dreams, which is OK.

• Writing down and reflecting on dreams helps clarify subconscious thoughts.

I train daily to remember dreams. The more I write any piece of a dream one day, the more I can remember a dream the next day. Think of it like muscle memory for a part of your brain - the more you attempt it, the easier it gets.

There are other times your brain doesn’t want you to remember yet. Have you had a moment and thought, “This feels familiar… I think I dreamt about this?” Or, out of the blue, you remember parts of a dream you had hours, days or months ago? I used to be upset when this happened. It is OK to let go of partial dreams (for now) and record the dreams you do remember.

Are dreams and aspirations the same? I see them as interconnected, not identical. Dreams are a combination of visions, reminders, and wishes peeping out of your subconscious from time to time. Aspirations are visions of what you want when you are awake. The plan still needs to be made to get there. Clear, actionable goals and intentions are an important next step once you are clear on what you aspire to do. Documented dreams can be referenced to create a roadmap aligned with your aspirations.

Where do these ideas come from: the next solo project, a dream work trip, a published book… with your name on it!? They begin as a seed, a part of a desire to make something bloom outside of yourself. Dreams remind you these seeds are still inside waiting to bloom. We all have the power to take it to the next step along the path.

Continue dreaming the inevitable, fellow creators.

Naddy / Nadine