How being chased is a good sign.

For the last week or so, I've been having dreams of being chased. Whether it's outside in the dark, inside a home, or up a mountain, I have a pursuer that is relentless.  I wake from my slumber exhausted, but still have no idea what I'm running from. 

Let's face it. We all have fears that we don't want to look in the face. We rather sweep them under the rug and act like they don't exist so we can go about our lives with out adding on more to worry about. However, this type of dream is nudging you to pay attention. It's saying "hey, this thing isn't going away until you face it head on" and so night after night, there I am running or sneaking around trying not to get caught by whatever it is or wants. 

Although, in each dream I stopped being chased and turned around or went heading for my attacker, when I reached him or her, it was someone I knew and I became more mystified as to why I would be afraid of that person. At the end of each dream, I reached the top, I saved the day or whatever, yet I still didn't feel like I accomplished anything. I still wake up afraid. 

So how can being chased be a good sign? Easy dreamer, because it's telling me something is off and I need to pay attention. Even though outwardly, I don't appear overly anxious or consumed with something, subconsciously my mind is racing with FEAR!  So, to quiet this all down and get some rest I have to start asking myself some questions. First, what's the biggest thing going on in my life right now? How will or is this affecting my life-emotionally, financially, socially, etc. Do I really have a handle on this and feel I'm moving toward a resolution I can live with? If so, what else is going on and why is it a concern?  The questioning should go on until it strikes a cord that "yeah this is bothering me". 

I encourage you to write down your questions and answers, so you can see that you've covered all bases. You may want to make a square and section it off to 4 areas: love, money, emotions, health or something like that.  You won't understand your fear until you identify it, so this is an exercise in investigation. 

Once you've identified the fear,take another sheet of paper and do a pro an con's list. With each con, attach an emotion to it so you get better clarity of why you're afraid of it. For example, starting my own business, pro: I'm my own boss con: I have to do everything-feeling-overwhelmed.  As you begin to see the con's and feelings attached you then can decide what are your top 3 con's. Now you have a recipe for action, as 1) you've identified your biggest fears about an issue 2) you understand your feelings about the fear  and 3) you can decide which item you want to address first. 

The next step is to not be in this alone! Take this point seriously dreamer, as no lasting change can be done alone. Talk to your best friend, seek out a colleague, or hire a therapist or life coach to see you through.  You'll be so glad you did, as you can resolve issues that seem insurmountable. 

Stop the chase and live your dream.

Blessings,

Dreamer

http://www.envisiondreams.com/

What is frozen in your life?

A common image in dream life is that of something frozen. Whether it's a lake, ice cubes, a rope of ice crystals, the message is the same, you are repressing, rejecting or denying something in your waking life. So what is that you don't want to surface?

We all have things that we don't want to feel or experience, as we've labeled them as being difficult, harsh, not part of the reality we want, etc. Basically, there is a fear there. Your dream is trying to awaken you to those feelings, so you can address them and move toward what you really want and can become in your life.

I recently had a dream that I was living in a group home with my husband. Our dog was also there. My husband and I were changing clothes in different scenes of the dream.  A friend was also living there, but I wasn't ready to acknowledge that person.  My husband and I were focused on walking our dog, but couldn't locate him. We found him outside in the care of several children. It was a sunny day. At first our dog was in a pit with a girl that was shoveling something into a barrel. Next he was with two girls laying down. He looked miserable and had a rope of ice wrapped around his neck, not tightly, but he didn't like it. I then woke up.

What I take away from this dream are several kernels of information. 1) my husband and I are making changes, though what those changes will be are still undetermined. Changes in what are roles will be and how we relate to the world. How the world views us, hence our outward appearance. 2) we have obligations, our dog for one and want to make sure we fulfill those obligations. However, something is not being addressed as evidenced by the dog being unhappy, shoveling something into a barrel, the frozen rope is a denial of something deeper. 3). The group home is interesting, as I work as a social worker with the mentally ill who often live in group home situations. So, do I consider my current state of functioning as mentally ill? Hmm, very interesting.

You get the general idea, that I'm not allowing certain concerns to surface because there is a fear there. Perhaps, that I'm not making the right decisions and that I'm not using all my resources available to help with those decisions and of course, I'm concerned how my decisions will effect my family.

So, what is frozen in your life dreamer? What are you not letting come to light? Don't be afraid, but do some examination, as in the end talking about your fears will set them free so you can make informed decisions about living the life you truly want.

Blessings as always,

Dreamer


http://www.envisiondreams.com/

Speaking your truth.

Are you hiding from your own truth today? Are you keeping quiet about how you really feel about yourself, a situation, or an experience because you're concerned about the reacation of others?

Answer me this. If you fail to act on how you truly feel, who will it hurt? If the answer is no one, then you have your answer. Keep quiet. But if you truly feel that your words need to be heard, choose wisely my dreamer.

Speaking your truth is important as it lets other's understand your values and why you think and act the way you do. However, are you projecting your values onto another and wanting to voice your "turth" because your "right" about something, or is it out of true concern for those involved?

When speaking your truth, you want to come from a place of graditude for that person's contribution, no matter how pultry you believe it to be. In life, we do a lot of assuming about people and situations, but we usually don't know what's truly going on.  Your verbal lashing can create a situation that is much more negative then it started out to be.

What I'm getting at here is to check out the situation a little further before you speak your concerns or dissatisfaction about something.  I'm not saying go around the entire office and engage in gossip to find out your answers, but rather check in with that person directly or prehaps their best buddy to see if something is going on that is affecting their behavior.  Come to them humbly, out of concern and saying they just don't seem like themselves as evidenced by x,y and z and you want to know if life is going alright. This will either open the flood gates, be met with anger or confusion.  If you get the anger response, try not to react in the similar manner-which I know from experience can be super difficult.   Remember, their behavior is exactly that, you don't own it, they do. 

If you receive a verbal lashing for checking up on them, speak minimally and when they're done express your concern straight forward, like "wow, I guess you're having a difficult time. If you want to really talk about it I'm available" and then exit.  The person will most likely be embarrassed. If you can,  give the person a few days to cool off, but if this a work performance issue perhaps it can't wait until the next day.  Again, start your conversation off with positive statementments about their character and/or contributions and then how their recent behavior isn't in-line with that.  Tell them your expectations and ask them how it can be rectified.

By speaking your truth you allow the other person to know you at a deeper level.  Be genuine and loving as you can be.  Sometimes there is just no easy way to approach someone, but by expressing your own difficulty they will see your heart.

Living from a place of integrity benefits all involved. Be open to the process. Be gentle.

Blessings,

Dreamer

http://www.envisiondreams.com/