“The future belongs to those who believe in their dreams.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

 

A dream isn’t something tangible. You can’t hold it in your hands. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t a formidable force. In fact, dreams shape your actions, for they inspire and motivate you to go beyond your comfort zone and take on challenges you might otherwise avoid.

You can do anything you want in your dreams. You’re invincible, all-seeing, possessed of extraordinary gifts and powers. The best dreams allow you a glimpse at your perfect self, the one who embraces change, looks at life in a positive light, works through difficulties with ease and strives to embody hope and joy in everything you do.

Don’t like the present? You can do something about it. Want a different career, new relationships, a lasting love? The key to what really matters can be found in your dreams.

Not the nightmares, for those are your subconscious trying to resolve issues or problems or work through grief or some other powerful emotion. The dreams that help shape your future are the ones that uplift and energize, that fill you with passion and make you feel happy when you wake up.

You want to have a life of purpose, to live in accordance with your beliefs and values, to love and be loved, to give back, to make a difference.

The vision that drives you forward could be one that is at the end of a challenging path, requires years of preparation and work, proceeding through a succession of stages or steps.

It could be the realization that the present is a gift and it’s the only opportunity to make things happen.

Your dream could consist of an achievement, happiness, a family, being healthy, financially independent, recognizable success.

It isn’t the what of the dream but the underlying energy it provides to motivate you to follow your passion, to pursue your goals with vigor and enthusiasm.

Here’s what I find helps me with dreams. Maybe these tips will help you, too.

• Know that dreams can sometimes be scary, but they can also be exciting revelations, times spent in sleep that you want to prolong so that you can experience it as long as possible. Remember that these are only temporary. They are dreams, after all, not reality.

 

• If you awake with the memory of a dream that you don’t want to forget, write down everything about it that you can recall. There could be an idea, something to pursue, a hint of a solution to a problem, someone you need to get in touch with, a way to better manage powerful emotions. Dreams, it seems, hold the keys to unlocking goals. Make use of them.

 

• If you have a frightening dream, teach yourself to recognize that you’re in a dream and not real life. Say to yourself, “This is just a dream.” It’s like seeing a signpost to tell you where you are. Maybe you had chocolate too late in the evening or consumed too much caffeine during the day. If you went to bed angry or experienced another powerful emotion, this could play out in some of your dreams.

 

• Since you dream several times during the night, you might find yourself revisiting one particular dream once or more often. This means there’s something in the dream you need to pay attention to. Try to figure out what it is. Books on dreams may be helpful to uncover the underlying meaning.

 

• Talk about your dreams – the ones you have when sleeping – with others who find dream analysis interesting. Sometimes just the discussion of dreams can help you interpret them better or worry less about their content.

 

• Dreaming during the day, so-called daydreams, are a different type of dream, but no less valuable. When you have a vision of what you want for your life, you often see yourself being successful in that endeavor. Maybe it’s just for a short period of time, but that’s fine. You’re reinforcing your desire to follow your dreams, to make the most of your life, and to take action now to help you realize your goals.

 

• If you have a favorite dream, one that you keep coming back to, this is also another indication of a powerful force at work. It’s no accident that this dream is a frequent visitor. It’s telling you that action is required to help you live the life you want to the fullest. Pay heed.

 

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