Last weekend I was making the 3 1/2 hour drive to Ohio where I would introduce a new group of dreamers to Active Dreaming. When I drive, I like to use the alone time to think about stories I will share with the group. Some of my favorite stories I will tell at every workshop, but because life and dreams are constantly speaking to me, I like to share recent happenings and messages.
About half way into the trip I was talking out loud about how awesome it is that dreams can communicate with us on many levels. I said "For example, let's say you have a dream and there's a banana in it. Well, it's possible that the dream is telling you to use up those old bananas in your house. It's a literal message. Or maybe the reason why you have old bananas in your house is because your daughter asked you to buy them, and they were never eaten. Maybe the dream is speaking to you symbolically about your feelings or relationship with you daughter. Or, if you're a Freudian, I supposed the bananas could represent something completely different!" I kind of chuckled to myself at that last thought, and decided I probably would not share it in this intro workshop with people who are meeting me for the first time.
Then I thought to myself "BANANAS?!?!?! What made me think of bananas? I don't think I've ever had a dream about bananas! It is true I do have old bananas on my counter that my daughter asked me to buy, and I do need to use them for something. But I've never had a dream about bananas! Why would bananas be a good story to demonstrate the multifaceted ways dreams speak to us?" Just then, I looked up in front of me and on a billboard to the right of the road I saw HUGE OLD BANANAS! And I read, "Everything gets old,
About half way into the trip I was talking out loud about how awesome it is that dreams can communicate with us on many levels. I said "For example, let's say you have a dream and there's a banana in it. Well, it's possible that the dream is telling you to use up those old bananas in your house. It's a literal message. Or maybe the reason why you have old bananas in your house is because your daughter asked you to buy them, and they were never eaten. Maybe the dream is speaking to you symbolically about your feelings or relationship with you daughter. Or, if you're a Freudian, I supposed the bananas could represent something completely different!" I kind of chuckled to myself at that last thought, and decided I probably would not share it in this intro workshop with people who are meeting me for the first time.
Then I thought to myself "BANANAS?!?!?! What made me think of bananas? I don't think I've ever had a dream about bananas! It is true I do have old bananas on my counter that my daughter asked me to buy, and I do need to use them for something. But I've never had a dream about bananas! Why would bananas be a good story to demonstrate the multifaceted ways dreams speak to us?" Just then, I looked up in front of me and on a billboard to the right of the road I saw HUGE OLD BANANAS! And I read, "Everything gets old,
even your shocks." I laughed. Never in my life have I seen bananas on a billboard. I'll probably never see it again. But there they were. I was contemplating old bananas and, walah, right in front of me they appeared! And at that moment I knew, bananas are perfect for demonstrating winks from the universe! A sign that I was heard. A demonstration of the hand behind the scene. A recognition that I'm connected and if I open up to what's around me it will come alive in ways that will amaze and delight me.
The universe doesn't just give us winks, it can also provide answers when we ask. Several years ago I was in Colorado having flown out to attend my first workshop with Robert Moss. The night before I stayed with a long time childhood friend to catch up and reconnect. The next morning, another friend picked me up and he headed toward the workshop in Boulder. I was telling him about my evening and the amazing dog that was at the house. It was such a cool dog and I tried to recall the name but I couldn't remember it. It was really frustrating me and I said out loud "Oh, what is her name?" I looked out the window and, walah, I saw a billboard that said "Corona". "That''s it!" I yelled with excitement, "The dog's name is Corona! It's like I just asked for the name and there was the answer!" It was the first time I consciously realized that when we ask for answers the universe can and does answer.
And sometimes, the universe gives us other messages, out of the blue, and we just need to pay attention. I have a former co-worker, let's call her Marg Smith. Now Marg has been posting on facebook lately about a difficult time she is having at her current job. I worked Marg over 6 years ago, for less than a year. She and I don't really talk to each other that much. About once a year Marg and I check-in through email just to keep up with each other. Well, today was that once a year "check-in". I've recently discovered that 'chat' feature on our internal system so Marg and I were "chating". She was informing me of all kinds of issues and problems at her current job. I was giving Marg support and encouragement, meanwhile trying to stay neutral to the situation. About 10 minutes into our "chat" my current coworker/office mate's phone rang. She picked it up and I heard her say in a slow, deliberate, confused voice "No.....No...ummmm....no, she doesn't work here anymore. In fact, she hasn't worked here for several years." My office mate then said "No MARG SMITH isn't here. She hasn't been at this phone number for over 5 years. Where did you get this phone number from?" And my office mate turned to me with a look of astonishment and confusion. I quickly sent a chat message to Marg and we decided a phone call was warranted at this point. For a few minutes Marg, my office mate and I were wondering if Big Brother had been spying on our chat session. We all were shocked, confused, and yet recognized the amazing, weird, synchronicity of this event. I haven't talked to Marg for over a year. She hasn't worked with me for over 6 years. Yet at that moment while I was chatting with her, she was being called on a phone in my office! Being the curious problem solvers we all are, the three of us needed to know that Big Brother wasn't spying on us. We hunted down the number that came through on the phone, and soon realized it was a car dealership contacting Marg, after 6 years, at her last known phone number. While not Big Brother, it was still a message of some sort. Considering the content of Marg's chat session, the message to us both, was be careful what you communicate because somebody may be listening! Warning message from the universe.
During the workshop last weekend, I explained how over the years I've read many different books and looked into many different systems on dreams. When I was first introduced to Active Dreaming it felt like a coming home. I love Active Dreaming for so many different reasons, but most of all I love that it's not just about night dreams, but about being open to all of life's experience - those that come to us at night AND during the day. These experience cannot, and should not, be isolated from each other. It's being open to all of these experiences when the fun really beings. When we open up to messages from the universe during the day, we have access to an amazing resources that allows us to be full active participants in how we create and dream our lives. In addition, it's just FUN! I absolutely love winks, answers and messages from the universe. Every time it happens, it makes my heart and soul soar just a little more. Looking forward to the next "walah" from the universe. Stay tuned!
The universe doesn't just give us winks, it can also provide answers when we ask. Several years ago I was in Colorado having flown out to attend my first workshop with Robert Moss. The night before I stayed with a long time childhood friend to catch up and reconnect. The next morning, another friend picked me up and he headed toward the workshop in Boulder. I was telling him about my evening and the amazing dog that was at the house. It was such a cool dog and I tried to recall the name but I couldn't remember it. It was really frustrating me and I said out loud "Oh, what is her name?" I looked out the window and, walah, I saw a billboard that said "Corona". "That''s it!" I yelled with excitement, "The dog's name is Corona! It's like I just asked for the name and there was the answer!" It was the first time I consciously realized that when we ask for answers the universe can and does answer.
And sometimes, the universe gives us other messages, out of the blue, and we just need to pay attention. I have a former co-worker, let's call her Marg Smith. Now Marg has been posting on facebook lately about a difficult time she is having at her current job. I worked Marg over 6 years ago, for less than a year. She and I don't really talk to each other that much. About once a year Marg and I check-in through email just to keep up with each other. Well, today was that once a year "check-in". I've recently discovered that 'chat' feature on our internal system so Marg and I were "chating". She was informing me of all kinds of issues and problems at her current job. I was giving Marg support and encouragement, meanwhile trying to stay neutral to the situation. About 10 minutes into our "chat" my current coworker/office mate's phone rang. She picked it up and I heard her say in a slow, deliberate, confused voice "No.....No...ummmm....no, she doesn't work here anymore. In fact, she hasn't worked here for several years." My office mate then said "No MARG SMITH isn't here. She hasn't been at this phone number for over 5 years. Where did you get this phone number from?" And my office mate turned to me with a look of astonishment and confusion. I quickly sent a chat message to Marg and we decided a phone call was warranted at this point. For a few minutes Marg, my office mate and I were wondering if Big Brother had been spying on our chat session. We all were shocked, confused, and yet recognized the amazing, weird, synchronicity of this event. I haven't talked to Marg for over a year. She hasn't worked with me for over 6 years. Yet at that moment while I was chatting with her, she was being called on a phone in my office! Being the curious problem solvers we all are, the three of us needed to know that Big Brother wasn't spying on us. We hunted down the number that came through on the phone, and soon realized it was a car dealership contacting Marg, after 6 years, at her last known phone number. While not Big Brother, it was still a message of some sort. Considering the content of Marg's chat session, the message to us both, was be careful what you communicate because somebody may be listening! Warning message from the universe.
During the workshop last weekend, I explained how over the years I've read many different books and looked into many different systems on dreams. When I was first introduced to Active Dreaming it felt like a coming home. I love Active Dreaming for so many different reasons, but most of all I love that it's not just about night dreams, but about being open to all of life's experience - those that come to us at night AND during the day. These experience cannot, and should not, be isolated from each other. It's being open to all of these experiences when the fun really beings. When we open up to messages from the universe during the day, we have access to an amazing resources that allows us to be full active participants in how we create and dream our lives. In addition, it's just FUN! I absolutely love winks, answers and messages from the universe. Every time it happens, it makes my heart and soul soar just a little more. Looking forward to the next "walah" from the universe. Stay tuned!
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