 Dreaming can be seen as indulgent, unimportant, even counterintuitive. Not only have I been judged by others for having a curious mind and vibrant imagination at times, I have also judged myself. Harshly. In a world that praises logical, linear, productivity above most else, dreaming and giving valuable time toward the "unreasonable, unrealistic, creative fodder" is a target for labels like avoidant, silly or even stupid. Surely, this is not how all people view (day)dreaming and creative play, though it seems to be commonplace. As I have noticed the judgments around creativity, I have been asking new questions. These have sparked new discoveries, revealing the reason behind my own daydreaming nature and how it can serve everyone to dream a little bit more.
Why do I dream? Why does it matter? Why should you dream, too? Wired for anxiety, or at least living with it for much of my life, dreaming and accessing the nonlinear, creative side of my self has saved me from sometimes debilitating worry. Without this outlet, the ability to redirect energy from anxiety into curiosity, I have plummeted into depression and ill health. Through creativity I have accessed my wholeness. This has been a journey, both of courage and experimentation. I denied the dreamer in me through my loyalty to producing, having something to show for myself... all to no avail because the To Dos are never ending. Dreaming must be prioritized to be profited from. Dreaming is not living in a fantasy world where the daily tasks are ignored, nor is it denying the hurts or difficulties of our current world. Dreaming is a doorway into a grander perspective, a language beyond words, a world of possibilities that aren't yet tangible. Dreaming connects us to our spirit, bringing us from the world of mental into that beyond thinking. When we dream we tap into what is possible and a path is paved to bring us there. Have you ever made a bold wish only to find "coincidences" or synchronciities all around you that made the desire, the one that seemed outlandish, come to pass? This is the reality of dreaming. Until we dream it, it cannot be. Everything in this world is the result of somebody's courageous dream. Think about it, every invention and creation and staple of society was once a thought someone called unrealistic. Dreaming is a creative act. This can come in many forms, whether writing, drawing, wandering through a book store, collaging, cooking or gardening. This act of creativity includes seeing from multiple perspectives instead of just one, considering another's perception and seeing how it might apply to your own experience. Dreaming + Creating = Visioning. Without dreams, without curiosity, without creative questions, change cannot be accessed consciously. Dreams bring us to new heights, guide us in overcoming our hurdles with a sense of purpose and meaning. I dream to escape the habits that I spent many years forming, those of worry and fear driven thinking and action. I dream because it connects me to something greater than myself, to spirit and life that cannot be predicted. I dream because I know there is something beyond what my eyes can reach that will be powerful and pioneering. I dream because I want to grow, because I am driven to become greater, to increase my capacity and make an impact on the world around me. I dream because it's fun, because it rattles me out of my ruts and into my essence. I dream because defying the odds is more worthwhile than succumbing to fear and being mediocre. I dream because I'm human and want to know what superhuman feels like, even if just for brief moments. I dream because there's magic in mystery, in tapping into the pool of unknown, grand, mystical, awe inspiring ideas that my mind can't wrap itself around. I dream because it challenges me, inspires me, pulls me forward. Why do you dream? Whether you are running from a nightmare or running toward a dream, expand your edges. Allow the creative to sweep you up, to guide you, to comfort you, to smooth your edges, to soften your fears, to lift you into a new perspective, to delight you and irk you and anything else it will do with you. DREAM. Dream yourself into the vision you have for your life, for the world, for what's possible, for what could be, for what could no longer bind you... What do you dream of? If you don't know how to dream, click here to be in touch with me for a few ideas on how to stir the creative in you. It can be simple. It can be scary. It can be sweet. What I know for sure is that you are designed to dream & if you can dream it it can be. "You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one..." Dream on. With Huge Heart, Darcy Need help turning your dreams into real life? Contact me for coaching. Whether I think I am prepared for something or not, life brings it. In the past month, I have had many encounters with unexpected memories and recollections, synchronicities and surprises, challenges and quantum leaps. What I have concluded, yet again, is that when something is in front of me (or within me for that matter), I am ready for it. If it is happening, I am ready and able to meet it. No exceptions.
This belief has been tested and strengthened preceding and following my recent trip to Thailand. Lingering doubt that I can handle all that comes was squashed in one challenging, emotional, surreal and liberating afternoon this week. Within the course of five hours, I found a planner from high school, empty ring boxes, a wedding invitation, the declaration of love heart pendant from my first beau, and a journal with reflections and confessions on years’ worth of experience. In this same afternoon, I drove past a great love I had not seen or spoken to for some time on my way from the market. Reminders of love, life, change and turbulent growing opportunities kept presenting themselves. This was a day! Why is it that all of this comes at once, like a line of dominoes, one leads to the other and to yet another. What led me to be ready for all this so close together? Was this a call to reflect or let go, or both? Thoughts paraded with banners reading “this is too much!” while emotions beamed with shades of vulnerability, sadness, nostalgia, playfulness and honor. The one question I asked in the midst of these thoughts and emotions brought me back to serenity and curiosity: What is the gift here? This question itself changes the terrain from panic from the past to peace in the present. I remember a lot. Sometimes this feels like a blessing. Sometimes it does not. The reminders of connection I have shared in previous chapters of my life called me to choose; follow the path of emotions and thought or pave another way. Acknowledging my readiness to handle, survive and even thrive in any circumstance opens me to experience the magic, gift and growth in it. By the end of this particularly memory packed afternoon, I had shed a few tears, chuckled a few laughs, and landed in immense gratitude. I have expressed love freely and received caring passionately in relationships. I still do, now more than ever, with myself. Ready or not… Ready or not! Your turn: If you’re human, something is showing up in your life, internally or externally, that has you questioning your capability or the outcome. Right? Perhaps some fear crops up when you think about that family dinner or missing the deadline for FedEx to deliver by Christmas. Find or create some space to be reflective for a few minutes. Take a seat, take a walk, take a bath and bring this situation to mind. Notice what emotions and thoughts rise as you do. Remember to breathe, allowing any sensations to rise and fall in their own way. What surfaces is presenting itself to change, why not let it?! Now ask “What is the gift here for me?” Take a few long, deep breaths and open to what you hear, see, smell and taste. If there were a gift, what could it be? If there were many gifts, how might they be showing up? Play with this, allowing the sensations to transform into guideposts for where you are headed. I believe in you, you are ready. So… what do you want? My guess is a gift. Who doesn’t love a present from time to time? With Blessings & So Much Gratitude, Darcy This article is featured in Simply...Woman Magazine at http://www.simplywoman.com/ready-or-not-life-is-coming/ This has been one full year for me and for a while there, the dreaming was dormant. Moving through major transitions and finding myself in new ways through them all, I am grateful to say that I have resumed dreaming elaborately. I have prayed consistently, worked rigorously, released faithfully and shown up for recovery vigilantly. The path has been paved and I am walking it with dignity, respect, service, and more joy and peace than I could have anticipated. Dreams are taking shape: Reinvention + Recovery Coaching is developing, close friendships are being nurtured as new relationships are coming in, writing continues on projects that light me up, I am even leaving for an overseas adventure this week! There is nothing to worry about, everything is taken care of, life is good.
All great news. Right? Absolutely! Then why am I writing this you might be wondering? I have been graced with so many blessings. I am in a state of no problems. And I am feeling anxious. This trip has me so excited and tense all at once. I have the freedom to explore Thailand for a few weeks where I will be completing a yoga certification program. I am thrilled to be learning more about my body, mind and spirit so as to guide others in this intimate self-exploration. I have been linked with this community of kindred spirits and complete permission to unplug from business and technology. This is what I have wanted and it is here, and I am unsure how to be with it. To let in the dream come true. Can you relate to any of this? Are there goals you’ve set only to lose steam as they are coming to fruition? Have you ever set yourself up for something fun, extravagant, meaningful only to arrive in the experience of being with it and unsure of how to really let it in? It’s almost as if the push to achieve takes the spotlight when the achievement itself is waiting in the shadows. This is just silly, I know it is. Why work towards something and then not enjoy it? I have been through a lot this year and deserve to unwind and experience a dream come true. We all do. Anyone and everyone can tell me that it is more than appropriate to take time off and have an adventure, validate my choices and encourage me to enjoy what is. All the well meaning, uber loving, supportive and honest feedback from those around me is incredible (I thank you beloved friends + family!) As appreciated as it is, none of this love from others can make me relax into accepting and enjoying what is. I have to believe that I am safe in and worthy of living a life I love. It comes down to worthiness and trust, yet again. This seems so daunting. I feel frustrated, anxious and guilty. None of these are states I want to stay in for very long. So, I’ve been asking, where do I go from here? I know what to do. My Inner Wisdom knows. The answers are in me, so now it’s just about letting them guide me. Here are a few of the tips my Inner Wisdom gave me to try. The results have been stunning, as they often are when I take her lead. Take off the filter: Find the feeling states (frustration, anxiety, guilt, etc.) and give them a voice. What do they have to get off their chest? Journaling with these feelings can reveal what is actually needing some extra attention inside. No filtering necessary, just let it out on paper! If you don’t feel comfortable keeping the pages around after, have a ritual and burn them in a fireplace or send them to the shredder with love. Shake that tush: Yes, I grabbed the hula hoop and started swinging. Redirecting the frenetic energy from my head down to my body turned the state of disempowerment I was in into something completely different. I went from lethargic anxiety to playful aliveness in two minutes flat! My head was just full; this physical movement was just the release it needed. Answer me this: Complete these statements with the experience being resisted in mind. If I weren’t afraid, I would … I hold back because … What I need to feel worthy is … How I can give this to myself is … I can’t help but smile when … One thing I am loving about myself is … One thing I am loving about life is … How I choose to feel in this moment of grace is … Tap Tap Tap: Have you heard of EFT? The Emotional Freedom Technique has been a source of empowerment for me since hearing about it, learning it, then actually doing it. Whether on a walk with the dog, in traffic, or lying in bed at night, this simple tool brings me back to my Inner Wisdom (and this is a place I love to be). If you are ready for some relief and realignment, trying tapping! This was the formula: Taking a few minutes to be with myself, returning to the tools and techniques I have learned and used, daring to get honest about what is actually happening versus what my mind is concocting, nurturing the tender places within and sharing it with others. This was the result: I reconnected with the safe space within, peace returned, joy reignited and I even started packing my suitcase! I like this equation. How will you get to the safe place where dreams can be lived without apology?As usual, I'm here for you + with you and excited to be embarking on this together. Here's to dreaming the dreams and living them, too! In the Flow and Taking Flight, Darcy |
Darcy Helene MeehanAs an advocate of Reinvention + Recovery, I work with clients to achieve balance, alignment and purpose in all areas 
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