Dreamwork
If I had not been allowed to dream, I would not be where I am today. I am a twenty-four year old female with two college degrees and a professional career. Daydreaming helped keep me occupied throughout my childhood and adolescent years. I grew up like many disadvantaged individuals do. We were poor, and my parents really had to struggle to take care of us.
I would often wish to be “normal” like the other families, with nice homes and weekend monopoly nights. I thought that was what families looked like. Now, looking back, I realize that it was something much more that I yearned for. Letting my mind wonder helped me to envision what I truly did want for my family. It helped me to plan for the future of my dreams.
Putting Your Dreams into Action
I always knew there would be financial obstacles to deal with if I wanted to attend college. This was the reality. I tried anyways. I did not allow myself to give up, due to my misfortune. I filled out applications, sent them in for review, and then became a college student at a university.
I finally became a believer that with hard work and determination success could follow for anyone. I worked hard through my college years, and by the last semester, I felt the desire to continue my education. Obtaining my Bachelor's degree helped me to feel empowered. When I had fulfilled that first big dream, I realized it was only the start of many other dreams for my life to begin. I would have never known that dreams could become reality had I not attempted to reach one myself.
Dreaming Forever
I will always be a “dreamer”. Daydreaming and planning for the future has helped me to put my thoughts into plans, my plans into action, and my dreams into reality. As a therapist, I encourage all of my clients to have goals and dreams.
I become very challenged to help my clients muddle through their misfortune and discover their desires again. This process becomes even more motivating when clients begin to comprehend that they own the right to dream. This gives them the courage to try. Many of my clients have endured repeated disappointments in their lives, being let down by the people they trusted the most. Seeing them become unstuck and excited is a remarkable experience. This has shown me that the power of dreaming works for anyone that believes in the process.
Find Your Dream Again
Many of us are true products of our environment. For example, many individuals had parents that were abusive. Therefore, many of them choose to follow their parent's paths and become abusive parents.
Others choose to take the other path. By allowing themselves to see that their lives do not have to be repetition of their parent's lives, they allow themselves to believe in other options, positive options. If these individuals did not allow themselves to open up to the possibility of something else, something better, then they would not have been able to change.
If you are feeling like a subject to your own life circumstances, and not in full control of your present life, please be aware that your life can be yours again. If you want something different, start dreaming of what you want for yourself. It is okay to do this, because this is in your control. Nobody can take your dreams or private thoughts away from you.
If you can take this first step, then you can begin to formulate ideas and a plan for action. There are many ways to get to this point. Start by letting your mind become open to the thoughts that enter it unexpectedly. If you walk by a bakery one day and think you would be interested in working at a bakery also, ponder on that. Confront yourself to think about what you want to do with your life.
Assistance can be sought from peers and family (that are supportive of your best interests) and from other professionals, such as counselors, teachers, religious leaders, etc. Allow yourself to become challenged by your dreams and hopes. This will give you motivation to do something for yourself. Remember, if you are not looking out for yourself, nobody else will, either. The future is yours to take. It is important to dream about what you want your future to become.
