|
December: 10 Be's of
Positivity Review and
Charting Your Course for the New Year With the
Power of Dreams
Inspiring Words and the Joy of Music
Christmas is almost here. Even
during these challenging times, we have people
we care about and who we find joy in
appreciating. Visit my website where you will
find my book, The 10 Be's of Positivity-10
Steps To A More Positive Way Of Living. In
addition, my two CDs, Songbird Serenade - On
The Wings Of Angels and Coming Of Age -
Three Guided Meditations, can also be
ordered. The CDs are now also available as
downloadable MP3s. Affordable gifts, given with
love that are sure to be appreciated. |
This month we focus on a recap of
the
Positivity topics shared in 2009 and the power of DREAMS
First Let's Reflect
As the year 2009 winds to an end, it's
the perfect opportunity to find those gems of gratitude
that we can reflect upon. No doubt many of us have had
challenges of one kind or another and many of us need
something to help get us through. What that something is
will vary. It may be words of affirmation, walks in the
park, time with family and friends or the joy that can
be found by volunteering. Singing in the shower, a good
romantic movie or tapping into our creativity may also
sooth the soul, calm the nerves and remind you to say
"thank you." The list can be quite lengthy, but whatever
is on the list leads back to the power of one thing -
gratitude. So, no matter what issues you've had to deal
with this year, you've done it. You're here. Celebrate
your tenacity. Applaud your special qualities and look
forward to 2010. Decide that the coming year will be a
worthwhile experience and it will be.
In the Year 2009
The 10 Be's of Positivity
As this year started, I looked forward
to sharing with you some tips I had implemented into my
life and incorporated into my book, The 10 Be's of
Positivity. Over the last year, we have explored the
power of:
1) Being Honest
2) Being You (your authentic self vs. what others want
you to be)
3) Being Open-Minded
4) Being Loving
5) Being A Good Listener
6) Being Grateful
7) Being Spiritual
8) Being Positive
9) Being Forgiving
10) Being Present - In the Moment
I have appreciated hearing from so many of you who let
me know that these suggestions have indeed been
beneficial and have helped make a positive difference in
your lives. I have experienced an immense amount of joy
doing positivity presentations, workshops and keynote
speeches for school districts, rotary clubs, happiness
clubs and wellness centers. I endeavor to keep the flow
moving forward in 2010. As I discover ways to live a
fulfilled life, I very much enjoy sharing this journey
with you. It's an adventure we can embrace together.
DREAMS
This month, I am sharing with you the
very real power of working with the messages we receive
in our dreams - dreams that come in sleep time, as well
as our day dreams. I cannot over-emphasize how
incredibly enlightening your life can be once you
connect with, appreciate and learn to interpret your
dreams. I have been very fortunate to have studied with
Robert Moss by way of the Robert Moss School of Active
Dreaming (visit
www.mossdreams.com
for more information on dreams) As a
certified dream teacher through this school, I have
spent many hours in the wonderfully rich world of
dreams, working with others to teach them how to
interpret the messages in their dreams. You have the
ability to do this for yourself. Read on...
Walk (and Dance) This Way
In mid-November, I had surgery on my foot. The procedure
is called a Modified Mcbride - a bunionectomy, during
which they use a "bone saw" (yes, that's an actual piece
of machinery to remove the bunion off of the foot). Per
the doctor, I had this condition due to being a dancer
for many years and as a result of genetics, on my dad's
side. Though many people told me it was one of the most
painful surgeries and recoveries around, quite honestly
I didn't believe them. After all, I'm a Positivoligist.
How bad could it really be?
Well, it was pretty bad. For
days it felt like someone was taking a sledgehammer to
my foot. After many hours with an elevated foot,
ice-pack and Advil, I am on the mend. I share this to
relay a wonderful dream I had during this recovery
period.
In the dream, I was in the house of my dreams
with its expansive foyer, a meditation room painted the
colors of the chakras and a picture of the world map on
the wall with thumbtacks showing where I had visited.
I've had the dream of the house before, but the
difference this time was that I'm dancing with wild
abandon all over the house and I had never done that
before the surgery. I'm dancing and swirling up and down
the stairs, in the living room, all over the back yard.
Because I was a dancer for many years and still love to
dance when I have the opportunity, this dream
represented to me the freedom I was used to having
before the surgery and what I anticipate having again
once I am fully recovered. This carefree vision of me
moving about so effortlessly has played a pivotal role
in me keeping a positive attitude during my recovery.
The following article was published in The Door Opener,
Connecticut's Spirituality & Holistic Health Resource
Guide in 2009 (www.anopendoor.co ). May it help you
develop a new, continual or deeper connection to the
amazing world of dreams and all they have to offer.
Dancing With Your Dreams
As a teenager, the first dream I remember had me at a
carnival with carousels and roller coasters, clowns and
games and most importantly, the cotton candy stand. In
the dream, the cotton candy machine grew to ten times
its normal size and I fell in. The only way to escape
was to eat my way out of the machine. This is a nearly
impossible task, given that the soft, fluffy pink candy
is in a continual swirling motion, creating more of
itself at every spin. This recurring dream, with cotton
candy in the staring role, had and continues to have
significance for me. I love sugar and this has been one
area of overindulgence over the years. As an exercising,
non-smoking, vegetarian who never realized an
appreciation of alcohol, sugar has been my vice. This
dream has come to me off and on for years now when I am
overdoing it in the sugar department. It reminds me to
take heed, to take care of my body, to replace lemon
meringue pie with sweet fresh fruit or raisons. In other
words, my dreams talk to me and I listen.
For me and a growing number of others, dreams offer an
accessible pathway to understanding ourselves and
receiving guidance in regard to any number of areas in
our lives. Because we can enter our dreams with
questions in mind, the guidance we can receive is
endless. "Is a career move on the horizon?" "Should I
hang in there with my current relationship?" In the
dream, I was climbing a rugged mountain surrounded by
butterflies. What does it mean?" If we enter into our
dream space with an open mind, an open heart and clear
intentions about what we want to know, my experience has
been guidance will come. For any who may read this and
think you do not dream, know that you do, even if you do
not remember them. My parents were a prime example.
Five years ago my 70 year old parents were certain they
were not dreaming. My mother was particularly adamant in
her conviction that dreaming had escaped her for seven
decades. However, when she and my father adopted the
suggestions I offered them to use to remember their
dreams, they had success in short order. This was my
advice: embrace day dreaming - what comes to you in your
waking state is as valid as what comes to you in sleep
time. Always have a journal or tape recorder by your
bedside and record what messages come to you. Go to bed
in a relaxed state and wake up gently in the morning. Do
not question whatever comes to you - words, images,
symbols, colors, smells. Write it down and trust it. If
you write the word "sea" but you think you should have
written "see," leave it as it is. The relevance may show
itself at a later time. Dream with intention. What do
you want to know? If you have a question, ask the
universe as you drift off to sleep to provide you with
an answer and jot your question down on a piece of paper
and put it under your pillow. Pay homage to your dream.
Act upon it. If someone appears in your dream that you
haven't spoken to in a while, pick up the phone and call
them. Do you see yourself at a doctor's office? Perhaps
its time to make an appointment for a physical. Are you
lounging at the beach in your dream? Be open to such an
opportunity presenting itself in waking time. And
importantly, remember that you are the best interpreter
of your dreams. A person who has studied dream analysis
can help by asking you questions that may cause you to
remember parts of your dreams, but at the end of the
day, it's your dream and you will know best what it
means to you.
As for my parents, a few weeks after they started their
dream remembrance routine, my mother called me very
excited that she had a dream (and remembered it). It was
a linear story, which had her and my father at the mall
shopping. She could relate to this scenario given that
shopping is something she enjoys. The first dream my
father remembered, on the other hand, was a lucid dream,
(the ability to be aware that you are dreaming while you
are having the dream). He was sitting with his mother
who he adored and had graduated over to the other side
many years ago. He delighted in this encounter and was
only discouraged because he couldn't hear what she was
saying; and he knew she was trying to share an important
message. I explained that he could travel back into the
dream with "clear intention" (asking that he hear his
mother's message) and he was excited to know that he
could do so. Now, five years later, my parents contact
me on a regular basis to share their dreams, with an
ability to self-analyze having increased over time.
The wonderful thing about dreaming is that it is an all
inclusive experience. Dreamers come in all ages. Little
children are avid dreamers, often enthusiastic to share
their journeys and as adults we need to encourage this
magic. Teenagers, adults, our cherished elders -we all
have dreaming in common. I believe this willingness to
embrace our dreams at any age is good for our health and
contributes positively to our well-being. Acknowledging
our dreams encourages us to be open-minded (and
open-hearted) and journaling our dreams helps bring the
dream to life in a way. You are transferring the
information that comes to you in the dream state onto
paper. Once there, you can re-read and recall the dream,
returning to dreamscape as often as desired. In doing
so, additional bits and pieces of the dream may return,
offering an even deeper understanding of the experience.
One of the most exhilarating things about dream journey
is that you need not do it alone. While dreaming can be
done solo, each of us can invite a dream guide (or many)
to accompany us. Animals make grand dream guides. They
are terrific companions and can be of assistance in many
ways. If you have yet to identify your animal dream
guide, pause now and invite an image of an animal to
come to mind. What animal(s) do you resonate with? What
is your favorite animal? If you could pick an animal to
hang out with what would it be? Now trust the first
animal that you think of and ask it its name. I'm happy
to introduce you to one of your animal guides. As you
drift off to sleep at night ask your guide to join you
on your dream journey. She may offer you a ride and
transport you from place to place. He may walk ahead of
you to protect you if you need it, or provide guidance
if you have a question. Different guides may also appear
to help you in different ways, depending on your
situation. When I need to look at situations in my life
with a wide view and from varied perspectives, my
giraffe guide appears. Her name is Infinity and her
presence reminds me that my options are endless, but I
need perspective. I am often perched on her long neck
when she appears to provide guidance. When I need to get
somewhere quickly and safely, Saratoga the panther
appears. As you invite animal guides to be a part of
your world, they too will develop personalities and
reveal a specific purpose to you.
Decide to become a partner with your DREAMS.
Delve into
this divine world of discovery.
Remember that all of us
are dreamers and dreaming is not reserved for few, but
is open to a collective community of all.
Embrace all
the knowledge you can gain and the fun you can have by
working with your dreams.
Acknowledge your self-power as
a dreamer and appreciate your willingness to explore.
Master the power to interpret your dreams. As with
anything, the more you practice the better you'll get at
it. Success is what you will find if you entertain the
concept that interacting with your dreams can be a
playful experience and this is joy you can bring into
waking time.
Have fun on this journey. Dancing with your dreams can
be an eye-opening experience - spiritually, emotionally
and physically. Working with your dreams is like having
your own personal treasure chest. What gems await you in
this fascinating and enlightening world of dreams? Put
on your dream wings and fly! |
