Living Without a Dream

I woke up this morning and realized that I didn’t have a dream last night. Now for most people this is probably no big deal; certainly, it wouldn’t be the topic of their blog. However, for me, it’s a rare night that I don’t have multiple dreams. I can go from trying to get away from an alligator to getting ready to eat the most amazing dish and suddenly wake up grateful to be alive or aggravated that I didn’t get to eat the food. One night I’m using every ounce of strength in me to fight off an attacker, another I’m at a party with friends having the time of my life. Some dreams seem to have a lot of meaning, others are just downright weird. The point is it’s pretty rare for me not to have a dream.

Likewise, in my conscious state, I’ve always had dreams. I think that having dreams are very important. It’s like possessing a treasure map, if you know what you’re looking for, it’s a lot easier to figure out how to get it. Anyway, this morning I thought about not having a dream for a moment, and continued on with my day. This afternoon it crossed my mind again, only this time with another thought. What if I didn’t have any conscious dreams? There are countless people, young and old, who don’t know what they want to do with their lives. They go to school everyday, work a 9 to 5, stay at home to care for their children or elderly parents, but they long for a passion, they wish they had a dream to pursue. So, what should a person do if they don’t have a dream? Here’s what I think:

I think that in the subconscious, my dreams are quite often connected to my experiences. If I saw something on television, talked about someone or something earlier that day, or read a book that caused me to visualize certain images, I find I am more likely to dream about something related to either one, or a combination, of those things. Likewise, I believe if you are struggling to connect with your true purpose, can’t seem to find inspiration, or constantly deal with the fact that you just don’t have a dream, then you need to change your experiences. Make a conscious effort to do something out of the ordinary at least once a day. Volunteer with a local charity, read a book/news article or watch a channel that you wouldn’t usually find interesting. Take a course or training--academic or leisure. Talk to someone you’ve known for a long time but haven’t spoken to in a while. Spark up a conversation with someone who is a part of your daily life that you’ve never had a conversation with before. Ask people who know you well what they think would be your ideal job based on how they see your personality. Spend at least twenty minutes each day thinking about your purpose. Write down your likes and dislikes. Reflect on your experiences of the day and see if anything jumps out at you. Interact with the world around you in a new way. Eventually, you will find your passion. I dare you to learn to dream. Are you up for the challenge?