Using Dreams for Personal Growth

You may be wondering what our dreams have to do with personal growth. Everything! You see, our dreams are an ancient communication tool with our soul - through our subconscious mind - directing us, coaching us, guiding us to what's most important for US. It's not for others - it's like your own personal life coach right inside of you, dedicated to you and what you want most in life!nnnWhat Messages Are We ReceivingnnWe filter over 60,000 thoughts each and every day. Unfortunately, 90% of those are repetitive thoughts - the same ones we had yesterday ... errands to run, choosing what to wear, our route to work, what to eat for lunch ... you get the picture. With so much 'noise', it's easy to see why we don't receive our deepest and most profound messages while going through our daily lives.nnThat begs the question, "How do we receive our messages and guidance?" Through quieting the mind. This can be done with meditation, (which contrary to uninformed belief, IS simply quieting the mind, not sitting in Yogic positions and chanting) and through our dreams. We're going to talk about dreams...the message vehicle of your soul.nnnIt's All About YounnSomething magical happens when we go to sleep...we turn off our conscious mind. You know, the one that races all day long with tens of thousands of thoughts? How can we possibly get answers to our most burning questions and problems when we're distracted by our 'daily' thoughts and responsibilities! nnDreams are this magical place where we work on our waking problems and live out our true desires in life. They're also a place where we receive our messages - course corrections, comments and instructions, special information about your life and its direction, as well as serving as a creative channel for those most important things to you. This makes dreams a valuable resource for living a life of purpose and passion. The special information you receive is for you and you alone. nnnHow To Capture Our MessagesnnNow that you know how important our dreams are, how do you capture them? We hear often from people that they think they don't dream at all. We would say that you do - you just need to practice the habit of capturing and interpreting them. It's like riding a bike ... a little awkward at first, but then it becomes a habit that you don't even think about. That's your goal here:nn

• Go to sleep with the intention of remembering your dream. It's like communicating with your subconscious mind, putting it on notice that your dreams are important, so pay attention.
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• Have a notepad and pen handy by your bed.
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• Immediately when you wake, write down everything you remember about your dream - impressions, feelings, people known and unknown, numbers, names, colors - anything that stands out for you, regardless of how insignificant you think it is.
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• Journal about your dream. Here's where you can fill in the details of what you remember as you woke as well as the general way you felt in the dream. At first, you may not remember more details, but as you practice your subconscious mind will deliver more details.

nnHow To Interpret Our DreamsnnHave you ever wondered why our dreams seem so surreal? That's because we often dream in metaphors, where the symbols in our dream don't mean what we think they do. Here are some examples:nn

• To dream that you're reading a weather report means that you'll move from your current residence
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• To see a photo album indicates you're unwilling to let go of the past
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• To see or wear pajamas in your dream suggests you need to get some rest and relax

nnOftentimes, the symbols of our dreams can have different, and sometimes opposite messages. nn

• If you see or hear a horn in your dream, it signifies you need to pay attention to your inner voices and intuition OR you may be bragging and "blowing your own horn"
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• To dream that you're barefoot represents your playful, relaxed and carefree attitude OR you may have low self-esteem and confidence in yourself
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• To see a newspaper in your dream signifies that new light and insight will be shed on a problem that has been on your mind OR you need to be more vocal and express yourself.

nnWhen we interpret these dreams, it's important to relate to our waking lives, trust our intuition and listen to our inner voices. We intuitively know what our messages are. Being honest with ourselves is paramount to receiving the right message and making the changes we know will bring us the fulfillment and happiness we desire. nnEquipped with a basic understanding of how our dreams work, you're ready to decode your dream. But where do you find a decoder? There are many books available, online and offline, that will provide you with tools of interpretation. We've found the most comprehensive, free, and easy to use online resource for interpreting dreams - www.dreammoods.com . Click on the "dream dictionary" on the upper right of the screen and begin searching for the key elements, places, objects, colors, feeling, moods from your dream. nnnPutting It All TogethernnOur dreams are an essential tool in our life journey. Ignoring the messages we receive means that the messages get stronger, more painful, less easy to ignore. If you've experienced repetitive dreams, they're one example of messages that aren't heard or headed.nnApproach your dreams with an attitude of personal growth - it's a journey, not a one-time occurrence or event.