Living our dreams

I live my own dreams.

It's perhaps just the luck of the draw. Some are destined to dream their dreams and only dream of living them. There are also those who dream real dreams, believe they are but dreams, soften the edges of those dreams, and chase the shadow. Then there are those who live them.

We all dream.

We cannot avoid it, and even if you believe you do not, you're only deceiving yourself. When you wake up from a dream and can't remember it, it doesn't mean it didn't happen. Even if all you remember is closing your eyes and waking up, you dreamt while sleeping. However, when we dream, our conscious mind and subconscious mind synthesize a fantastic world of abject horror and unfathomable jubilation. The real world (or what we would like to believe is real) is a muddling in between those two extremes. But it is with the help of this muddle that we are able to see the extremes. Our dreams are a composition of the glorified muddle.

But it is that composite that gives us hope. Perhaps not a particular subconscious REM romp, but our hopes, dreams, and aspirations. They come from within us and without us. They give us something to strive for. Something that we might become, or attain. And, we must give them life. We cannot allow them to remain mystical mental illusions. We must live them.

It's something that I've done all my life. Of course there have been exceptions, but on the whole, if I have a dream, or aspiration, I put myself to work to attain it. If I want to sing a duet for someone's wedding, I do it. If I want to write a great philosophic work, I do it. If I want to travel the world, I do it. Sitting on my hands was never an option. It allows a meaningless reality to consume me. Our reality does not have to be meaningless, and we can consume it.

Live your dreams.

Setting Goals

Setting goals is an important thing to do to stay focused. 

And, while most people would probably agree with that statement, few actually do it consistently. Some people only set goals or "resolutions" just prior to the new year. But, goals can be set at any time of the year, month, week, or day. And, even if it's just a prioritized 'to-do' list, that is still something.

For the day-to-day stuff I write to-do lists. For the month-to-month and year-to-year stuff I write more general goal lists. And, of course I'm not 100% on everything, but it does provide me with a framework and good motivation to get off my butt and do things.

However, something important to remember about goals is to make sure they are not vague. Specificity makes them more real to us. Instead of being an unrealistic fantasies with no specified 'how to,' where, or when, goals need to be realistic, well-planned, and dated. For example, instead of saying, "I will lose ten pounds," one should say, "I will go to the gym every monday, wednesday, and friday, and run every morning before work, and aim to lose 10 pounds in a month." In such a way the goal is not mere ambition, but also is coupled with a plan to bring it to fruition.

So, as you may have guessed, I wrote down some goals today. They are all self-improvement related because I believe that I am the only person I can will to change. But, that doesn't mean you shouldn't do likewise. It's your call though. No arm twisting here.

PS - I'm sorry if this post bored you, and you "knew this stuff already."