27 June 2017

Dreamwork and Changework is about looking at an issue every day and working on it to such a degree that it seizes to be an issue.

For many people, the work starts with a dream because the issue shows up in a scary nightmare and forces the dreamer to look at something which they find very negative and painful. This is especially the case for those who have been through trauma and are healing.

Other times, the issue can show up in a day-to-day life experience in some form of a confrontation or another with a situation which brings out a lot of emotion for the dreamer.

Writers know that when creating a plot line for a good story there is always a protagonist and some sort of “conflict” which the protagonist faces which moves the story along. If the protagonist changes her Self through the story and is somehow “changed” at the end then she is considered a “Dynamic Character” in literary terms. If she doesn’t change then she is considered a “Static Character” meaning she stays the same throughout. Usually if this is the case, then there will be another character in the book who undergoes a lot of change and that will provide dramatic contrast for the story.

There are 3 main sources of conflict for a protagonist 1) self vs Others – meaning the character’s biggest issue is with something another character is doing 2) self vs Nature – meaning the conflict comes from facing something in nature such as a tornado, or tsunami, or a moutain 3) self vs Self – meaning the character has to face something within their own being which has to be wrestled with in order to overcome the conflict so this could be like fighting one’s own conscious or one’s own internal cultural conditioning etc.

If a dream is thought of in these terms then it is somehow easier to empower your Self because you can ask yourself 1) What is the main source of conflict ? a) Others b) Environment c) the Self. And with this answer decide if it would be best to a) stay the same and move through the issue or b) change something about the situation and move through the issue.

To move through any issue takes Strength, Empowerment & Determination. When I was in my early 20s I used to repeat the mantra “Be Strong. Be Calm. Be Grateful.” And that helped me to stop drinking and move away from a coping pattern I had inherited from my genetics and my environment. I was a “dynamic character” in the story of my life in my twenties.

Lately, I’ve been more of a “Static Character” and in this way while I am staying the same the conditions around me are changing a lot. People are changing. Communities are changing. Employment conditions are changing. Financial situations are changing.

This is allowing me to go forward in the direction of the positive dream I have for myself in life.

It’s not going to be easy because I’m up against so much social conditioning in the people around me who think that the kinds of dreams I have for myself are impossible. But for those who have watched me come this far, they will certainly be able to believe I can go even further.

The key to moving forward now is to be able to identify what I am worried about, what causes the most anxiety and then working through it using strategies which work so that the worry can completely vanish and I can experience the type of life I’ve always wanted for myself and my family.

It will take a quality of fierceness like a wolf to get to where I want to go because it is a lot like breaking out of a prison which has been established around me and I am refusing to be imprisoned anymore.

The more I can move in fiercely positive ways towards achieving my goals the better things will be for me and my family.

The key to this is fully experiencing my Strength & Empowerment every day and then moving with Confidence in the direction of my dreams.