Trusting Dreams
A lesson from REM sleep
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I've recently had several dreams about being in a plane crash. The prospect of this happening in real life is terrifying, but my dreams have been anything but.
In my first dream, I found myself in a plane that was barrel-rolling and spinning out of control. Meanwhile, I was assuring everyone that the pilot would eventually regain control and that everything would be fine. I kept repeating this as the plane got closer and closer to the ground until it finally collided. Everyone on board survived.
In my second dream, I was flying across the ocean with my closest friends beside me. The plane began nosediving and rapidly losing altitude suddenly. Instead of panicking, I focused on the view outside the window, which was possibly the most beautiful sunset and sea of blue I had ever seen. A wave of tranquillity washed over me. The pilot will regain control any moment now, I told myself. The plane crashed into the ocean, waking me up.
I often think about my dreams, and while there are several themes that I've pondered in these two, the one that keeps coming up is the replacing of fear with trust. How strange that I felt no fear at the moment of my “death”. How bizarre that, despite the fact that the wrecks were unmistakably approaching, I was positive they weren’t. Most of the time, we do things in our dreams that are impossible to duplicate in the real world, but what if one of those things isn't the ability to replace fear with trust? That is something I am certain of.
I'll admit that fear serves a purpose as a normal reaction to the unknown. Fear will keep you on your toes, ready to flee or swing at a moment's notice if you're going down a dark road and hear something rustling in the bushes. But what happens once you've left that path? Then it becomes fear of the future, fear of rejection, fear of not being loved, fear of loss, fear of failure. Fear cripples us; it’s what prevents us from taking the risks necessary for personal and professional success and growth.
But each of those circumstances — the unknown future, the possibility of rejection, the likelihood of failure — offers us the opportunity to choose how we react. We can trust in our own talents, trust in the process, and most importantly, trust that the outcomes are in service of our greater good (a greater good that is unbeknownst to us, of course).
When faced with a situation that makes you fearful, I encourage you to think about what the most likely positive outcome of the situation could be. Consider this a chance to put your trust to the test: instead of envisioning the worst-case situation, picture the best-case scenario. Take it a step further and consider how that best-case scenario would improve your life if it were to come true. Finally, imagine yourself living that life. This is not only entertaining, but it also prepares you to deal with whatever the situation's reality is—even if it's unpleasant, you've already practiced picturing the greatest possible conclusion and now have some faith that there is a silver lining to everything. If the outcome is good, then kudos to you! Either way, you've put faith in yourself and in others around you.
In the end, replacing fear with trust isn’t about changing your circumstances — it’s about changing how you feel about what’s happening to you. And, even if you're on your way down, you'll have a better time if you take a moment to admire the magnificent sunset in front of you....trust me.