Freddie G's Blog...

Dream a Little Dream of Me

 

Often, in college, reading Shakespeare were references and plots that dealt with dreams. Meanings of dreams have fascinated most of us.  My curiosity led me to study dreams and to try to utilize the sub-conscious messages (or at least the information) that these dreams offered in private practice as well as for myself.

My dreams sometimes contain puns and after awakening and thinking about how they related to parts of my life at that particular moment, I’d have to laugh at how clear the message was. I studied dreams and many other aspects of the sub-conscious to the unconscious states that we find ourselves in as I worked with clients utilizing hypnotherapy. I love that there is so much to explore about the mind and the universe as well.

Last night a dear friend of mine, a brilliant psychologist, a mentor for me, appeared in a dream of mine, again. This is at least the fourth or fifth time he has visited in a dream for me since he died several years ago. In this dream he had asked me to join him and three of his friends to go to a professional conference of some sort. His female friend was Willa Cather. Willa Cather?!!? What the heck?

First of all, (as I groggily began to wake, already wondering what this meant), I had to think of who this author was. Was it The Little House on the Prairie that she wrote? No- that was someone else. Was that even a book? Something about prairies though. I never watched that show on TV.  Somehow, I muse, I think that my brain is leaning in the right direction.  Maybe I have heard about her on a quiz show or in passing at some time and stored it in some dark crevice of my grey matter.

Why would Frank be associated with her or her name or her writing? For that matter, why would Frank be going to a conference? He disliked attending conferences. They made him anxious.

Frank had an affinity for animals of all kinds. Did Cather write about animals? Did he invite me to the conference because of my affinity for animals? And why had all four of these people been partying the night before? It had something to do with other “students” graduating from some tough rigor of education. Did that apply to me? I’m not graduating. Or am I? Have I moved to a higher level of awareness maybe? Or was it some remnant of recall from something else?

Sometimes when we dream we slip into deeper levels of consciousness and we may not remember what the dreams were about. Then we drift up lighter and pick up the dream having missed the sections from the deeper level. Maybe this dream is disjointed. Maybe it just has to do with the pursuit of writing.

Why does Frank reappear in my dreams periodically?

I love the mysteries of the mind. I think I’ll look up Willa.

http://www.amazon.com/Creative-Dreaming-Creativity-Overcome-Problems/dp/0684801728

IMPROVING OUR INTERACTIONS

There are moments all thought life when we have a quiet space to philosophize or review what we currently are all about and insight comes to us. We might be taking a long walk, sitting on a patio looking out over nature, reclining in a hammock or gazing out a window. Knowledge may come to us in a flash, as one line of words, because something happened or while remembering something, but bottom line, it means something to us personally and if we can, we try to take a look at why. The clarity that comes with this conscious and sometimes subconscious observing and speculation has the potential to create change for us. This might even happen when someone suggests something, or we dream an idea.

Some time ago I realized that what I did most in my life and what I had become quite good at, was talking about communication between partners, couples, colleagues and friends. Instead of branding myself as just a Life & Wellness Coach for example, I’ve added “with a specialization in Relationship Communication”. Advertising my skills more precisely enables me to do not only what I do best, but what I enjoy doing and what benefits the individuals whose lives I come in contact with, more effectively.

In my family communication classes or approved CE’s for professionals I also add the benefits of recognizing and adding to one’s own identity with genealogical activities and projects. Clear understanding of self-esteem and self-worth, perspective and interpretation and the potential perils of other forms of technological exchanges are crucial areas of discovery and add to the development of character. Learning skills in both verbal and nonverbal communication for working with colleagues and acquaintances becomes a marked difference in business successes or lack thereof. In my new book, Adultery is Universal; But I’m getting Married Anyway; What to Know Before You Do or Already Have, the techniques of communication that assist married couples or partners or individuals dating, whether an affair is involved or not, open doors to a deeper, more connected, committed understanding between a couple.

Learning to listen attentively, give others respect, (even though you may disagree heartedly with their viewpoint), takes practice. Often we forget to praise or validate the thinking of the other, before we offer our differing opinion. Forgetting to do that discounts the other person’s opinion and may even unintentionally diminish self-esteem. (Parents often unknowingly do this with their children also). This also results in intensified discussion, which for some is fun and stimulating, but for others is tension creating or results in anger, hurt feelings, and distrust.

Harmony can be achieved with a little more clarity on how we interact with one another and views can be expressed, but there are still so many other aspects that need to be considered such as needs, rewards, motivation and purpose, emotions, the physical setting, the framework of the communication, gender differences and attitude to name a few.
Workshops, classes, CE’s for professionals, reading and couple coaching are all ways to enhance these skills. If this interests you, additional topics can be found on my other blogs too. Happy reading.

www.Cleartransitions.blogspot.com

www.Adulteryisuniversal.blogspot.com