Wishin' and Hopin' and Dreamin'
A house came up for sale in the neighborhood that is the end-all-be-all neighborhood for my husband and I. It is only about a 9 block stretch of houses and they do not come up for sale. But, one did come up just a few days ago. It is a large almost 100 year old house on the perfect street with the perfect neighbors (we're already friends with one of them). It has plenty of bedrooms and bathrooms. I got super excited about this house.
I started dreaming of how to arrange it and when we'd move in and all the space we'd have. With that dream I got inspired and energized. I started thinking of all the things that needed to be done to sell this house. I got inspired and my mood lightened to think of all the possibilities. Maybe this time one of my dreams might actually come TRUE. I mean, I started to think I might actually be worthy of getting exactly what I want.
The excited energy I felt made me recognize the importance of having Hopes and Dreams. What do you Hope and Dream about in your life? When is the last time you had a Hope or Dream? Those are pretty good questions to ask ourselves as adults. Because without a hope or dream life can very easily get dull, boring, and squelched. I believe the Universe always wants more for us and if we're not tapped into that desiring, then our connection to Source can get cut off. And I mean more not necessarily in a material world kind of way, but in a more connection and more engaged with life sort of way.
That's not to say that Contentment with where we are and who we are and particularly with what we have is a bad thing. I think cultivation of contentment is much needed in our society today. But I also believe that being content with things that are incomplete, ugly, undone, broken, and unhealthy -- simply for the bragging rites of saying one is content is not necessarily what I want to cultivate. For example, the back of my bedroom door has paint chipping off in a near perfect circle from the night when my husband almost put his hand through it in a particularly difficult moment of new-parenting... It's incomplete and ugly. It reminds me of a not so wonderful incident in our lives. It needs to be repainted and it has been there for 3 years. I could say: I am allowing this to stay because I'm content with my home as it is, imperfections and all. But really the honest truth is, it is still there because I'm too lazy to fix it and too afraid of being a nagging wife to bug my husband to fix it. So, I don't want Contentment to be the excuse for letting my life fall apart. See the difference? Contentment can't be the same as not maintaining, loving, and investing in what and who I have in my life.
Anyhoo.. so back to the Dreaming and Hoping idea. When I am loving and investing in my life and the people around me, my dreams are ignited. I feel like when I'm in a hopeful space: hopeful about improving a relationship, or about a new haircut, or about nailing an amazing yoga pose : I'm actually in a deeper connection to Source. Because that hope brightens me up. It motivates me. And if I'm truthful in it (not just lusting after the latest fashion or gismo) I may actually be tapping into the flow of Source. That is, I may be tapping into what it is the Universe wants for me.
I honestly believe the Universe has great plans for me. I thought those would take the form of me being a Certified Anusara Teacher. It is a hope and dream I'd held for at least 6 years, a long time of my adult life. I feel strange letting that go, unmoored. And in the vacuum of that, nothing has sprung in to take it's place which is probably a good thing. But I know that something big is coming. The momentum is shifting in my life and I'm dreaming but it's still foggy just yet.
But I know whenever I dream I'm tapping into Source. And isn't that why I practice anyway? So maybe today I'll dream of doing a dropback un-assisted. But I'll ride that 'pose-lust' as my friend calls it, into hopeful inspiration and ride that right back into my heart so I can really truly tap into that flow of Source again and again.
Incidentally, we went to look at the house last night and it isn't going to work out for us. After getting my hopes up so high I have to admit I got pretty annoyed and angry that it wasn't right. (I surprised myself at how angry I was actually.) But it let me know I feel strongly, so that's good. AND just being there helped me to see the potential, brilliance, and beauty in my own sweet home. So maybe that's part of the purpose of a dream too... even if it doesn't come true it could lead us right back to contentment with our lives and investing in and loving things that are right before us.
The Universe works in interesting ways I think.
What is your Hope right now? What is your Dream? Big or small.....
