I Had A Dream….
May
Yes, I had a dream. Not quite as prolific as MLK, but significant in its own way.
The other night I woke up freezing cold, yet my shirt was soaked with sweat. I was disoriented and in a sort of deep fog, the kind where you’re not quite sure if you’re asleep or awake (or what year it is).
It was all I could not to freak out given the darkness of the room and the realness of the dream I had just awoken from. I don’t remember my dreams often and when I do, they rarely leave me wondering if I’m still alive.
This one did..
The Dream
Some of you may remember the 1984 movie, Dreamscape, which was pretty fucking freaky. And although mine wasn’t quite that messed up or have giant snakemen, it still rattled me pretty good.
You’ve probably heard the old wives’ tale that if someone dies in their dream, they will die in real life. Most of us realize that it’s nothing more than superstition, but there is still a small part of us that is scared it might be true.
Well you can sleep easier knowing that I proved that theory wrong.
In my dream, I found myself in a makeshift bar and sitting in a booth with four guys I didn’t know. Most of the dream is pretty hazy now, but I distinctly remember swimming in a seemingly endless toxic lake and being pursued by something that resembled Predator.
But the next moment, I’m in the bar with these guys. And I’m pleading with the guy to my left because I realize I’m in a dream but can’t wake up. A dream in a dream if you will. And no matter what I try, I can’t wake from my dream.
And then he calmly tells me that yes, I am in fact, dead and that it was stress that killed me.
So you can imagine that when I actually do wake up, I’m tweaking out..
And while this dream freaked me out quite a bit and I never want to sleep again, it really has nothing to do with you or your life. But I got to thinking about it and realized the parallels between my dream, my current life, my former life, and my future.
And those things do have something to do with you. A lot actually.
My Dream Is YOUR Life
You see, I was living a life like most of you are now. A 9-5 job, a marriage (that may or may not be all that good), a sizable mortgage, credit card debt, a heap of expenses, and a long road of struggle ahead.
Grinding out 40 years of this is some people’s idea of a great life. But not mine. And if you’re reading this, probably not yours either.
And although I have left the grind behind and made some HUGE advances in my life and with my personal fulfillment, I still have a grind. It’s not all fun and games being a business owner and not knowing when (or if) you’ll get paid again. I chose this life and I do love it, but it’s got every bit as much stress as being an employee.
I realized that I’ve been internalizing all my stress and apparently it has now manifested itself in the form of a morbid and all too real dream.
At 43, it has crossed my mind more than a few times of what might happen if I continue holding onto past (and present) stress. Yes, the dreaded thought of heart failure. And although I’m pretty fit and healthy, there is always the possibility of my heart just deciding to check out one day.
Scary.
This is a reality for many middle aged people and sitting at your desk patiently waiting for retirement to come is killing you. The commutes, deadlines, passed over promotions, dick bosses, shitty coworkers, sedentary lifestyle, bad marriages, overwhelming debt and expenses, and fast food are shortening your life.
Significantly.
Maybe it only takes a freaky dream to snap you out of your current rut or maybe it takes a heart attack that nearly kills you. Or maybe it does kill you.
All I’m saying is that life is FULL of every type of stress imaginable and if we don’t learn how to deal with them, it is a very bad thing. There are a hundred ways to reduce stress and I want you to start finding them today.
Life is short enough, don’t make it any shorter…
Evan
I guess I think it is good to learn how to handle stress, and how to leave stressful situations, and how to change our situation so it is less stressful.
Steve
Indeed, Evan. I’ve had A LOT of it over the last few years and am still dealing with much of it, but I’m stronger because of it.
Naveen Kulkarni
Steve,
What a moving post ! I don’t know what to say, but few words come out of my heart. See, if we continue to live in past, we can neither enjoy the present not plan for future. Let’s live today to fullest so that it can be a sweet memory down the line few years. In this world, no one’s life is perfect and accepting that truth will empower us strengthen us from inside.
What’s interesting is it’s the mind that is stronger than our bodies. Man controls an elephant by his brain , not by body.
Sometimes, we are holding on something to our hearts, it’s time now to pass the control to mind and to some extraordinary things.
I get extra pumped up when I see this video from Gary Veynerchuk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhqZ0RU95d4 .
Agreed, Gary may be a great speaker, but what I take away from his videos is his passion, his dedication towards bringing dramatic results.
I think, this comment almost filled a blog post , sorry for that.
Take care Steve and have a terrific day. It’s a new day !
Steve
Hey Naveen. This is one of my favorite clips from Gary V and I’ve watched it over and over. So inspiring.
And yes, our minds will dictate how our lives turn out. Our attitudes, our habits, our mentality. I’ve had to learn many things the hard way and am stronger for it. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts, my friend..