Do you follow your dreams?

Question

"Throw your dreams into space like a kite, and you do not know what it will bring back, a new life, a new friend, a new love, a new country." - Anais Nin

Do you follow your dreams?

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

Absolutely! I often follow my dreams. For example, last spring I had a major falling out with my father--so painful that I concluded that the only way we would ever resolve the hurt and betrayal was when we were both "on the other side" and could see things from a different perspective. I was completely at peace with my decision to not see him again--except at his funeral. Then on a Saturday in July I hurt knee--no accident or fall--just got up out of a chair and found myself in excruciating pain. After an E.R. visit I needed a brace, cane and pain meds just to walk. Even laying down and doing nothing was excruciating. An appointment with an orthopedic specialist was set up for Wednesday because the ER xray indicated surgery was my next course of action. Sunday night, the medicine woman who I had apprenticed under in the early 1980's, and who died in 1999 came to me in a "dream." She showed me a drum, an eagle fan and cedar oil and said "Until you move forward, you will never move forward."

Had to take Monday off from work (too painful to even move). Monday night she came to me again in a "dream." She told me to go to my father. She told me to "bring your drum and sing him these songs (she told me the specific songs to sing). She told me to take my eagle fan and the cedar oil. She also gave me a message to give to my father (it was strange, and I didn't understand it). She said "but he will." Before she left she said, "Until you move forward you will never move forward."

Felt a little bit better Tuesday, so I went to work with knee brace and cane. Although I was in pain, I had this nagging feeling I needed to leave and go to my father. Around 2pm I asked to leave early. I went home, grabbed the drum, fan and oil and hit the road (he lives a little less than 2 hours from me). I pulled up into his driveway around 5pm. I sat in the car and called him from my cell phone. His wife answered. I told her I was in the driveway and asked if I could come in. She ran out of the house crying "how did you know?" After asking about my obvious knee injury, she said they had just returned from the doctor and that my father was not doing well--that he may have only a few weeks left. She said she hadn't even begun calling family and friends. I hobbled into the house. He looked like death. I told him that 'Kee' (he had known her so he knew what I meant) told me to come. I gave him her message (which he understood), sang him the songs, annointed him with the cedar oil and blessed him with the fan. By 7pm I was leaving, feeling like everything was OK, even though few words were spoken. The next day I was feeling much better physically, still some pain, and went to the ortho appointment. I told him I was actually feeling better. He looked at my xrays which the ER had forwarded to him, ordered another set of XRays and said after he got those xrays back we would discuss my options--but surgery was definately going to be needed. The xrays were done at his office and I was told to remain to discuss my options. When I saw the doctor an hour later, he said I was fine. He said the ER must have made a mistake. My knee was fine. He removed the brace and I could walk normally. It was amazing. I was literally moving forward without the brace and cane.

I now understood. I had to move forward (in making peace with my father) before I could PHYSICALLY move forward. Still thinking my father's time was limited, I called my son who was away at school. We decided to meet at my father's house on Saturday. When we got there, my father looked much better, although a bit tired as he had a lot of visiter's since I saw him Tuesday. We sang again, and used the cedar oil and fan during a blessing.

On Monday, my father saw his doctor and the doctor was overwhelmed by how good my father was doing. He told him "false alarm." (Kee's message had been "false alarm.") My father is still with us and I have visited him every 2-3 weeks since. He is still sick, and his time is getting short, but he is definately better.

My son and I are going to visit on Thanksgiving. And my knee? Never better. "Moving" is just fine.

And those other dreams. . . I do the best I can. Would still like to go to graduate school . . . ah. . . but it's just a dream. Seriously, I've looked into various programs, but will wait until my son is out of graduate school.

Source(s):

personal experience with "following my dreams"

Asker's Rating:

Asker's Comment:

Wow! What a tale :-) Thank you, and thanks all who contributed. Great answers.

Answer 2

No, I am STILL here in Indiana :( My dream is to live some where it is warm / hot all year around.

Answer 3

I try! Sometimes it isn't always easy things sometimes seem to get in the way. But I always want to strive to follow my dream. I personally have really big dreams for myself, sometimes I wonder if they are to big. Then I think of a saying that says "if you can dream it, you can achieve it."

Answer 4

i try but its not that easy

Answer 5

I just read this beautiful quote by Anais you wrote in an answer, and I was thinking about it, and now this nice question.

Yes I always follow my dreams, that doesn't mean I achieve them, but what is more important is the process of following them. Dreams make you smile, and hope. Dreams give meaning to life.

Answer 6

To be honest, no, not usually.

I can be a bit of a pessimist sometimes.. But it REALLY bothers me when I try to follow my dreams and I don't achieve them.. So if I don't think I can achieve someting, I won't bother usually.

Answer 7

So far, all but two: adopting a child and leaving NYC to live in a small liberal art town. In my mind's eye, I see myself living near the ocean or a huge lake. One day I will break free of the pull NYC has on me.

Answer 8

Even dogs have dreams, but they are locked into being a dog. I always follow my dreams. I followed my dreams when I met my future wife. I followed my dreams when I became a pilot in the Air Force. I followed my dreams when my two daughters were born. And now I follow my dreams by living each day as if it was my last.

Hope springs eternal. (unk) I think that is one of the things that I live for. I also love going outside with my 3 1/2 year old grandson and play catch with a beach ball, it is something I look forward to each day.

Answer 9

I like to think I do, but if I really did, I would have achieved more, I think. Pessimist at heart, I'm always too afraid of "what if it doesn't work?" and all the time I would have "wasted" following my dreams that I could have been doing something "constructive". I could go on this one for days, but that's it in a nutshell.

You know what I mean.

Have a great night!

Answer 10

Not in a literal sense, mostly for lack of having dreams I remember. The last one I recall was about three years back and had Louis de Funes leading a brass band and slapping a guy for being a right wing extremist on duty, which seemed to odd to follow up on.

As for the not so literal sense, I've managed to set myself up with some bizarre tightrope situation. I'm not truly following my dreams, I'm just not carefree enough to do that; however, I haven't abandoned them, either.

Somehow, this is kind of working out - I'll actually be starting a new job next week that isn't precisely where my dreams would have me be, but amazingly close; having a bit more of a sense of job security than I'd have by going all out on following my dreams, that seems like an extremely good trade-off.