Dreaming a New Dream

Louise at Recover Your Joy tells a story of Brent, a former resident of the homeless shelter where she works. Brent is a success story, living independently, working, helping others.  One of the changes that happened in his life was that he began to dream again ... to make plans ... to want to "give back."  That desire energized his transformation.

I've reached a stage in life when dreams usually aren't expected and don't make up the main focus of most conversations.  Most conversations of those of us of a "certain age" are about the state of our bodies, the foibles of our government, the lives of our children and grandchildren, the weather and the "good old days."  No wonder we run out of steam.

Right now I'm in a waiting zone ... waiting to move into a new house, waiting to figure out "what's next?"  There are many possibilities on my "what's next?" list but none of them call loudly enough to make me move in its direction.  Most of them are related to things I've done before.  They would be a stretch but they don't excite me to action.  I've been wondering if I'm just out of gas, just winding down, if I should just sit in the sun and purr like a cat.

But maybe I've just lost my dream.  It's tricky at this stage of life ... most of us have done a lot, accomplished a lot of dreams, paid our dues, done our time, fulfilled our obligations.  The message of our culture is that it's time to retire, take it easy, rest, enjoy the fruits of our labors.  We don't get a lot of encouragement to talk about our dreams, the new territories we have left to explore, what we want to do with the rest of our time, what we still have left to contribute.

Part of me wants to purr like a cat in the sun and part wants to climb new mountains and see new vistas.  An important part of me wants to dream a new dream.  One that will pull me into new territory, expand my understanding of myself and the world around me, and give back some of the abundance I've been given.

As the year heads for its half-way point, I've been trying to write a new intention.  It's been difficult to find something that really calls to me.  This morning, with the help of Brent and Louise, I've realized that what I need to find first is a new dream.