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Be the Hero of Your Story

Man sitting on top of mountain overlooking valley

In my book, The Mythology of Sleep: The Waking Power of Dreams, I present the 3 parts of a dream that describe the conflict, its cause and resolution. In dreams, we are the hero who embarks on a journey into a mythical landscape. We discover clues that reveal our blind spots or the hidden potential locked within the unconscious. Dreams tell us who we really are.

Clients doing dreamwork always discover synchronicity, or how daily life offers the same clues that initiate growth. When we dream, we approach the unknown with a more open perspective. We are able to explore ideas for growth that can be shut down because of blind spots we miss during the day. Synchronicity is how the same content can appear in daily life, where we have the opportunity to either explore this new perspective, or continue to block the insight.

I developed the free oracles on my website for those who do not remember their dreams. Whether using Tarot or the I Ching, one can begin to explore a similar dialogue of content from the unconscious just like dream symbols. The archetypes appearing in dreams and in the oracles are drawn from the same transformative source.

Blind Spots Hide Enormous Energy

We tend to protect the things that we value the most. It doesn’t matter if we are protecting a wound, a fear of unworthiness, how we may not fit in, or gramma’s heirloom. We protect these things by hiding them away specifically because they are important to us. Whatever is hidden away is given enormous power. It is why we feel a charge when someone tries to pry the door open. Whenever we feel like someone is pushing our buttons – we can tap the charged energy for insight.

When we receive constructive criticism, and don’t have a blind spot about worthiness, we are all ears. Another who questions their value may become defensive. To understand our blind spot, we need only pay attention to what gets us worked up. We call it a blind spot because we are usually driving through life only giving credibility to what we can understand.

Living the Story You Tell

We don’t acknowledge our repetitive story and how being a prisoner to it creates the circumstances we encounter. Nothing can hide from nature and nature doesn’t like closed doors or blockages. Constant crisis is just another way to describe how nature breaks down anything that would impede its forward progress.

The blind spot is also called the Shadow in dreams. A frightening character or stalker is just the side of us that wants to be understood, integrated, ‘let in our house’ so that it can ‘come home.’

When people write to me about nightmares, I am always excited to tell them not to be afraid because power is reawakening in the psyche. Whether dreaming of natural disasters, ferocious animals or driving in a way that is dangerous – the message is the same. The valuable part of us that was hidden away is now coming out to be explored and integrated. The purpose of dreams is to make us whole again.

A natural disaster portrays how our foundation is being renovated. A ferocious animal attacking us suggests how we are connecting with our passionate, feeling nature or wild self. The vehicle that has lost its brakes means we can now understand how our motivation is based on something other than our authentic needs and desires.

Tapping the Nemesis for Power

In every great story, the hero must confront the nemesis. In many myths it is the father or an unacknowledged but important part of us. Sometimes we only discover we are the hero because we finally stand up to whatever it is that has come to block our way. This is why we rarely die in a dream. When we dream of dying and accept it – we open to the idea that self-defeating ideas can be put to rest.

As we grow, we conform to what we think is acceptable and hide away the good stuff. We discover we are the hero when we are fearless enough to open the door. Everything on this planet has a purpose and our purpose is only activated by expressing our authentic nature. Only we know what it means to be authentically ourselves.

What Is Your Story?

We wake up from our dream of adventure, hit the alarm clock and forget that the story continues. The same way our psyche is creating the dream content, the mind is doing something similar through our encounters. We write the story and can make it anything we want. The story is simply where we place our focus.

Imagine kneeling on the side of a river bank and releasing your story into the water. Because you have told the river this story, you are sure to meet it as you walk upriver. You give your story credibility because it is something you reinforce. You send it out without realizing you are telling the story of what you will become.

Perhaps you say: “I am afraid of being destitute.” You will meet opportunities that challenge this belief. Life may be teaching you to recognize the value and importance of other things in your life. Feeling destitute is just a value judgment.

Maybe you tell the river: “why can’t I find love?” The fact that you validate a negative idea may be the reason you dismiss love when it arrives. The real story may be: “I am afraid to open myself to love” which creates opportunities of feeling rejection because you don’t acknowledge your fear of intimacy.

Maybe your story is about avoiding the drama that is meant to awaken you. You tell the river: “it’s going to be another day of battles.” A battle is just another way to discover what you are choosing to protect. Whatever your story – recognize that you send it into the river and it will become the reason your life unfolds the way it does.

Why not awaken in gratitude and excitement for how life will make you a hero, just like your dreams? An Ojibwa Elder said: “In the old days our people had no education. All their wisdom and knowledge came to them from dreams. They tested their dreams and in that way, learned their own strength.” Many indigenous cultures honor dreams because of the guidance they provide. The book of Job in the bible tells us God speaks to us through our dreams.

Meet the day with a positive story: “I know today will be incredible – because yesterday taught me so much.”

How to Live Like a Hero

In mythical tales and in dreams, the hero is not afraid to embark into the unknown. One cannot greet the unknown unless they are willing to acknowledge their blind spots. We know it is a blind spot because we get extra defensive and notice when we give a situation extra charge or energy. Because we feel the rising energy, we might realize how we are protecting something valuable. Just like Gramma’s heirloom, we only protect it because we care so much about it. If it is valuable – shouldn’t we unwrap and celebrate it?

Never forget that nature designed you to be unique and will celebrate your debut.

Make today a story about living life like a hero. Kneel at the river with gratitude and faith that everything is unfolding perfectly. To be a hero means to embark on a journey that will teach you about your power. Whether nightmares or the frightening things you shy away from in daily life – authenticity is the boon of the hero’s journey.

As a hero, there will be a decisive point in which you battle through your fear. There may be an opportunity to speak your truth regardless of what others think. You may need to listen and accept what another says because of their importance to you.

Whatever you encounter, you will know you are a hero because you are choosing to overcome your fear.

There is no one on this earth who can tell you who you are – or how to be yourself. Approaching your life like a hero will always return you to gratitude and abundance.