Did you ever have one of those dreams where it felt like an endless cycle and you felt like you were wide awake even moving forward on tasks you would do and then realize that you are still asleep?
I was having one of those dreams this morning and I was literally up writing a blog post in my dream. I could see the WordPress software and the thoughts and flow of what I was going to write was so clear. I had it all outlined and ready to go and then I realized that I was still in bed.
People say that visualizing things help you focus so that you can move forward. I think that in many stages of my life, my dreams have echoed where I am in life. I have had dreams where I was tweeting or posting on Facebook, visualizing the whole screens in front of me. Does that say that this electronic part of my life has become more important in my life than real life interaction? Or is this just one more part of me that makes me me?
Last night I was at a mentoring training session for Project Step Up, a new United Way project that I am taking part in for the next year, and as we introduced ourselves, I mentioned something and the Program Director, Rebecca Morris (who I only met twice before) said, “oh yes, Julie is your resource for all things social media – she tweets, does Facebook, and blogs.” I guess this is becoming part of my identity which might explain how it is getting in my dreams too. I see it as a resource for the things I do in real life though and a conversation starter.
I treasure the people I have met through the social media platforms. They have enlarged my world and helped me grow. But I also treasure the other side of me that interacts and works with people.
The Project Step Up program is another adventure I am starting. My church (Wesley Methodist) had a Faith in Action day last fall and Ellen, the leader of that project presented numerous opportunities to get involved for the one day, like volunteering to rake a yard, paint a house, sort potatoes at a food pantry, collect food at the grocery store, help serve a meal for the homeless at church, and I looked them over on the PowerPoint but the one that jumped out at me was mentoring a family for a year. Craziness, I know. I would be balancing one more thing with all the other things I was doing. I didn’t know I would resign from Wausau Whitewater at the time. I just knew that I missed the giving back feeling that I had when I was volunteering just to volunteer. I have two more training sessions before they match me with a family and then I begin my year of being a mentor. I see mentoring as just sharing what I know and have experienced as well as the resources I have or know about with another family who just needs a little help.
I may be dreaming about blogging because it is so much a part of me. The desire to write, to communicate, and to share has always placed a huge role in who I am and social media and blogging have opened the door to new ways of communication. And I guess, I would rather be dreaming about blogging than having the reoccurring dream where I don’t have my shoes and I have to go to school with no shoes…
Do you dream about dreaming? Do your dreams parallel your life or echo what you might be thinking about most? Do your dreams help you clarify your thoughts or pull together your focus?
Talk to me. I talk back.
So glad to hear about your experience with the Project Step Up. I truly hope that it will be a meaningful experience for you. I feel that it is part of the human condition to desire to volunteer and make a meaningful contribution in someone else’s life. Some people ignore the desire or claim they are “too busy” however I beleive if they look deep inside themselves, the desire to volunteer is there. Part of a church’s mission is to connect people to places they can volunteer and serve others in Christian love.
Thanks, Ellen! I know it will be meaningful. I’ve been thinking about that a lot. It may seem strange to leave a non-profit because of “no time” and get into another one right away as a volunteer but in comparison, I would rather volunteer some hours than be in a position that required so many hours of commitment that though it was a paid position, left me with no time to grow my own business or even breathe.
I appreciate your role in connecting me and also our recent lunch getting to know each other much better. Blessings on your day!