Awakening

On my Twitter feed, I recently saw this anonymous quote, "Who looks outside their heart, dreams, who looks inside, awakens." I have experienced this recently in my life, and found the process of looking inward to be deeply rewarding. It was also heartbreakingly sad and frightening, but a necessary part of any growth and change.

There is a certain bravery required of anyone who wants to live a real life, where the feelings are raw and unedited, and where responsibility is taken for what is yours to own. It's not an easy path to walk, but having been afraid of my feelings for most of my life, I find it freeing to embrace the rawness of who I really am, and walk through whatever comes as a result of the discoveries I make.

It feels like I'm thawing inside, at the same time as the snow is thawing to make way for the green (okay, brown) grass of spring. The thaw is messy, and dirty, and ugly for awhile until it accomplishes its work and everything becomes beautiful again. I'm hoping this is true metaphorically as well as physically with the changing of the seasons. For now I choose to have faith that the processes are parallel, and believe in what I cannot see at this moment.

I love to dream. I called this blog The Dream to Write to express how deeply I believe in the power of dreams, and I see your dreams as the road map to get you to the success you are searching for. I had never thought of a dream as being external, as opposed to the process of looking inside to stir yourself to change, but I think it's a beautiful concept.

Even the word "awaken" turns my heart toward hope like a flower to the sun. It speaks of possibilities and actions which have yet to be taken, and the process of awakening is long and private, but the end result is public for all to see. I want to stay the course and not give up when it is difficult. It's like shoveling dirt, so easy when it's soft and moist, and so hard when it's dry and cracked and immovable. When I hit rough ground I must continue on, and allow the moisture to come and soften it up, so that what has been planted can bloom.