Is there such a thing as reality dreaming? We are thinking about dreaming at Seven Stones, the dreams we create in our waking lives. Some of us call them goals, plans, intentions or resolutions. My dreams have included:
- qualifying to run the Boston Marathon,
- competing in the Olympics,
- coaching a track team,
- becoming a college professor, and
- completing in an Olympic distance triathlon.
I have had many other dreams, and yet I can’t help but notice that I have only listed my unfulfilled dreams. This realization has me wondering about scarcity; when is real and when do I create it?
What’s the distinction between the structural and the ontological?
I offer these as the definitions:
- Structural scarcity is when one has no access to clean water or a sufficient amount of food.
- Ontological scarcity, or a story about scarcity, is when we say, “I don’t have enough time,” or “I don’t have enough money” while we live an upper middle class Western life with multiple cars, bedrooms and designer shoes in our closet.
Examining our Dreams. When I look at the dreams I listed above, only one of them is beyond me – competing in the Olympic Games. This is mainly because of my age (aka structural), and at this point I am not interested in taking the time to create that life. All the others remain elusive because of the stories I tell myself about age, time, fitness level, education level, etc. (aka ontological).
The inquiry. When I sit and look at my dreams and truly ask:
- What are my interests?
- What am I committed to in this moment?
- What do I want to give this “one wild and precious life” to in this moment
Is it training for triathlons, getting the appropriate credentials for college level teaching or is it doing exactly what I am doing now? Sitting quietly, writing and grateful I am the founder of a wonderful company, working with amazing clients, content to create a new paradigm for any and all to step into.
Is there reality dreaming? Maybe our dreams aren’t so far away; maybe they can be made real in our recognition of our reality. Taking a moment to examine what and who are important and then being grateful for where we are and who we are connected to is all we need for dreaming. Exquisite sufficiency could be right here, in this moment.