THE Dream Movement SERIES

Becoming a
Dreamer

ByMarcia Wieder
Americas Dream Coach
Number One
 In selected anecdotes in this book, names and identifying character-
istics have been changed to protect the privacy of the individuals.
Copyright 2005
All right reserved. No part of this e-book may be reproduced or
utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage
or retrieval system, without permission in writing from Marcia
Wieder.
Dream Coach is a registered trademark of Marcia Wieder.
Produced by On the Mark Branding
www.onthemarkbranding.com
Book design by Michele Singh

E-books by Marcia Wieder

Marcias Dream Moments: 52 Simple Ways to Get What You Want

The Dream Movement Series

Volume 1
Becoming a Dreamer
Going Back to Basics
Overcoming Failure

Volume 2
Accessing Your Power
Believing in Your Dreams
Finding Your Dream

Volume 3
Taking Time
Living a Rich Life

The Fundamentals of Ease Series

100 Ways to Make Life Easier
100 More Ways to Make Life Easier

Visit www.dreamuniversity.com
Becoming a
Dreamer
Introduction
Follow your heart and act on something that you know to be true for you.
Demonstrate that you are committed to at least exploring your dream and
prove to yourself that its important by doing something. The saying action
speaks louder than words never rang so true. Living powerfully includes being
authentic and compassionate. Live large yet genuine. Trade the mundane for
the unexpected. Each day laid out before us is precious and unique from the
one before and what will come tomorrow. In the end, however it arrives, you
can say, I truly lived my life.
Marcia Wieder
 Dreamers design
their lives and then

act to make those
dreams come true.

Table of Contents
The Power of Being a Dreamer . . . . . . . .7
Willingness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Desire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Imagination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Expectations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Idealism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Your Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
Nocturnal Dreams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Insights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

Your dreams
define the quality
of your life.
THE POWER OF BEING A DREAMER
To initiate something is to begin something, so this is the per-
fect place to start. Its about moving to a better place; about
waking up and remembering who you are and how you want
your life to be. Its time to reclaim the true you.
There is a place inside of you that knows life is more about
how you live and less about what you achieve. This book is
designed to help you remember what its like to live your life
fully and create what you want. Sometimes initiation comes
and goes unnoticed or unnamed. Sometimes its very obvious.
I hear from people who have lost their vision or their way;
from people who are tired and from people who are craving a
reconnection to their heart and soul. They are seeking whats
next. They are seeking an initiation.
An initiation into what you may ask? Into a life that holds
more. We seem hungry to live life differently, to feel more
alive and more inspired; to reconnect to our passion, to our
hopes and our desires. Sometimes we may seek out the initia-
tory process, but often it seeks us. Something starts to push
from the inside out and simultaneously from the outside in.
Eventually you can no longer live the life you have been liv-
ing. So, what comes next?
What makes these experiences and initiations different from
everyday life, is that they profoundly change us. We learn from
them, and hopefully often share what we have learned with oth-
ers. We become students and we become teachers.
Often the biggest initiations, the occurrences that can
change or affect us the most, are done by or with the guid-
ance of other people; people who know and understand
things that we dont. Hopefully, these are people who we
trust, so we can become vulnerable and ultimately changed
by the experience.
Insight and initiation are so powerful because we dont just
realize something in our head. Some of the choices we make
are not just nice ideas, but necessary. Perhaps they are even
essential to change who you are and how you live you life.

Becoming a Dreamer 7
 What is it for you right now? What is the change thats tug-
ging at your sleeve or whispering or in your ear? Whats calling
your name or maybe even screaming at you? However subtle or
obvious, its time to declare or reclaim the dreams that are most
important to you and I will help you achieve them.
Your dreams define the quality of your life if you are proac-
tively creating dreams that are the expression of your heart
and soul. Proactive means that you decide what matters to
you and what you are going to do about it BEFORE it
becomes an issue or problem. Reactive means you wait to see
what life throws at you and then you respond- viscerally, not
rationally. Our gut response has a tendency to get us into
trouble. Usually this is done by the seat-of-your-pants, in
panic mode. It is not very efficient, nor is it effective.
Dreamers design their lives and then act to make those
dreams come true. Standing in your lifes purpose, connect-
ed to your passion, your joy, and your gifts, the dreams will be
different than if you are simply fixing whats wrong.
When you feel it is time for an initiation into a new way of
living, you can use the following map. Try not to take short
cuts as each stage of this process builds on the one that came
before it. Each is simple, yet serves a valuable purpose in mov-
ing you in the direction of completion.
1. Set an intention for what it is you
DREAM STEP want or what you are seeking. This
Profound experiences can make us shows you are willing and wanting.
stop, feel and change the way we 2. Declare what you want. Declaring
think and live. Sometimes all it your intention or sharing your dream
takes is a single life-changing event. definitely gets the energy moving.
3. Take action. This demonstrates
Stop for a moment right now.
that you are serious about your inten-
See if you can recall a singular tion and taking action solidifies your
decision you made or incident that commitment.
changed the course of your life.
4. And after all this, the final step is
What happened? What did you do? detachment. Let it go.
What did you learn? For years, when people said to me,
Just let it go, I thought they were nuts.

8 The Dream Movement Series www.dreamuniversity.com

Let what go; and why, and how? I just didnt get it. Desire and
detachment can coexist. Although at first this may sound con-
tradictory, as you set a clear intention for what you want and
then release it, it can unfold naturally. This doesnt mean that
you do nothing. It means that you simply trust without obsess-
ing or controlling. It means you allow others to help you, mak-
ing room for miracles to occur. This often misunderstood
concept can provide greater ease in achieving your dreams.
These four steps; intention, declaration, action and detach-
ment, together comprise a logical map for initiating and explor-
ing a new way of living, a way filled with power, ease and grace.

WILLINGNESS
The first step in any initiation, or new beginning, is your choice
to go for it. Are you willing to live a dream come true life? Your
intention and willingness will set the tone and pace for every-
thing. At a core level, this is a decision you must make for your-
self, since you can only go as far as you are willing to go. And
how far is that? How happy, loving, generous, fulfilled, healthy
and abundant are you willing to be? Are you willing to go all the
way? All the way to your hearts wildest desires?
Something, someplace inside of you must be saying, I want
to dream. Or maybe its closer to I am dying to have a dream
and be a dreamer again. We all need a break from the pres-
sures of the gotta-get-it-done-today mentality of our overly
scheduled lives.
As a fellow dreamer, are you willing to make this journey?
You already have the ability and your willingness will serve as
the key. If you hear yourself saying, I cant, try this. Change
I cant to I wont. Its probably more honest. Then be will-
ing to change I wont, to I will, simply by becoming will-
ing. Again, use your volition to change I wont to I will. It
might sound like this inside your head or coming out your
mouth: I know I need/want/have to make a change in my life,
but I just cant. Okay, the truth is, I wont. Well perhaps I will
take just one small step forward and see what happens.

Becoming a Dreamer 9
 Now you have begun your journey. Your willingness was the
essential first step. It takes courage and true desire to do this,
so I want to acknowledge you for saying yes to your needs
and to your dreams, even at this point, if you dont know
exactly what they are.

DESIRE
You have the vehicle to make this journey. Your tank may need
a little refueling but the gas for this trip comes cheap. It is
your desire and your imagination that will give wings to your
chariot. The American poet Audre Lorde said, Our visions
begin with our desires.
Your desire already exists. I hope you are feeling it as you
are reading about being a dreamer, but if not, thats fine too.
For now, dont think about it too much. Theres no advantage
or need to reconnect with any old doubts. If they are present,
its okay. Heres a little secret. It is not necessary to believe in
your dreams to have it as your dream. Of course its powerful
to believe in yourself and your dreams, but at different times,
most of us dont and can use a little help. Once when I was on
the Oprah Winfrey Show, she said to me, If I had to attribute
my success in life to any one thing, it was that I believed in my
dreams even when no one else did.
Sure, it helps to be positive and faith is an undeniably pow-
erful force. But sometimes there is no evidence that your
dream is a good idea or that this is the right time to act on it,
especially if you are looking for evidence if the wrong places.
Places like your checkbook, the stock market or the latest
infomercial is not where you want to look. Ultimately, the
right place to look is in your own heart, Can you believe in
your dream simply because it matters to you?
Take care not to overanalyze your desires. If you do, you may
begin to judge them and wind up dissipating your energies. Oth-
erwise thoughts like I should be more motivated, and I dont
know what Im doing, or what I want and I cant have it anyway!
BOOM! These are Dream Killers. Dont let them take hold.

10 The Dream Movement Series www.dreamuniversity.com


Ultimately,
the right place to

look is in your
own heart.
Focus more on your desire than on your doubt and the
dream will take care of itself. You may be surprised at how eas-
ily this happens. Your doubts are not as powerful as your
desires, unless you make them so. If you sincerely want to be
a dreamer and have wonderful dreams that will inspire you
and ignite passion in your life, then so be it.
Desire is a powerful force that can be used to make things
happen. Never underestimate the power of your own desire
and the way to ignite your passion is through your heart. Start
to feel what you honestly want and how you would love your
life to be. Start to dream. Choose to be a dreamer and declare
it. Declaration is an essential step. Clearly let yourself, others
and the universe know what it is you want. This begins your
initiation to discovering and living a richer life.

IMAGINATION
Its time to let your desire grow and there is no better tool for
doing this than your very own imagination. The writer Joseph
Joubert said, Imagination is the eye of the soul. Allow your
soul to express itself. Even if you think you might be a little
rusty in this department, it doesnt take much to get the gears
functioning again. Fine-tune your vehicle by being aware and
by being creative. Get in touch with your feelings. Take some
time to dream!
The secret is to have fun. If this feels serious or overly sig-
nificant, it probably means you have switched gears from
imagining to thinking. Avoid thinkingat least too much.

Becoming a Dreamer 11
 For many of us, this is easier said than done. But over time
and with practice you will come to know that there is a very
different way of living that doesnt require nearly the amount
of thinking and effort that many of us expect.
Remember when you were a kid, or if youve watched some
children using their God-given gift of imagination. There
were no limits on doing something the right or wrong way.
And in the Land of Make-Believe, you got to make up your
own rules, which changed depending on who got to play. The
reason is, kids dont have preconceived notions based on their
past. Everything is new and exciting. Life is a discovery. Their
imagination became their reality. Only a shout from mom or
dad announcing dinner time could pull them back to the real
world. Learn from them and give it a try.
An active imagination as an adult needs nurturing. You may
have gotten out of practice over the years. Just start by envi-
sioning a particular scene through your minds eye. Become
aware of the feelings and emotions associated with what you
are visualizing. Allow all of your senses to get connected to it.
Consider the details: sounds, temperatures, textures and
scents. The more you feel, and are in tune with, the more real
it becomes. On a certain level, your mind doesnt distinguish
between thoughts, dreams and reality. For example, many
Olympic and professional athletes have incorporated mental
rehearsal into their training programs. Not only does this
allow them to work through a particular routine or sports sce-
nario, it in fact strengthens the neural connections that rein-
force the whole process when putting it to use in the physical
world. In this way, the mind can prepare the body to do amaz-
ing things. Mark Twain was right when he said, We can
achieve what we can conceive and believe.
If youve never thought about this before, now is an excellent
time to start. Imagine your life, your loves, your body and soul,
being nurtured beyond your wildest dreams. Imagine a world
that works and one reason is because you have a dream, like the
great dreamer Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Think of how his one
dream changed the course of the Civil Rights Movement. You

12 The Dream Movement Series www.dreamuniversity.com

too can make profound contributions in to the world.
You can play this imagination game at any level. Pump up
your muscles and develop yourself as a dreamer by using your
imagination to dream big dreams. Dont worry. Coming back
to reality is the easy part. The English poet William Blake
reminds us, What is now proved, was once only imagined. It
seems to be in the area of dreaming that we need practice.
Notice what those noisy little voices in your head are saying
as you dream about what you want. What are you thinking as
you are imagining your hearts desire? Do you hear your mom
saying, Youre thinking about doing what? or perhaps dad
yelling, How do you expect to pay the rent doing that? Or do

Lets face it, most
of us are not taught
to dream.
you hear the booming voice of society saying, Dreamers live
with their heads in the clouds. Get real! Pablo Picasso said,
Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an
artist once he grows up.
I recently gave a keynote speech to the Parents and Teachers
Association, the PTA. I see the importance of influencing our
next generation of dreamers and I was curious to hear what par-
ents were telling their kids about the future and their dreams.
I heard a young girl tell her father that her dream was to be
a teacher. Over the past years Ive heard many parents
respond with concern to this dream, saying things like,
Theres no money in that field or Youll never get a job.
I was so pleased to hear this father tenderly say, How won-
derful that you have chosen to help so many. I know youll be
a fabulous teacher. His daughter lit up. Her dream was heard.
Someone believed in her, which made her dream real and
made it very safe for her to be a dreamer. What a precious gift.

Becoming a Dreamer 13
 Lets face it, most of us are not taught to dream, but rather
to be realistic. What has this cost us? Im not even sure what
realistic means anymore. Many use the word realistic like
a pair of handcuffs, keeping them chained to some unex-
plored limitation.
At 38 years old, most people, especially a man, might think
it unrealistic to begin a career as a professional dancer, but not
Don. It was a dream he had for a long time and he felt ready,
so he called Ron Guidi, the artistic director for the Oakland
Ballet in California. Ron said talent and guts usually went
hand in hand. He agreed to let Don audition.

Don was great, so Ron told him the reality of his situation. If

Focus more on
your desire than
on your doubt.
Don would practice and train six hours a day, six days a week,
in six months he could go on stage with the ballet. Ron also
told him that realistically, he would have much greater oppor-
tunities and success as a dancer in musicals. This thrilled Don
and was the beginning of his professional dance and theatrical
career. In this case, their conversation about being realistic
created more opportunities rather than more limitations.
Don differs from dreamers who are in truth more day-
dreamers or wishful thinkers because he took action. He
walked the talk. The distinction is they have been told so
often, or have come to believe they cant have their dreams,
that they now live in a fantasy world, never planning how to
make their dreams happen, mostly discontent. Most day-
dreamers never take any substantial action on their dreams.
This is how you can spot them.
Some believe they have a dream to hold on to. This is often
worse than not having a dream at all, since it can set them off

14 The Dream Movement Series www.dreamuniversity.com

on a delusion of grandeur, a search for a treasure that never
existed, or that they never intended to obtain.
As we wake up, we start to remember or realize that not only
is being a dreamer (different from one who fantasizes) a great
way of living, but it is essential for us to be joyful and fulfilled
human beings. And with this realization, we make the commit-
ment to be the kind of dreamers that we were destined to be.

EXPECTATIONS
One of the critical skills for being a dreamer is to have expec-
tations. It seems over the years, having expectations has
somehow gotten a bum rap. Weve been told that its not
good to expect too much. Sadly, many of us have been condi-
tioned to believe our expectations may lead to disappoint-
ment. I was one of those people.
Often at a very young age, traumatic things happen in our
lives that shape our core beliefs about our dreams and about
our expectations. In my own life, the year that I was born, my
older sister lost her hearing. On top of that, my mothers sis-
ter was diagnosed with a terminal illness and shortly after
that, her father died.
It must have been devastating for my mother. And although I was
too young to remember, Ill bet that one of the choices she made at
that time in her life was to protect me and make sure no harm
would come to her baby. That choice had many repercussions.
For many of us, as we grew up, one of our strongest and loud-
est teachings was, Dont have any expectations and you wont
be disappointed. Although our parents intentions may have
been to protect us, this became the foundation for some of our
biggest limiting beliefs and tremendous amounts of fear.
Every time we started to have a dream, or an opportunity
surfaced for something special or big in our life, our fear of
disappointment kicked in and often immobilized us. Some-
times we avoided the opportunity, while sometimes we
unknowingly sabotaged the dream because of our terrifying
fear of the disappointment.

Becoming a Dreamer 15
 Once we begin to see how this fear impacts us and the
emerging pattern, were able to try on a new behavior or
explore a new belief. Heres the secret for expanding your
capacity to trust and try something new: Since we choose our
beliefs, we can choose to believe that which will empower and
move us forward, or that which will impede and hold us back.
I just love Mark Twain, so forgive me for quoting him
again. He so accurately said, If you think you can or if you
think you cant, youre probably right. Realizing that you
can choose what you believe (regardless of your life experi-
ences) can be the biggest and most significant turning point
of your life.
Can you see how fear around expectations and disappoint-
ment keeps you in dead-end relationships, afraid you wont
find someone better? Or, how this same belief may prevent
expressing yourself out of the fear of having your partner or
friends leave or people not like you? How has this fear kept
you in a job or career thats not rewarding? Do you see how
your unwillingness to expect the best or even anything won-
derful, is costing you your dreams?
It takes time and practice, but you can begin the process
of changing your limiting beliefs, here and now. I did this by
learning to recognize when I was afraid of being disap-
pointed. Plus, I developed the capacity inside myself to
hear when that voice was talking to me. I used Post-it
notes around the house to reinforce a new belief and tried
alternative ways of responding to that old limiting voice. I
changed my belief from life will disappoint me to life is
filled with miracles.
With this belief, you begin to live a very different life. If
you no longer expect life to disappoint you, in one very real
way it no longer will. This doesnt mean we never get disap-
pointed. In reality, its our relationship to disappointment
that shifts. Sometimes we no longer get stopped by the fear
or possibility of being disappointment. And often, we end
up experiencing far less disappointment in life because of
this willingness.

16 The Dream Movement Series www.dreamuniversity.com


Choose to believe
that which will

empower and move
you forward.
As the fear lessens and releases some of its grip, we can
explore other options and begin to see and understand deep-
er aspects about ourselves. You may even come to realize that
your relationship to disappointment is a necessary skill to
develop, in order to be a dreamer. Consider this. If we are
never disappointed, we are not being dreamers, we are being
realists. In other words, we are playing it safe.
When we expect to have our dreams come true, or are not
stopped by the fear of being disappointed, our eyes are peeled.
We go out in the world with our heads held high looking for
that which we desire. We go to the places and do the things we
want to do. We expect to enjoy ourselves, taking personal
responsibility for the fulfillment and the disappointment of
our expectations. To expect your dreams to come true is to
believe in your dreams and yourself. To expect your dreams to
come true is to have faith.

The proper use of your expectations is a great way to deep-

en your desire. Focus all of what you want. Use your imagina-
tion to elaborate, visualize and see your dreams; fully
expecting them to happen. Expect to live your dreams with
the daily miracles of life, giving you evidence that you are
doing this masterfully.
And practice letting it all go. Having clarity about what you
want along with your expectations, will generate juice for
you. Obsessing over it will drain you. Expect and let it go by
relaxing, breathing, believing and trusting.

Becoming a Dreamer 17
 IDEALISM
We cant look honestly at expectations unless we first exam-
ine and consider where they dont work. Expectations can be
ineffective and even dangerous when we are not honest about
them. Sometimes we want and expect something so badly that
our perceptions become skewed and distorted.
My friend Barbara is a successful business executive with a
Fortune 500 company. Shes been able to make many things
happen for herself and others, but right now more than any-
thing, she wants to be in love. Barb always knew exactly what
she wanted from her mate. She had lots of pictures and even
more expectations.
One day she met a special man. When he spoke to her, he said
all the right things and very quickly, she
decided he was the one. As the rela-
DREAM STEP tionship developed, he said and more
What are you expecting importantly did, many things that were
from life? incongruous with who she thought he
Take a look at what you want in the was. She began to compromise on her
areas of love, health, money, career, dream and on her needs. She continued
friends and lifestyle.Are you expecting to view him through her expectations
to have a long healthy life, filled with rather than see who he really was. The
passion and good times or are you saying love is blind is grounded in
expecting in some way to be short- some truth, and Barbaras case was no
changed and disappointed? exception.
Three things I am expecting to get Eventually she ended the relationship
out of life before I die are: and felt a tremendous amount of disap-
pointment and heartache. She thought
OR
maybe she had expected too much and
Three things I expect to do before began to doubt that she would ever meet
I die are: the man of her dreams. As we discussed
1)_______________________ what actually happened, it became
2)______________________ apparent that the only thing she did
3)_________________________ wrong was lose touch with reality. She so
badly wanted this to be it; and for this
love to be real, that she stopped seeing

18 The Dream Movement Series www.dreamuniversity.com

the truth. She got lost in illusory expectations.
After the pain of finally seeing what happened, she took a
bold step forward in her life. She revisited her expectations
regarding her dream relationship, checked in and decided
that this was still her dream. It was still what she wanted after
all. As a matter of fact, she even added some additional quali-
ties and expectations, based on what she had learned from the
relationship that ended. Although she is not in a new relation-
ship yet, this experience allowed her to reclaim a part of her-
self that she lost when she stopped being true to herself.
When we want something so badly, we may be unwilling or
unable to see what is clearly happening. Discovering the truth
is not an exact science like the Laws of Physics. It runs in vary-
ing degrees; along a wide spectrum, with your version operat-
ing at a slightly different reality than anothers. Learning
exactly where your truth lies may take a bit of work, even
resulting in heartache. The challenge is to be true to your self.
Your values and dreams are too personal to be compromised
for anything less than what you know to be true. I cant stress
this enough. The power of your expectations only works when
you are completely honest with yourself and others. You must
be truthful not only about your expectations, but also about
the reality of what is happening in your life.
How we use our expectations or our fear of disappointment,
is probably one of the most debilitating factors in being a
dreamer. Weve all had disappointments in our lives, but each
of us deals with them in our own way: positively or negatively.

YOUR POWER
Believing is the key and the single most important element
regarding your desires and getting what you want. If we believe
anything is possible, lets explore where we can go. We could
play what if. What if you could do anything, have anything,
and be anything? I bet you would approach life differently.
Joan Brady asked herself these questions. Even though she
was a full-time registered nurse, her dream was to write a main-

Becoming a Dreamer 19
 stream novel. This answer to her what if question, led her to
an adult education class at The Learning Annex, where Nancy
Taylor Rosenberg, a national best-selling author generously
offered support and good advice. After years of constant rejec-
tion by publishers, Joan suddenly felt confident that she could
do get her novel published. And the magic continued.
Joan followed Nancys recommendations to the letter and
now tastes success. She was paid a handsome advance by
Simon & Schuster and did a national book tour on her novel.
All this started with a $24 investment in a great class and the
magic associated with a very specific dream
Lets identify some of the basic inherent aspects for tapping
into your power that are available to you right now. These are
practices for getting you to a new dimension, a world where
anything really is possible.

1. Believe anything is possible. Do you? Do you know where

in your life you dont believe anything or everything is possi-
ble? Is there some place you are holding back? Is it in the
career or the relationship of your dreams? Is it in living the
life of your dreams?
Believing that anything is possible is a shift in perception.
It is a different way of living than most of us live on a day to
day basis. Although it may initially feel uncomfortable and
your rational mind may be telling you not to buy it, it is
indeed possible. Believing is a powerful way of living life and
the best thing you can do to shift your reality.
Reality follows thought. With this core belief centered in
your heart and being, reality will look differently. You will
make choices that will further contribute to changing your
world and you will soon come to see that you are right, that
anything is possible.
This may be a good time to distinguish between dreams and
fantasies. A dream is something you want that you can devise
a plan or a strategy for accomplishing. Usually in a fantasy
theres no apparent strategy. For example, I would describe
winning the lottery as a fantasy. What strategy can you design

20 The Dream Movement Series www.dreamuniversity.com

for this, short of buying lots of tickets and doing a great deal
of hoping? Would you describe receiving a massage from your
favorite movie star as a dream or a fantasy? It depends on you.
If you can design a plan to make it happen, its a dream, if not,
its a fantasy. This does not mean that fantasies dont happen,
for indeed sometimes they do. And we love when they do!
I suggest as you deepen this new core belief, that anything
is possible; recognize where you are exploring fantasy and
where you are pursuing your dreams. Notice the difference.
Recognize how the energy around dreams and fantasies differ
and learn from your insights.

2. Find a deep quiet place within yourself. Insights and

intuition connect us to a larger sphere of magic. This is the
place in all of us that may be considered the source of Divine
inspiration and knowledge. This exists inside every single one
of us. Im sure its one of the things that make us special as

Believing
is the key.

human beings. But often it is an unknown place and some-

times we may fear that which we do not know or understand.
Look around at how many things in life or in nature we cant
explain or dont fully understand. Can you see the magic that
exists in the unknown? Are you willing to tap into that
unknown without fully understanding it? Willingness is sure-
ly the first step.

3. Learn to ask simple, yet profound questions that will

lead you home to your heart. This can be done by using a
journal, a tape recorder or speaking out loud. It is a way for you
to know this knowledge resides inside of you. Its a great con-

Becoming a Dreamer 21
 fidence builder to hear that you know the questions to ask.
This will show you where you are at this point in your life. You
will hear whats going on in your head and you may start to see
some patterns or insights just from the questioning process.
The reason I recommend simple questions is to avoid get-
ting into over-processing or over-analyzing. The shrewd busi-
nesswoman Kate Halveson said, If you are all wrapped up in
yourself, you are overdressed. It can be exhausting to over-
think anything. We are going for clarity and insights. Start
with uncomplicated questions. This will help you get clear
about what you really want to know. Start with the intention
of gaining clarity and the process of asking great questions
will serve you well.

4. Listen for the answers, while awake, aware and asleep.

Being quiet enough to hear the answers is the key here. Its so
rich to discover what you do know and, as we ask and open
ourselves to learning and understanding on a core level, we
end up with deeper insights into whom we are and why we are
here. Its a reward you get for doing the work.
As we ask for more specific guidance, such as whether to go
here or there, to do this or that, we hear the answers we need.
As you intimately get to know this wise part of yourself, you
realize that you are never alone and that some of the most pro-
found knowledge of the universe is just a thought away.

5. Ask how you can see with new eyes, hear with new ears
and experience whole new ways of thinking and living.
Sometimes our reality seems so limited, so constricting and
so small. Can you see the humor in this? Can you soften your
focus and see beyond what you normally see? Can you see past
the barriers and the limitations that your senses have?
The artist Gauguin said, I shut my eyes in order to see.
Can you close your eyes and see even more? Have you ever
sensed there was more than meets the eye? Start to recognize
or describe what else may be there. What if there really is
more, perhaps another dimension filled with more magic and

22 The Dream Movement Series www.dreamuniversity.com

 DREAM STEP
Gain Clarity and Insight
What do I want now? What makes me happy? Why am I here? How I can be of serv-
ice to others? What excites me or moves me? Who do I admire and why? What would
I like to learn or try? What would make my life easier and more fun?
Become clear on one important value you hold close today.
Today I discovered that ________________________________________
makes me _____________________________________.

I pledge to put more of this into my life

___________________________________________________________
(sign your name)

ease? Are you willing to tap into it, are you willing to use it and
have it use you to make things happen?
A client and friend of mine named Van who works for Amer-
ican Express was recently in Sedona, Arizona, home to some
of the one of the most stunning vistas in America. The colors
in the landscape are just phenomenal to behold. Over-
whelmed by the orange and red canvas of land and sky, his
breath was literally taken away. Finally, he felt the only way to
experience all of it was to close his eyes. He told me for one
magical moment he experienced himself as part of the sur-
rounding beauty. He approached that moment, not as a pas-
sive bystander, but as a participant, wholly engrossed:
physically, emotionally, cognitively and spiritually.

6. Feel the riches and abundance of you and your life. Basi-
cally, if you can come to believe and know yourself as a rich
person based on who you are versus what you do or what you
have, you will indeed be tapped into a whole new way of living
life and experiencing your magic.
One way to do this is to learn to value everything. Notice

Becoming a Dreamer 23
 the gifts that are in your life and available to you. Obvious
ones include friends, family, your special talents and your
heartfelt feelings. Not so obvious ones may include some of
your current obstacles. Even feelings of fear and doubt are
gifts if you can use them to see a fresh perspective about your-

self, your life and the choices that may be at hand.

There is nothing more

fulfilling than knowing
and experiencing
that you are living on
purpose and making

a difference with
your life.
Start to recognize and label everything a gift and your rela-
tionship to things will change. If everything and everyone in
your life was a gift, imagine how rich you would feel and truly
be. Try this on. See if it doesnt lighten life up for you and the
people around you. This is one way for you to be a bright light
wherever you go.
This is not a Pollyana approach to life. It doesnt mean you
wont be dealing with reality. It does mean that your relationship
and the energy you use to interact with life will be more playful
and more graceful. When we stop resisting things or fixing
things and learn rather to accept everything, life gets easier.

7. Lighten up about life and the natural joy and sparkle of

your being will shine through your eyes. Wait until you see
the people you start to attract now. Be on the lookout for fel-
low magicians, people like you who are committed to living a

24 The Dream Movement Series www.dreamuniversity.com

more joyful and inspirational life with greater ease and fun.
Ask people what they are up to. Join hands with the ones
who are playing in your arena and extend your hand as an invi-
tation to others. This is the best place and way to find your
Dream Circle members and to enroll people into your proj-
ects and your life. Arent these the kind of people you have
always dreamed of partnering and playing with? And use your
talent to help others wake up too. Encourage the people
around you to share their dreams and passions with you. Lis-
ten to them intently. Encourage them to go for it and watch
them light up. This is one small and extremely powerful thing
we all can do for each other.

8. Every day be of service to others. Share your gifts wher-

ever you go. Let your joy be seen and heard. Have a blast in life
while you learn from your experiences. Let life contribute to
you as you generously share who you are with others.
Find the places to express yourself that matter to you and
offer your services and energy there. The greatest gift we have
is the gift of ourselves and absolutely the most fulfilling thing
that we can do with our lives is share ourselves with others.
There is no one else in the world like you. In the whole wide
world there is no one that has your special gifts and talents.
Where do you want to use them? Where do you choose to
make an impact and to have your presence felt?
When I was younger and would hear people talk about vol-
unteering and being of service, my reaction was quite cynical.
I thought those people must have an ulterior motive or why
would they want to help others. That type of altruism baffled
me. My ego couldnt fathom why anyone would want to con-
tribute their time and money and energy to strangers and
needy causes. I thought it was all hype.
Im grateful to say that as I have gotten my attention off of me
and my goals, not only do I see why we would want to be of serv-
ice, but clearly understand and know that a life without mean-
ingful service is shallow and empty. Eleanor Roosevelt said,
When you cease to make a contribution you begin to die.

Becoming a Dreamer 25
 A few weeks ago I attended a fundraiser for the Points of
Light Celebration. They were honoring twenty-five outstand-
ing volunteers who give generously their time, talent and
resources. One young woman really impressed me.
Twenty-one year old Sascha Bittner is a quadriplegic with a
speech disability as a result of cerebral palsy. Besides being a full
time student majoring in social welfare, she devotes eighty
hours a month to organizations such as Kids Project, United
Cerebral Palsy, HIV support services, AIDS Dementia Unit
and is the editor of YES!, a magazine produced by youth with
disabilities. This woman is fully engaged in life and is one of the
most joyous people I have ever met. She lives her life fully alive.
Finding your place is awesome. There is nothing more ful-
filling than knowing and experiencing that you are living on
purpose and making a difference with your life. You can feel
this by playing in the arenas that turn you on. Dont worry
about finding THE one. Youll probably move around as you
evolve. For now, just find an outlet that empowers you by
allowing you to express your passion and your intention to be
of service, and watch the sparks fly!

9. Let your intuition guide you. Emerson said, What lies

behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters, compared
to what lies within us. Really tap into your personal power by
doing all of the above. Get out there and do it. To embrace
this fully it is essential to act on what you believe.
This is the point of breakthrough. All the thinking and feel-
ing in the world is fruitless without taking action. Soon, if you
follow your intuition wholeheartedly, youll move from believ-
ing to seeing that you are in fact capable of fulfilling even the
impossible dreams.

10. Above all, TRUST YOURSELF. No two words are more

powerful for you to use at this time. Commit to learning and
experiencing unconditional self-trust. It takes practice, but
you can do it.
This is what we are going for. I will support you as you

26 The Dream Movement Series www.dreamuniversity.com

 DREAM STEP
Imagine This
If you could trust yourself completely, what would you do? What changes would you
make in your life? Answer the following questions as honestly as you can:
If I were unstopped by fear, I would ______________________________.
If I completely trusted myself, I would ______________________________.

reconnect with this powerful and limitless place within your-

self. This is where you trust yourself implicitly and know in
your heart and soul that anything is possible and that you can
and will live the life you have always dreamed of.

NOCTURNAL DREAMS
During your dreams, you can get information otherwise unat-
tainable. Dreams are the bridge between the world as we
know it and the world as we dream about it. Our dreams con-
nect the unconscious to the conscious, the absurd to the mun-
dane. Our dreams can take us places that our rational minds
cant even fathom and in doing this, can open us up to new
perspectives and ideas. Our dreams can also teach us.
When you are sleeping your unconscious mind is free to
roam and fly, which it does. Dreams are filled with symbols
and images and offer us much guidance and knowledge. Prac-
tice recalling your dreams by writing them down as soon as
you wake up.
According to The Talmud, A dream unexplored is like a let-
ter unopened. Open your precious mail. Just before you fall
asleep, when youre in that twilight sleep, say to yourself, I
will remember my dream. And in the morning at your first
stirring, write down whatever image pops into your head.
Dont undermine yourself by declaring you dont remember
before you even try. One image, one frame, can give you so

Becoming a Dreamer 27
 much insight and information. Carl Jung spent fifteen years
exploring one dream. There is so much rich and insightful
information in all our dreams.
Once youre awake, look more closely at this image or
dream. What do you think its telling you? How does it make
you feel? You can further explore the unconscious messages
by delving into the emotions within the images or symbols.
Consider painting or dancing or singing how the emotion of
this dream makes you feel.
For example, if you have a dream of yourself driving a fast
car through a dark tunnel, notice how you feel. Are you scared
or excited? Consider painting or drawing the feelings and
emotions associated with this image. You may be very sur-
prised to see where your unconscious mind takes you. Exercis-
es like this help develop and strengthen your intuitive
abilities. Learn to use and trust parts of yourself that are not
tapped as often as your thinking rational mind.
Insights from dreams dont come from the thinking part of

the mind. They come from a deeper place. The depth of our

Insights from
dreams come from
a deeper place.
dreams provides an opening and access to who we really are.
Then your mind can help you decide what you want to do with
the insights. Learn to use all of you, especially your uncon-
scious mind. The results will enhance your ability to have
goals and experience more of life.
Wayne Dyer says, Everything that you are capable of
achieving while dreaming, will be possible while awake. Use
everything you have to come to know the truth of who you
are, what you want and how you really want your life to be,
from this moment forward. W

28 The Dream Movement Series www.dreamuniversity.com

Insights
Initiation is about beginning something new, including a
new way of living.
Willingness is essential in any initiation or in making any
dream come true. I cant. often means I wont. You can
change I wont to I will with will power. Practice this.
Focus more on your desire than your doubt. Over-analyz-
ing your desires may cause doubt and pull your atten-
tion away from where you need it.
Imagination is a creative force that will assist you in fig-
uring out what and how you want your life to be. The
more you feel while imagining, the more real it becomes.
Preferences and expectations often lead to attachment
and disappointment. Practice having desire and detach-
ment co-exist.
Expectations can be ineffective or even dangerous
when we are not honest with ourselves and others.
Failure is a potent teacher. Learn from it rather than
being afraid of it.
You can change your beliefs so they empower your
dreams and desires. Create a strong belief in yourself
and what you want.
Learn to recognize when your dream is what your soul
desires rather than what your ego craves.
Believe anything is possible and look for evidence to
support your belief.
Find a deep quiet place within yourself. Practice getting
still and silent and in relationship with this part of you.
Learn to ask simple, yet profound questions that will lead
you home to you heart. Listen for the answers that are
coming from a wise place that you can completely trust.
Explore how you can see with new eyes, hear with new
ears, and experience whole new ways of thinking and living.
Let your intuition guide you and act on what you know.
Feel the riches and abundance of your life by recognizing
everything as a gift.

Becoming a Dreamer 29
 Make a Daily
Dream Visit
For immediate support on
Making Your Dreams Come True,
I invite you to...
Join AmazingDreamers.com

Attend a Dream Workshop

Check Out My Dream Store

Hire a Certified Dream Coach

Marcia Wieder
Americas Dream Coach

www.dreamuniversity.com