Foundation to Flight

For a post that is meant to be something "special and uniquely you" , what else could I bring except the topic of the dreem?

It's an interesting observation - to see tags and sites and books and labels all sharing the same root word: dreem, and to know that it spawned from my own mind. But then, it's not so surprising, because I've always been able to generate a synergistic attraction to love and fun and joy and connection, and create clusters of kindred spirits. It's one of my gifts and so I feel compelled to use it, and use it well.

Since it is a gift, it feels odd to be appreciated for it. To me, it feels like someone is thanking me for having brown eyes, or for being 5'2". I had no more say in those physical traits than I did in my spiritual gifts. And yes, I do believe the dreem is a spiritual gift since its main purpose is to honor God with all that I do. Of course, there is a natural blessing for anyone who chooses to splash around in the overflow that spills out and drips down the sides.

But where does the dreem actually reside?

I used to think its home was the brain. But recently, a friend reminded me of a quote by one of my favorite people, C.S. Lewis. He happens to be my mentor, and the third person I will meet in heaven. He had a profound way of expressing the inexpressible, and like a master archer, his words so often hit the bullseye of my heart.

"We don't have a soul. We are a soul. We have a body." - C.S. Lewis

For years, I hated my brain; I saw it as an object to be beaten and mastered. It was ruthless in its dealings with me and never catered to my desires. As the years passed, and it slowly began to reveal the reasons for its necessary protection, I started to admire it more. Admiration turned to pity as I discovered how broken and faulty it actually was.

The dreem, that has been inside me for as long as I could remember, was a product of that brain. If the brain needed to be mastered, the dreem needed to be controlled. If the brain was appreciated, the dreem could be unmuzzled. If the brain was pitied, the dreem was mocked.

As I started to contemplate the topic of this post, that quote kept hopping from neuron to neuron, playing hide and seek with my consciousness. When I sat down to formulate my thoughts, the truth revealed itself.

The brain is part of the body, and subject to the physical limitations. The dreem is part of the soul, and beyond normal human restrictions. Once I realized this, I realized something very important: as far as is humanly possible, nothing can stop my dreem. If this is a gift from God and God is for me, then who can be against me? That inspired a sort of reckless confidence that might be labeled presumptuous to some. I might have cared about that label in the past; I no longer do.

If you've experienced that kind of enlightened clarity, then you understand precisely what kind of freedom it brings. A light, fresh lifting that seats you above all the foolishness - and even helps point out the foolishness you've been contributing yourself. A confidence that you're fully equipped where it matters most. A calm peace that reassures you that the gift can't be taken away. A boost of boldness to dare you to use it to its greatest potential. A gentle reminder that though it can't be stolen, we can foolishly give it away or misuse it.

Storms gather, enemies plot, thieves lie in wait - and it's only a matter of time before pressure builds and human anxieties start to steal my focus. This inability to remain calm throughout the storm used to shame and defeat me. It annoyed me that my head knew what to do, but my heart couldn't keep with the program.

As pressure mounts now, I still can unravel, but I've noticed something important that testifies to my growth: recovery time. Any athlete will tell you that a sign of great physical conditioning is not only in the length of time it takes to exhaust the body, but also in how quickly the body can recover from that state. With practice, the time from exhaustion to recovery shortens significantly.

The same is true for emotional and spiritual exhaustion. Instead of obsessing over my inability to fully conquer the storms, and remain unaffected, I now measure the time it takes to bounce back from exhaustion. This helps me to focus less on the feeling of repeated failure, and more on the emotional and spiritual conditioning of my soul. It also helps significantly to protect my perspective of the dreem. Instead of allowing it to be tainted from the physical, I try to see it hovering, shielded from the chaos below. Or even floating above in peace, drifting and dreeming atop the depths.

Instead of giving everything in my life an overhaul, I sift the damaged parts out of the mix, and tend to them. This attempts to prevent the extreme overreactions that come in the form of temptations to surrender, self-pity, doubt, and defeat. Those do still come, but remember - shortened recovery time is a quantifiable measure of progress; every victory counts, no matter how small.

The purpose of this post was to share some of my vulnerabilities openly, in an attempt to connect my struggles with yours, so that perhaps my victories could also be yours. I don't know if this was relatable to everyone, but if it's relatable to some - it's worthwhile.

I'd like to use this final paragraph to speak to the hearts who see themselves in this post. The world is against you. There is no light-hearted way to share that - it is simply true. We live in a time where hope is mocked, where innocence is deemed inferior, where money is god, and the pursuit of power is the priority. Before you compare yourself to those, and feel swayed to follow in their footsteps, ask yourself this:

• Do they ever truly seem happy?
• Do they ever have enough?
• Does their pursuit truly bring them joy?
• If they are so fulfilled, why are they so concerned with lil' old you?

I imagine that they are very affected, because they need you more than you need them. And if this is true, live as if it's so. Live -as if it's so.

After you've separated yourself from the trivial, ground yourself in your identity. Every morning step fully into the gifts that you have, and bring them to the world in only the way that you can.

If you need a little help, I created this battle plan for you! Hope it helps to start you with the right mindset each day!

Remember, you are above the petty, and the childish and the menial. Don't get sucked into daily dramas and incessant crises. You have a far greater purpose, and they know it. Don't allow their envy to distract you from what you were meant to do.

Recover quickly, and get busy building.
Time is ticking, my friends.

Thank you @alessandrawhite and @shadowspub for a beautiful, strengthening, meaningful challenge this month! It was our absolute delight to link arms with your crew at Creative Work Hour! Hope you don't mind if we stay linked ❤️

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Thanks to @shadowspub, @penderis, @bluefinstudios, @kemmyb, @wesphilbin, @melinda010100, @samsmith1971, @silversaver888, @lizelle, @kenechukwu97, @jacoalberts, @acgalarza, @blackdaisyft, @balikis95, @alessandrawhite, and @dreemsteem for making the @dreemport voting power go farther! ❤️

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_{All images were painstakingly... and I do mean paiiiinstakingly created over 3 weeks using Midjourney, Photopea, Canva, Midjourney again, back to Photopea, adjust back in Canva.... and so on. It was an absolute labor of love to create these images, create each logo, find JUST the perfect movement of hair, of mane, of powerful horse, of reflection on water, of stormcloud shade, of the perfect amount of dirt kicked up by hooves. Obsessed? Maybe. But I wanted to honor this piece and our work together for 3 weeks with something that reflected exactly the emotion I wanted to convey. Every inch of these images is 100% mine... hehe but If you'd like to use them, please feel free to do so. Enjoy them!}