How to Retrieve Your Dreams

A part of me can’t believe it’s already our 6 month anniversary, and yet there’s another part of me that feels like I’ve been doing this forever!

The idea for Love and Above Cat Club was born in late 2016, months after Cumin, my soulcat of over 19 years, passed away. I just never did anything about the idea except toss it back and forth between “what a crazy idea!” and “how wonderful it might be: Self-Care for Cat Lovers, Love Yourself Like Your Love Your Cat!”

It would take four years and a world-altering pandemic to get me to take action. 

One of the things this pandemic taught me is: don’t let your dreams wait.

I started brainstorming and writing things down in November 2020, then spent my entire two weeks of holiday vacation nose down, creating, formulating, testing, and writing, while my partner edited, designed, and worked on the website. My dream was to launch on Cumin’s birthday. Things were very far from perfect and we barely made it, but we soft launched on March 9th.

Months later, reading the book, Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert, I was reminded that there’s no guarantee that our ideas will wait for us. In fact, some of them don’t, and POOF! Just as quickly as they came, they leave. You see, our ideas and inspirations are not really our own. We are the channels, the vessels, and Spirit/Divine/Universe/God is what does the work, through us. If we keep ignoring ideas, eventually, they move on to another channel more willing bring them to life.

Dream Retrieval

If this resonates with you but you just don’t know what to do, I’d suggest getting a beautiful journal or notebook. Choose something lovely and inspiring because this is what will house all the dreams.

Now go as far back as you can remember and write down all the ideas you’ve had, all the things you’ve been drawn to do. Important note: do not edit. Let all those judgments pass on by. This is so important because we’re attempting to operate from a free, fluid, and open channel. Write everything down, no matter how they sound to you today. Retrieve those dreams!

Sparks Joy?

After you’re done, go over your list. Some of the things on the list will feel sort of dead. They'll have no shine or luster and you’ll have no emotion about them. Cross these off and let them go. It’s likely that these ideas have already gone on to co-create with others.

Go over the list again and anything that has life to it – that sparks great joy – circle these.

Amongst this joy list, go through them again and star the ones that truly make you come alive. If you’ve starred a few, go over the list again and one of these may edge out the others in terms of energy. In essence: prioritize the most life-giving dream. This is the one you dust off, shine up and nurture! The fact that you still feel called to it says it’s waited for you.

The Others

Don’t worry about the others that you’ve circled and starred. Focus on one dream at a time, the one that’s the most life-giving.

Keep the others safely in your dream book. These dreams are probably not ready; maybe they need more sacred simmering. Find comfort knowing that we are, by nature, creative beings, channels. There will always be an abundance of ideas wanting to move through you. And thus, as you move forward, any time you have an inspired idea, write it in this book. Just the act of writing it down tells the Spirit/Divine/Universe/God that you’re a willing participant, that you’re open. Then continue on with the dream at hand.

Importance of the Parachute

“Jump and the net will appear!” Nope. No thank you. I need a parachute.

I mean, I’m cool jumping and all; I may have to work up to it, but I’ll summon the courage to jump. But what I won’t do is jump and hope that some cushy net will appear and rebound me back up to the puffy clouds. Nope! As a person with a history of trauma, this doesn’t work for me. My nervous system is already on high alert from the past, so just jumping with only some "hope" would set my whole system ablaze (not in a good way) and I’d probably die mid-air. 

So although I absolutely advocate for jumping (taking action on your dream) do it with a parachute (general planning, not paralysis planning)! This means launching your new business; not giving your two-weeks notice. This means training for that marathon and pacing yourself; not signing on to the marathon happening next week.

Take the Time Needed to Nurture

Remember it’s not a race, so take whatever time you need to nurture your dream.

Much of the dissatisfaction with life isn’t because a dream is unfulfilled, but because we're not taking any steps to progress toward it. I was surprised and relieved to learn this. What we spiritual beings (having a human experience) really need in order to feel good, is progress. That’s what’s meant by “it’s the journey and not the destination.”

It’s not about rushing to cross the finish line, because it's not about crossing the finish line. It's about each successive step along the way. (See how the word "success" is, in essence, about "succession"? It's about the  next thing, the keeping on.)

And what’s great about progress is that it can be made every single day. 

In Gratitude

I thank all the stars that the Love and Above Cat Club waited for me.

And I thank you for being here, being open, and making space for me to pop onto your screen.

Happy 6th Month Anniversary, Love and Above Cat Club!

There's so much more to come!

With Love and Above,
Siena