If you’re honest and can face the reality of your dreams—paying close attention—you’ll learn the lessons life teaches.
As with any lesson, the quicker you learn these lessons the better off you are. By being a good student of life you avoid repeating the same mistakes. You find out what makes you happy. You learn both what’s important and what isn’t. You avoid extremes of behavior. You motivate yourself properly and in good ways.
Author Sahil Bloom lists five types of wealth: time; social; mental; physical and (the one that people tend to think of when they think of wealth) financial. Not knowing these lessons can be costly when it comes to all kinds of wealth.
These lessons are described under different names. Sometimes it’s “wisdom.” Other times it’s “experience.” Or jokingly, as the School of Hard Knocks.
Often, they’re simply called “life lessons.”
The Chinese refer to these lessons as “Tao.” One definition of Tao is of the natural lessons of the universe that one must figure out to become wise and grow spiritually. You understand Tao through experience. The character in Chinese means “way” or “path.”
A dream
It’s the last day of my Army Annual Training. I’m going to the DFAC (dining facility) for breakfast. I’m not going to bother putting on the battle dress uniform. Rather, I’ll wear my pajamas and slippers. I can put on the BDUs later. If I wear the pajamas and slippers, I’ll get to the front of the line, in front of those who follow all the rules.
A BDU shirt.
Just so you know, even on the last day of Annual Training in the Army running around in your pajamas wouldn’t happen. The mess sergeant wouldn’t let you eat.
Thing is, BDU boots are firmer than the slippers I wear with my pajamas. I get a flat tire (slipper comes off) when someone inadvertently steps on the back of my leg and my slippers. I start cussing him out, insulting his wife and get others to join in, ganging up on him. Thing that I’m aware of is that my wife is guilty of the very same things but they don’t know that and I call him out first.
My opponent in the dream doesn’t have a face. It’s not a particular person. Rather, it’s a generic somebody else.
Another important point: my way to and from work is filled with people driving crazy, rushing here and there at high speeds. I take the Interstate. Looking into my rearview mirror can be terrifying as people cut in and out of traffic lanes and tailgate me. I’ll often pass collisions.
My rational mind wonders why the hell they drive this way because they end up paying more for car insurance.
This dream is about the way I get excited and impatient when I’m tired of one thing and am going to go do something else. I cuss others out when they behave irresponsibly and don’t follow the rules. Yet I do the very same thing in other situations. My dream called me out on my hypocritical feelings.
For me, it’s a measured response. For them, since I don’t know what kind of pressure and deadline they’re under, nor do I know their stress tolerance, they’re being crazy and foolish.
3 Tao sayings
#1
By patience, you can discipline your desires.
By self-control, you can develop strong character.
By practicing gentleness, you can become as a little child.
By purifying the subconscious, you may become perfect.
#2
To clarify muddy waters, you must hold them still and let things settle.
To glimpse the secret of the Tao, you must keep still and quiet your mind.
#3
Here are the four fundamentals of true spirituality:
recognize simplicity,
cherish purity,
reduce your possessions,
diminish your desires.
Between dream recovery and analysis and the wisdom of good books like the Tao, you can understand yourself and the world better.
James Cobb RN, MSN is the founder of the Dream Recovery System, a top sleep blog. From time to time he shares reflections from his own dreams. He hopes you’re inspired to remember and understand your own.
We use some affiliate links on this blog. If you click on a link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission. This arrangement has no effect on our opinions.
