Keeping the Dream

Every morning I go to Pinewhisper’s blog on MySpace and read a snippet of wisdom. It’s a nice way to start off my day, and has become a part of my spiritual “getting ready for the day” routine.

This morning he wrote about listening to our inner guidance, to take into consideration the advice and opinions of others - from family to teachers to friends - but to listen to our own inner voice and to open up to Guidance.

This speaks to me of speaking with an authentic voice, to not merely echo the sentiments of others - no matter how well meaning - of being real with ourselves.

This past month, I’ve wondered what my life would have been like if I hadn’t felt the need to prove my worth. What if I was able to be self-accepting of who I was? What if I had a sense of my worth as a human being, that I knew I was loved by God…that I was okay and loved, and instead of proving something that was already given to me as a gift, I developed my talents and let my uniqueness unfold as a natural part of being alive…a simple and joyous celebration of being?

And I know the path I have walked has contributed to who I am today, and there’s no rewinding that tape or going back. But, I, also, know, there’s more to life than what has gone before, and what may have been good enough for motivation in the past may not be so adequate any more.

It has brought me here - this need to prove my worth, to somehow justify the space I was taking up, the resources I was using, the air I was breathing…and the pain and suffering I believed I was the cause for in my family.

But, I’m not there now. I have traveled a distance. So, I’m trying to be more and more open to the thought that I don’t have to prove anything, and make more and more room for the spontaneous joy and love that has always been there, but is now time to be my sole motivation for what I do.

So today, I do ask for Guidance, and more, I ask for the willingness and courage and fun of adventure to follow.

Demian,
~DreamSinger
Keeping the Dream

This book, “the power of kindness”, by Piero Ferrucci showed up in my post office box today. My dear friend, Sue, sent this to me as a surprise, and I was delighted. It seemed to be fitting for what is on my plate right now. In reading the first chapter, a sentence jumped out at me right away.

Pg 4

If we are healthier when we are caring, empathic, and open to others, it means we were born to be kind.”

Born to be kind. That’s delicious, isn’t it? Just let that roll around on your tongue a while.

And that makes sense, doesn’t it? I mean, if we were really basically aggressive and greedy, wouldn’t those states of being be good for us? Wouldn’t they make our blood pressure go down and give us a sense of well-being, because we were being true to our nature?

But curiously, they don’t. They raise our pressure, increase our anxiety and sense of isolation. We feel fed, like on sugar - adrenalin instead of strength, junk food instead of nourishment.

If kindness has been shown to be good for our health, then that has to be some kind of statement as to who…and what we are.

I’ve always felt humanity was basically good, and that the evil that arises is an abberation. We still have free will, and there may be circumstances and motives that sway us from our center…or toward it, but nonetheless, the basic ground of our being is good.

It gives another meaning to “finding our way home”.

Demian,
~DreamSinger
Keeping the Dream

This year, I am remembering what I am about…what I want to be about. I am remembering the purpose to which I have dedicated my music and my writing a long time ago.

I am choosing to focus, to bring into even sharper focus my commitment to the Dream, to doing my part to keep this dream alive by nurturing it within my heart and living it in my life.

It’s not my dream per se. What it means to me reflects who I am as an individual, but what it is is really the dream the world holds, what every human heart longs for in its trueist and most real place.

Peace - within oneself and with others, a sense of belonging and purpose, and a good story to tell with a true voice.

It’s so easy to get distracted. In some way, I’ve let myself get sidetracked with an aspect of music…not the music, itself, but the business part of it. And while I think that’s important and has its place, I find that I just need to get back to my roots, and what motivates me.

I’m not really a musician…I’ve never felt like one. I’m just a dreamer and activist who likes to sing her thoughts more than lecture them. And if it weren’t for the fact that my activism draws me out, I’d probably be happy living a semi-hermitic life with my books and paper and pen.

I made a commitment sometime though, somewhere, that I would do this. There have been times I have abandoned it, but it has never abandoned me. When I thought I would walk away, there I would hear the soft footsteps of my dream following me.

So this year, I will put on my activist shoes and unfold my dreamer’s wings, and go where the path leads and currents take me.

As a symbolic gesture, I’ve changed the url of my myspace profile from “dreamsingermusic” to “keepingthedream”, because it’s not about the music or dreamsinger for that matter - it’s about the Dream, about you and me, and every precious heart, young and old.

I’m glad you’re with me on this journey.

Demian,
~DreamSinger