DREAMS OF FALLING AND FLYING are among the shared dreams across age groups and cultures. One speaks to insecurity and the other to freedom to soar. Today’s dream offers a taste of both.

Dear SMYD,

I am at a good point in my life. Not that everything is perfect, but I just can’t ask for more than I have right now. My marriage is good; kids are finally on their own and doing pretty well independently. I have no worries at work. The worst thing that happens is my occasional thought that things can’t go on like this forever. Something is bound to go wrong. I try to be grateful every day. At the same time, I am afraid that a disaster will befall us and take all this happiness away.

I dreamed that I was working my way around an incredibly high rock face. It was bowed outward and I had my back flattened against it and my arms outstretched as I inched my way along. The sky was blue and I was so high up that I could even see some wispy clouds below me. Even farther below was a beautiful blue ocean. Everything was so beautiful that I almost felt like I would jump! In fact, I wanted to jump just to see how it would feel. But it was very scary. Then I decided not to jump. And I continued to edge along as I had been going.

Signed, Scared of Heights

Dear Scared,

Your dream depicts your current state of mind metaphorically: As you stated, everything around you in your waking life is beautiful, but you are able to enjoy it only in a limited way because of your fear of disaster. Thus you find yourself on the precipice, in constant fear, yet surrounded by breathtaking beauty. As in your waking life, in your dream you worry about future loss instead of drinking in the present.

But the dream doesn’t simply retell what you already know. It shows that you make the conscious decision to continue as you are — inching along in fear, not fully enjoying what you have and limiting yourself to that overly cautious, dreadful way of operating.

Your dream suggests that you are seized by a frightened mindset that keeps you nervous and tentative, forever trying to avoid what may never happen. You had a moment in your dream where you considered taking off, “just to see how it would feel” to be free. Your dream is pointing to a part of you that wants to fly. Try to imagine the feeling you would have experienced if you had taken the leap in your dream!

Chances are, you are restricting yourself from trying something adventurous just because you don’t want to rock the boat of your almost perfect life. Don’t worry about failures, Dear Dreamer; worry instead about the chances you miss when you don’t even try.

It’s important to remember that worry doesn’t take away tomorrow’s troubles; it takes away today’s joy.

Sweet Dreams to you!

Carolyn Plath, M.Ed., is a Benicia resident and member of the International Association for the Study of Dreams. Reach her at sendmeyourdreams@yahoo.com.

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