AYUDH LIFEHACK: REACH YOUR DREAMS!
Last January 17, 2023, we were given the chance to have Emmy for our AYUDH online Life hack where she introduced us to the concept of a ‘Dream Map.’ A ‘ Dream Map’ is a visual tool that helps us clarify our dreams and allow us to take a step closer to reaching them.
The session started with a question: remembering our childhood dreams. Reflecting about it, participants connect with their past passions and see which of them have been abandoned due to their own will, or restrained because of the criticism of their social environment. Some of the participants also shared their thoughts about it.
After that exercise, Emmy shared with them part of her story and some of her dreams. The first one, came from her childhood and it was none other than becoming a singer. She always loved music and singing, but her parents were strict with the idea of studying and working hard to make a living. That belief didn’t help her to reach that dream, but allowed her to become a teacher, another passion that she has had since she was very young.
However, the music dream didn’t disappear just because of the education she received at home. It remained a pleasure, a hobby. When she was around 23 years old, she reached her dream. She played in a band and she even released an album. Emmy was happy and enjoyed making her dream come true. However, she didn’t change her teaching career because she enjoyed doing both and somehow, that dream was just fulfilled.
She felt happy and grateful for her life. However, something was missing; she wanted to find the man with whom she could share her life. It was at that moment, when a friend introduced her to the concept of the Dream map.
A dream map is a vision board which aims to awaken and freely express the specific thoughts and emotions that connect the person with their dreams. It is usually a collage, which combines words, and images, without rules or restriction of creativity and expression languages. It can contain more than one dream, but they should all be important and relevant to the person, strong enough to keep him/her enthusiastic and focused on the goal.
After the end of a previous and long relationship, Emmy knew very well which qualities she was looking for in a companion and which she was not. She was very specific about writing her dream map:
As for the man she was looking for, she drew a heart symbol in her A3 carton paper held in the wall and more than 20 written points describing him. She didn’t look for him, but she was open to meeting new people. One day, in a friend's meeting, someone introduced Emmy to her future husband. They started to know each other, but it was the day he spontaneously read her dream map (without knowing what it was!) and recognised himself in all these aspects that Emmy realized how precise the Universe can be, bringing our dreams to us. So many years later, married and with two little children, she continues being sure that he is the life companion of her dreams.
After this experience, Emmy has shared the concept of the dream map with other people who then reached their dream after making their very own dream map. Actually, she didn't really make other dream maps even though she reached other future dreams. She didn't feel the need for it. Those dreams were to find a family house in a healthy environment for the children and have a sustainable lifestyle. The dream came true, building their house with sustainable materials in an ecovillage in France. She also made her dream come true, not only to teach but to also build a Montessori school. Perhaps, the reason behind her success was that they were clear enough to her; she kept them in mind and followed them with her actions.
In a dream map you can be precise with your dream as much as you want, describing it or visualising it through images. It doesn’t matter how it looks or if others can’t guess your dream looking at it, what is important is that it is clear for you. The process of creating your dream map will help you clarify what are your needs related to your dream and the things which are absolutely necessary for your dream to be reached, the « must have » or « must be » (example: a man who has a spiritual life). The dream map should be kept in a visible place in which you can see it frequently. In that way, it will remind you of your dream every day.
When Emmy finished narrating her story, participants started to think about their current dreams: what brings them enthusiasm and hope, happiness, and joy to make a dream map draft. Some interesting thoughts and conversations came while sharing their dream maps or the description of their dreams.
Most participants didn't think in their dreams, but followed the learnings of our society: make a list of steps to reach the goal. Then, Emmy reminded them that the dream is not any of those steps, but the goal itself. The dream map consists in describing that dream. To describe a dream, the easiest way is to ask yourself questions about it.
One example came out: Publish a book
In what language?
What kind of literary genre or theme?
What kind of readers?
What format: digital or paper?
Do you prefer a self-publication or a publishing house?
Do you want a book with illustrations or only words?
What kind of cover? How does it look like?
How long (approximately)?
What history and message do you want to spread?
What feelings and thoughts do you want your readers to feel while reading it?
When? etc
In summary, to create a dream map, it is necessary to listen to yourself and discover what are your real dreams; those which are strong and make you really happy. But to reach your dreams you need something else than a tool. The dream map is just the beginning of a journey: you should start the way to your dream, taking action, facing your fears and limited thoughts, staying focused and positive, and expressing gratitude for the steps you reach little by little.
And you, what is your dream?
