Dreams and Reality: A Guest Post by Suzanne Lilly

Dreams and Reality: Which is Which?

Guest post by Suzanne Lilly

Hold fast to dreams for if dreams die

life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly.

- Langston Hughes

In this poem, Langston Hughes is writing about the dreams that drive our lives. People who achieve great things dream up the goal and then strive toward it. People who are stars in their fields dreamed of their achievement, then worked hard to get there.

But what about the other way around? Can seeing what we think is reality in a dream affect the choices we make each day? Philosophers and theologists have debated this for centuries. I believe it can, and that’s at the heart of my story, Shades of the Future.

Have you ever dreamed of something so vivid that when you woke, your heart was pounding, or you were frightened, or you felt uneasy?

There was a story on the news in California several years ago about a woman who had a car accident on a lonely road at night. Another woman, a complete stranger, was visiting a relative’s home. She woke in the middle of the night after having a dream, convinced she needed to get up, get on the road, and go home immediately. She and her husband packed up and left right away.

As they drove down a rural California road, they saw a woman in the dark, lying on the shoulder of Highway 50. They called the highway patrol, and when the CHP came out and searched the area, they found a car at the bottom of a ravine. A mother and her toddler son were still strapped in the car after an accident. They boy was saved, but unfortunately, the mother was already dead. In this true story, a dream saved a little boy’s life.

This was a warning dream. Have you ever had a dream where you saw yourself being successful or attaining something you’ve always wanted?

I’ve often heard it said that dreams become reality. We can act on our dreams. We can do things to reach for the things we dream about. Perhaps in this way we can make our dreams become reality. Keep in mind Oprah Winfrey’s words,

The key to realizing a dream is to focus not on success but significance - and then even the small steps and little victories along your path will take on greater meaning.

If we take the little steps to make our dreams come true, eventually we’ll get there.

As William Shakespeare wrote:

We are such stuff

As dreams are made on.

What do you think? Do your dreams affect your waking life?



About Suzanne Lilly

Suzanne Lilly is a writer at night and a teacher by day, which is why she’s known online as the TeacherWriter. Her articles and stories have appeared in numerous places online and in print. She writes light romance, young adult, and middle grade novels. When not busy with words, she enjoys swimming, hiking, reading, fine arts, and cooking. She lives in California with her family and furry friends and has yet to feel an earthquake. You can follow her on Twitter as @suzannelilly, visit her TeacherWriter blog, at her Suzanne Lilly Author website, or friend her on Goodreads, and on Facebook.

Her debut novel, Shades of the Future, published by Turquoise Morning Press, is available July 2012. What would you do if you could see your future? What you think is “the gift” may actually be a curse.