Awakening the Sacred Dream

One of the life-changing books I’ve read during the pandemic is “Awakened Woman: A Guide to Reigniting and Remembering Our Sacred Dreams’’ by Dr. Tererai Trent. In this book, she shares her remarkable story about achieving her dreams, despite all the life challenges she’s experienced. As a child bride in rural Zimbabwe, married into violently abusive relationships, Dr. Trent dreamed of getting a college education. Coming from a village where girls rarely finished grade school, this dream seemed almost impossible. But she held on to this dream, planted it in the earth, and figured out a way to achieve it. Once she achieved her goal, the dream kept growing. She not only received a college education, but she received a Ph.D. and eventually established a school for girls in her village. She is now a champion for girls’ rights to education and speaks to women worldwide about the power of sacred dreams. Her story is one of wisdom, strength, and courage.

In the book, she says that to awaken the sacred dream, we must tap into the “Great Hunger,” which is a hunger for life with meaning.” The great hunger leads us to the path of the authentic self and encourages us to grow and find ways to help others. Another way to tap into the sacred dream is to ask ourselves, “What breaks my heart?” By asking yourself this question, you are tapping into your deepest longing, hunger, and passion for life.

With the pandemic, climate crisis, racial injustice, and social inequities in the world right now, the energy of transformation is right in front of our eyes. It is time to dream and believe in something greater than ourselves to create a better vision for ourselves and the world. We have the choice and the power to do this, so why not start tapping into your dream and imagine it now?

Do you have a dream buried in your heart? Do you have a way to connect with your deepest self? Perhaps you can light a candle, meditate, journal, or go for a walk in mother nature. From this place of stillness, close your eyes, touch your heart, then intend to ask your deepest self, what are you longing for? What do you see? What do you hear? What are you doing? Create and visualize this mental image, write it down and make it a part of you. Once you connect with your sacred dream, share it with others and give it strength, give it a voice.

Dr. Trent also states that the journey of discovering the dream and then achieving it may be paved with challenges and difficulties, of quieting the voices that might tell you you cannot continue. Continue to do the inner work, believe in yourself and your dream, and stay grounded and rooted to your deepest self and your longing. Also know that some heroes and heroines have paved the way before you; connect with them, study what they’ve done and be open to taking opportunities that can help you with your dream.

Once you’ve achieved your dream, keep showing up and stay committed to action. Continue to share your story, encourage others to dream, and hold space to listen to others’ dreams. As Dr. Trent says, “you are the dreamer, the beacon, and the generous light that enables others to shine.”

What is your sacred dream? How do you envision a better world for yourself and others?