Your vision for what you want your life to look like is sacred

I make space for my dream in my daily life

By Andrea Schroeder | March 18, 2024

This is the mantra I got in this week’s Dream Book journaling + alchemy kit: I make space for my dream in my daily life.

Well this one hits like a bomb of tangled feelings. For a few minutes I sit with this growing discomfort growling in my chest.

I was in a good mood before I picked my kit for this week, now I’m crabby.

What gives?

It feels like SO MUCH WORK to get to the life I want next. And I’m tired.

OK, what does this feeling need?

A hug. A mug of tea. Maybe a cookie. Validation. An offer to rest.

She just waves all this away.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever”

Yeah, yeah, whatever? What does that mean?

You’re just doing all the things you do.

You mean, trying my best to take care of my feelings?

[Big sigh and eye roll.]

OK so you’re a teenager.

[Big sigh.] I just want to HAVE this, not WORK FOR this. I don’t want to have to believe in myself or trust the process. I want it given to me.

A give her a big hug.

Yeah, I get it. You don’t feel you have the skills for any of this because… you don’t! You are my teenaged self, and you don’t have the emotional intelligence to even understand what’s going on behind your feelings.

You think having your life look how you want will make you feel the way you want. You have so much learning ahead of you.

And then I think about all the learning that has happened for me since I was a teenager.

And I try to bring ALL PARTS OF ME into the present moment.

My almost-50 year old self actually DOES want to work for this. I don’t consider it WORK I consider it CREATING and it’s what I am here for. I DO believe in myself and I DO trust the process.

What does my CURRENT PRESENT SELF think of this mantra?

It is a bit… “well there is a lot to do before I can really have this thing”.

I mean - I could go out and buy an RV tomorrow on credit. But I want this to NOT create financial stress. I want to be set up for it. I want it to be easy. And I know travel will take some focus, and I need space for that - like to be ahead in my work and have stronger systems and... I want to feel READY. And getting ready is a process.

So…

“I make space for my dream in my daily life”

Makes me REALLY aware of the space between where I am and where I want to be.

And I don’t feel very at peace with that today.

That’s how it is sometimes.

Come dream with us

 

Dream Book members:

Come to the forum to share your thoughts or start a conversation about whatever you're working with.

Get your next Dream Book lesson or get a weekly journaling + alchemy kit.

Go the Library of Creative Dream Alchemy to find a practice that fits for where you are or use the Dream Lab if you're not sure where to start.

Check out the calendar of upcoming calls. Make a plan to join us live or catch a replay.

Be more intentional about being more intentional [Weekly Dream Status Report]

By Andrea Schroeder | March 15, 2024

Note: This is a post about my daily practice with my Creative Dreams - I often link to the tools, courses and processes I use which are available to Dream Book members. If you're not a member, find out more + join us here.

On Fridays I do my Dream Status Report which is a series of prompts I use every week to help me have more clarity, momentum and groundedness on my path. You can do them with me (Dream Book members: come post yours in the forum!)!

My Dream Status Report for this week:

PART ONE:

My dream is: I want to get an RV or camper van and travel… WITH MY CAT BEAR!!!! Create a comfy cozy home on wheels, and write + make art on the road while we have adventures.

I want it because: It feels so sweet and makes me happy.

When I have it I will feel: I think I will feel so happy, free and thrilled with my life.

PART TWO:

Invite the soul of your dream in (using the Dream Lab practice) to help you with the rest of the prompts.

My dream shows up as this gorgeous white flower - maybe a magnolia? It’s big and beautiful and smells amazing.

PART THREE:

Last week’s focus was: Be more intentional about focusing on my goals. How can I make more fun + interesting to be more intentional?

What happened in the last week?

The time change really did a number on me! I was distracted and anxious… well I think the anxiety was peri-menopause. I was not focused but I was thinking a lot about intention.

I had an amazing therapy session, for the first time since my husband leaving and then his son almost dying - I did not cry once. We went deep, I wasn’t avoiding anything, I just didn’t feel sad. (Until now, even when I was feeling good in my life, I would walk into therapy and immediately start crying, which has been so healing and helpful)

I am really focused on the life I want to create now. I turn 50 in 6 weeks. I feel so ready for a while new chapter AND there are some changes I need to make and things I need to do, to give myself what I want for this new chapter.

What am I learning/How do I feel about this?

I feel really accepting of having a not-so-productive week. I am remembering that growth is not linear, and last week was SUPER productive in outer stuff, this week felt more like internal growth, dreaming and acclimation time. This is all a part of it. What I mostly feel is proud of myself for how I’ve been handling everything, and excited/optimistic about my future.

What do I need now?

I started an art project, just for me, and I want more time for it. It’s not so much about the project, but about the feeling I get when I work on it - creative and free and happy. I am really feeling SPRING IS HERE and want to enjoy it.

What does my dream need now?

The flower has this kind of rainbow energy around it, I get the sense it needs to be ACTIVATED. I think this is related to the message from last week about being more intentional, and finding ways to enjoy being more intentional. My dream wants me to be more intentional about being intentional, lol.

Taking all of this into account, my focus for the next week is:

Be more intentional about being more intentional.

 

Dream Book members:

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Come to the forum to share your Dream Status Report or start a conversation about whatever you're working with.

Get your next Dream Book lesson.

Check out the calendar of upcoming calls.

I am pushing myself and it’s uncomfortable

By Andrea Schroeder | March 14, 2024

I am pushing myself. Pushing is maybe the wrong word. I am making a BIG commitment. Like… not to something big but big as in an UNBREAKABLE commitment to myself, to do this thing consistently that I have NOT been consistent about at all…

So I am doing the thing…

And my stomach is getting all knotted up.

And I think of the life coaches online who say that this is fine. Who talk about THROWING UP from feeling so anxious about what they are doing, but pushing themselves to keep going. JUST KEEP DREAMING BIGGER! WHO CARES WHAT YOUR BODY SAYS?!?

So - no, I am not doing that.

I’m noticing my stomach knotting up, and saying “Oh, hi there, knot in my stomach.”

The knot says: I feel like this is moving too fast.

Yeah? Yeah, I can see that.

I feel like, you just made this decision this morning and now you’re already taking so many steps! Like WTF? Can we just have lunch?

Well, yeah we’re going to have lunch. But - I didn’t just make this decision suddenly this morning. Do you not see how long I’ve been thinking about this? This morning I decided to move forward, but it’s not a sudden decision.

It feels sudden.

I can totally see that. What would help you feel more comfortable with this?

I don’t want to take this step TODAY.

What would you rather do today?

I want to acknowledge we did a whole bunch of stuff today! And we can take this next step tomorrow. I want to make art. I want YOU to respect your body’s needs and capacity! We did a lot today, now let’s have lunch, make some art, rest, go to the gym later…

So you will agree to do this tomorrow?

I mean I don’t know how I’ll feel tomorrow I just know that today we took enough steps. And if you keep trying to take more steps it WILL feel like pushing beyond what your body is telling you is right and I don’t think that is the choice you want to make.

No, it’s not. But I also won’t make the choice to keep delaying this step because parts of me are uncomfortable with it. So if you get knotted up tomorrow at the thought of this, we need to have a longer discussion.

Yes, that’s fair.

Come dream with us

 

Dream Book members:

Come to the forum to share your thoughts or start a conversation about whatever you're working with.

Get your next Dream Book lesson or get a weekly journaling + alchemy kit.

Go the Library of Creative Dream Alchemy to find a practice that fits for where you are or use the Dream Lab if you're not sure where to start.

Check out the calendar of upcoming calls. Make a plan to join us live or catch a replay.

I have tried so many times. What makes this time different?

By Andrea Schroeder | March 13, 2024

This is something EVERYONE experiences on the path to a dream.

If you’ve never experienced it, it probably means you’re not really showing up for your dream. You’re not stretching and growing.

If you are experiencing it, you know it’s ROUGH.

Here are 2 prompts I am using to make it easier:

How do I make this time different?

How do I resolve my feelings about how this has gone in the past, and feel free to pursue this wholeheartedly, without past “failures” weighing me down?

These are the kinds of questions that need a lot of time and space to ponder. Don’t go with the first answers that come to mind.

Come dream with us

 

Dream Book members:

Come to the forum to share your thoughts or start a conversation about whatever you're working with.

Get your next Dream Book lesson or get a weekly journaling + alchemy kit.

Go the Library of Creative Dream Alchemy to find a practice that fits for where you are or use the Dream Lab if you're not sure where to start.

Check out the calendar of upcoming calls. Make a plan to join us live or catch a replay.

Remember what you used to struggle with

By Andrea Schroeder | March 12, 2024

For a while, I was struggling with SHOWING UP online.

I was writing a daily post in Dream Book, thinking about sharing those, or parts of them, on my public blog and/or social media, and not knowing HOW.

I started experimenting.

It was hard! Like, the inner part was hard. Wrapping my head about what I share where. And who I am writing to when I write. It is a MILLION times easier for me to write to the people inside Dream Book (these are my peeps! We are working together on this stuff! I know they get it!) than it is for me to write and put it on my blog.

EVEN THOUGH I know that the people who read my blog also get it, I know the general public is not cruising through here, still it feels fraught and that’s valid!

So. It took a while to work through stuff and now…

I love the way I am SHOWING UP online. All of those tangles are smooth.

And this morning I got all of my blogs scheduled for a week and felt like “UGH I haven’t gotten to the things I wanted to do, I was just doing the blogs”

AS THOUGH this is a small task.

Because once it’s not fraught anymore, it’s like I take for granted that I can just DO IT.

So instead I want to say “HEY THAT’S AMAZING!!! YOU DID IT GIRL!!!!!”

And it’s not just me.

Where are you discounting all the stuff you’ve worked through, and all the ways you’ve grown?

Come dream with us

 

Dream Book members:

Come to the forum to share your thoughts or start a conversation about whatever you're working with.

Get your next Dream Book lesson or get a weekly journaling + alchemy kit.

Go the Library of Creative Dream Alchemy to find a practice that fits for where you are or use the Dream Lab if you're not sure where to start.

Check out the calendar of upcoming calls. Make a plan to join us live or catch a replay.

I hold space for my growth + expansion

By Andrea Schroeder | March 11, 2024

This is the mantra I got in this week’s Dream Book journaling + alchemy kit: I make space for my growth + expansion.

I’m so glad I got this mantra this week, how to MAKE SPACE for growth is something I have been thinking about a lot.

I mean - my divorce feels like a FORCE of growth and expansion.

And also my feelings about the state of the world are acting as a force for growth and expansion.

So I've been thinking about HOW I MAKE and HOLD space for myself.

On our New Moon Call last week the intention that came to me was EPIC HEALING.

Which is not about epic outer results, but about epic ways of holding space for my healing and growth.

And so far, I'm thinking this means:

  • Quality physical self care: nutrient dense eating, lots of exercise, good sleep habits
  • Daily meditation + journaling
  • Daily time for creative projects that are NOT work projects
  • Starting a new art project that is kind of a touchstone for my healing goals
  • Holding the intention - being clear about WHY I want "epic healing", journaling about what this means for me, what I hope to get out of it and how I hope to feel while in the process

But I am thinking too about how we can’t be the ONLY ones holding space for our growth + expansion.

And how often we ARE the only ones!

How often the people closest to us cannot support our growth or our dreams.

And I don’t think that means we need to change the people who are around us, it means we need to seek out that support. (Hint hint, this is why I offer ALL of my courses and live coaching calls in ONE membership)

BUT the thing is our culture DOES NOT support our dreams or our growth, and in fact actively works AGAINST both in a lot of ways, so it becomes extremely difficult to even see what effective support would even look and feel like.

So we go without.

And it’s hurting us.

A question to ponder:

What would right-fit support look like?

Come dream with us

 

Dream Book members:

Come to the forum to share your thoughts or start a conversation about whatever you're working with.

Get your next Dream Book lesson or get a weekly journaling + alchemy kit.

Go the Library of Creative Dream Alchemy to find a practice that fits for where you are or use the Dream Lab if you're not sure where to start.

Check out the calendar of upcoming calls. Make a plan to join us live or catch a replay.

Make it more fun + interesting to be more intentional [Weekly Dream Status Report]

By Andrea Schroeder | March 8, 2024

Note: This is a post about my daily practice with my Creative Dreams - I often link to the tools, courses and processes I use which are available to Dream Book members. If you're not a member, find out more + join us here.

On Fridays I do my Dream Status Report which is a series of prompts I use every week to help me have more clarity, momentum and groundedness on my path. You can do them with me (Dream Book members: come post yours in the forum!)!

My Dream Status Report for this week:

PART ONE: 

My dream is: I want to get an RV or camper van and travel… WITH MY CAT BEAR!!!! Create a comfy cozy home on wheels, and write + make art on the road while we have adventures.

I want it because: It feels so sweet and makes me happy.

When I have it I will feel: I think I will feel so happy, free and thrilled with my life.

PART TWO: 

Invite the soul of your dream in (using the Dream Lab practice) to help you with the rest of the prompts.

My dream shows up as a multifaceted gem, shining.

PART THREE:

Last week’s focus was: Focus on my Dream Self who knows how to take these next steps.

What happened in the last week? 

WOW that "me who knows how to take the next steps" was really there for me this week. There is all this stuff I have been wanting to do, like working with the "businessy parts" of my business, that I have felt overwhelmed about for so long, and then this week it was all... not easy, but do-able and actually enjoyable. And actually DOING IT make me feel really good.

What am I learning/How do I feel about this?

I feel really proud of myself. I've put some of these things off for soooo long. These tasks are not my strong suit, but my business needs them to be strong so it feels good to be doing them.

What do I need now?

Just keep going - with all of the outer work AND inner work AND dream work AND self care that I have been doing.

What does my dream need now?

The multifaceted gem kind of glows - it feels like it's saying it needs more intentionality from me.

Taking all of this into account, my focus for the next week is:

Be more intentional about focusing on my goals. How can I make more fun + interesting to be more intentional?

Come dream with us
Dream Book members:

Come to the forum to share your Dream Status Report or start a conversation about whatever you're working with.

Get your next Dream Book lesson.

Check out the calendar of upcoming calls.

Asking bigger questions + giving those questions more space

By Andrea Schroeder | March 7, 2024

I am using a year-long tracker (from the Dream Plan Kit) to track when I work on my year-long Resistance Project.

There are a LOT of days not marked off.

We’re only a little over 2 months into the new year and already I’m showing up so much less…

Is what I thought was happening until I looked deeper.

What’s actually happening is I am asking much BIGGER questions.

And then taking time to be in the space of having questions without answers.

THIS DOES NEED TIME.

Rushing to FIND ANSWERS does not move you forward in the way that GIVING THE QUESTIONS MORE TIME does.

GIVING THE QUESTIONS MORE TIME moves you deeper into it, where whole new possibilities exist.

And I know it can be hard to see the difference between FINDING ANSWERS and GIVING THE QUESTIONS MORE TIME… but give it more time, you’ll see.

 

The new Moon Intention Setting + Alchemy Meditation Call is TODAY!!!!  Dream Book members - get the call details here. The replay will be on that page a few hours after we're done the call.

If you're not in Dream Book, you can get the New Moon Intention Setting Guided Journal here! This is the same process that we do on the calls, in a workbook format!

Come dream with us

 

Dream Book members:

Come to the forum to share your thoughts or start a conversation about whatever you're working with.

Get your next Dream Book lesson or get a weekly journaling + alchemy kit.

Go the Library of Creative Dream Alchemy to find a practice that fits for where you are or use the Dream Lab if you're not sure where to start.

Check out the calendar of upcoming calls. Make a plan to join us live or catch a replay.

If you have a problem to solve or a change to make

By Andrea Schroeder | March 6, 2024

If you have a problem to solve or a change to make: are you spending time with it every day?

Why or why not?

As a part of my year-long project of exploring my resistance this year, this is what I’ve been wondering.

There IS a thing I want to change.

And I keep thinking “Oh! I want to change this!”

But am I showing up and being in the process of change every day?

No.

Why?

So many reasons spring to mind but they’re all actually just excuses…

And then I found a new question:

Am I in resistance here, or do I just have a really critical inner voice that I am (rightfully!) avoiding?

My “YOU SHOULD HAVE ALREADY FIGURED THIS OUT” voice is very loud. And it makes me so uncomfortable, it’s throwing this sticky shame all over me.

So, yeah, that’s not really resistance that’s self preservation.

Because CONSCIOUSLY I wasn’t really aware of how much damage this voice was causing.

But sitting with questions-without-answers and staying with the uncomfortable feelings can shift perspective and I am starting to see it.

So now I can focus on this, as a way in to exploring the thing I want to explore.

 

The new Moon Intention Setting + Alchemy Meditation Call is tomorrow! This is open to all Dream Book members - get the call details here.

If you're not in Dream Book, you can get the New Moon Intention Setting Guided Journal here! This is the same process that we do on the calls, in a workbook format!

Come dream with us

 

Dream Book members:

Come to the forum to share your thoughts or start a conversation about whatever you're working with.

Get your next Dream Book lesson or get a weekly journaling + alchemy kit.

Go the Library of Creative Dream Alchemy to find a practice that fits for where you are or use the Dream Lab if you're not sure where to start.

Check out the calendar of upcoming calls. Make a plan to join us live or catch a replay.

New Moon Intention Setting

By Andrea Schroeder | March 5, 2024

New Moon is this Sunday, March 10!

The new Moon Intention Setting + Alchemy Meditation Call is this Thursday, March 7. This is open to all Dream Book members - get the call details here.

If you're not in Dream Book, you can get the New Moon Intention Setting Guided Journal here! This is the same process that we do on the calls, in a workbook format!

Our last New Moon call was intense for me.

A new intention came out of that meditation: to go DEEP into inner CREATIVITY + EXPLORATION, not quite inner WORK. Of course it’s connected to inner work, it felt like bringing the joy of exploration and expression deeper into my inner landscape.

And, when this came to me, I had an idea of what it would look like - the kind of art I would make.

I was super wrong.

I haven’t made much art, but I have brought a new level of curiosity and non-judgement into how I engage with my inner world. Which has been so difficult AND rewarding.

Some months I know EXACTLY what intention I want to set.

Some months I have no clue.

But showing up and setting an intention every month, doing the meditation to really LISTEN to myself, always brings me something good. It keeps me moving along the path and not staying stagnant anywhere.

 

Again - the new Moon Intention Setting + Alchemy Meditation Call is this Thursday, March 7. This is open to all Dream Book members - get the call details here.

If you're not in Dream Book, you can get the New Moon Intention Setting Guided Journal here! This is the same process that we do on the calls, in a workbook format!

Come dream with us

 

Dream Book members:

Come to the forum to share your thoughts or start a conversation about whatever you're working with.

Get your next Dream Book lesson or get a weekly journaling + alchemy kit.

Go the Library of Creative Dream Alchemy to find a practice that fits for where you are or use the Dream Lab if you're not sure where to start.

Check out the calendar of upcoming calls. Make a plan to join us live or catch a replay.