In 2020, when the world felt like it was spinning off its axis, I was sustained, surprised, and sometimes amused by the wisdom of my dreams.

The news was fake, and leaders spouted lies. So, I looked to my dreams for wise guidance. Here’s what I got:

1.

Be bold, be courageous, use your voice, do your thing. Then settle down peacefully.

I didn’t like this dream message when I received it early on in 2020. Settle down peacefully? No! I wanted to continue to act, achieve, and have adventures. Little did I know that in the months to come, my primary lesson would be to adjust to settling into quiet spaces—as the outside world shut down in the face of the Covid-19 Pandemic.

2.

Dress beautifully in surprising colors.

This may not be the deepest wisdom I received from a dream this year, but it was delivered by a woman dressed in a unique style wearing a necklace shaped like a tulip. Her energy was so buoyant that I woke up giddy and smiling. I still find myself dressing in muted tones for the most part. But I like to think that surprising colors can radiate from within, too.

3.

Tell the world what you’re all about. (In 10 words or less.)

A sea captain points to the plain white tee-shirt I’m wearing in the dream, and says: “You should put a message on that: What are you all about?” This dream poses a challenge: Can I condense my life’s purpose into a few words that would fit on the front of a tee-shirt? I’ve been working on it! (I’ll keep you posted when the T-Shirts are ready!)

4.

You are the help you’ve been looking for.

In a dream in which I’m frightened of a pack of stray dogs I am told by a dream character: “Deal with it.” The implication being: No outside help is coming. This was a bit of tough love. But I needed to hear it in the face of a global pandemic and seismic political upheavals. Unite with others, sure. But as Elizabeth Cady Stanton wrote in Solitude of Self, ultimately, we first need to rally our inner resources to empower ourselves for what lies ahead. This felt particularly true in this time of enforced solitude and unprecedented challenges.

5.

“You don’t have to do anything, let things come to you.”

This gem comes from a dream in which I bend down to pick something up and a glittering coin appears in my hand. In a related dream, I received the message: “Love comes to love.” Both of these dreams, along with a saying printed on the paper tag of my morning cup of Yogi tea, remind me that I don’t need to try so hard. Sometimes we can just let things happen.

6.

Laughter in the face of fear quiets the habitual voices.

This bit of wisdom came from a woman named Selenia, whose laughter rang through one night’s dreaming. I love this unexpected approach to dealing with the fears that dog me. Speaking of dogs … read on …

7.

There is no ‘no bite.’

More tough love from my dreams. In this one, I muster up some false courage and command a dog, that is baring its teeth at me, not to bite. A no-nonsense dream character replies, “There is no, ‘no bite.’” It wasn’t what I wanted to hear. But, as the Buddha taught: “Pain is inevitable, suffering is not.” This dream reminds me that my job is not to avoid getting hurt–but it is my life’s work to learn not to suffer needlessly.

8.

For the love of you and your inner peace, be still.

After recording this bit of dream wisdom in my journal, I wrote: “Now I’m waiting for guidance as to how to achieve this.” I’ll keep you posted on that one!

9.

Let grace take over.

In this dream, my friend Grace rearranged the furniture in my home. I chose to interpret her name as an inner attribute, rather than to think that I should let my friend redecorate my house. But come to think of it, that wouldn’t be a bad idea either.

10.

There is no bad weather, only unsuitable clothing.

Okay, this one didn’t come from a dream. I read this quote from Alfred Wainright in a newspaper article this fall, as I was dreading the coming of this pandemic winter. But the advice is as good as anything I might get in a dream! It’s helped me get out there and find joy in the world, even in the most troubling of times.

My friends, as we begin 2021, look to your dreams—and one another—for the wisdom, strength, and humor to get you through.

May you dream and be well,