I had a dream last night, about the new Tesla technology. You probably heard it on the news a while ago, Tesla is bringing an automatic vehicle out that drives itself.
In the dream I was in my husbands car, yet in the back. There was nobody behind the wheel, as I was convinced that it drove itself, just like one of those new Tesla's.
The car was driving and as I was in the back, everything was going well until a big turn came up. That's when I started to realize that the car wasn't driving itself, it was I who needed to be behind the wheel. The sides kept coming closer and closer as I was trying to make my way to the front to take control of the wheel. But I didn't make it in time. The car hit the side rail right as I grabbed the wheel and managed to straighten the car and avoid farther damage. After pulling over I realized the front end took a serious hit, and all I could think was how I'd break the news to my husband. That's when I woke up.
Obviously I'd not look forward to telling my husband if I would crash or even scratch his car in real life.
But this dream got me thinking. What if its not so much about how the dreams is rooted in reality. What about the metaphor?
Who is behind the wheel in my life?
Who is driving the car? Am I driving myself, making deliberate decisions about the direction I'm driving in? Or am I sitting in the backseat while the car moves itself, not making any effort to change where it takes me? Am I in control, taking full responsibility for the choices I make and the damage caused by them? I would like to think so.
How about you, who is driving your car? Who is driving the decisions you make? Do you make them consciously? Or are they driven by past experiences, by values you've adopted from people in the past. If that's true, you might ask yourself if those adopted norms and values are still helpful for you in the present. Sometimes we humans have a tendency to just cruise along with life and sit back while things around us happen. When they do, are you willing to face your part in the story? I'd like to think I do.
In the last few years I've faced several issues and conflicts, in personal as well as professional life. As I kept growing as a conscious person, I started asking myself more and more what my part in the story was. Trying to look at all different views of a situation and especially through someone else's eyes has helped me be more patient, understanding and empathetic towards those entangled in the conflict with me. If you ask me, that's all you can ask for as a person, for someone else to look at your perspective. For someone to look at life and the conflict through your eyes. For you to be truly heard and understood.
As I'm musing about the metaphor of my dream, I can't help but think of my favorite song when I was 16. The song is by Incubus, called Drive.
"Whatever tomorrow brings I'll be there, with open arms and open eyes." Meaning, whatever happens in my life, today or tomorrow, I'll show up. I will be there, conscious and ready. Come what may.
Let's be conscious of our choices, own up to them and take responsibility over our life. Responsibility over our past, present and future.
No comments:
Post a Comment