What If You Slept and Dreamed?

An interpretation of the poem
What If You Slept? by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

 What if you slept?
And what if, in your sleep, you dreamed?
And what if, in your dream, you went to heaven,
And there plucked a strange and beautiful flower?
And what if, when you awoke,
You had the flower in your hand?
Ah, what then?

If I were to trivialize this what if poem, then I would say that it refers to a sleepwalker who actually picked a flower in his or her dream. However, after reading the poem a second time, I began to feel inspired.

To sleep is to take a break from our labors, worries and fears. Oftentimes, when time is scarce and work is plenty, sleep is the first to be sacrificed. Sleep is a time for rejuvenating our bodies, sharpening our minds and soothing our emotions. What if you slept in spite of everything that you need to do in your frantic and fast-paced life?

And what if, in your sleep, you dreamed allowing yourself to explore your subconscious mind? Dreams are reflections of our subconscious. They are symbolic expression of our frustrated desires banished into our unconscious mind.

And what if, in your dream, you went to heaven where your repressed desire revealed itself and you felt truly happy?

And there plucked a strange and beautiful flower, the symbol your unique and particular dream that would make you happiest in fulfilling.

And what if, when you awoke, you had the flower in your hand?
Yet, you were still asleep dreaming a dream within a dream that tells you that dreams do come true.

Ah, what then? What are you going to do now that you are really awake? It is all up to you.

Sleep gives us rest. Dreams give us ideas. Action and faith take us where we want to be.

Ah, what then? If it is up to me, I will allow my dream to give me a sense of purpose. I will take small steps towards achieving that dream. I will persevere. I will learn from my mistakes. I will be resilient. I will be flexible. I will believe in myself. I will believe that I can do this. I will listen to criticisms but I will not let others set boundaries in what I can do. I will pray to God for strength and inspiration. I will keep my faith in God no matter what.

When, finally, I have fulfilled my dream, I will celebrate and share my success. I will profess that dreams do come true.

For more inspiration, I recommend Reader Digest's

Inspiring Stories of Famous People Who Achieved Their Dreams
Read four inspiring stories of people who proved the naysayers wrong