Spiritual Sparks: Dreams -- Messages From Afar?

Dreams may be whispers. Could they be guiding you toward who you might yet become?

Mark Twain, Missouri’s own literary giant, once said, “Without dreams and goals there is no living, merely existing.”  He spoke of aspirations, hopes that carry us into tomorrow.

This week’s Spiritual Sparks is about dreams -- not just the ones we chase, but the ones that visit us in sleep: gentle nudges toward who we might yet become.

✨3 Ideas

 1. Dreams carry messages of possibility

Most dreams are just our minds tidying up the day’s clutter. But classic wisdom teaches that at night, part of the soul rises, receiving messages.  These whispers from above and beyond trickle down as sparks of hidden potential and find their way into our dreams.  Pay heed to dreams that are vivid or recurring.

Research shows animals dream: a cat may dream of chasing a mouse, but it doesn’t dream of becoming a better cat.  Only we dream of spiritual transformation: of becoming more than we are.  A true dream is the soul reminding us of who we might yet become.

2. Dreams are meant to move us

What if life asked us to join in, not just watch? After all, our time here on earth isn’t meant to be a spectator sport. What if a true dream wasn’t entertainment at all, but the very moment we truly wake up? 

Dreams summon us to live closer to who we were meant to be. They open our eyes to a vivid vision of our future,  urging us to pursue projects, reconnect with old friends or make something right.  

And when we grow, life grows with us: new doors open, and opportunities arrive that match the person we are becoming. Dreams aren’t meant to be watched -- they’re meant to be lived.

 3. Dreams show us our potential future -- but we must act on them

Classic wisdom warns that a life without dreams slips toward spiritual decline. Many spend months planning a vacation but little time planning a life.

Dreams let us glimpse landscapes of possibility and discover the one that feels like home. Great spiritual leaders were dreamers, and their visions reshaped reality because they dared to act.

Better to chase a dream than be chased by regret -- for a dream without action is just sleep.

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📜2 Quotes

“And Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘I dreamed a dream, but no one can interpret it…’” -- Exodus 41:15

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” -- Eleanor Roosevelt

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❓1 Question

Think of a recent dream that stayed with you. What feeling did it leave behind? What might it be inviting you to explore?

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Let’s never grow too old to dream -- or too busy to listen.

Until next time,
May your nights bring clarity and your days bring courage to act on what you've seen.

Rabbi Ze'ev Smason

Spiritual Sparks is your weekly dose of 3 ideas, 2 quotes, and 1 question for the soul

P.S. I'd love to hear about a dream that changed your perspective. Hit reply - your story might inspire next week's Spiritual Sparks!"

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