Welcome to Week 5 of 'Finding 101 Wonderful Things'
This week we find joy in the darkness. We'll even scout for joy in that other one-third of life when we're asleep and dreaming!
Like secret love letters slipped beneath your pillow, dreams offer snippets of story, song, and tender assurances to help you through even the toughest of times.
—Tzivia Gover, Third House Moon, LLC
In the dark of the night
The thermostat is broken and the wind is howling outside. A loved one has a fever. Travel plans are delayed or canceled. Relentlessly gruesome news of floods, droughts, storms, war, school shootings, governments in collapse or chaos fill our screens and feeds …
If right about now you’re having trouble finding what’s wonderful about this year, you’re not alone.
It seems that all the courage and positivity we have been gallantly mustering with each new crisis is wearing as thin as an old pair of socks.
And yet there are comforts to be had, even in the icy darkness of winter days here in New England. Simple pleasures, the gifts of friendship, shared poems, caring strangers, and the golden light of sunset on snow each can buoy us for a moment or for a day. And the insistent shoots of optimism and innovation that push through from the depths of the human spirit lift us up and carry us forward.
Dreams offer another source of consolation. That is, our nostalgic dreams of sweeter times, dreams of pleasures we anticipate, and the dreams we dream at night can each be a source of cheer.
Nighttime dreams open us to new perspectives, offer creative avenues of problem solving and deliver wisdom and guidance when we need it.
A year in dreams
In addition to the wonderful people, places, things, and events that populate my 2024 list—the private messages and custom-made images from my dreams show up, too. So, remember to look to the creations of your midnight mind as you put the finishing touches on your list of 101 Wonderful Things about 2024.
This week in the "Finding 101 Wonderful Things" mini-series, you will:✅ Receive a PDF to help you jump start your dream journaling practice.
✅ Enjoy contemplative writing prompts.
✅ And complete your list of 101 Wonderful Things about 2024. 🎉
But first, here are some upcoming opportunities to help you connect with your stories and dreams in the New Year …
Come home to your writing this winter: Register for this virtual stay-home writing retreat by Jan. 1 and get 10% off:
Starting soon!
A Dream of Many Colors meets Thursdays, January 9, 15, 23 and 30, 2025, 1-2:30 p.m. EST (also available on replay).
Join me for this dream-writing immersion using guided meditations, writing prompts, dream incubation and Jewish wisdom to tap into the midnight mind.
Hosted by Ritualwell, and open to people of all faiths, or none, and to everyone whether you remember dreams or not.
Get the details and register here.
Now let’s continue building our lists — and our joy muscles — with this week’s installment of Finding 101 Wonderful Things, where I offer inspiration for all, and bonus material for paid subscribers.
This course is for paid subscribers. You can upgrade now to join for just $5/per month, and cancel anytime. Or subscribe for $40 for a full year, and get a free signed copy of my latest book mailed you your US postal address, plus more bonuses!
This week we focus on The joyful life of dreams
Now, let’s explore our dreamy dreams and the wisdom, creativity, and guidance they have offered in 2024 as we wrap up this 5-week process of re-enlivening the wonderful and wonder-filled moments from the year that is now ending—and so we can enter the New Year with renewed intention and joy.
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