n

u201cHow has the week gone?u201d

n

u201cI donu2019t know. . . . not going well. . . Iu2019ve been quite anxious. . . canu2019t get ahead. . . seems to know and is taking the opportunity to be more of a . . .over and over.u201d

n

u201cAre you ready to move on? What happened with. . .?u201d

n

u201cThat went well I guess. I mean, I think itu2019s better, and itu2019s more . . . and different but Iu2019d have to . . u00a0and yeah, there is really nothing holding me . . , but I just feel so stuck. Iu2019m not sleeping and I keep having that dream. I wake up sweating and canu2019t get back to Sleep.u201d

n

u201cTell me about this dream.u201d

n

u201cI donu2019t really remember it, Iu2019m in a hallway, or a staircase, I donu2019t remember. I just get so anxious.u201d

n

u201cWould you be willing to try a little hypnosis. It might help you remember.u201d

n

u201cOK?. . . I mean, I guess. . .You think it means something? I keep having it. . . sure, I guess. . .u201d

n

u201cLetu2019s try. Sit up. Feet flat on the floor. Close your eyes. Breathe deeply. . . just listen to my voice. . . you are feeling a little drowsy. . . eyelids heavy. . . count backwards from 30. . .29. . . 28. . . hear nothing but the sound of my voice. . . imagine you are sleeping. . . . Are you sleeping?

n

u201cYesu201d

n

u201cGood I want you to enter that dream you keep having. . . nothing in it can hurt you. . . it will be just like going to the movies. . . Are you in the dream now? Nod you head. . . Good tell me about it.u201d

n

u201cIu2019m walking down a long corridor. . . the walls are stone. . . it looks like a castle or something. . . itu2019s damp. . .I keep walking. . . I think Iu2019m supposed to. . . Iu2019m going around curves in the corridor. . . I canu2019t see whatu2019s ahead. . . I have to keep moving. . . Thereu2019s something behind me.u201d

n

u201cTurn around and look behind you. What do you see?u201d

n

u201cNothing. . . . just darkness. . . I have to keep moving. . .u00a0 faster . . . thereu2019s a staircase, a stone staircase. . . itu2019s old. . .u00a0 it doesnu2019t look safe. . . thereu2019s no hand rail. . . u201c

n

u201cGo up the staircase.u201d

n

u201cGoing up. . .u00a0 thereu2019s another hallway. . .u00a0 and another stone staircase . . .u00a0 running now. . . I stumble on the stairs . . . hurt my hand or maybe my knee. . . thereu2019s a door. . .u00a0 u00a0thereu2019s light behind it. . . I push on the door, but it wonu2019t move. . . pushing harder. .u00a0 I throw my body against the door, but it wonu2019t move. . . my shoulder hurts. . . Iu2019m beating on the door. . I keep pushing . . . it wonu2019t open. . . open! . . . u00a0why wonu2019t it open?. . . Why? OPEN!u201d

n

u201cStop a minute and breathe. . . this is like the movies. . .u00a0 nothing here can hurt you. . . step back a little. . . tell me about this door.u201d

n

u201citu2019s brown, wood, I guess, old. . . I push, u00a0why wonu2019t it open. . .u201c

n

u201cStep back a little more back down the stairs. . . can you se the whole door now/u201d

n

u201cYes.u201d

n

u201cDescribe the door.u201d

n

u201cItu2019s dark brown wood. . . worn. . . round at the top. . . paneled. . .

n

u201cIs there anything on the door?u2019

n

u201cI think so. . . yeah. .u00a0 .thereu2019s a plaque on the crosspiece . . .old and very faded. . .u201d

n

u201cCan you read the plaque?u201d

n

u201cWell maybe. . .u00a0 if I get down on my knees. . . Yeah. . . itu2019s definitely a word. . . u201c

n

u201cWhat does it say. . . u201c

n

Itu2019s faint. . . u00a0hard to read. . . it says. . .u00a0 PULL.u201d

n

What dreams may come

n

In dreams our subconscious sometimes reflects our Anxiety. I have the u201cunprepared dreamu201d a lot. You know the one I mean. Iu2019m taking a test I didnu2019t study for, Iu2019m in an unknown play where I havenu2019t learned the lines or Iu2019m presenting on a subject I know nothing about. Thatu2019s an imposter syndrome dream, a reflection of my insecurity. . . where I am anxious about doing something for which I think Iu2019m unqualified or unprepared.

n

I donu2019t have the test dream much anymore. I guess I graduated and the curtain fell on my acting u201ccareeru201d fifty years ago, so those dreams are less frequent. But I retired six years ago and Iu2019m still having unprepared work dreams. Iu2019ve trained myself to wake, tell myself Iu2019m u201cgood enoughu201d and figure out what, if anything, I might need to prepare.

n

Sometimes our dreams give us a message. Early in my consulting career, I was managing multiple projects, traveling internationally, and working more than a hundred hours per week. I had a recurring dream that I was trying to get over a hill on a skateboard where the wheels kept falling off.

n

An old friend told me u201cFritz Perls, the German Gestalt psychiatrist, said we are all characters in our dream.u201d u00a0Andre encouraged me to “play the hill, me, and the skateboard.u201d It turned out that I was abusing the skateboard (my body?) and I slowed down and asked for help at work and ended up being more productive.

n

The dream in the shaggy dog story above is like that. How can you step back and realize where you are your own obstacle. That isnu2019t to say that genuine obstacles donu2019t exist, but it is still useful to ask:

n

What is my part of this problem? How am I getting in my own way? Does my persistence inhibit me?

n

When you feel like you are u201cbeating your head against a brick wall,u201d step back, or rise up. Can you go around the wall or over the wall, rather than through it.

“,”tablet”:”

At the Therapist

n

u201cHow has the week gone?u201d

n

u201cI donu2019t know. . . . not going well. . . Iu2019ve been quite anxious. . . canu2019t get ahead. . . seems to know and is taking the opportunity to be more of a . . .over and over.u201d

n

u201cAre you ready to move on? What happened with. . .?u201d

n

u201cThat went well I guess. I mean, I think itu2019s better, and itu2019s more . . . and different but Iu2019d have to . . and yeah, there is really nothing holding me . . , but I just feel so stuck. Iu2019m not sleeping and I keep having that dream. I wake up sweating and canu2019t get back to sleep.u201d

n

u201cTell me about this dream.u201d

n

u201cI donu2019t really remember it, Iu2019m in a hallway, or a staircase, I donu2019t remember. I just get so anxious.u201d

n

u201cWould you be willing to try a little hypnosis. It might help you remember.u201d

n

u201cOK?. . . I mean, I guess. . .You think it means something? I keep having it. . . sure, I guess. . .u201d

n

u201cLetu2019s try. Sit up. Feet flat on the floor. Close your eyes. Breathe deeply. . . just listen to my voice. . . you are feeling a little drowsy. . . eyelids heavy. . . count backwards from 30. . .29. . . 28. . . hear nothing but the sound of my voice. . . imagine you are sleeping. . . . Are you sleeping?

n

u201cYesu201d

n

u201cGood I want you to enter that dream you keep having. . . nothing in it can hurt you. . . it will be just like going to the movies. . . Are you in the dream now? Nod you head. . . Good tell me about it.u201d

n

u201cIu2019m walking down a long corridor. . . the walls are stone. . . it looks like a castle or something. . . itu2019s damp. . .I keep walking. . . I think Iu2019m supposed to. . . Iu2019m going around curves in the corridor. . . I canu2019t see whatu2019s ahead. . . I have to keep moving. . . Thereu2019s something behind me.u201d

n

u201cTurn around and look behind you. What do you see?u201d

n

u201cNothing. . . . just darkness. . . I have to keep moving. . . faster . . . thereu2019s a staircase, a stone staircase. . . itu2019s old. . . it doesnu2019t look safe. . . thereu2019s no hand rail. . . u201c

n

u201cGo up the staircase.u201d

n

u201cGoing up. . . thereu2019s another hallway. . . and another stone staircase . . . running now. . . I stumble on the stairs . . . hurt my hand or maybe my knee. . . thereu2019s a door. . . thereu2019s light behind it. . . I push on the door, but it wonu2019t move. . . pushing harder. . I throw my body against the door, but it wonu2019t move. . . my shoulder hurts. . . Iu2019m beating on the door. . I keep pushing . . . it wonu2019t open. . . open! . . . why wonu2019t it open?. . . Why? OPEN!u201d

n

u201cStop a minute and breathe. . . this is like the movies. . . nothing here can hurt you. . . step back a little. . . tell me about this door.u201d

n

u201citu2019s brown, wood, I guess, old. . . I push, why wonu2019t it open. . .u201c

n

u201cStep back a little more back down the stairs. . . can you se the whole door now/u201d

n

u201cYes.u201d

n

u201cDescribe the door.u201d

n

u201cItu2019s dark brown wood. . . worn. . . round at the top. . . paneled. . .

n

u201cIs there anything on the door?u2019

n

u201cI think so. . . yeah. . .thereu2019s a plaque on the crosspiece . . .old and very faded. . .u201d

n

u201cCan you read the plaque?u201d

n

u201cWell maybe. . . if I get down on my knees. . . Yeah. . . itu2019s definitely a word. . . u201c

n

u201cWhat does it say. . . u201c

n

Itu2019s faint. . . hard to read. . . it says. . . PULL.u201d

n

What dreams may come

n

In dreams our subconscious sometimes reflects our anxiety. I have the u201cunprepared dreamu201d a lot. You know the one I mean. Iu2019m taking a test I didnu2019t study for, Iu2019m in an unknown play where I havenu2019t learned the lines or Iu2019m presenting on a subject I know nothing about. Thatu2019s an imposter syndrome dream, a reflection of my insecurity. . . where I am anxious about doing something for which I think Iu2019m unqualified or unprepared.

n

I donu2019t have the test dream much anymore. I guess I graduated and the curtain fell on my acting u201ccareeru201d fifty years ago, so those dreams are less frequent. But I retired six years ago and Iu2019m still having unprepared work dreams. Iu2019ve trained myself to wake, tell myself Iu2019m u201cgood enoughu201d and figure out what, if anything, I might need to prepare.

n

Sometimes our dreams give us a message. Early in my consulting career, I was managing multiple projects, traveling internationally, and working more than a hundred hours per week. I had a recurring dream that I was trying to get over a hill on a skateboard where the wheels kept falling off.

n

An old friend told me u201cFritz Perls, the German Gestalt psychiatrist, said we are all characters in our dream.u201d Andre encouraged me to “play the hill, me, and the skateboard.u201d It turned out that I was abusing the skateboard (my body?) and I slowed down and asked for help at work and ended up being more productive.

n

The dream in the shaggy dog story above is like that. How can you step back and realize where you are your own obstacle. That isnu2019t to say that genuine obstacles donu2019t exist, but it is still useful to ask:

n

What is my part of this problem? How am I getting in my own way? Does my persistence inhibit me?

n

When you feel like you are u201cbeating your head against a brick wall,u201d step back, or rise up. Can you go around the wall or over the wall, rather than through it.

“,”phone”:”

At the Therapist

n

u201cHow has the week gone?u201d

n

u201cI donu2019t know. . . . not going well. . . Iu2019ve been quite anxious. . . canu2019t get ahead. . . seems to know and is taking the opportunity to be more of a . . .over and over.u201d

n

u201cAre you ready to move on? What happened with. . .?u201d

n

u201cThat went well I guess. I mean, I think itu2019s better, and itu2019s more . . . and different but Iu2019d have to . . and yeah, there is really nothing holding me . . , but I just feel so stuck. Iu2019m not sleeping and I keep having that dream. I wake up sweating and canu2019t get back to sleep.u201d

n

u201cTell me about this dream.u201d

n

u201cI donu2019t really remember it, Iu2019m in a hallway, or a staircase, I donu2019t remember. I just get so anxious.u201d

n

u201cWould you be willing to try a little hypnosis. It might help you remember.u201d

n

u201cOK?. . . I mean, I guess. . .You think it means something? I keep having it. . . sure, I guess. . .u201d

n

u201cLetu2019s try. Sit up. Feet flat on the floor. Close your eyes. Breathe deeply. . . just listen to my voice. . . you are feeling a little drowsy. . . eyelids heavy. . . count backwards from 30. . .29. . . 28. . . hear nothing but the sound of my voice. . . imagine you are sleeping. . . . Are you sleeping?

n

u201cYesu201d

n

u201cGood I want you to enter that dream you keep having. . . nothing in it can hurt you. . . it will be just like going to the movies. . . Are you in the dream now? Nod you head. . . Good tell me about it.u201d

n

u201cIu2019m walking down a long corridor. . . the walls are stone. . . it looks like a castle or something. . . itu2019s damp. . .I keep walking. . . I think Iu2019m supposed to. . . Iu2019m going around curves in the corridor. . . I canu2019t see whatu2019s ahead. . . I have to keep moving. . . Thereu2019s something behind me.u201d

n

u201cTurn around and look behind you. What do you see?u201d

n

u201cNothing. . . . just darkness. . . I have to keep moving. . . faster . . . thereu2019s a staircase, a stone staircase. . . itu2019s old. . . it doesnu2019t look safe. . . thereu2019s no hand rail. . . u201c

n

u201cGo up the staircase.u201d

n

u201cGoing up. . . thereu2019s another hallway. . . and another stone staircase . . . running now. . . I stumble on the stairs . . . hurt my hand or maybe my knee. . . thereu2019s a door. . . thereu2019s light behind it. . . I push on the door, but it wonu2019t move. . . pushing harder. . I throw my body against the door, but it wonu2019t move. . . my shoulder hurts. . . Iu2019m beating on the door. . I keep pushing . . . it wonu2019t open. . . open! . . . why wonu2019t it open?. . . Why? OPEN!u201d

n

u201cStop a minute and breathe. . . this is like the movies. . . nothing here can hurt you. . . step back a little. . . tell me about this door.u201d

n

u201citu2019s brown, wood, I guess, old. . . I push, why wonu2019t it open. . .u201c

n

u201cStep back a little more back down the stairs. . . can you se the whole door now/u201d

n

u201cYes.u201d

n

u201cDescribe the door.u201d

n

u201cItu2019s dark brown wood. . . worn. . . round at the top. . . paneled. . .

n

u201cIs there anything on the door?u2019

n

u201cI think so. . . yeah. . .thereu2019s a plaque on the crosspiece . . .old and very faded. . .u201d

n

u201cCan you read the plaque?u201d

n

u201cWell maybe. . . if I get down on my knees. . . Yeah. . . itu2019s definitely a word. . . u201c

n

u201cWhat does it say. . . u201c

n

Itu2019s faint. . . hard to read. . . it says. . . PULL.u201d

n

What dreams may come

n

In dreams our subconscious sometimes reflects our anxiety. I have the u201cunprepared dreamu201d a lot. You know the one I mean. Iu2019m taking a test I didnu2019t study for, Iu2019m in an unknown play where I havenu2019t learned the lines or Iu2019m presenting on a subject I know nothing about. Thatu2019s an imposter syndrome dream, a reflection of my insecurity. . . where I am anxious about doing something for which I think Iu2019m unqualified or unprepared.

n

I donu2019t have the test dream much anymore. I guess I graduated and the curtain fell on my acting u201ccareeru201dfifty years ago, so those dreams are less frequent. But I retired six years ago and Iu2019m still having unprepared work dreams. Iu2019ve trained myself to wake, tell myself Iu2019m u201cgood enoughu201d and figure out what, if anything, I might need to prepare.

n

Sometimes our dreams give us a message. Early in my consulting career, I was managing multiple projects, traveling internationally, and working more than a hundred hours per week. I had a recurring dream that I was trying to get over a hill on a skateboard where the wheels kept falling off.

n

An old friend told me u201cFritz Perls, the German Gestalt psychiatrist, said we are all characters in our dream.u201d Andre encouraged me to “play the hill, me, and the skateboard.u201d It turned out that I was abusing the skateboard (my body?) and I slowed down and asked for help at work and ended up being more productive.

n

The dream in the shaggy dog story above is like that. How can you step back and realize where you are your own obstacle. That isnu2019t to say that genuine obstacles donu2019t exist, but it is still useful to ask:

n

What is my part of this problem? How am I getting in my own way? Does my persistence inhibit me?

n

When you feel like you are u201cbeating your head against a brick wall,u201d step back, or rise up. Can you go around the wall or over the wall, rather than through it.

“}},”slug”:”et_pb_text”}” data-et-multi-view-load-tablet-hidden=”true” data-et-multi-view-load-phone-hidden=”true”>

At the Therapist

“How has the week gone?”

“I don’t know. . . . not going well. . . I’ve been quite anxious. . . can’t get ahead. . . seems to know and is taking the opportunity to be more of a . . .over and over.”

“Are you ready to move on? What happened with. . .?”

“That went well I guess. I mean, I think it’s better, and it’s more . . . and different but I’d have to . .  and yeah, there is really nothing holding me . . , but I just feel so stuck. I’m not sleeping and I keep having that dream. I wake up sweating and can’t get back to sleep.”

“Tell me about this dream.”

“I don’t really remember it, I’m in a hallway, or a staircase, I don’t remember. I just get so anxious.”

“Would you be willing to try a little hypnosis. It might help you remember.”

“OK?. . . I mean, I guess. . .You think it means something? I keep having it. . . sure, I guess. . .”

“Let’s try. Sit up. Feet flat on the floor. Close your eyes. Breathe deeply. . . just listen to my voice. . . you are feeling a little drowsy. . . eyelids heavy. . . count backwards from 30. . .29. . . 28. . . hear nothing but the sound of my voice. . . imagine you are sleeping. . . . Are you sleeping?

“Yes”

“Good I want you to enter that dream you keep having. . . nothing in it can hurt you. . . it will be just like going to the movies. . . Are you in the dream now? Nod you head. . . Good tell me about it.”

“I’m walking down a long corridor. . . the walls are stone. . . it looks like a castle or something. . . it’s damp. . .I keep walking. . . I think I’m supposed to. . . I’m going around curves in the corridor. . . I can’t see what’s ahead. . . I have to keep moving. . . There’s something behind me.”

“Turn around and look behind you. What do you see?”

“Nothing. . . . just darkness. . . I have to keep moving. . .  faster . . . there’s a staircase, a stone staircase. . . it’s old. . .  it doesn’t look safe. . . there’s no hand rail. . . “

“Go up the staircase.”

“Going up. . .  there’s another hallway. . .  and another stone staircase . . .  running now. . . I stumble on the stairs . . . hurt my hand or maybe my knee. . . there’s a door. . .   there’s light behind it. . . I push on the door, but it won’t move. . . pushing harder. .  I throw my body against the door, but it won’t move. . . my shoulder hurts. . . I’m beating on the door. . I keep pushing . . . it won’t open. . . open! . . .  why won’t it open?. . . Why? OPEN!”

“Stop a minute and breathe. . . this is like the movies. . .  nothing here can hurt you. . . step back a little. . . tell me about this door.”

“it’s brown, wood, I guess, old. . . I push,  why won’t it open. . .“

“Step back a little more back down the stairs. . . can you se the whole door now/”

“Yes.”

“Describe the door.”

“It’s dark brown wood. . . worn. . . round at the top. . . paneled. . .

“Is there anything on the door?’

“I think so. . . yeah. .  .there’s a plaque on the crosspiece . . .old and very faded. . .”

“Can you read the plaque?”

“Well maybe. . .  if I get down on my knees. . . Yeah. . . it’s definitely a word. . . “

“What does it say. . . “

It’s faint. . .  hard to read. . . it says. . .  PULL.”

What dreams may come

In dreams our subconscious sometimes reflects our anxiety. I have the “unprepared dream” a lot. You know the one I mean. I’m taking a test I didn’t study for, I’m in an unknown play where I haven’t learned the lines or I’m presenting on a subject I know nothing about. That’s an imposter syndrome dream, a reflection of my insecurity. . . where I am anxious about doing something for which I think I’m unqualified or unprepared.

I don’t have the test dream much anymore. I guess I graduated and the curtain fell on my acting “career” fifty years ago, so those dreams are less frequent. But I retired six years ago and I’m still having unprepared work dreams. I’ve trained myself to wake, tell myself I’m “good enough” and figure out what, if anything, I might need to prepare.

Sometimes our dreams give us a message. Early in my consulting career, I was managing multiple projects, traveling internationally, and working more than a hundred hours per week. I had a recurring dream that I was trying to get over a hill on a skateboard where the wheels kept falling off.

An old friend told me “Fritz Perls, the German Gestalt psychiatrist, said we are all characters in our dream.”  Andre encouraged me to “play the hill, me, and the skateboard.” It turned out that I was abusing the skateboard (my body?) and I slowed down and asked for help at work and ended up being more productive.

The dream in the shaggy dog story above is like that. How can you step back and realize where you are your own obstacle. That isn’t to say that genuine obstacles don’t exist, but it is still useful to ask:

What is my part of this problem? How am I getting in my own way? Does my persistence inhibit me?

When you feel like you are “beating your head against a brick wall,” step back, or rise up. Can you go around the wall or over the wall, rather than through it.