Notes from Myself, or, Why I Carry a Notebook

All of us have vivid dreams at night that, a few minutes after awakening, completely disappear. The same is true during waking hours, vivid ideas and striking phrases pop up unannounced, and because we are too busy, we do not write them down. Just like the dreams, they are lost. Where do these dreams and ideas come from? They come out of the sky. They come from the deep blue sea. This is your subconscious mind trying to communicate with you. Mark Twain said a little angel would sit on his shoulder, whispering to him.

I’m not a psychologist but here’s what I believe. When I ignore these messages from myself, the subconscious mind becomes less available to me. By paying attention to the inner whispers, I am developing a relationship with my subconscious mind. I am encouraging and respecting the inner voice. How I do this?

I keep a notebook. Actually I have two of them. My Dream Notebook is 5 X 7 paper notebook and sits near by my bed along with an ink pen. My second is smaller and travels with me in my shirt pocket. When I get a flash from the little angel, the subconscious, I stop whatever I’m doing and write it down and I say thank you. These flashes are always more brilliant, more poetic than the work of my ordinary mind. In this way I encourage a working relationship with my more brilliant subconscious mind. I show my subconscious mind respect by taking time to record its message. What I find is the more I do this the more I receive. Same with the dreams. Equally important is to not judge the message. Just write it down even if it seems mindless. Some of it is mindless. Some of it is brilliant and illuminated. If I prejudge the content and don’t write it down I get less content.

The source of this brilliance is inside you. Try it. You won’t be disappointed in yourself.