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by Donald B. Ardell, Ph. D.
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Wellness in the Headlines
(Don's Report to the World)

Don't Confuse Goals and Dreams When Shaping A Healthier, Wellness-Oriented Lifestyle

Thursday March 11, 2004

The other day, a friend asked my opinion about a wellness questionnaire. My friend teaches classes at a southern university, coaches swimming and is highly regarded as a champion athlete. She was asked by wellness managers at the University of Kentucky to appear in a documentary about one aspect of living well, namely, achieving success. The wellness leaders at UK sponsor a conference each year, and the theme for the coming event on May 13, 2004 is "Dreams & Dimensions." My friend was asked to speak about her dreams and the questionnaire was designed to elicit information along these lines.
 
I know what dreams and dimensions are, but when I looked at the UK questionnaire, I could not be sure what the sponsors of the video had in mind regarding wellness dimensions. Perhaps their idea of wellness dimensions is similar to the physical, mental and meaning and purpose dimensions and attendant skill areas described at this website. However, this is not at all clear in the questionnaire sent to those who will participate in the video, which the organizers said was designed to dramatize the dynamics of "achieving dreams." Here is the set of questions that will be put to all interviewees during taping of the UK wellness program documentary. 

I think it's important not to confuse goals with dreams. Goals are specific and consciously chosen. Dreams are a series of thoughts, images, or emotions occurring during sleep. The latter can rouse you from a deep sleep, perspiring and terrified, breathless and weak all over.  Dreams can and do sometimes create feelings of serenity, calm--a state of total fulfillment until, unfortunately, you realize you were only dreaming. Most often, dreams are random images that make little sense, except for those who want to read something into their dreams. Either way, dreams rarely lead to a better life, whereas goals set and realized often do exactly that.
 
After reviewing the UK list of questions, I advised my friend to use this occasion to urge wellness seekers in Kentucky to think critically and use language judiciously. Wellness is not about chasing dreams, or at least should not be so promoted, in my opinion. Dreams are unconscious and random, a consequence of feelings oftentimes barely perceived--they are mysterious. The literature on dreams is extensive; the authors of texts, studies and expositions on the nature of dreams are not health educators but psychiatrists and other medical personnel. Dreams are NOT a suitable substitute for goal setting, for visions and for high hopes married to a plan of action.

I awoke from a dream this morning, and was able to describe some of the images from it to my partner before all memories of the dream faded away. The dream had me calling out the number of eggs that coeds had produced while perched atop telephone poles with huge, circular nests of straw. Ten or so part-time students (all males) were in the nests (the nests were no longer occupied by the egg-laying coeds), holding up cards and calling out the numbers of eggs in each nest. The counts were in the thousands per nest. Other images I recalled from this dream included the fact that the head counter coordinating the tally was my chief mate from Australia, Grant Donovan, and that I was the owner of a condo on campus that was, in fact, a set of offices converted to living spaces. Many students were walking into and around my condo who had no business there, due to the fact that I could not get the authorities to close off a gate that led to my unit. I don't recall being distressed about any of this during the dream, though I was interested in more privacy at times. I relate this dream only to underscore the weird, irrational, illogical and yes, meaningless nature of dreams, particularly as compared with a conscious goal-setting process. 
 
With that understanding as a preface, here are my suggested responses to the questions. I sent these suggestions to my friend in Kentucky who diplomatically said something like, "Thanks, your ideas are kind of interesting!" I hope you think so, too.

Well, that's MY take on the UK questionnaire. What are YOUR thoughts about dreams versus goals, and how would YOU answer the kind of questions put by the wellness folks making the video for the conference this summer at UK? Thinking about these questions can have the salutary effects of sharpening your understanding of wellness terms and, whether you want to call the process dreaming or goal-setting (or something else), seeking to realize successes in life through deliberate action over time.
 
Be well. Look on the bright side and enjoy your dreams--just don't take them too seriously.

Domain: mental
Subdomain: mental health

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