Bliss as a lever for change

My daughter has been reading Carlos Castaneda. This prompts me to recall my own interest in his books, in the late sixties. What happened to that Lainie? A few mind-expanding trips, and then a fork in the path. I married, had children, joined the corporate life. A part of me has missed that other road, the whole time.

Emily is a beacon in my life. Her spiritual journey has led her to Maui, where she is living in Eden: a historical site situated on a cliff, with botanical gardens and a large white pavilion where weddings are held. She wakes up in the morning and picks bananas off a tree for herself and her love to breakfast on. She listens to the birds and the geckos. She walks down the hill to the edge of the property and sees her future there, out in the ocean. Her workdays are spaced out across the week to allow for time in between so she can relish the Now. She chooses work that she enjoys, so it doesn't seem so much like work—or when it does, she's using it as a learning experience. The only thing her life is missing is Cali, her cat, who is living cozily with us, in dark and rainy Corvallis. This intentional pursuit of bliss is inspiring to me.

I visited Em in Maui in early December and she made it a fabulous vacation, a tour covering every imaginable attraction of the island. But it was Em's rich contentment that most impressed me. The trip jolted me out of my default path. It's like a curtain has been ripped down. Every night since, I have dreamed I am back on that lush tropical property, in that magical setting. I see mystical visions while I sleep, which I am sure are cosmic guideposts if I could only understand what they mean. In one dream I went through airport security but when I came to the gate I realized I hadn't put my shoes back on. Here's what a dream analysis site said:

If you forget your shoes, then it suggests that you are leaving restraints behind you. You are refusing to conform to some idea or attitude. If you dream that you lose your shoes, then it suggests that you may be searching for your identity and finding/exploring who you are.

I'm looking forward to finding out what I will dream tonight.