As I write this, it is the eve of my 40th birthday. I am ready to begin the next chapter of my life, dreaming into my own change. I am not a youngster anymore. It is time for me to step up and bring my full self to bear on this world. There is a lot in the world that needs changing. I want to play the most powerful role I can to bring about this change. The first step, for me, is to stand up and state my values. Sometimes, in the past, I have kept quiet about them because I feared offending or triggering discomfort for some people. But I now realize that we all get triggered sometimes, and that is part of life. And in many social movements over the years, people really needed to get triggered in order for the change to come about. And I really want to work with people in this practice who share my values (not necessarily all, but most) and my vision for a better world. So, here are some things about me and what I stand for.
The bottom line: I value compassion and respect. For everyone. This theme expresses itself in four broad areas, on which I want to focus my time and energy:
1) Nonviolent Communication (NVC) and restorative justice, as alternatives to conventional ways of communicating that are based on blame, shame, reward, and punishment. I know that we humans are capable of so much more, and these tools give me great hope for moving humanity forward in this regard.
2) Veganism. I know that animal products equal animal suffering, and I am not willing to play a part in animal suffering. As a species, I believe we need to make the leap to living and eating compassionately and respectfully. The fact that veganism is growing so fast all over the world right now gives me tremendous hope.
3) I am touch-positive, sex-positive, and polyamorous. I support everyone’s right to love whomever they want, in whatever mutually agreeable configuration they see fit. I also think most people in our culture are tragically touch-starved. Further, our culture is dysfunctionally dualistic about sex (simultaneously Puritanical and porn-obsessed, for example) and I believe we could all benefit from more connection, more supportive touch, and more heart-centered, conscious sexuality of many stripes.
4) Sustainable transportation. I believe we need to move beyond our current model of single-occupant, internal-combustion vehicles. I strongly support bicycling, bus and rail transit, and walking as alternatives to this paradigm. Fortunately, this is easy to do, because let’s face it: bikes and trains are cool!
Now … how do I plan to help the world – and more importantly, help you – to make changes in these areas? I’m glad you asked! I believe some of my biggest strengths are my optimism, my enthusiasm, my ability to connect with a wide variety of people and take in a wide scope of information, and my ability to support people as they discover and move toward their own dreams.
My intention with this Dream Into Change practice is to facilitate people’s journeys from where they are (for example, feeling stuck in a job that pays the bills, but does little to nourish the spirit or make the world a better place) to where they want to be. For any given person, this might mean changing careers, beginning a new business venture, or perhaps starting up a significant “side project” and/or working to transform an unfulfilling work situation to make it more fulfilling. These questions have been my personal struggle for the last 20 years, and I have found many different ways to approach them. I want to share these ideas with clients and readers, and I want to collaborate with clients to identify their own values and passions, and collaborate to help them integrate their values and passions into as many hours of the day as possible, both in and out of work.
My vision is a world in which people direct their time and energy toward life-serving pursuits, for themselves and for others, with an eye toward the global picture. I am very excited to help bring about this world, by working with individuals to turn their dreams into reality.
I hope you will follow me as I continue to dream into my own change here on this blog. I will share periodic updates about my own journey, as well as interviews with people who are inspiring me by taking leaps of faith and living their own dreams. I’ll also share links to other articles and items I find, relating to either following one’s own heart or to any of the issue areas I listed above, as well as other items that I find inspiring.
If you’d like to work with me, please take a look at my offerings, and feel free to contact me at any time to set up a complimentary, no-strings 30-minute phone call to see if we might be a good fit.
Hey Maren,
I am sooo looking forward to this (joining your community here, etc)!
Wow! Totally mind-blowingly awesome!
There’s so much here!
Thank you so much, Maren!
Happy Holidays,
Tom Clute
Thanks, Tom! Glad to have you here!
I love the things you’re talking about! I’m also hoping to be a positive agent for change. I’m particularly concerned about social justice, and what is happening to animals. Unfortunately, I simply work for a paycheck. My work has no passion. It’s my dream to start or join an organization dedicated to animal liberation. I’m trying not to get too depressed and stressed when my day-to-day life seems like drudgery, and my dreams are out there…possibly out of reach. Your website gave me a sense of hope. Thank you.
Thanks so much for writing, Christina! Your situation is all too common in today’s society; many of us have dreams we want to manifest, but there can be a whole host of obstacles–internal and external–in the way. But, there are always paths forward! 🙂 I love your dreams, and wish you all the best in making them happen. Thanks for following me here, and please keep in touch!