Responding To a Netizen's Comment: Dreams Are My Reality

Netizen: If I am not accustomed to your style of writing, I might have to believe what you say in your one-liner below about DREAMS and REALITY. But I know you have a penchant to use figurative language like metaphor, simile, idioms, oxymorons, and paradoxes. And I notice you can also make fun of yourself ( and make puns) just to make a point.

But the saying you made is so true ... and I can relate to what you have said. I felt that I am only happy in my dreams ... which made me think I can be drowned in a beautiful and happy dream ... and wish I never woke up.

Response: I am not an expert on dreams, so what I am going to say is just my two cents worth ... the way I understand dreams. It is not uncommon to see unhappy people getting solace from dreams and fantasies. Your dreams felt real and happy ... was it because in reality, you aren't happy enough as you see it in your dream? I may be wrong here.

Dreams are psychological projections of how one regards real life ... if one has the feeling that real life is in a sorry state and in disarray ... then an emotion like desire or ambition may bring you to a Disney world of technicolored fantasy ... and will find a way that would please you in your dreams. 

There are several schools of thought about why dreams are happier compared to reality. Some experts suggest that dreams help us take a trip to La La Land... a place where fantasy and reality collide. Dreams help us process painful realities and feelings to charge up and jack up dwindling psychological well-being when one has risen up the next day. Another theory believes that dreams are one of the ways of repelling tortuous and convoluted emotional teleserye in our life ... and that dreams are making contact with our feelings and trying to make necessary connections that our conscious self would not.

The reality (real life) for some, can be very exhausting and backbreaking. It can be tiresome and tedious living the same mundane life with the same stale prospect. Dreams offer a change, an assortment, or a diversity. They give you the chance to live and experience myriad possibilities many different things which could possibly never happen in reality, or an awake state of being.

Why are you happy in your dreams?  Was it because your internal spirit is hopeful, positive, and supportive of you? Your subconscious apparently likes who you are. I think he likes you enough that it is rewarding you with one happy and pleasant dream.

On the other hand, dreams can make us sad too. When we dream of having things we lack (and we see ourselves living in a big mansion with 12 maids following all our needs)  a moment that seems so real to the extent we feel like we are living the life and the dream. 

However, when we wake up, the rude awakening hit us hard when we realize it was just a dream and we are in the same status quo (a life of broken dreams and promises). It was just a fantasy ... an alternate version where you had everything you ever wanted and dreamed of.  When the dream was rudely cut off and interrupted ... just like bursting a balloon ... we finally realized it was just a fancy thought ... and waking up sent us back to the life we are desperately trying to dream out of.  That is when sadness seeps in.

Dreams can give you a lot more than being awake can. They let you have immediate change which many people hope for. We live in the same damn reality for our entire lives, so it's nice to alter it once in a while through dreams or by other means.

So why not try to make your life more like the dreams of which you are so fond. You've given yourself a blueprint. Try following it.

Abraham's One Liner

 

Whose Idea Is This?

Time and again, as a person from the outside looking in, we have seen the imagination and the inventiveness (creativity and uniqueness) of man through ancient, classical, modern, and contemporary arts. Some of these art and literary masterpieces are on display in cultural and history museums.

 Now, you can see the creativity of man in all aspects of endeavor — from architecture, cuisine, and fashion to literature, music, and films. In fact, you can almost say that creativity and innovation are embedded in the everyday lives of everyone.

The feature above may sound too minor to some ... but some nuggets of artistry ... is evident. It is the START.

Caption That

A blog reader emailed us and he wants us to Share a Laugh and possibly ask our readers to CAPTION IT. Although Viewpoint and Mindset think it is not the usual stuff you see in this blog, it recognizes our need to laugh, smile and break the monotony once in a while. We need humor/funny photos to perk up our day and we started it with Men are like ... and so far a lot of our readers like it judging from the comments we received. Times are hard and we need a breather... and a few laughs. So if you have funny pictures with you please email it to us thru the comment section. And to our blog readers, we invite you to CAPTION THE PHOTO in the COMMENTS section.

Just Passing Through .... Sorry For The Inconvenience. Did I say that right?  Did I inconvenience them ... or is it the other way around?

What Kind of Investment Do You Have?

Correction please: Not all investment is money or money-related. Investment is defined as an asset or item that is purchased with the hope that it will generate income or appreciate in value at some point in the future. Real estate is an investment and so is your house. Of course, we can include jewelry, gold and silver, cryptocurrency, art, antiques, paintings, private business, stocks, money markets, certificates of deposits, annuities, money markets, government bonds, and mutual funds.

An investment that is not money related and doesn't need you to buy anything is Time.  Investing time is a good judgment call and that includes defining specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound objectives that an individual aims to achieve. When you're committed to achieving specific goals, you'll focus your efforts on what's important and avoid wasting your precious time. Investing your time means engaging in activities that are calculated to bring you meaningful rewards. 

If your specific goal is to be with family (quality-wise or quantity-wise) then you are a step in the right direction. Spending time with family allows you to develop valuable life skills such as family fidelity, obedience, commitment, and good communication. Children can build healthy self-esteem and learn communication skills and problem-solving and communication skills from their parents.

Blogging is another big investment time-wise (you don't need any purchase) but it can bring you some good rewards. It can take anywhere from 12 months to 2 years before your blog gets monetized and you clearly see any significant results or earnings.  If you expect to make a blog and you expect to earn monetary rewards right away... you are in for a big disappointment.

Owning a website is another investment that uses time ... and can reap profits. Millions of websites generate revenue every day. The rule of thumb is .... in order for the website to become successful ... is to have it earn some revenue or get monetized ... and the secret to achieving that is TRAFFIC.   

Traffic refers to web users or visitors coming to your website from social networks and social media platforms. For example, a person who clicks on a tweet or a Facebook post and then arrives on your brand's website will be counted in your digital analytics reports as social traffic. The more visitors you have the more income opportunities will be presented to you.

Another investment is Website Flipping (investing in websites that are already making money, then you improve them either by increasing the amount of traffic that visits the website or making more money from the same amount of website visitors (or both), then selling the website for a profit.

Pageant Result: Miss Grand Philippines 2023

The winners of Miss Grand Philippines 2023 from left to right: Charie Manalo Sergio - Second Runner Up, Francine Reyes - Miss Eco Teen Philippines 2023, Michelle Arceo - Reina Hispano Americana Philippines 2023, Nikki de Maura - Miss Grand Philippines2023 - Winner, Herlene Nicole Budol- Miss Philippines Tourism 2023, and Shanon Tampon - First Runner Up.  The pageant was held at MOA Arena last July 13, 2023.

Idiom Of The Day

Let's start using idioms or idiomatic expressions when we write. When idioms are used, it adds color and texture to language by creating images that convey meanings beyond those of the individual words that make them up. An idiom can be very colorful and make a 'picture' in our minds. It also shows the writer's familiarity with English. When you want to make your writing sound more conversational, including idioms can give your writing a more relaxed tone.

Idioms allow us to say a lot with few words. Idioms amplify your messages in a way that draws your readers in and helps awaken their senses. It adds dynamism and character to otherwise stale writing. They make your writing less monotonous, making your readers think you are smart and knowledgeable. All the while ... you only clothe your writing with elaborate idioms to create an impact... saying too much with less. 

To perfect your English, you really need to become confident in using idioms and knowing the difference between breaking a leg and pulling someone's leg. So the idiom of the day is:

IDIOM: Bite more than you can chew.

MEANING: It means that you take on more work or a bigger task ... more than you can handle. It has a figurative meaning ...  which refers to someone trying to do a task that is too difficult for them to achieve.

ORIGIN: The phrase originates from a situation in the 19th century, at the time some people try chewing tobacco leaves becomes popular. When people are offered taking tobacco ... they choose to take a bigger bite - a piece much bigger than they could chew.

USING IT IN A SENTENCE: John stop biting more than you can chew (it is a metaphor that says John was taking a big chunk of food more than he can chew or swallow.)