One night when I was in grade school, I dreamed of a crow flying with a snake in its talons. The next morning while waiting for the bus, I saw a crow fly low overhead with a dead snake dangling down its talons. What does this mean? I asked myself.

I began to pay close attention to my dreams. I noticed patterns and curious coincidences. Fragments of nightly dreams were often played out the next day. How could this be happening?

I would remember dreams after a small environmental trigger – a sight or sound that served as a sudden reminder of the previous night’s dream. Once I was riding in a car and someone during the conversation mentioned their favorite movie. I flashed to a dream I had the night before, which I had forgotten until that moment.

I began searching for answers to what might be happening with my dreams. I found many books that guided me well, and some that were not so informative.  As I got older, my research into the meanings and reasons for dreams widened to include various theories. I developed a way of looking at and deciphering my dreams’ mysterious messages.

The dreams I have had over the years have become so important in my personal and professional development  it would be difficult to separate them from the rest of my life. I rely on them for guidance and reality checks.  They help me shift perspective to include a wider range of information.  Dreams guide me in making decisions, working with clients, dealing with professionals, and even gaining understandings into how things are going to turn out. I have become accustomed to using my dreams as sign posts on my journey through this world. They never steer me off course.