Bringing Joy - 08-18-2026
This was a longer dream, but I'm only writing the part that I remember well enough to record accurately. The wording may be paraphrased but carries the correct meaning. This was in the morning of a night when I slept straight through for over 7 hours.
I was sitting at a table with several other people. I and all others were at least 30 years old. One was a fairly attractive woman with shoulder length dark hair seated opposite me. There were at least two others to the right, and they were men. I was seated in a chair pulled a little back from the table.
I was discussing the meaning of life, and what we know about what lies beyond life. I told the people that we cannot plan for an afterlife because we aren't even sure there is one, and if there is, what our consciousness would be like there, and how we will see ourselves in that time.
I told them the best we can do is live as best we can for living now and in preparation for whatever may come. The purpose of life, I said, should be to bring joy to ourselves and to others. I also said that bringing joy was not simple, it was complex and needed a lot of thought - many factors to consider.
As an example, I told them that the lady who was with me this day (the one sitting across the table from me) brought me joy, and I hoped I did the same for her, but my joy was limited, because the reason she was with me was not so much me, but due to pressure from her friends.
I said that it would bring me much greater joy if she stayed with me, but I could have no expectations because that would be entirely up to her. Bringing joy and accepting joy is entirely voluntary.
I spoke a little longer but as I spoke I was becoming increasingly aware that I was with these people in a dream, and that I would soon be leaving them, Then I faded out to the waking world.