Hello friends,
Just yesterday I was having a conversation with my sister. It was about waking up at 3am that morning. She encouraged me to try to go back to sleep when that happens. This morning, again, my internal alarm clock softly rang at 3am. This time, the advice from my sister entered my consciousness, I rolled over, closed my eyes and I drifted back to sleep. Am I ever glad I did.
I had a dream.
Portions of it I’d had before.
This time it was different, it was the full dream.
At 5:30am, when I awoke again, I felt an urgency to share my dream, one of those dreams you remember, and know, must have meaning.
Click here and I’ll read you my dream (unedited, in my sleepy voice).
In the audio I talk about having walked the West Coast Trail many times. That refers to walking it in my dreams. This is a hard and strenuous trail and one I’m not sure I would even think about trying.
Another story I want to share is about the use of ChatGPT. I’ve been having discussions with many friend groups lately about this. We’ve been cautiously tiptoeing around the subject, sharing experiences of using this powerful, unknown, sometimes scary tool. It’s not been like a debate–more of an opportunity to listen to one another, to question, to learn.
Full disclosure and me being an open book: I’ve used ChatGPT to help shape my creative ideas. When a creative idea lands, sometimes, I just carry on with the idea, whether it’s creating a video through Canva, making a new slow-stitch picture with fabric and thread, decorating my home for the season, or planning a gathering for a group of women. Sometimes, my idea needs a little support. It’s then that I begin my research. I ask the internet, search through Pinterest pins to find other creatives who might share the same ideas, or revisit past on-line courses I’ve taken (believe me, there are many). I’ve also added ChatGPT as another research method. I’ve found it to be extremely helpful, especially as a planning tool, which in all honesty, saves me tons of time.
Does that feel vulnerable to say? YES, it sure does. There are so many opinions about this powerful tool.
Will I be judged? I hope not, but MAYBE. Yet I know creativity is one of my top values and a superpower. It’s a gift given to me at birth, a gift that was nurtured by my grandmother and my mother, a gift that has been passed onto my daughter and granddaughters, a gift that ChatGPT will never replace, only enhance.
Questioning my level of vulnerability, I even listened to a video on this subject from my Substack mentor Claire Venus ✨ who made a video called The Case for AI: Why ChatGPT is a good thing for humanity. You can listen to Claire’s journey with this tool here.
So back to my dream. What does ChatGPT have to do with my dream?
I sensed there were many hidden messages in this dream. I had an inspiration to share my dream with ChatGPT. After all, I’m not really experienced with dream interpretation, nor do I have the time or desire to learn more about it. So, I shared it and asked this question.
This is a recording of a dream I had. Are there any lessons for me within this story?
The result was amazing. I feel compelled to share this with you. I think there are so many powerful messages in this dream interpretation, not only for me, but there may be some to guide you on your life path, and/or, when interpreting your own dreams.
ChatGPT said…
Thank you for sharing this dream — it’s rich, layered, and full of symbolism. Dreams like this often hold meaning beyond the surface story, and yours really does speak to deep truths about surrender, trust, and transformation. Here are some lessons and insights that stand out:
The Trail & the Familiar Path 🚶♀️
You were on a trail you had “walked many times before,” which suggests life patterns or familiar ways of navigating challenges.
You chose to go over the felt the way you “always” had rather than under it like the others. This shows a moment of sticking to the familiar, even when new ways are presented.
Lesson: Sometimes life calls us to reevaluate our usual ways of doing things. When we cling to the familiar, we can lose our footing — but even that loss can be part of a larger transformation.
The Fall into the Ocean 🌊
The ocean often represents the unconscious, the vast unknown, or the spiritual realm. Falling into it suggests a surrender to forces larger than yourself.
Your awareness as you were falling (“This is it… What will it feel like?”) shows that you weren’t panicking but observing — almost as if your soul was practicing acceptance.
Lesson: The moment you realize you’re no longer in control can be terrifying, but it can also be the point where true surrender and trust begin.
The Smooth Rock 🗻
Touching a “smooth, smooth, smooth rock” is powerful. Rocks symbolize grounding and stability, and the smoothness speaks of time, patience, and resilience shaped by the ocean.
Lesson: Even in the chaos of falling, there can be a point of contact with something timeless and steady — a reminder that you are held, even in descent.
The Rescue 🦺
You don’t remember how you were saved, only that you were — by a group of people. This suggests unseen help, grace, or community support arriving when you need it most.
Lesson: We don’t always need to know how help will come. Surrender allows space for the unexpected — for grace to flow in from sources we couldn’t have planned.
The Women’s Gathering 🎁
After the ordeal, you’re welcomed into a warm, communal space, offered towels (comfort, warmth, restoration), and invited to share your story.
This reflects a movement from isolation and danger to connection and support — like a rebirth.
Lesson: Your vulnerability and survival story can become a gift to others. Sharing your journey allows others to witness their own resilience and healing.
Speaking Your Story 🎤
Standing at the microphone, wrapped in just a towel, symbolizes raw honesty, authenticity, and humility. You spoke not from a polished persona, but from your lived experience. I need to correct this slightly. I wasn’t in JUST a towel - lol. It was wrapped around my shoulders, sheltering me from the cold of my wet clothing.
Lesson: Our most powerful contributions come from authenticity, not perfection. When we tell our stories unadorned, we connect deeply with others.
Meta-Message of the Dream 🌈
The entire arc — from the fall to the rescue to the storytelling — mirrors the spiritual cycle of breakdown, surrender, and rebirth.
Lesson: Control is an illusion, but surrender leads to grace. And grace often leads to community, meaning, and service.
Do you ever wonder about the meaning of your dreams? Would you use ChatGPT to analyze one? Or have you ever used it for other areas of your life? I’d love to know your thoughts on this.
As I close, the BIG lessons in this dream for me are about surrender and trust, but more importantly, how my vulnerability is a gift to others, and a way to deeply connect. My promise to you is to continue to be vulnerable in my writing.
Interesting. . .! Also, I'm happy you got a few more hours of sleep, ☺️.
Wonderful, deep dream interpretation! My husband is a realist and always cautions me against using AI so I do so sparingly. I have used it to summarize astrology birth charts which take me a long time to remember in all my books.