I have just finished reading the book Courageous Dreaming: How Shamans Dream the World into Being by Alberto Villoldo, Ph.D., a Cuban-born psychologist and medical anthropologist, who has spent most of his life studying the shamanic healing practices of the Amazon and Andes.
In this blog post, I'm sharing with you my favorite quotes by Alberto Villoldo about dreaming and living, and I hope you find these true pearls of wisdom as beautiful and inspiring as I do. Please note that not all the quotes here are from the book mentioned above.
“The Earthkeepers believe that the world is real, but only because we've dreamed it into being. But dreaming requires an act of courage, for when we lack it, we have to settle for the world that's being created by our culture or by our genes - we feel we have to settle for the nightmare. To dream courageously, we must be willing to use our hearts.”
― Alberto Villoldo
“There are two kinds of people in the world: those who are dreamers and those who are being dreamed.”
― Alberto Villoldo
"We are like a drop of water in a vast, divine ocean, distinct yet immersed in something much larger than ourselves. It’s only when we experience our connection to infinity that we’re able to dream powerfully."
― Alberto Villoldo
"To be a seer is to walk softly on the earth and dream."
― Alberto Villoldo
"To be a hero means being the author of your own myth."
― Alberto Villoldo
"With imagination, we can hold a universe inside our minds."
― Alberto Villoldo
"The dreamtime infuses all matter and energy, connecting every creature, every rock, every star, and every ray of light or bit of cosmic dust. The power to dream, then, is the power to participate in creation itself. Dreaming reality is not only an ability but a duty, one all humans must perform with grace so that our grandchildren will inherit a world where they can live in peace and abundance."
― Alberto Villoldo
"Allowing ourselves to be truly terrified by the unknown, we can let go of the safety of the shore and plunge into unfamiliar waters, aware of the risks but excited by the possibilities."― Alberto Villoldo
"When you see beauty all around you, beauty will seek and find you, even in the most unexpected places."
― Alberto Villoldo
"The truest experience of life is when we dream awake."
― Alberto Villoldo
"We now know that whatever you vibrate, you create and attract to yourself. So, you work on healing yourself in order to create peace around you. You become peace. If there is conflict living within you, you cannot live in a world of peace. The world mirrors back to you perfectly the condition of your love and of your intent. And if the world you re living in is not a world that is at peace and at joy and at grace, then you have to find peace, joy, and grace within you."
― Alberto Villoldo
"Patience is about understanding the right moment for action and the right moment for stillness."
― Alberto Villoldo
"When we dream with the courage of our soul, we dream sacred dreams - fresh, creative, and able to infuse us with passion and courage to act."
― Alberto Villoldo
"The nature of the cosmos is such that whatever vision you have about yourself and the world will become reality. As soon as you awaken to the power you have, you begin to flex the muscles of your courage."
― Alberto Villoldo
"As soon as you awaken to the power you have, you begin to flex the muscles of your courage. Then you can dream bravely: letting go of your limiting beliefs and pushing past your fears. You can start to come up with a truly original dream that germinates in your soul and bears fruit in your life."― Alberto Villoldo
"Having the courage to dream means following your calling today, in some way, despite the facts in your life that seem to be unmovable obstacles. And then, if your canvas is unfinished at the moment you die, at least you'll die an artist rather than a dabbler who talks about how she or he would truly like to live."
― Alberto Villoldo
"The shaman no longer looks for meaning in life, but brings meaning to every situation. The shaman stops looking for truth and instead brings truth to every encounter. You don't look for the right partner, you become the right partner. And then the right partner finds you. It's a very active practice focused on healing."
― Alberto Villoldo
"Courageous dreaming allows you to create from the source, the quantum soup of the universe where everything exists in a latent or potential state."
― Alberto Villoldo
"There are those who follow maps, and those who make them."
― Alberto Villoldo
"We can change the world with every thought we have and every word we speak."
― Alberto Villoldo
"Before you can move in new directions, you must first let go of what’s not working for you."
― Alberto Villoldo
"It takes great courage to perceive that letting go of an old dream isn’t a connection to failure but a brave act of giving birth to a new self."
― Alberto Villoldo
Dream courageously! ♥
2 comments
Cynthia Reyes, I’m so glad to hear that. ♥
Thank you for this amazing post. It was very inspirational and I’m bookmarking this page to print some of these quotes on paper for my office. This one is probably my favorite: “..if your canvas is unfinished at the moment you die, at least you’ll die an artist rather than a dabbler who talks about how she or he would truly like to live.”