Tag: DREAMS

Researchers Are Basically Inceptioning Lucid Dreamers With Brain Teasers

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Have you ever credited your dreams or a good night’s sleep with helping you find the solution to one of life’s many problems? Well, as it turns out, research out today backs up the idea that our slumbering hours can truly spark sudden new insight.

Neuroscientists at Northwestern University recruited lucid dreamers for a “dream engineering” experiment. They found it was possible to nudge people into dreaming about puzzles they failed to solve while awake; what’s more, those who dreamt about these puzzles were more likely to solve them when they woke up. Though the findings alone don’t yet prove the concept of sleep-fueled inspiration, the team’s novel technique could help scientists start to unravel the many remaining questions about dreaming and sleep.

“The results of their study demonstrate the potential of altering dream content with experimental manipulations such as this one,” Philip Gehrman, an associate professor of clinical psychology at the University of Pennsylvania who was not affiliated with the study, told Gizmodo.

The dream weavers

For years, Northwestern researchers led by cognitive neuroscientist Ken Paller have been working to expand the boundaries of dream research.

The team’s previous experiments showed that people can be trained to have lucid dreams, even with something as simple as a phone app. Even more impressive, they’ve seemingly communicated with sleeping people using external sensory cues, typically sounds or smells. These cues are intentionally paired to memories of words or concepts intended to be reinforced during people’s sleep, particularly their REM sleep, the stage associated with dreams and memory consolidation. The process is called targeted memory reactivation (TMR).

The researchers have been studying various applications of trained lucid dreaming and TMR, including pairing it with therapy as a way to reduce people’s nightmares. One such use, they argue, would be allowing scientists to empirically test assumptions about the nature of sleep, including the idea that we often work out problems while dreaming.

“A big reason that it’s difficult to causally claim that dreams help people solve problems is because most of the time, people dream about problems that were already on their mind for a while. They probably thought about that problem while awake, and while falling asleep, and processed it unconsciously during non-REM sleep, before they had a dream that provided them with insight,” lead study author Karen Konkoly, a postdoctoral researcher at Paller’s lab, told Gizmodo. “All these processing steps beforehand make it difficult to isolate the specific contribution of our dreams in REM sleep for creative problem solving.”

The team’s answer to this particular conundrum is something they’ve coined as “dream engineering,” or more plainly, “interactive dreaming.”

Dream puzzle solving

This latest experiment involved 20 people with past experience in lucid dreaming.

The volunteers were brought to the lab and asked to solve intentionally perplexing puzzles, each with a three-minute time limit, before tucking in for the night under close observation. All of the puzzles were paired with sound cues, and many went unsolved before bed. When the volunteers reached periods of REM sleep, the researchers played cues from 50% of the unsolved puzzles (the selection of the puzzles was randomly determined), and the volunteers were told to try solving a puzzle in their dream if they heard its cue.

The team was successful at priming some volunteers to have specific dreams, though not everyone reported having a lucid or cued dream during the night. Overall, three-fourths of people reported having dreams linked to any of the unsolved puzzles, and 12 participants reported having more puzzle-related dreams specifically linked to the sounds played during the night. Some even communicated their awareness of the cue during their lucid dream, with previously agreed bodily signals like sniffing.

The researchers found that when people reported incorporating a puzzle in their dreams, they were better able to solve that puzzle once they woke up (a 42% solve rate vs. 17% of non-incorporated dreams). And among the 12 dreamers who had more cued dreams, they had an easier time solving puzzles that were reactivated during their slumber (a 40% solve rate compared to non-cued puzzles). A few people also reported having non-lucid dreams that nonetheless were still linked to the sound cues.

“Interestingly, even though individuals in this study rarely thought of the solutions during their dreams, even just having a dream incorporating aspects of the puzzle made them more likely to solve it the next morning,” Konkoly said.

The team’s findings were published in the journal Neuroscience of Consciousness.

The future of dream research

As fascinating as this study is, both the authors and Gehrman are quick to caution we still can’t definitively say that our dreams let us tackle the questions that haunt our waking lives.

“The results point in the direction of a link between REM and creative problem solving, but are far from conclusive,” Gehrman said. “One issue is not knowing whether what you find in lucid dreamers is applicable to non-lucid dreamers.”

That real caveat aside, Konkoly and her colleagues are optimistic about using the combination of TMR and interactive dreaming to help solve the many mysteries surrounding our dreams. For her next immediate project, she plans to explore why people can only sometimes respond to cues during sleep but not others.

“There are so many hypotheses about how dreams may help us, from processing emotional memories to helping us derive meaning from what we learned so we can apply it in the future,” she said. “By using new methods to influence dream content in real time, we can start to test these hypotheses and move towards a more unified understanding of the functions of dreaming.”

In the meantime, if you’re ever dealing with a vexing question, it just might be worthwhile to try sleeping on it.

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Ed Cara

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February 5, 2026
Brain Health Challenge: Test Your Knowledge of Healthy Habits

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Welcome to the Brain Health Challenge! I’m Dana Smith, a reporter at The New York Times, and I’ll be your guide.

To live a healthy life, it’s crucial to have a healthy brain. In the short term, it keeps you sharp and firing on all cylinders. In the long term, it can reduce your risk of cognitive decline, dementia and stroke.

Practicing basic healthy behaviors, like eating nutritious food and getting regular exercise, is the best way to enhance your brain power and protect the longevity of your neurons. These types of lifestyle habits can benefit the brain at any age. And while they won’t guarantee that you’ll never develop dementia or another brain disease, several clinical trials have shown that they can improve cognition or slow decline.

Every day this week, you’ll do an activity that’s good for your brain, and we’ll dig into the science behind why it works. Some of these activities can provide a small immediate cognitive benefit, but the bigger reward comes from engaging in them consistently over time. So along with the neuroscience lessons, we’ll include a few tips to help you turn these actions into lasting habits.

To keep you accountable, we’re encouraging you to complete this challenge with a friend. If you don’t have a challenge buddy, no problem: We’re also turning the comments section into one big support group.

There are so many fascinating ways your daily behaviors affect your brain. Take sleep, for example.

Lots of studies have shown that getting a good night’s rest (seven to eight hours) is associated with better memory and other cognitive abilities. That’s because sleep, especially REM sleep, is when your brain transfers short-term memories — things you learned or experienced during the day — into long-term storage.

Sleep is also when your brain does its daily housekeeping. While you rest, the brain’s glymphatic system kicks into high gear, clearing out abnormal proteins and other molecular garbage, including the protein amyloid, which is a major contributor to Alzheimer’s disease. A buildup of amyloid is one reason experts think that people who routinely get less sleep have a higher risk of dementia.

What other behaviors play a big role in brain health? For today’s activity, we’re going to test your knowledge with a quiz. Share your score with your accountability partner and in the comments below — I’ll be in there too, cheering you on.

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Dana G. Smith

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January 4, 2026
Yes, Anxiety Can Cause Bad Dreams – Here’s How to Stop Them – POPSUGAR Australia

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Nightmares are terrifying enough on their own, but anxiety never seems to make dreams much sweeter. In my own experience, anxiety-induced nightmares may include illness, crawling bugs, or even someone breaking into my house – all of which cause me to wake up in the middle of the night, heart racing, and anxiety spiraling out of control.

Sometimes my bad dreams reflect the things I’m feeling anxious about in the real world (like when I saw a giant spider right before bed). Other times, the contents of the dreams are unrelated. Still – at least on an anecdotal level – dealing anxiety right before bed also seems to affect the overall intensity of my nightmares. But can anxiety really cause bad dreams? And if so, is there a way to stop it? To find out more about anxiety, nightmares, and how to have a better night’s sleep, we went straight to the experts. Read on to see how psychologists think real-world anxiety could affect you in dreamland.

Can Anxiety Cause Bad Dreams?

You’re not imagining it – the experts we spoke with overwhelmingly agreed that anxiety can contribute to bad dreams. “Anxious thoughts while someone is asleep can manifest themselves as bad dreams or stress dreams,” Alex Dimitriu, MD, a double board-certified physician in psychiatry and sleep medicine and founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine, tells PS. “Stress dreams, such as missing an important event, a test, or a flight, are often quite common in people undergoing stress during their daily lives. In turn, this mental activity can also activate the body and result in a lighter, more fitful sleep.”

Although the reasons why we dream are not fully understood, there may be times when your mind is simply trying to work through a challenge from that day – one that could be causing you to feel anxious. “We do know from research that the brain continues to work on solving problems during sleep,” says Jason Durant, PsyD, a New York-based licensed clinical psychologist, who specializes in working with the LGBTQ+ community and those with a history of trauma. “This is likely to be true for the anxious mind, only with more emotionally challenging scenes playing out.”

In that sense, dreaming can actually be a good thing, even if it feels uncomfortable at the time. “The mind is attempting to prompt you to use what tools you successfully used before when in a similar life situation, or to remind you what did not work and to try something new,” say Nancy Irwin, PsyD, C.Ht., a clinical psychologist and certified hypnotherapist who teaches dream analysis. “There really are no ‘bad dreams.’ Whatever comes up in the mind at night is for your highest good – not to torture you or scare you, but to release or resolve what is going on at the time of the dream.”

How Do You Stop Anxiety Dreams?

You may not be able to prevent bad dreams completely, but you can focus on managing your anxiety during the day, which may help alleviate the problem at night. “When we are bombarded with information, media feeds, and multiple inboxes, there simply is no time to just think anymore,” Dr. Dimitriu says. “So what happens to all those thoughts we accumulate during the day? They pop up at night, or just as we are finally, silently falling asleep, or waking up.” He suggests going for a walk, talking to friends, meditating, and journaling to process your feelings throughout the day.

As you get ready for bed, it’s a good idea to have a solid sleep routine in place, even if that just means stepping away from your devices and taking some extra time to unwind and de-stress. “People with insomnia or stress dreams should spend 20 to 30 minutes each evening problem-solving and coming up with solutions with a pen and paper at hand,” Dr. Dimitriu suggests. “Thinking alone does not make anxiety better. This is where the importance of talking, writing, or even just sitting with one’s feelings becomes essential.”

You could also take a few minutes to figure out what your anxiety dreams are trying to tell you. “You have the answers within you to ‘crack the code’ on the symbols, people, actions, etc. in your dreams,” Dr. Irwin says. “Sometimes they seem absurd, random, farcical, or scary. Ask yourself what the feeling is in the dream that mirrors what is going on in your life personally, professionally, and health-wise – that’s how you mine the gift of a dream.”

Of course, if your anxiety or bad dreams are causing you to lose sleep or affecting your ability to function, it’s important to seek help. Talk to your therapist, psychiatrist, or general practitioner about your concerns for more specific medical advice.

Sydni Ellis is a PS contributor with her master’s degree in journalism from the University of North Texas. She loves talking about her passions, including writing, shopping, and reading murder mysteries.

Related: I Thought Lyme Disease Was the Worst Ticks Spread, Then I Got Alpha-Gal Syndrome

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Sydni ellis

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April 24, 2024
5 Things To Keep In Mind When Using Cannabis For Sleep

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Cannabis and sleep go together like pillows and blankets. Here’s a few things you should keep in mind when using the herb to help you rest.

The Fresh Toast – Medications have side effects, so what about something natural. Here are 5 things to keep in mind when using cannabis for sleep

Despite being used as a sleep aid, NyQuil is not one. It is a popular assistant, but even with a virus it shouldn’t be used more than 7 days. While roughly 50–70 million Canadians and Americans have ongoing sleep disorders, a little help is needed. Melatonin is also popular, if you are the someone where it works, you can take it nightly for one to two months. Melatonin can also take up to 1-2 hours to kick. Prescribed medications have a high potential for causing dependency. This not only can lead to addiction, but can stop working and leading to more insomnia. So what about something else natural.

RELATED: The Most Popular Marijuana Flavors

Marijuana can be a great tool for sleep. While more research is being done, there is evidence people with varying degrees of insomnia shows how effective marijuana can be for sleep. But even for the occasionally sleepless night do to stress, minor pain, or other issues. It can work. And it doesn’t need to be built up into your system, it works and then fades away. Here are 5 things to keep in mind when using cannabis for sleep.

Dosage

Dosage, along with your level of experience with marijuana, matters when it comes to using the herb before bed. If you smoke too little, you might feel no effects. If you smoke too much, you might find yourself tossing and turning with weed-induced paranoia. If it’s your first time using marijuana for sleep, try your best to create a relaxing environment and avoid overstimulating yourself with too much screen time or alcohol. Pace yourself with your marijuana intake and be aware of your body and its cues; you’re better equipped to jump into bed once it feels right.

Method of consumption

Photo by Jonathan J. Castellon via Unsplash

RELATED: Let’s Talk About Why Sleep Is Important — And How To Get Some

The way in which you consume marijuana will affect how fast or intense your reaction will be. If you consume an edible, be sure to give your body time to experience effects. If you’re vaping, smoking or using an oil, there’s more control and less planning necessary.

The type of cannabis matters

Whether you’re consuming a product THC or CBD based, or you’re consuming sativas or indicas, it’s important to know all the types of cannabis provide different effects. Indicas are the strains which tend to affect the body in relaxing and heavy ways, producing sleepy effects. Still, it doesn’t mean a sativa strain or a hybrid won’t make you feel sleepy. Marijuana is a trial and error type of substance; try different options and keep track of what works for you and what doesn’t.

Marijuana hangovers

If you’re not much of a night time marijuana consumer, the groggy feeling you might experience when you wake up can be puzzling. Although not as strong or common as regular hangovers, weed hangovers exist. Although not completely understood, these are more likely if you’ve been consuming low quality marijuana. To cope with them, be sure to drink lots of water, eat healthy goods and monitor your cannabis intake through the day.

RELATED: People Who Use Weed Also Do More Of Another Fun Thing

Changes in sleep and dreams

One of the most noticeable effects cannabis has on sleep is the lack of dreams. This is due to cannabis limiting REM sleep, which is the stage of sleep where dreams are likely to occur. Scientific studies have found REM sleep is important for learning and resting. There’s much we don’t understand when it comes to the relationship between cannabis and sleep. It’s important to monitor your marijuana usage and your sleep habits, especially if you feel like the sleep you’re having is not restful or good for you.

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Maria Loreto

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April 16, 2024
WTF Fun Fact 13698 – Dream Recall
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When sleep is fragmented or of poor quality, people often have better dream recall. In other words, they have a higher frequency of remembering their dreams.

The Link Between Sleep Quality and Dream Recall

Sleep comprises multiple cycles, each consisting of stages including REM (Rapid Eye Movement) and non-REM sleep. REM sleep is most closely associated with vivid dreaming. Typically, a night of uninterrupted sleep allows for several cycles of REM, with the longest and most intense periods of REM sleep occurring in the latter part of the night.

Poor sleep quality, characterized by frequent awakenings or prolonged periods of wakefulness, disrupts this cycle. When sleep is interrupted, especially during or right after REM phases, individuals are more likely to remember their dreams. This is because waking up during REM sleep provides a direct bridge from the dream state to wakefulness. This makes it easier to recall dreams.

Factors Contributing to Dream Recall

Several factors can contribute to poor sleep quality and, consequently, increased dream recall:
- Stress and anxiety can lead to restless nights and more frequent awakenings. This increases the chances of waking during REM sleep.
- Lifestyle choices, such as consumption of caffeine or alcohol before bedtime, can disrupt sleep patterns. This leads to more fragmented sleep.
- Sleep disorders, such as insomnia or sleep apnea, inherently lead to poor-quality sleep and can thus enhance recall.
Psychological and Cognitive Implications

Increased dream recall due to poor sleep quality is not merely a curiosity but has implications for psychological and cognitive well-being. High recall can sometimes reflect the presence of stress or anxiety, as the mind processes emotional experiences during sleep.

Moreover, consistently poor sleep quality, and the consequent frequent dream recall, may impact daytime functioning by affecting mood, concentration, and overall cognitive performance.

Managing Dream Recall and Sleep Quality

For those interested in managing their dreams—whether to remember more dreams or to reduce the impact of disturbing dreams—addressing sleep quality is key.

Establishing a regular sleep schedule, creating a relaxing bedtime routine, and minimizing sleep disturbances can help promote more restful, uninterrupted sleep. For individuals dealing with stress or anxiety, relaxation techniques or professional support may improve sleep quality and reduce the intensity and frequency of remembering one’s dreams.

— WTF fun facts

Source: “Vivid Dreams Explained” — Sleep Foundation

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WTF

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February 27, 2024
Best Hacks To Fall Asleep Faster

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Stress, worry, an overly full stomach, noises….all conspire to steal shuteye from even the soundest sleepers. An estimated 50 million to 70 million people struggle with sleeping and almost everyone has issues no and again. A good night is important to your health, especially since if you eat well and exercise, you lose less fat when you’re not getting enough sleep. The National Sleep Foundation, along with a multi-disciplinary expert panel, issued its recommendations that most working adults need between 7-9 hours a night. So here are the best hacks to fall asleep faster!

Pretend to be in REM sleep

This idea is a little out there, but it makes some sense. REM is short for rapid eye movement, signaling that super deep sleep where our eyes move behind our eyelids and we rest deeply. Lay down comfortably in bed and try to avoid thinking about anything. Close your eyes and follow the random patterns that appear behind your eyelids.

RELATED: Just 16 Minutes Of Sleep Loss Can Harm Work Concentration The Next Day

According to Lifehacker, you should know you’re on your way to sleeping once you start to see complete images, which is super trippy but sounds like solid advice.

Guided Imagery

Recalling a serene memory or imagining a peaceful setting can help reduce the stressors of the day to prepare your mind and body for sleep. Take slow, deep breaths and focus on sensory details, including sights, sounds, and smells to immerse yourself in an imagined space. You may find it helpful to use a pre-recorded soundtrack to direct your thoughts. Guided imagery soundtracks are widely available online.

Sleep during the night

Photo by Ivan Obolensky via Pexels

Sleeping at night is very important, offering benefits long naps and mid-day sleeps are unable to provide. Sleeping during the day is harder and it may also disrupt your circadian rhythms, which have been associated to heart conditions, weight gain, cognitive impairments, and more.

Eat foods that contain melatonin

RELATED: How Using Marijuana Can Effect Your Sleep Patterns

Don’t go to bed hungry or full, and perhaps eat foods that promote the development of melatonin, the hormone that regulates your wakefulness. Foods containing tryptophan, such as chicken, eggs and cod, are good for sleep since they promote the development of this hormone.

Make sure your room is sleep proofed

One of the best ways to ensure you sleep like a baby is having a room that’s dark, quiet, and comfortable, allowing you to make the most out of the hours you spend in bed. If redesigning your room is too much work, you can always use comfortable earplugs and a sleep mask. Avoid doing any type of work in your bed to it is a relaxing, fun place.

May any and all of these work of you, sweet dreams.

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Sarah Johns

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November 9, 2023
‘Be Delusional About Your Dreams’: How This Entrepreneur Caught the Attention of Nike. | Entrepreneur

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Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

In a recent episode of The Jeff Fenster Show, Jeff interviews Charlie Rocket, a hip hop entrepreneur, music manager, and Nike athlete. Charlie’s inspiring journey is a testament to the power of self-belief, taking risks, and making dreams come true.

Charlie’s success began in the music industry, but his most notable accomplishment was creating a fan-made Nike commercial that caught the attention of the brand itself. This bold move not only showcased his creativity but also demonstrated his unwavering belief in his abilities.

Be delusional about your dreams

In the interview, Charlie emphasizes the importance of having a delusional relationship with your dreams. He encourages individuals to believe in themselves, even when others doubt their potential. Charlie firmly believes that this unwavering self-belief is the driving force behind achieving success.

Step out of our box

One of the key takeaways from Charlie’s story is the significance of taking risks and trusting in your vision. He encourages aspiring entrepreneurs to step out of their comfort zones and pursue their dreams fearlessly. Charlie’s journey is a testament to the rewards of embracing uncertainty and pushing boundaries.

Write down your dreams

Charlie reveals that he wrote down his dreams in a notebook every day. This practice helped him stay focused and motivated, reminding him of his ultimate goals. He also emphasizes the importance of exchanging energy to achieve dreams. Charlie believes success requires dedication, hard work, and a willingness to invest time and effort into making dreams a reality.

Beyond his personal achievements, Charlie is now focused on creating a positive and dream-making show that inspires the next generation of entrepreneurs. He is on a mission to make a million dreams come true and encourages successful individuals to join him. Charlie believes that by utilizing their resources, relationships, and ideas, they can make a significant impact on the lives of others.

Throughout the interview, Charlie’s passion and determination shine through. His story serves as a reminder that success is attainable for anyone who believes in themselves and is willing to put in the work. Jeff Fenster, the host of the show, offers his support to Charlie and encourages him to take the time to recharge and heal himself. By prioritizing self-care, Charlie can become the best version of himself and reach his goals.

Charlie Rocket’s journey is an inspiration to all aspiring entrepreneurs. His story highlights the power of self-belief, taking risks, and making dreams come true. By embracing a delusional relationship with our dreams, trusting our vision, and exchanging energy, we can achieve remarkable success. Charlie’s mission to make a million dreams come true reminds us of the importance of using our resources, relationships, and ideas to help others. Let Charlie’s story be a catalyst for your own journey towards success.

About The Jeff Fenster Show

Serial entrepreneur Jeff Fenster embarks on an extraordinary journey every week, delving into the stories of exceptional individuals who have defied the norms and blazed their own trails to achieve extraordinary success.

Subscribe to The Jeff Fenster Show: Entrepreneur | Apple | Spotify | Google | Stitcher

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Jeff Fenster

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November 6, 2023
Top 40 Quotes That Will Inspire You To Persevere

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As we advance in life we make all these great plans and goals but when we start working towards those goals, we realize that it’s not as easy as we thought it would be. Good things in life never come easy and we must persevere in the pursuit of a better life.

You may be really close to giving up because doors keep getting closed on you. In such times you must persevere because you’ll never know which door will open wide for you. May these quotes inspire you to keep pushing towards your goals.

Inspring Quotes To Keep pushing.

“Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it.”– Dennis P. Kimbro

“There is no royal road to anything. One thing at a time, all things in succession. That which grows fast, withers as rapidly. That which grows slowly, endures.”– Josiah Gilbert Holland

Also Read – Top 35 Tyler Perry Quotes That Inspires You To Believe

“Be not afraid of life. Believe that life is worth living, and your belief will help create the fact.”– William James

“When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left and could say, I used everything you gave me.”– Erma Bombeck

“When I hear somebody sigh, ‘Life is hard,’ I am always tempted to ask, ‘Compared to what?’”– Sydney Harris

“Nurture your mind with great thoughts. To believe in the heroic makes heroes.”– Benjamin Disraeli

“The real opportunity for success lies within the person and not in the job.” – Zig Ziglar

“Luck is a dividend of sweat. The more you sweat, the luckier you get.”– Ray Kroc

“Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.”– Will Rogers

“Courage is the first of human qualities because it is the quality which guarantees all others.”– Winston Churchill

“Whoever loves much, performs much, and can accomplish much, and what is done in love is done well.” – Vincent Van Gogh

“The great thing in this world is not so much where you stand, as in what direction you are moving.”– Oliver Wendell Holmes

“Every truth passes through three stages before it is recognized. In the first, it is ridiculed. In the second, it is opposed. In the third, it is regarded as self-evident.”– Arthur Schopenhauer

“Either you run the day, or the day runs you.” – Jim Rohn

Also Read – Top 30 Quotes That Inspires The Artist In You

“The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength not a lack of knowledge but rather a lack of will.”– Vince Lombardi

“If not us, who? If not now, when?”– John F. Kennedy

“Don’t worry about failures, worry about the chances you miss when you don’t even try.”– Jack Canfield

“Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.”– Carl Bard

“Some men see things as they are and say why – I dream things that never were and say why not.”– George Bernard Shaw

“Life has two rules: #1 Never quit #2 Always remember rule # 1.” – Unknown

“The only way of finding the limits of the possible is by going beyond them into the impossible.”– Arthur C. Clarke

“Speak less than you know; have more than you show.”– William Shakespeare

“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”– Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Many of life’s failures are experienced by people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” – Thomas Edison

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”– Lao Tzu

“Every noble work is at first impossible.”– Thomas Carlyle

“Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.”– John Wooden

“Nobody ever wrote down a plan to be broke, fat, lazy, or stupid. Those things are what happen when you don’t have a plan.”– Larry Winget

“Defeat is not bitter unless you swallow it.” – Joe Clark

“It is not enough to aim, you must hit.”– Italian Proverb

“Challenges are what make life interesting and overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.” – Joshua J. Marine

“Every strike brings me closer to the next home run.”– Babe Ruth

“An obstacle is often a stepping stone.”– Prescott

“I am not a product of my circumstances. I am a product of my decisions.”– Stephen Covey

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”– Martin Luther King Jr.

“Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great makes you feel that you, too, can become great.” – Mark Twain

“Eighty percent of success is showing up.”– Woody Allen

“I am thankful for all of those who said NO to me. It’s because of them I’m doing it myself.”– Albert Einstein

“The mind is everything. What you think you become.” – Buddha

Top 25 Martha Stewart Quotes To Inspire The Entrepreneur In You

“We become what we think about.”– Earl Nightingale

I hope you enjoyed these quotes. I would love to know which of these inspired you.

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Anthony C. Ejiogu

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October 14, 2023
The Cranberry Juice-Drinking, Longboarding Warehouse Worker Who Made Stevie Nicks Join TikTok

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It’s become something of a legend at this point.

Nathan Apodaca was on his way to the Idaho potato factory where he had worked for over 13 years when his trusty old Dodge Durango’s battery went out.

“I was just sitting there, and I’m like, ‘OK, I’m not gonna sit here and wait for nobody to pull some jumper cables,’ ” he told NPR. “‘I’m not gonna flag anyone down.’ So I grab my juice, grab my longboard, started heading to work.”

The 37-year-old pulled out his longboard and a jug of his beloved Ocean Spray cranberry juice and began making his way to work. Then he took out his phone.

In the video, Apodaca almost appears to be floating through the air beside the highway. He turns away from the camera, taking a sip of juice. Importantly, vitally, “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac plays. He turns back to the camera and begins to lip sync a few lyrics.

Apodaca, who had joined TikTok at the behest of his daughter, had been making TikToks for a few years, mostly during his lunch break. A few of his videos have been met with some success before. But the video he made that day would go on to change his life.

It would take Apodaca a few hours to upload the clip. After making it, he put his phone away and promptly forgot about it. “I almost didn’t post it, but I was like, ‘Let’s post it and see what it does within an hour,’” he said, thinking he could always delete it if it performed badly.

The now-famous clip racked up over 100,000 views in its first hour on TikTok. Today, it’s reached over a half-billion views and has over 134,000 tribute videos (and counting). It’s even generated its own challenge: the #DreamsChallenge, whereby people recreate the video’s chill vibes.

Those who have taken the challenge include a deeply grateful Ocean Spray CEO Tom Hayes.

Needless to say, Apodaca’s video served as incredible free advertising for Ocean Spray cranberry juice. In response, Ocean Spray gifted Apodaca a cranberry-red truck filled with bottles of their signature sweet drink.

The video has also earned some love from Mick Fleetwood and even queen Stevie Nicks herself.

How the “Dreams” Video Sparks a New Resurgence for Fleetwood Mac

Apodaca’s video volleyed Fleetwood Mac’s former No. 1 single, “Dreams,” back onto the charts, where it’s currently residing at a cool No. 21. The week of October 8, “Dreams”—the second song on Fleetwood Mac’s beloved Rumours—had its best ever streaming week, reaching 13.4 million streams.

Its virality only seems to be growing, and it’s pulling Fleetwood Mac’s entire discography up with it. Rumours, which was No. 1 on the Billboard charts for 31 weeks in 1977-78, has returned to the Billboard Top 20 for the first time since it received a tribute on an episode of Glee in 2011. Some of its other tracks, including “Go Your Own Way,” are also soaring in popularity.

Fleetwood Mac’s Mick Fleetwood, for one, seems thrilled. He created a TikTok and posted his own tribute TikTok in honor of Apodaca last week, which he posted with the caption, “420doggface208 had it right. Dreams and Cranberry just hits different.”

Recently, Fleetwood surprised Apodaca on a BBC interview. “One, we owe you,” Fleetwood said. “It’s such a celebration of everything. I’ve heard you talking about it, and it’s so joyous and fun.” But Fleetwood isn’t just grateful for his own band’s newfound virality—after all, Fleetwood Mac has never really needed any form of extra PR.

“I just wanna say, outside of Fleetwood Mac, we owe you. It’s such a great story, and so needed,” he said. “In days that are really challenging…it makes people smile, and I’m so happy to be part of it. Congratulations on a wild, wild skateboard journey that has led us to talking today.”

“I feel blessed and I appreciate you,” replied a stunned Apodaca. “It’s just awesome.”

And on October 14, Stevie Nicks—the sole songwriter and lead singer on Dreams—joined TikTok to jump on the trend. Her video features Nicks tying up a pair of roller skates and of course, singing along to the track. “Afternoon vibe. Lace ’em up!” she wrote in the caption.

Nathan Apodaca’s “Dreams” Come to Life

Needless to say, Apodaca’s life has not been the same since he posted the video, which has achieved the kind of attention and virality that millions of teens, executives, and corporations have tried to generate on TikTok to no avail.

Since he posted the video, Apodaca has received thousands of dollars in fan donations, which he is saving for a downpayment on a house. At the time he was making the video, Apodaca lived in his brother’s yard in an RV without running water.

Since receiving over $20,000 in donations, Apodaca has given his mother $5,000, bought his father a car, and has apparently already purchased clothes for his daughters and bought a new washer and dryer for his girlfriend. He attempted to give money to his sister, too, but she told him to focus on getting himself a house first.

Apodaca’s video and story has resonated with many different people for different reasons. It’s gained special recognition from the Native American community, many of whom recognized the feather tattoo on the left side of his head–a tribute to his mother, who is Northern Arapho.

“I just want to say to the Indigenous people out there, stay strong. I know times are tough right now, especially on the rez,” Apodaca said, according to Indian Country Today. “To the Indigenous people, get out there and make videos, go do what you want because I’ve been seeing a lot of Natives on TikTok just blowing up. Follow your fellow Natives, follow each other,” he added. “Be one with each other. One nation, we rise.”

Tributes and Fame Pour In

Apodaca’s personality—which appears to be comprised of 100 percent good vibes—has helped to make him into an increasingly beloved public figure following the video. He now has a publicist and a manager and has been creating merchandise. Though he still has his job at the potato warehouse, he’s taking a few weeks off work to see where all of this takes him.

“It’s just a video on TikTok that everyone felt a vibe with,” he said. “I’m happy that I could chill the world out for a minute.”

“Everyone” also includes a gubernatorial candidate in Montana, where Apodaca’s daughters, 12 and 15, live. In his video, Mike Cooney filmed himself drinking a bottle of Ocean Spray while looking out from the sunroof of his car, using the very 2015 Tumblr-esque caption “montana dreams.”

Music has always been a center of Apodaca’s life—he was raised imitating MTV dances and has always found solace in entertaining people—and now he seems poised to become a star in his own right. Apodaca’s personal favorite tributes include videos by Thugs-N-Harmony rapper Bizzy Bone and Jay and Silent Bob. Rapper Travis Scott has apparently also asked Apodaca to make a promotional video for his upcoming album. Now, everyone he meets, even elderly women in gas stations, seems to know who he is.

“I can’t go nowhere. It’s movie star-ish I guess, but I’m not trying to be that guy. It ain’t me,” Apodaca said of his newfound fame. “It’s just weird and crazy to me because I feel normal still. But I feel a little more comfortable now because I just don’t have to wake up and just worry. Everything seems like it’s coming in line now. It’s a blessing, no doubt.”

Why This Particular Video Went Viral

Why, exactly, did Apodaca’s video go so viral, and why does it continue to resonate weeks after it was posted?

Apodaca, vibing so hard and balancing such a precarious situation (the juice, the skateboard, life) so effortlessly, almost seems to emanate a Buddha-like energy in the video.

In many ways, that vibe also defines the song “Dreams,” which preaches a message of cool, mystical release. It’s a song about letting go, embracing one’s own crystal visions, and realizing that the person who’s wronged you will eventually come to regret ever letting you go. “When the rain washes you clean, you’ll know,” sings Stevie in the song. And clearly, Nathan Apodaca knows.

His video teaches us that sometimes, a stalled car can be an opportunity to vibe out and spread the love. When life itself feels like a broken-down truck, maybe it’s time for us to all find our own personal skateboards, cranberry juice, and a little Fleetwood Mac to carry us through.

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Eden Arielle Gordon

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March 24, 2023
Dreams and Enjoy release three economic reports affirming their imminent merger in Chile | Yogonet International

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On November 10, Chilean casino operator Dreams sent an extensive letter to the National Economic Prosecutor’s Office. Five months had already passed since the agency decided to extend to Phase 2 the analysis of its merger with Enjoy, which is still under review.

In the resolution of the entity directed by Ricardo Riesco, it weighed its presumption that the association – through which Dreams Enjoy S.A. will be born, controlled 64% by the Fischer group and 36% by the shareholders of Enjoy – could worsen the offers in the bids for permits, reduce the quality of the service, affect the price, take advantages from the complementation of the bases of high-value clients, and facilitate conducts oriented to reduce profits, among others. And that was where Dreams’ brief was aimed.

“We ask the FNE to keep in mind a series of observations that allow us to rule out such preliminary risks,” said the operator, through its lawyers Julio Pellegrini, Pedro Rencoret, and Catalina Sierpe.

In 20 pages, Dreams used arguments based on three studies that both parties presented at the end of September to the agency. The first, submitted by Enjoy, was carried out by Compass Lexecon; the second, by Gerens, was carried out at Dreams’ request, as well as the last one, requested by the economist Jorge Tarzijan. All of them were aimed at evaluating the scope of the merger of the so-called “Phoenix Project”, which is the term given internally to the operation.

The “Analysis of the effects on competition of the Enjoy/Dreams merger” is the 85-page report by Compass Lexecon, prepared by Juan Pablo Montero and Fernando Coloma Ríos. Then there is the “Report on the Horizontal Merger of Gaming Casinos between Dreams S.A and Enjoy S.A to be submitted to the National Economic Prosecutor’s Office”, 81 pages, prepared by Gerens. And finally, we find the “Analysis of the merger between Dreams S.A. and Enjoy S.A.”, which was developed by Jorge Tarziján in 52 pages.

All the reports started by explaining the industry. In Chile, there are 24 casinos and there can only be a maximum of three per region, except for the Metropolitan Region, where they are prohibited. In addition, they cannot have a distance of fewer than 70 kilometers between one another, and all of them must be awarded in a public bidding process, with a duration of 15 years.

Compass Lexecon highlights that “no coincidence has been observed between the parties in the last bidding processes, nor in the processes prior to 2015″. They have only coincided in the awarding of municipal casino permits in 2018, where they were the only two participants, they point out.

“Something similar happened with the processes where permits granted in the first phase were re-bid, and which expire between July 2023 and May 2024, where out of a total of 12 quotas, in only 10 the offer of the incumbent was presented”, reinforces Gerens.

According to the consultants, however, this low competitive tension has to do with the change in the regulations that took place in 2015. “It is due to a previously existing problem in which the operation does not have any interference,” Gerens points out.

Additionally, Compass Lexecon indicated that the closest processes that could be affected by the operation are limited. They correspond to the permit for the Casino Enjoy Antofagasta, after Enjoy desisted from this; to those referring to the casinos of Coyhaique and Castro, which will be made in 2023, and the one of 2027 for the casino of Ovalle.

“According to SCJ data, in 2019 these four casinos represented only 8.2% of the gross gaming revenues of the total industry. Thus, prior to the perfecting of the operation, the permits associated with the most relevant casinos in the country will have already been tendered, and in the coming years the permits of four casinos that, together, represent a smaller percentage of the industry will be tendered”, they highlighted.

As of January 2022, eight economic groups held the majority of operating permits and municipal casino concessions.

Enjoy was the leader with 35% of the licenses, followed by Dreams with 26%, and then by Marina del Sol-Clairvest, with 17%. The Fisher Group operator had first place in revenues, with 38.8%, followed by its future partner with 37.6%, according to information from the SCJ. In terms of visitation, Enjoy captured 38%, and Dreams, 32%.

Compass specifies that, in other cases, the FNE has considered that 259 kilometers are a sufficiently long distance to rule out the existence of overlapping between two casinos. In this situation are Dreams Iquique and Enjoy Antofagasta, which are 422 kilometers apart; Enjoy Coquimbo, which is more than 500 kilometers away from the closest Dreams casinos, which correspond to Casino Monticello and Dreams Iquique. And the Dreams casinos in Punta Arenas and Coyhaique, are isolated from the rest of Enjoy’s casinos since the closest one is in Chiloé.

Thus, the units that would not comply with this rule would be the casinos in the central zone: Enjoy Viña del Mar, Enjoy San Antonio and Enjoy Rinconada, and Casino Monticello. And those of La Araucanía: Enjoy Pucón and Dreams Temuco.

A previous report of the FNE already concluded that there is no overlap between those operated by Enjoy and that there was an overlap between Rinconada and Monticello, due to the public in Santiago.

Clearly, both operations compete for the inhabitants of the Metropolitan Region. Now, studies indicate that this would not affect free competition, since it is an industry where the prices and profits of machines and games are regulated by law.

The existence of Rinconada and Monticello is widely justified by the large number of people living in the Metropolitan Region, thus making the establishment of more than one casino necessary to reach the public that frequents that area.

“Certainly, it was not the objective of the regulatory authority that these casinos compete with substitutes in a market”, Tarzijan points out.

In the case of Enjoy Pucón and Dreams Temuco, the FNE focused on the fact that most of the clients come from the province of Cautín.

In Gerens, the reports indicate that although both are in that area, their distance is 107 kilometers by car, almost two hours. They point out that when the analysis is made at the commune level, the overlaps are very minor.

Customer database

There are five categories of Enjoy Club members: Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, and Seven Stars. The firm divides these categories into two groups, the massive clients, which are those belonging to the first two categories, and the high-value ones, which are grouped in the other three. The cut-off point for those denominations is an annual bet amount of more than $80 million.

Dreams, meanwhile, classifies its clients into five categories: Dreams or Sun, Gold, Black, Platinum, and One. For the latter, it is necessary to accumulate 1,500,000 points. For each $1,000 bet in machines, the client receives one point. At the tables, this amount varies.

Although the FNE considers as a risk that the merged entity could have a combined base of high-value customers and take advantage of this over the competition, the reports refute this. They indicate that each venue builds loyalty with the users that are closest to their location. And they hold loyalty events regardless of the competition in their vicinity.

“Given the regulation of the casino market, where local geographic markets are assigned to the different operators, it does not seem evident that a greater availability of data will have a detrimental effect on consumers,” Tarziján points out.

Given the deadlines, the FNE’s resolution is expected by the end of this year or, at the latest, at the beginning of next year. The FNE has already explained the risks, while the operators have explained their arguments. Now it remains to be seen whether, through mitigations, the agency will give its approval to Project Phoenix.

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November 25, 2022