Aware 3 Times

Warning: This is really long, turn back now if you aren't up for it.

I've been trying to lucid dream for about 3 months. I changed the style I used a lot, which is why I think it has taken so long. At first I tried the technique from lucidology.com, where you lay down at night, don't move and force your body into sleep paralysis to go straight into a lucid dream. I tried this time and time again and it failed every time. So then I started using a dream journal and questioning reality and doing RC's. My dream recall improved to 2 or 3 dreams a night. But I've only had 2 true moments of awareness and 1 where I questioned if it was reality.

Lucid Dream One: My sister was balled up exorcist style on my stairs and I just thought, wow that's weird why would she do that? Then it hit me like a ton of bricks, I'M DREAMING!!! I tried to control the dreamscape, everything went black and I woke up.

Sort of Lucid Dream Two: I was letting my beagle out to use the bathroom and there were 4 German Shepherd puppies in my backyard, I thought they were coyotes and was extremely scared. (We have coyotes behind our fence that we hear at night) As I got closer I found out they were just puppies, but for whatever the reason I was still scared senseless. When I tried to pick one up I couldn't, I questioned my reality, and awoke.

Lucid Dream Three: I was driving down the road and at first one of my friends was driving, and when I look back up it was another friend. I thought maybe I'm dreaming, looked down at my hand and it had 6 fingers. I said hang on a second to my friend, everything stopped. I felt a burst of excitement and my body felt like it was shaking. Then I opened my eyes, so sad that I didn't control myself and stay calm.

Long story short I am wondering of some ways to stay lucid once I become aware. And I wad wondering if I am making any rookie mistakes. Thanks for your help in advance.

I've read longer entries before.

One thing to do when you become lucid is to stop and tell yourself to stay calm or you'll wake up. After you do that, stabilize your dream like looking at things in great detail, rubbing your hands and touching other objects.

Stay calm, and then stabilize the dream. To stabilize the dream use all your senses. Rub your hands together, smell the air, and just stop and look at everything around you. I recommend checking out this stabilization tutorial :)

Good luck! If you have any questions, send a PM!

This happens to every (most) lucid dreamers at the start, it's a whole new experience and of course it's going to be exciting, don't be worried by it, if you keep having lucid dreams you will eventually get used to the feeling and hence remain in the dream. So keep at it, related topics include Dream Stabilization and Clarity Tutorial - Lucid Dreaming - Dream Views, so you could check that out if you want.
Well done on the lucids, keep it up! :)

Thanks guys! I'm going to try rubbing everything and telling myself to stay calm.. And maybe spin in a circle. Last night I had a dream where I was fighting and my punches felt like they had no power whatsoever. I thought for a second, wow this is weird I wonder if this is real? But I was so caught up in the fight I couldn't stop and then I went on with the rest of the dream. (which was the longest dream I've ever had) I'm still kicking myself for that one.. :/