“The very best thing you can do for the whole world is to make the most of yourself.”
-Wallace Wattles, American Author
When I was 14 years old, I read a book about a spiritual lawyer. The main character was a young orphan girl who kept running away from orphanages. She got in trouble with the law and an “angel” appeared in her life in the form of an attorney who had also studied Psychology. I was mesmerized in those days by how magical, loving and on-point this lady attorney was. This is what I wanted to become!
Life took some different turns for me. “At my age,” I find myself in a position where I recognize that if I do not go for my dreams now, they might not happen in this lifetime. Thus, I went out and joined the ranks of students at the University of Santa Monica and finished a two-year Master’s program in Spiritual Psychology. One down, I thought. Time went by and once again, the trusted time clock knocked at the door of my heart and asked: “How about that law degree now?”
I ignored it at first, but it kept coming back. One day, I decided this is enough. It was “D-Day.” I went to a local college and signed up for ONE course. I took a baby step. I am now going to class with students that are the age of my children. I am not certain yet how I will use my new degree, only time will tell. Yet, I will be able to say, “Barbara, you did it. You honored your dreams and you went for your heartfelt goals.”
What I learned through this process is to become aware of what your heart is yearning for. What is your calling? This doesn’t need to be a profession.
What is it you absolutely love to do?
Cooking
Math and Science
Writing
Acting
Dancing
Teaching
Listen to your heart through a process of questions
When I was young, what did I love to play and do?
If fear or money were no object, what would I do?
If I knew the answer, what would it be?
If I were 90 years old, what do I want to look back upon that I did with my life?
If I could do anything I wanted to do, what would it be?
Write the answers in a notebook and read them for 21 days every day. Then after the 21 days, ask yourself these questions:
What’s my next action step?
What’s a baby step I can take towards the manifestation of my dream?
What’s a 3-foot toss?
Next, on a scale of 1-10. 10 being the greatest and 1 the lowest ask yourself:
How committed am I to “this”?
How committed am I to myself?
What support do I need?
Who could I ask for support? (Write down the names and phone numbers of people in the same journal)
BEGIN!
It’s one day at a time, one inch at a time. Like a string of pearls that were lovingly and patiently strung together, string your own pearl necklace. Take your time. Slow it down. Turn on some music and listen to your favorite songs and most of all:
Finally, visualize your life scene
Write in that same journal a story of who you are going to be. The story about you. Write the story as if it is already done, of how you have accomplished your goal and manifested your dream.
Be vivid about it.
Be colorful. Write with feeling and emotion. Get into it. Have fun!
Give yourself permission to dream, to play and to see your dream come true.
Post it on your bathroom or kitchen wall.
Review your visualization every day: Five minutes in the morning and five minutes at night.
Just WATCH what will happen. It will be so exciting! You will create momentum and it will go faster and faster and you will love it. I will always remember these quotes from W.H. Murray, a Scottish mountaineer and J.W. von Goethe, a German poet:
Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative and creation, there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance which no man could have dreamed would have come his way.
-W. H. Murray
“Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now.”
-J.W. Goethe
Have a happy, healthy and abundant New Year! I believe in the magic you are and even more so the magic you can create!
Blessings ahead,
Barbara Bassill
This post is part of a series produced by The Huffington Post in conjunction with our women’s conference, “The Third Metric: Redefining Success Beyond Money & Power,” which took place in New York on June 6, 2013. To read all of the posts in the series and learn more about the conference, click here. Join the conversation on Twitter #ThirdMetric.
