Tools for Manifesting Your Dreams

Adapted from This is Not the Life I Ordered, by Debora Collins Stephens, et al (Conari Press, 2007).

The dreams of our hearts and spirits often keep us from despair, but the idea of manifesting them can seem so overwhelming that we never even take a first step. But when Annie found this wonderful makes-sense suggestion, it inspired Cait so much, she went right out and did it! If you have a dream, it may inspire you, too.
1. Find yourself a beautiful journal and label it “My WIT Kit.�?Now grab a favorite pen and open to the first page. Write down three things you want to experience or accomplish in your lifetime. You may be thinking, “Right now, I just want to get through the day.�?We understand. But this is your place to dream, your opportunity to think big. Consider this a gift to yourself. In your WIT kit journal you have the freedom to look ahead instead of being bogged down in the present. Please don’t censor yourself. You can be as frivolous or as idealistic as you’d like.

2. Think of just one thing you can do this week to make progress on one of those three dreams. If you want to go back to college and get your degree, maybe you can pick up the phone and ask your local college to mail you registration requirements and a course catalog. If you want to travel to Europe, you can go online and check out available deals on travel Web sites. If you want to ride horses, you can visit a local stable and ask about their lessons or trail rides. If you want to open your own store, you can order the free booklets that are available from the Small Business Administration. Write your ideas down.

No matter how overwhelmed you are right now, doing one thing to make progress on those three dreams will help move you out of any depressing mood. Every Sunday, review your three dreams and the action steps you have taken. Report in to your kitchen table group. If you got overloaded this week and didn’t follow up on your intentions, just ask yourself what one specific action you’re going to take this week.

3. Get into the habit of writing in your WIT Kit journal every day, even if you only scribble a few lines. It’s easiest to make it a habit if you choose at time of day to write. Maybe while you’re sipping your morning tea, or for ten minutes before bed.

Writing in your journal is a gift you give yourself--a way to release doubts and fears onto the page, to avoid losing sight of your hopes and dreams. You will be able to note progress and have a visible record of where you are now and where you were a short while ago.