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Your imagination is your preview of life’s coming attractions.
Albert Einstein
“Be careful what you wish for!” Grandma Ruby whispered as she leaned over to brush my bangs out of my face. Scrunching up my freckled nose, peering into the face of my grandmother whose perpetual laughter will always linger in my memory, I pondered the idea.
What you wish for may come true.
Having been born with the eternally optimistic, believe-in-all-things-magical gene, I absorbed what my sweet feisty mentor had to say and took it to heart. I’ve carried the belief with me ever since.
In my coaching practice with individuals and groups I often refer to the idea of clarifying the specifics of goals instead of throwing them out there to the universe in highly general thought forms—and, in a way, I’m sharing my grandmother’s rules on making wishes.
Many believe that when the Divine Intelligence of the Universe hears your order it will be served up just as you specified. Think of those great ears of the universe listening to you akin to a top Italian chef in a fine dining establishment. If you ask him to prepare something nice without being specific, his interpretation of nice may very well be a delicacy such as stuffed sheep intestines served over pasta! And your idea of nice might be capellini pomodoro with buffalo mozzarella, or just a plain tempeh burger! Sure, sometimes it’s okay to ask for the chef’s special, but when it comes to your life it’s nice to have a more specific idea as to what you desire to experience along the way.
The other day I was having a casual conversation with a girlfriend of mine about men. I asked her what type she had in mind for a future mate. Her answer was, “All I want is a nice guy.” “That’s it?” I asked. “Yes. I just want a nice guy” she said. Before I knew it, I had responded to her a la Grandma Ruby: “Be careful what you wish for,” I said. We proceeded to talk about the many variations of “nice guys” out there. He could be 102 years old and nice. He could be good looking and nice but have no affinity for dating women. He could be nice and…well, you get the picture. I encouraged her to flesh out her list with specifics such as likes, dislikes, and more.
Recently I was reading a story in a book by Catherine Ponder about this very subject. The story went something like this: A man who was packing up his home to move really missed his son Richard who had died recently. He kept thinking, “If only Richard were here, he would know how to organize this move.” Or “If Richard were here this would be so much easier.” While packing, a few kids in the neighborhood showed up and helped pack boxes for a few hours and then left. The next day he heard a knock at the door. When the man opened the door, there stood a young man, about six feet tall and simply smiling. He then said, “Some kids in the neighborhood had said you were moving and thought you might need some help. My name is Richard and I would love to help you.”
Richard showed up alright.
It’s an amazing story about making wishes and wishes coming true. Have you created your wish list? If not, get out a pen and paper right now and jot down your heart’s desires. Be specific about your own health, relationships, surroundings and more. Remember that chef? Place your order carefully! You may very well get exactly what you asked for! What wishes do you have? Do you believe wishes can come true?
Love,
Laura
