It’s 5:00 am, still dark outside on beautiful snowy morning day in Ohio. Due to the fact that it’s surrounded in windows, I have a spectacular moonlit Midwestern winter view from my kitchen nook. I know it’s long overdue time to re-establish our relationship and I want to share to you all that’s happening with me and all I’m learning so your life can be easier, your money more and your business so much more brilliant. I decide to work from my laptop at the kitchen table this morning, as opposed to going upstairs to my home office.
First, I stand looking out the floor to ceiling windows of my nook. Because our home sits on a bend in the road, I can see the front of our neighbor’s house two doors down. It’s a beautiful 2 story stone home, exquisitely adorned with all white Christmas lights. I walk over to the all glass door which opens out onto the upper deck patio. The snowy landscape is breathtaking and the evergreens stand strong and confident, their dark green clothing perfectly accessorizing the white covered background. As I walk back to my computer to sit down to write to you, I pass the opening to the two-story great room with its magnificent floor to ceiling fireplace and its nearly two-story Christmas tree. The catwalk overlooks this room and the lighted garland draping it adds such a warm and wonderful feeling to everything. I smile big as I think of my team being here two weeks ago, dressed in fun Christmas costumes and two nights ago when 36 of my family members were here and we filled the room with laughter and love… and last night, sitting in this nook by candlelight with John and Gabe, my husband and son, as we talked about the stuff in life that matters.
I have this surreal feeling of almost wanting the daylight to not come. It’s so peaceful right now. It’s so much easier to clearly hear with my spirit at this time of day, no hustle or bustle of life’s crazy schedules. The thoughts gently, and with humble appreciation, floating though my mind are simple. “I live here. I actually live here! It is true… anything is possible to those who can conceive it with their mind and then believe it for their life.”
So now I sit with a great privilege and responsibility before me, to share with you how to say YES to your dreams coming true. I’d like to share proof that your dreams can become reality beginning this year, or perhaps continuing from years past, and building every day for the rest of your life.
Let’s remember, the story I’m most known for is the one of me being down to only change in my pocket and not knowing how I was going to buy milk for my baby the next time she was hungry. I wasn’t raised with money either. I was raised, though, with faith and a very strong work ethic, and I was surrounded by positive possibilities for success all the time. Now, the thing is, I was willing to SEE these possibilities. I didn’t look at all that others had and see what I couldn’t have. I looked at what they had and knew I wanted it, and since they had it, it was clearly possible.
Even riding around on my first bike purchased from Goodwill (which I also shared with my nephew) the images played over in my mind of the splendid homes the people my mom worked with in Stanley Home Products lived in. Noticing that most of them had come from nothing and their faith, work ethic and behavior seemed to be what I wanted too, I saw a pattern there. Visiting these homes allowed me to begin to dream build. Traveling across country in my sister’s station wagon also allowed dream building. Parking next to a four door sedan, much cleaner and newer than what we were in, I observed a family of four emerge tidy and well kept (as opposed to us, dirty from riding in an unairconditioned car across Kansas). My thoughts went again to what was possible… that’s what I want someday, a happy family who loves and enjoys each other, traveling together in style and comfort, and a career that allows me the luxuries of high income and freedom.
From the start dream building was a part of my life. In my adult years I realized I’d also been goal setting my whole life. At that point I began studying systems for it… and loving the process so much that I began teaching it around 1990. I watched many people set goals and about 5% achieve them. I was perplexed as to why so many of us buy into the idea, but then fall short. There had to be reason so I began to study that around 2004. In 2009 I created The Transformation Equation. It explains how dream building and goal setting are the start, but it’s personal planning and work that make all become results reality. Keep in my, my friend, I practice what I preach so I’ve not developed, nor will I share something I don’t walk the walk with every day myself. Bear in mind that dreams and goals aren’t only financial in nature, and the same truth holds firm with any type of goal set.
There’s a big note to make to yourself regarding what I wrote above. If you’re not living your dream yet, it may be your life view— your perspective— what you think and feel about the world and its possibilities. Note how I shared several times that I saw what others had knew what was possible as opposed to I saw what others had and was mad that they had it and I didn’t? The best, most life changing, empowering sky rocketing lesson I learned this year was from a master coach we’ve worked with to help us build the Life Coaching Certification we offer.
I’d been dealing with an enormously difficult business burden and even bigger business decision for a few years when he and I had a conversation about the whole thing. He said, “Donna, why don’t you just do what you want to do if you don’t want to be in the middle of this difficulty?”
I replied, “Otto, you don’t get it. I have to do this. There is no one else to handle this, it’s me. I have to take care of this. I have to handle this. I have to be doing what I don’t want right now.”
His response shook me to my core. ‘Boy Donna, I’ve never heard you use such victim language.”
I was FURIOUS!!!! Had he been in front of me I might have SMACKED him!! I got off the phone pronto and a few days later realized that he had spoken truth. None of us HAS to do anything… we all CHOOSE to do what we’re doing. I could have walked away, plenty of folks have done it, but I CHOSE to be in the spot I was in and the moment I embraced that truth it seemed as if every cell of my body came to life. I chose to be where I was so I could choose to keep moving forward. I’m acutely aware now of victim-based language and victim-based behavior. I’ve since told him thank you for the conversation.
The bottom line to today’s reflection is that I said YES to having it all! I start every day with a Gratitude 10. Ten minutes of writing down all that I’m grateful for. It’s the most incredible exercise to begin your day! It sets your frame of mind to appreciation and it keeps your spirit open to amazing possibilities. So, think about where you’ve come from, think about the blessings of where you are today. Think about the possibilities in front of you and write down those praises!! Today, at the top of my list I’m not picturing the beautiful home I live in… I’m picturing YOU and the fact that our lives have connected.
Morning has begun to break now. I’ve been sitting here reflecting for some time it seems. My prayer as I head into this day is that I’ve allowed you a peek into what’s possible for you, stirred your own desire to reflect and appreciate, to adjust your life view if it needs adjusted and to begin to make your very own spectacular life plan. I can’t say what kind of house you’ll end up living in, the places you’ll travel or the memories you’ll make…. But I can tell you this for sure. No eye has seen, no hear has heard and no mind can imagine the incredible things God has in store for you. Say YES to your dream becoming reality!!!
I have another gift for you…. it’s called the Gratitude 10 Journal. It’s something I use almost every day to ground myself, and using it, I’m able to focus on the good in life, rather than the bad. It’s made a tremendous difference in my life, and I hope that it has the same effect on you.
To get your copy of the Gratitude 10 Journal, simply enter your name and email in the spaces provided below, and I’ll email you your copy right away.
Enjoying the journey,
Donna