In order to carry a positive action we must develop here a positive vision. -Dalai Lama

Today is Day 13 of a 90-day experiment with my life wherein I choose to create my experiences by design rather than default. I can’t remember how I initially found out about Mary Morrissey’s Dream Builders program, but I’m so grateful I learned about it at this particular moment in time. I fully subscribe to the Law of Attraction, and the Infinite, God, my Higher Power, and the Universe knew the time was right to make it available. On the surface, the timing couldn’t be worse, what with my kids’ Hopkinsville Brewery Company in its early stages, combined with the holiday season and all its natural stress. But then again, maybe that is what makes the timing perfect.

After almost two years of dreaming, planning, writing a business plan, working the numbers, and doing lots of research, our daughter and son-in-law bought a building to house the brewery at 3:00 p.m. the day before Thanksgiving and, with fingers crossed, kicked off their one-month long Kickstarter crowd-funding project. Before the day even ended, my daughter’s anxiety was on the verge of reaching critical mass. All of a sudden, it seemed like their goal of $35,000 was too much, though every bit of it was needed for the brewery to open by whatever date they had in mind. The thoughts running through her mind were completely out of control.

What’s a mother to do?

Part of my 90-day experiment is trying to learn to re-frame my perception of situations, remembering that how I think of something can either empower me or, if I choose, disempower me. Two sides of the coin. So I decided to make a Vision Board for them to help them focus on the prize. Their goal. Their Brewery.

I have been into the likes of Napoleon Hill, Tony Robbins, Jack Canfield and other teachers for more than thirty years, and Kate knows this. But I suspected that Steve would think that the vision board was all just a bunch of woo-woo. It didn’t matter. They needed help. Stat. I delivered it to them that very evening just as they were putting the kids to bed, and told them to prop it up where they’d see it all the time.

In a week’s time, they were showered with abundance in publicity (their story was featured on the front page of Monday’s Kentucky New Era, physical labor (friends who’ve offered to help them with gutting the interior of the building), AND 40% of their Kickstarter goal has been reached, with three full weeks yet to go. That would, by most measures, indicate that something was working and working pretty well. Go figure.

It takes awareness and effort, but challenging times can be viewed as a signal of growth, which is great! Asking ourselves ‘what steps can I take towards my goal’ (instead of ‘I’ll never reach my goal’) completely changes the energy from negative to positive, and all kinds of ideas can be created to help chase away the worry, doubt and fear that would probably prevail otherwise. Visual aids, like a vision board, can help us stay focused on our dreams. Try it. Try making this little shift in your thinking every day, and see where YOU are in a week’s time!