The Magic of Making Wish Lists
In my previous blog, I gave you clues for creating a powerful wish list based on the person you were born to be. Here is the first of many magic tips for turning your wishes into reality.
Highway 17 – Santa Cruz CA
The first time I made a wish list was 20 years ago and under dire circumstances. My marriage had fallen apart in South Africa where I’d been touring to support my debut CD, and I returned to California alone with a sick cat, no place to live, and no job.
I was on my way to have lunch with a friend when I had a near accident on Highway 17, a curvy road that winds through the Santa Cruz Mountains. I had just driven over the summit and was headed downhill toward Los Gatos when it began to rain. The woman in front of me suddenly lost control of her car. In my rearview mirror, I could see a truck gaining on me. Cement embankments surrounded my vehicle on both sides. I was trapped.
I held my breath as the woman’s hatchback hit the left divide and bounced sideways into the left lane before me. For some reason (tiny voice within), I stayed in that lane anyway. It’s a good thing I did because her auto continued to skate into the right lane. Finally, it bounced off the right guardrail and rolled back to a diagonal stop across both lanes. I watched her airbag go off as I squeezed my car around her front bumper.
The one thought on my mind was that I could have been killed, especially in that junker. My old Datsun Sentra was rickety and lacked airbags. I had just been hired to consult for a think tank in Palo Alto and I needed to drive over that hill to work there. Even though money was tight, it seemed like a life and death matter.
I took out a sheet of paper and scribbled down that I needed an automobile I felt safe in, a Mercedes, BMW, or Volvo. How I would pay for it was a mystery to me, I just knew that I had to find one. Every morning and every night I looked at that wish, and every day I scanned the classifieds. But no options within my means appeared.
Copyright: Mountain Ash Studio
So, I started talking to anyone who would listen to me about my dream car. I took a ride in my drummer’s Volvo to see what it was like but it seemed too boxy for me. Then another friend took me for a drive in her black Mercedes. I instantly fell in love. It was so elegant, it even had a sunroof. But it seemed too chic for me. A BMW would probably suit me best, I reasoned. That’s what my father would choose. Still, I loved the color of my friend’s car… and that roof.
Two weeks went by and still nothing happened. Then one day a woman at my new company sent out a general email letting us know that she was selling her BMW. By the time I called “Fran,” though, she informed me that two people had already driven her car and made offers on it. “Oh well,” I sighed, “at least I tried.” For some reason, Fran took pity on me. “You can take it out after lunch,” she offered, “if you still want to.” I jumped at the chance.
When I met Fran in the parking lot, I couldn’t believe my eyes. Her BMW was shiny black and had a sunroof, just like my friend’s Mercedes! I was sure it was a sign. Exhilarated, I pulled out of the parking lot with Fran in the passenger seat and promptly popped the clutch. I wanted to die of embarrassment. “Sorry,” I panted and immediately did it again. The car lurched forward a couple more times, but I finally got the hang of it.
My Dream Car
When the test drive was over, Fran turned to me. “You know,” she cheered, “I like the way you handle my car better than the two guys did this morning. They were revving the engine like it was a race car! You’re so much gentler with it. So, if you want it, you can have it.” I gazed up through the sunroof at the sky and smiled at God. “Thank you,” I whispered in my mind. And then it dawned on me. I had no idea how much Fran wanted for the car.
“How much are you asking?”
“$6,000 — in cash.”
“I’ll take it,” I gulped, having no idea where the funds would come from.
I stalled for two days by having a friend who is a mechanic check out the car. He told me it was in terrific condition. Still, no money flowed my way. “Stupid wish list,” I muttered to myself, “stupid wish list.” I decided I would have to get cash out on my credit card to pay for it. I’d never done that in my life. Then the next day, out of the blue, I got a call from the University of California at Santa Cruz asking me if I could teach Sensory Perception that quarter. “How much does it pay?” I inquired. “$6,000.”
Now when I tell my group coaching clients this story, they smile and shake their heads. A few of them can’t wait to get started on setting their intentions. But there is always one who delights in telling me how stupid she thinks wish lists are. Ironically, this participant is usually the first one to have her dreams come true.
Copyright: Albertshakirov | Dreamstime.com
For example, I’ll never forget “Sherry,” a freckle-faced woman in her early twenties with red hair and thick-lensed glasses who was a bit of a hellion in class. “There is no way this is going to work,” she declared, rolling her eyes behind those lenses.
I urged her to try it anyway. “Just pretend it works,” I suggested. “You paid for the class. You may as well give it a go. What do you want?”
After shooting me a “you’ve-got-to-be-kidding-me” look, Sherry mentioned that she’d been hunting forever for an apartment in San Jose. Either it had already been taken by the time she called, something was wrong with it, or they didn’t allow cats. “I’m never gonna find one!” she declared, exasperated. I suggested that Sherry put it on her list. She rolled her eyes again. “Okay,” she replied reluctantly, “I will do it for you.”
“No,” I thought to myself, “you’re doing it for you.” But I kept my mouth shut.
The next week Sherry walked into the classroom smiling. “You’ll never believe what happened,” she chirped. “I ran into my friend Jerry, who I haven’t seen in years. It turns out that his next-door neighbor was planning to rent out his condo but he hadn’t put it in the newspaper yet. I looked at it last night. It’s perfect. I’m moving in next week.”
To tell the truth, I have no idea why wish lists work. Maybe writing it down makes it real. Perhaps being so focused on what we want enables us to see options we would’ve never noticed before. We’re also more willing to work for our goals once they’re top of mind. New Thought philosophy calls it “The Law of Attraction” and holds that we magnetically draw our desires to us through our intentions.
How to Make Wishes Come True
All I know is that I’ve witnessed it happen with so many people so often in so many ways that there’s got to be something to it. Try it and find out for yourself!
Wish lists work. Especially if you align what you want with your true self. So, ask for what you really want, not what you think you can have… even if you have no idea how you’re going to get it. The world is a magical place. Have faith that circumstances will favor you somehow.
Once you’ve committed your longings to paper, be on the lookout for your desires to be fulfilled in funny, indirect ways. Opportunities are likely to appear in the most unlikely places. Try visualizing one wish on your list this week. I’ll check in to see how you did with it in the next blog, which will cover the power of persistence and patience to make your dreams come true. Happy first week of the New Year!
Previous blog: How to Get What You Wish For in 2024
Next blog: The Power of Persistence and Visualization
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