Making your list of 100 wishes and dreams!

Listen to today's podcast of "Embracing your Creative Spirit" on Inspired at home radio and click on this link for a more in depths version of today's theme of "Awakening to unlimited possibilities"

http://inspiredathome.com/eycs/003.htm

I grew up in the shadow of Disneyland. Less than 45 minutes away and we went a lot!...In fact we bought those wonderful "E" tickets every time a relative came to town and I loved it. But besides the Amazing Glassblowing artist in Sleeping Beauty's castle that made hand blown glass Tinkerbell necklaces ( $5.00 would buy you a delicate glass Tinkerbell that would last at least until your next trip to the park) and Tinkerbell herself who flew across the sky at 9:00 and midnight ( my dad said she was on a wire. I always just thought that she must be cold).
Disneyland had a few mysteries of its own that I as a very young child could not solve. The most important one being. Who were all those people eating spaghetti at the end of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride and how did they get off the boat with out getting in trouble or even wet...?( you know right before you went up that last hill and thought you were in for a doosey of a ride but actually you just went a few more feet and then the ride ended:( And what did they do to get to eat spaghetti and watch us float by? And what was I going to have to do to join them????. Of course those thoughts only lasted about as long as the aroma of Spaghetti and Garlic bread and by then I was off and running to the next ride..
But now and then the answer to that mystery haunted me more than how they got that ladies head in the glass ball to talk in the Haunted mansion... Or where did they find those Mermaids who waved at you from the lagoon during the Submarine ride?

Fast forward about 20 years and I still did not really know the how to get my pirate spaghetti. But I had other things to wonder about like how to raise happy healthy babies. I attended a class on how to help my children excel in school and the women who taught the class locked the door and said the following.

"The fact that you are here tells us that you are wonderful people and great parents that care about your families....But tonight we are not going to teach you anything about helping your kids through school. We are going to teach you how to get in touch with your joy and your dreams knowing that in turn doing this will help your children succeed better than anything that we could teach you. In fact we are going to help you create a list of 100 Wishes and Dreams...a list of things just for you, that you can do to have a little more joy in your life and help you keep from getting so caught up with everyone and every thing that you wake up one morning and can't find your joy or even remember what it looks like anymore. And so they did.
And we all started our life changing lists. 2 hours later I was still struggling with what to write and only up to about number 25. But I do remember that one of the first 5 was Eat Pirate Spaghetti and Garlic bread at the Blue Bayou Restaurant at Disneyland! ( Which I did and every time I watched a kid with wide eyes float by wondering how we got that Pirate Spaghetti I wanted to throw him a life raft and pull them up to the table with me.

The world can be overwhelming and get a little out of control. It is just soo easy to get caught up in the "Thick of Thin Things" even ( especially) the most loving caring best intentioned people can forget to make time to specifically put joyful little moments in to their lives. I believe that "man is that he might have joy" yet we neglect ourselves to the point of emotional exhaustion, one moment at a time. Giving but not replenishing, Not filling up our own wells. Many of us often look to the future. the "If only"...or "someday when ( fill in the blank)...then I will be happy" attitudes. If we are not careful " life's a meeting and then you die" can be our unintentional motto.

So here's the plan. As you begin to make a list of 100 Wishes and Dreams you have to begin to think on a very different level. You have to think about YOU, Not just "how do I look?" or "Is there Toilet paper on my shoe?" More like "Remember when I was a kid and I thought it would be really neat if I could"... or "Someday I'm going to..." It may have been so long since you thought on this level that it might take a little while to get there but keep trying! You are definitely worth spending time on.

And please don't confuse being "self loving" with being "selfish"...Although for a few moments it might feel that way to you. You are just being more like-your-self. and I have found that the more you get to know You and the more that you find out about the things that you like and start doing them one joyful moment at a time the more you will begin to smile those smiles that don't just start on your face, the ones that burst out from way down deep inside The ones that mean something and feel good and last. and the ones that bring joy to other people and warm their hearts.I used to think that you were really only "allowed" to have a few "Greatest Moments of Your Life" Like when you fall in love, or have a child or win the gold medal. You know stuff like that.
But now I plant pink sweet peas ( only the pink ones) because I love them. and when my sweet children pick them for their teachers and ask me to tie them up with a ribbon I say to myself " This is the greatest moment of my life!" And it is. and then I smile a big, warm smile.Take a deep breath and cherish that moment.

Life is too short there are too many things out of our control. Illness, death and chaos take over with out invitation or warning. You are living and breathing right now, this moment...savor it, make the most of it, fill it with the fulfillment of one of your 100 Wishes and Dreams!

Fast forward to the end of your life.What don't you want to miss out on when all is said and done? I am not talking 'If only I had a billion more dollars or a different body or in laws. I am talking things that you can with some effort, specifically put into your own life.
You wave the magic wand. You be the genie and grant yourself wishes..not just three but at least 97 +3
Quit blaming your parents that you are not a concert pianist because they gave you lessons but did not make you practice. Life is made up of a lot of little moments, and remember that the little things are the big things.

Now it is your turn. Begin again to find out just who you really are, in case you have forgotten or never really took the time to know. Only you have the power to make these dreams come true Do you have any? Do you even know what they are any more? Maybe it is time for some new ones and to cross off some old ones and to smile from way down deep!
Here are a few of mine to give you some ideas...

1. *Eat at the Blue Bayou at Disneyland( with out getting in trouble or getting wet)
2. *Make your own humongous (cupcake size) Marshmallows from the Joy of Cooking and roast them over a fire
3. *Learn to make excellent pie crust
4. *Get a Watsu water massage
5. *Get "real Cacoa beans" and make my own chocolate (at this time they were not imported)
6. *Run in a half marathon
7. Run in a Marathon
8. Compete in a triathlon
9. Do a nature survival for 5+ days
10. *Have a candle light bubble bath in fact have lot's of them ( and read and drink tea and eat chocolate cake)
11. Ride in a Gypsy wagon in Ireland
12. *Plant all the pink sweet peas you could ever want
13. *Read the Chronicles of Narnia to my children..and do the voices
14. *Eliminate all polyester clothing from my wardrobe and only wear silk, silk velvet, cotton and hemp and lot's of vintage
15. Plant all the lacinato Kale that I can dream of
16. Plant all my favorite fruit trees
17 *Go to Hawaii and eat coconuts off the trees
18. Go to Costa Rica and slide down a waterfall and eat fruit from the trees
19.* Watch the sunrise at Mt Haleakala
20. Find a great recipe to make "stretchy chewy salt water taffy" and make it with my kids
21.* Learn to knit and knit a great hat
22. Create a Mermaid Theme Art Studio
23. Build and live in a wonderful Straw Bale house on my own land 5 to 40 acres
24. *Alternate having an "over the top" Faerie party and "Mermaid under the sea party" Every year with very cool costumes
25. *Only drink from Glass glasses ( no plastic cups or dishes ever) and serve from cool vintage every day China
26. *Hold a fabulous Tea party with my girls every spring
27. *Always have a current Temple recommend
28. Be peaceful and Joyful, In that order
29. Play the piano at Christmas with the family singing along on " Fudge making night"
30. *Feel free to "unleash my inner eccentric" as I choose
31. Let my surrounds reflect my creative joy
32. Find and buy a vintage silk ivory colored piano shawl with soft pink and yellow embroidered cabbage roses like the one I passed up on my honeymoon
32. Have buff but not bulky arms!
etc. etc. etc
* equals crossed off