How Does the Online Idea Party Work?
You have a dream or a wish, and an obstacle to getting there. (If you don’t think you know your wish, work through my kick-starter and read this post. To learn why you must put logic aside to find your dream, read the following.)
The online Idea Party is here to help you – and the other fellow party goers – with your wishes and obstacles.
Voices from Success Teams and Idea Parties:
Having a team to report to and hearing what everybody did each week is very exciting. It’s kept me moving all year. In the past I made some good starts on my own, but found, every time, when the energy ran out, I ran out. Now it doesn’t run out.
Jade G.
Children’s Playroom Therapist, New York Hospital
I would do a painting a year, a sketch a year. If it was only me I know I would never do it. Having to tell you makes all the difference. It’s crazy why I didn’t do this years ago, it’s so easy all of a sudden.
Caroline R. Personnel Executive, Macy’s Dept Store
Post Your Wish and Your Obstacle Here!
And help your team mates out when you can. Use the Reply link to help, the form below the comments to add your own Wish and Obstacle.
(Your first comment below has to be approved, so it may not display instantly depending on the time of the day. Once your email address is approved you can post instantly. If you want your own profile photo to show up beside your comments, instead of the cute little design, upload your photo on Gravatar.com and give them an hour or so to make it happen.)
My dream is to help parents become outrageously successful Educational Advocates for their children. My obstacles: I am living in my car and behind in payments and insurance is due and registration is late and my current job ends June 9 and I am grieving the unwanted loss of family and friends since my mom died on February 17, 2016.
Primarily, I would like to not have myself anymore. I am working non that. I’ve got a therapist, and a weight loss plan, I’m making slow progress.
I would like to be an awesome bra maker. I took a weekend class over 5 years ago ( I don’t remember the exact date, but I only had 1 kid at the time, and now I have 2, so that narrows it down a little.) And, I really enjoyed making the bra. Since then practically every woman I know has said they want one. I have the fabric and misc. peices (findings,hooks, underwire,etc)and a sewing machine.I have an unending mess and 2 beloved mess makers making messes for me to continuously clean (Sissiphus would have been turned into a housewife had Greek myths happened in real life.)
I have ADHD. I get distracted. I am 50, and freaked out about it. (Where the f#* did my life go?) Fat, as mentioned above. Just quit drinking (should be a plus,but…) I am 11 days in to viral pneumonia. My 5 year old daughter is home sick.
My husband, whom I have bugged, prodded,nagged, etc to see a doctor for the last 9 years or so has daibetes and an infection in his toe, and is wearing a pump to give him IV antibiotics, which they’ve just doubled in strength, and oral antibiotics. He has a good job now, but was out of work for about a year. Now he’s an independent contractor, working for the government. I am really hoping he doesn’t lose this due to illness. If he was an employee he’d have rights, and benefits and such, but that’s why they hire independent contractors these days.
My kids refuse to try to read. This frustrates me to no end.
I frequently feel depressed and overwhelmed.The mess in my basement is so bad, I moved my sewing machine to a friend’s house. Of course, now I can’t get to it at all, because I am contagious. (There is such a mess in my basement,that you can’t actually put a foot on the floor anywhere, I can’t get to my desk.If I could, it’s covered in stuff.)
Every little step I take forward seems to be followed by at least 2 steps back.
I found “omnijournaling” and it’s awesome- a fantastic therapeutic tool. Bullet journaling plus art journalling plus whatever I want to put in there. Then one of the kids would sit on my note book, or draw in it, or my Husband would hand it to one of the kids who needed s one scrap paper ( we had a talk about going into my bag) etc. I have restarted my bloody journal countless times (more than 2x per year) an at this moment, I realize this should be in my journal, but I have no clue where it is, and don’t have the will to start *again* when I know it’s going to be wrecked again, eventually anyway.
My friends think I exaggerate.
I’m a mess. I’m sick.I’m tired.I’d like to believe that there is even a small chance that this could work, even a little bit.
So, you’d like to be an awesome bra maker. Yeah, I think that’s awesome, too! I’ve had that thought before, but never actually made a bra. I made a bikini once. Not very inspiring.
So … I hear all the obstacles you are working with. I sigh on your behalf. Which ones actively stop you from making bras? OK … I have a picture in my mind of a room or a space with “the bra stuff” and a way you initially get just 2 hours of focus time, that when you’ve gotten the 2 hours, then you re-evaluate. My picture is from my imagination. Heck, I’m thinking get a Success Team. Any of this helpful?
Yep, seriously want a success team. Just recently saw the video, so I’ve only had the term “success team” for a little while. I was hoping there would be more traffic in this online group.
Is there a facebook group associated with this?
I am assuming I might get a 2 hour break some time this weekend (the kids have a long weekend.) I can’t do it at Ruth’s (we’re still sick/contagious.) So I have to drag my stuff back to the house. My husband just called and he needs to go into the hospital for a while.
All of these things, and a few more, actually get physically in between me and my sewing machine. I’ve gotten 8 hours of sleep 2 days in a row (first time in a year) so now I’m trying to clean/organize and such, but I have a headache and a crying kid and an overwhelming ton of worry re: husband’s issues.
Re: worry/anxiety – I’m going to call my friend and my sister, while I’m waiting to get more information.
Well, its my birthday. 37 now, broke, still getting through a family loss and divorce happening right now. I’m also in NY (my mother lives here) I live in Florida.
I decided to become a successfully paid fine art/ fashion photographer.
I have no special training or schooling in anything and at the moment I barely pay my bills with Face Painting.
Debt collectors wiped out my account and they won’t give it back. All I have left is my old used car and I heard they can come take that too.
Needles to say, I have NO MONEY to get a camera and equipment or even a course. I tried teaching myself through YouTube… also its so hard when you are depressed. I saw myself sinking into isolation further and further until I saw your video. Best not do that.
so the OBSTACLES are:
Equipment
Classes
Looks like the first thing you need is a survival job, Camille. (Nothing beats survival!) Have you been trying to get one?
Hi. I am so glad to stumble on to Barbara’s Ted Talk video yesterday.
I have a crazy dream. Don’t know if it could ever happen but here it goes…
I want to be a nomad. I want to live in different places for a few months at a time live like a local and take pictures. Anywhere in the world is fine.
I really love to travel but most of all I love to do architectural photography. I can work house sitting, orchestrating remodels and redecorating. (I am a registered architect in Florida)
Obstacles:
I have no money to do this. No savings. Got to pay off my credit card debt. $10k
I would need to have some kind of an income.
No idea where to begin searching for a place to “start”.
If I quit my job and this doesn’t work out I don’t know how I will pay for my house or start over. I’m 48. Not easy to get hired again in my field. Would love to never have to do what I do now.
Need a plan to rent my townhouse house in Miami, sell my stuff.
My cat can come with? Would not want to give her up.
Hi. I am so glad to stumble on to your Ted Talk video yesterday.
I have a crazy dream.
I want to be a nomad. I want to live in different places for a few months at a time live like a local and take pictures. Anywhere in the world is fine.
I really love to travel architectural photography and architecture/design. I can work house sitting, orchestrating remodels and redecorating. (I am a registered architect in Florida)
Obstacles:
I have no money to do this. No savings. Got to pay off my credit card debt. $10k
No idea where to begin searching for a place to “start”.
If I quit my job and this doesn’t work out I don’t know how I will pay for my house.
Need a plan to rent my townhouse house in Miami, sell my stuff. My cat can come with?
There are lots of people who do it, Rebecca. The title of a book I read escapes me right now – it had ‘Nomad’ in the title and it was about a woman in her 50’s who just picked up and left and her story is quite amazing: how safe it was (and maybe still is), etc.
And this was someone who spent her earlier life in semi-high social circles and wasn’t used to hardship of any kind. It was quite amazing. I’ll go to amazon to see if I can find the book. (I think ‘woman’ or ‘female’ was in the title, too.)
Does anyone know the name of the bookI’m thinking of?
Found it! Take a look. Maybe your dream isn’t so impossible after all. And maybe a 3-month special course in Resistance is exactly what you need. I’m motivated to finish this program more and more every day. I see wonderful dreams that I know could come true!
https://www.amazon.com/Tales-Female-Nomad-Living-Large/dp/0609809547/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1496077495&sr=8-1&keywords=Female+Nomad
Barbara, So … finishing the resistance course is your goal/wish.
What’s your obstacle?
I’m sure I’m not the only person here who’s all ears!
No obstacle. It’s almost finished and I’ve dragged friends here to help me polish and market it all on time! Here we go, folks!
It’s a wonderful program. Not like any other, of course. None of this “Just Do It!” stuff that never works. You not only move where you used to get stuck in the past, you not only achieve where you just kept stopping, in this program you also come to understand your own brand of Resistance so well you can successfully negotiate with it in every project in the future!
and I’d be more than offering ears if I knew what the obstacle was. Need a nice retreat spot to camp out in for a couple months just to do this work? Our city has Dutch and Japanese influence. Lovely architecture. Winding inner alleys full of temples. It’s the cozy culture city of Taiwan, by the ocean … Just saying! I’m letting my assumptions of your obstacle lead. Best wait to hear directly from you.
Oh hi! I live in south Taiwan and see all kinds of people living a life like this. You can totally do it. And, I’m thinking I’d totally be happy to talk with you more about hosting you here for a couple months – room and board. I’m sure there’s an exchange we’d both think was awesome. Just last week a group in the city south of me was saying how they can no longer use the words “co-working space” (words that are controlled by the government) and they are considering getting together and renovating an old house as a “community or retreat” house. Their problem – no one to oversee the renovation.
Hi! For ideas on how to clear your debt: read ‘Money: A Love Story’ by Kate Northrupp. A really useful book which helped me feel better about my finances. I get the sense that this debt is holding you back. Start working on it in small steps and you will find you feel more empowered to try other things!
I am a Modern Languages student and we just get used to travelling to a different country to learn the language.. You just DO IT. I know it’s difficult when you have a house and responsibilities (and debts), but not impossible. (Sublet house? Go to Paris? Get a job teaching a bit of English with the British Council? Stay for 6 months? Live the dream? 🙂
Good luck!!
I have lots of pieces to my wish … it involves a loose informal network throughout Taiwan (where I live) that links “dreamers and makers” and widens everyone’s resource base. Then I’d like to be in a key group in my city … waking folks up to the abundance we live in around here, and have access to through cooperation. Then, me personally in my work, I want to do 1-on-1 “impossible healing retreats” … things like kidney failure, lou gehrig’s syndrome, mysterious medical situations (non-responsive to western medicine models). It takes around 4 weeks to “do the impossible” based on what I’ve seen over and over here. But it requires someone to hold the space for possibility – that would be me.
My challenges – I have no system for this, each time I muddle through. I have no business sense, nor idea how to get clients regularly. I’ve done some of these without knowing how to turn it into a business.
Hi, Jane! Long time, no see! Surely there is someone with a lot of business sense and a non-responsive disease that you could enlist as your business partner or mentor.
hi Patty! Yep, I stumbled on Barbara’s TED talk 2 days ago. This stuff is BRILLIANT. You guys are really holding down the fort. Big love out there to you!
So … I’m sure you’re right. I’m in !
Obstacle: How do I find them?
Does Taiwan have Meetup.com groups? Alternative medicine blogs where you could do a guest post? Would people with incurable illnesses turn to religious leaders? If so, do you know any?
Oh! This is great. I dismissed Meetup years ago when it was basically empty for all of Taiwan. Now I see it’s not! OK, VERY helpful. Religious leaders? For some reason that sparked my memory that a while ago a friend said I should join an association here of “traditional healers”. Your comment jogged my memory. AND, this same friend suggested I make an agreement with a temple to come once a week, do pain relief for their monks & nuns etc, in exchange for a spot to work out of… getting some regularity with folks around me. Your interest/questions is re-igniting all this. Sweet!
Yay!
Richard, Why don’t you try something that would give you an instant feeling of success, (something like Ebay) and then after you feel better about yourself, you will be able to move on to other things that interest you more. Just sitting and napping is not good for you! You are young! I”m 74 and my husband is 83 and he is still out there working, physically…..and not stopping. He is planning on putting together an animal sanctuary also. So, try a Meetup meeting in your area, and meet new people. Don’t hang around with people that just sitting and napping all the time either, you need to be with “movers and shakers”. People that have ideas and act on them. 🙂
Hello! My name is Michelle aka “Starfish”…I was divorced in 2011 and am a mother to 5 sons. I wrote an uplifting children’s book on divorce because I saw how difficult it is on everyone especially the kids going through a divorce and there is not alot of help out there in schools ect when parents are going through a divorce. I want my books in every school-I want parents reading my book to their children so they can take a deep breath and put the kid/s first. My dream is to have my book published. My obstacle is I have no clue how?? I don’t know where to start….?
Thoughts anyone??? Thank you in advance
My wish is to become a facilitator for connecting people with opportunities. Not sure what that would look like. But ot gives me such a good feeling when l am able find a situation or resource for somebody who needs one. My problem is that l am 65 and don’t seem able to do anthing, but take naps.
Richard,
Do have your blood sugar tested, because all that napping may be a symptom of diabetes.
Also, getting out for a nice walk in nature may give you a bit more energy and perhaps an opportunity to meet more people to help/ network with.
If none of that applies, just ignore it.
Do they have Meetup where you live? You could start a group. Might be fun.
Good luck from a 68-year-old.
Richard, I’m a facilitator who designs and hosts participative process. Interesting that when I popped in here to leave my wish/obstacles, yours was the previous post … wanting to be a facilitator.
I’m missing something – how are naps at odds with being a facilitator (or have I been doing it wrong all along?) It doesn’t seem to be standing in your way so far as you connect resources with people. (well done with that, by the way!) What is it about the naps, or the age, that’s an obstacle?
I am sixtyfive years old, while l have no clear idea of what to do in life. I do have several ideas for new businesses. It would grealy please me to have an opportunity to listen to other dream seekers and possibly help them on their paths to personal and professional success.