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.)
I wish I could find better medical care in a larger city. Obstacle: Because I’m blind and have fibromyalgia, it’s exhausting to travel to those cities.
Have you contacted any disability organizations for help?
Hello, good hearing back. Thanks for taking a moment to respond.
Regretably, certain disability organizations I can think of would tell me to go to a Rehab center to improve my skills and not be so dependent.
Hello David,
I also have Fibromyalgia and am willing to volunteer my time to help you obtain better medical care. I can do a couple of things for you: search on your behalf Fibro and or Pain Management Specialists nearby you that have an interest in treating Fibromyalgia patients. Also, there is a doctor I read about that does consults via phone; I believe his name is Dr. Murphee and his specialty is treating Fibro patients.
There is a whole lot more I can do to potentially help you out free of charge. If you wish to chat offline please let me know and we can then exchange contact information.
Necie
Yes, this sounds interesting. I’d be curious to hear more. What do I do?
Hi David,
Please contact me directly at healthactivist@gmail.com
My name is Necie.
The book INSPIRATION DEFICIT DISORDER by Jonathan Ellerby, was referred to me by a scholarly friend. Very excellent for our type of brains. Addresses “stuck” and numerous other life issues in a gentle, different and all encompassing manner. It is helping me identify how to move from stuck to action. Blessings to All.
I must locate this book. It sounds interesting. Thanks.
I’ll answer you here, Moose, where the margins are wide, knowing that this is more for the benefit of the other people here than for you. I can see how hard it is for you to understand what I’m saying but what is more important is for those who have spent time trying to help you to understand when the searcher is not sincere but is really trying to prove that this system doesn’t work.
Here’s your latest letter with my responses in the text:
Moose on December 20, 2014 at 11:07 pm said: Edit
Ms. Sher: Without waxing unduly prolix, I have no intention of “apologizing” for characterizing (albeit rather obliquely) some ostensibly well-meant suggestions as being, at best, wholly divorced from reality.
B: Ask me if I’m surprised, Moose. It’s clear that you came into this Idea Party wanting to play by your own rules rather than searching for a solution to the obstacles to your dreams.
Moose: You urge your readers to set forth what they truly want–with the promise that your methodologies will be effective in securing them–but then retreat by calling these wishes “unrealistic” or by engaging in rhetorical legerdemain in asking that we settle for “certain parts” of said wishes.
B: I urge my readers to set forth their wish and their obstacles. My methodology promises to find a way to get the part they love the most.
Moose: With regard to my specific scenario, it stretches–no, breaks–the bounds of credible, rational discourse to believe that the “strategies” tendered could even be contemplated by a rational person. (Some of the suggestions read like self-parodies, late-night TV comedy fare.)
B: Your inability to try to play by the rules of a process that has proven successful thousands of times says more about you than about the process.
Moose: Failure to endorse the efficacy of snake oil isn’t a dearth of “ideas” but rather, the capacity to “call a spade a spade.”
B: I congratulate you for being able to give yourself so much credit with so little information. You seem to enjoy pronouncing how right you are much more than you’d enjoy some real solutions to your wish.
Moose: Your assertions that one who fails to find something “useful” in “any idea” lacks creativity and honesty…or that one who can’t find “anything to like” isn’t an “idea person” (whatever the hell that is)…are self-serving, offensive and intellectually dishonest.
B: Oh, Moose, you’re such an angry, unpleasant, self-righteous person. I feel sorry for your wife. This isn’t an ‘assertion.’ This is a method that works. I was informing you of a proven way to turn what look like bad solutions into useful solutions. This is something you’re clearly not interested in. You’re like a newbie wanting to play basketball who gets furious and says the rules are all wrong. You leave all the other players perplexed.
Moose: By the way, I’ve perused “Wishcraft” and commend you, at minimum, for your empathetic tone.
B: I hardly know what to say at getting your minimal approval! I’m deeply grateful.
Moose: Notwithstanding certain intrinsic deficiencies emanating from certain of your premises, there’s reason to believe that some of your approaches might prove beneficial to some “wishers” under some circumstances.
B: Thank you! After selling over a million copies I’m grateful that someone who really matters will finally give me this kind of hope, even before fully investigating the book.
Moose: With that in mind, I’ll study the tome in greater detail with the goal of gleaning specific information that I might apply. Although I am rather skeptical that your book–or any other–can transform one’s financial prospects,
B: We wait with bated breath for your conclusion. The book is free. It’s the least I can do.
Moose: I thank you for your input and wish you the best of luck.
B: Your sincerity warms my heart. Thank you, Moose. Good luck with your wish. Please write to tell us if you achieve it. We’ll all be very interested!
……………………………………………………………………….
Dear Idea Party people: Moose (and whoever said s/he wants what s/he wants whenever s/he wants it) have helped us clarify the difference between people who come here sincerely hoping to make a wish come true, and those who want to prove it’s impossible.
Remember these principles if you actually want success helping people overcome obstacles and achieve the heart of their dreams:
1. Ask What is your wish and what is your obstacle? You need both of those elements clearly stated. Don’t try to solve problems until you know both of these things, at least to the best knowledge of the person wishing. Otherwise you set yourself up to be belittled for your ideas.
Why would anyone belittle you for offering your help? It’s bewildering. Because any one with good sense knows that if you trash an idea right out of the gate, with the harshness you can see in Moose’s posts (which takes no insight or intelligence or creativity – a 2-year old can do it) you only discourage more ideas. If you want fewer ideas, I guess angry criticism is a very good idea. It works.
If someone wants to be right more than he wants his dream, belittling and criticism of your efforts are efficient, if primitive ways to get that. (Though I’ve heard it said that ‘being right’ is the booby prize.)
2. Remember that every idea is fruitful, even the most ridiculous sounding, (as the creative and product-development departments of most major companies already know) if the recipient stretches his creative thinking. The necessity of finding at least one thing of value in every idea allows fresh, new thinking and also clarifies the obstacle more and more clearly. By stating objections in this form: “What do I do about the problem of……” fresh, new solutions emerge.
Almost any real obstacle can be overcome with this method – even by ordinary people who don’t think they have special idea skills. That’s why I insist on it in Idea Parties.
3. Ask one question: “What do you love most about your wish?” That is, what is the essential part, which, if it were missing, would make the whole dream pointless.
Remember: attaining every wish is not possible. I can not fly without assistance from an airplane or some other conveyance no matter how much I may want to. But the heart of every wish, the most important part, is always possible. So it’s essential to find out what the wisher *really* wants, even if they’ve never thought about it before on their own. And the only way to do that is by following the method above.
Lesson complete. (Unless you have some sincere questions, of course. Most of us don’t have enough free time for pointless debates.)
Now let’s get on with some authentic problem solving, shall we?
Many thanks for taking the time to personally reply. Very kind. I am on LinkedIn and have been for quite awhile. Mimico is an idea, though far from everything without a car and only the streetcar or infrequent buses that run to the subway. It’s lovely down by the water, but I’ve always found Lakeshore out that way really depressing.
Yonge & Eg is blocks of apartments (not affordable) but certainly in the thick of things with shops etc. Great area actually. You have my email and I would be very grateful for any assistance regarding recruiters…I’m looking for something unconventional and different, haven’t the first clue where to start. Honestly, I’d like to mentor young women, give classes in how to avoid the bumps in the career road, the pluses and minuses of taking paths that distract from your goals, how to make wiser decisions and what to do when you don’t 🙂 Or work on an Internet startup (though I’m probably too old for that – I did it years ago and loved it.Keep me posted if anyone springs up in your mind that might help. Bottom line is I want to be ‘useful’, and be able to leverage my age (it’s gotta be good for something) in either working with young people (I worked in Student Services years ago but it would be much tougher now and I haven’t a completed degree :-(, cheers and thanks again.
Hi Orlanda,
The email addresses don’t show on the forum so I don’t have yours, but I’d be happy to send you our recruiters’ contact info if you’d like to post your email address or your LinkedIn name. You sound like you have tons of energy and fabulous ideas and there must be something that’s a great match for you. 🙂
agirlontheroad@hotmail.com and many thanks again for your kind words and ideas. I eagerly await your suggestions and thank you for allowing me to be part of this. Cheers and a healthy, contented, successful upcoming New Year to you and everyone on this blog.
Moose, these are some wonderful ideas. As far as house sitting is concerned I placed an ad for my sisters whom need a nice affordable place to live and was contacted immediately with an offer of $300.00/month. All that was needed was for someone to help out preparing meals for the lady of the house whom is a senior citizen on social security disability. That’s $150.00/person for their own bedroom, this is a 5 bedroom house, kitchen privileges, garage parking, etc..
Hi Everyone,
I wish to organize and develop the first Fibromyalgia Symposium in my community geared towards patient education and support. As you might guess I have Fibromyalgia and Rheumatoid Arthritis. I have a vested interest in this event and am doing all I know how to bring this too life. What I have done to jumpstart things is to launch a not-for-profit organization and have already filed my articles of incorporation with the state. Any day now I will have my approval letter from the state. 🙂
I was diagnosed with Fibro due to some trauma and stress in my life due to bullying on the job. The stress of dealing with this for 2 1/2 years and working long hours took its toll on my health. Fibro mainly affects women but men and children also get it. I want to share my story with the world so that others can learn from my experience and deal with their stress and find their own passion to create their dream job as an entrepreneur, etc.. I am also looking for a videographer/cinematographer to assist with the visual story telling in documenting my story and journey with this disease. I met a student from a local community college whom is working as a cinematographer part-time and wants to work with me on this project. Barbara sets to Wish Big and that’s what I am doing and not afraid to do the required hard work.
I also have my own public access television show Fibromyalgia Talks. I invite speakers on the show with a holistic perspective on how to treat Fibro. Most recently, I did a segment on the benefits of healing prayer and meditation. I have started working on a sponsorship letter that I plan to send out to obtain sponsors right after Christmas.
My obstacles are as follows:
1. A few people have recommended and suggested told I pay them $2500.00 to have access to their templates to improve my proposal for sponsorship. Otherwise, they feel I will not be successful. Their templates consist of about 15-20 pages and mines about 2-3 pages. I don’t believe many corporations have a lot of time to read lengthy proposals. Having worked in Corporate America prior to going on medical leave and filing for social security disability, I learned they typically want you to be concise, straight to the point and tell them Whats In It For Them (benefits).
Also, I don’t have the money to pay them for access to their templates. If I had an extra $2500.00 I would use it to help fund the symposium. Also, I have no way of knowing if there proposal templates will actually help me.
2. The other obstacle is trying to decide how large of an event to create; for more than 200 people or have the first one to be smaller. I would love to have a large event to spread awareness and raise funds for my charitable organization focused on patient education and support. Many organizations are focused on research but mine is all about making a positive difference in the lives of patients/caregivers via education and nutrition.
3. If I don’t get sponsorship dollars I can’t create the event. So I will need an alternate plan.
You all have been so very helpful to others and I sincerely look forward to your ideas and suggestions. I feel confident I can get sponsors but not certain about the dollar amount. I estimate $8,00-&10,000 should be sufficient to launch the symposium.
What are your thoughts on my Wish? 🙂
Warm regards,
Necie
Necie, individual sponsors often have application forms or their own templates you must follow. E.g., Google “Whole Foods event sponsor application.” Looking at a few may give you ideas for approaching the potential sponsors who don’t have their own requirements.
To find potential sponsors, check who has sponsored other fibromyalgia conferences. Google “fibromyalgia conference sponsor” — try them, their competitors, and their local affiliates.
Hello Patty,
I greatly appreciate all your feedback. I did Google Whole Foods event sponsors and was able to obtain some helpful info.
I have Googled quite a few things and have recently requested media kits from other Fibro organizations to better understand my target market. I appreciate all your helpful information.
I wish you success in your plans for this important work, Necie.
I wanted to offer my thoughts below.
Have you thought of forming an online meet-up.org group or Facebook page?
Congrats on the public access channel show. That sounds tremendous. Do you have any footage on youtube?
As to sponsors and such, do you think any of the bigger local churches in your area might have an interest or one of their women’s groups or committees? A local hospital?
My gut says to forget the $2500 templates. Sounds like a quasi money making scam. You know how when you hear the ads about the member of a billionaire family who wants to develop with you a money stream and you end up getting a kit and instructions on how to sell it to the next set down the pyramid?????????
I’m not attached to any national FMS groups at the moment. I did wonder if any of said groups have forums and if you had posted there and what they might say. I wonder if the makers of Lyrica would want to fund anything. They have that nifty little commercial where the woman takes her Lyrica and becomes the energizer bunny. So not me.
Hi David,
Very good feedback.
Yes, I do have a Meetup Group and have developed a sponsorship proposal that I am currently editing. The hospital suggestion I plan to follow-up on tomorrow after my doctors appointment. It would be great to start a support group there.
Once my proposal is all done I will contact Lyrica.
Thanks
Necie
Sounds like a worthwhile initiative!
My ideas are:
– you could start with a small event, as a ‘pilot’ to see what works and also to connect with others in the community who may be interested in organising a larger event later
– you could ask for ‘in kind’ donations – such a free venue hire, catering, or speakers at no cost – this would reduce the overall sponsorship burden
– you could begin by offering yourself as a speaker for an existing event – such as a community healthcare conference? (you’d need to checks which kind of health professionals, or people are your target first). You could share some of the ‘lived experiences’ of having the condition and what you wish was more available in term sod information or treatment. You could advertise your up and coming forum at the end of your talk for anyone interested in hearing more.
Good luck!
what is going on i joined severe weeks ago and now am getting messages to join and no commentary on the dates i am supposed too. get it straight-
Can you clarify, what exactly did you join Ann? Barbara’s Club has several different courses and programs that are only open to people who register. If you joined one of those and are having problems, then you need to email the webmaster.
But this here is a free idea party that’s open to the public. If you posted here before, you are probably subscribed to the thread and you’ll get messages about any new posts. Are those the messages you are talking about? You can change that by clicking where it says Manage your subscriptions.
Scannie?
Happy Holidays.
I’m heart-glad to see you here for reasons that don’t have much to do with this subthread (except perhaps tangentially).
I’m skimming and it looks like I’m not the only one who’s signed into multiple courses who’s also had a little trouble tracking individual people in our respective groups down via the various open threads/groups (and I really thought I was. I thought “I’m an intelligent girl; I was valedictorian of my graduating class regardless of how many years ago it was, LOLsigh; why am I having so much trouble with this?”).
Long version short – you approved me on FB for membership in one of the Scanners’ Groups. Might I be able to message you there (and also offer reciprocal support in any way you might be looking for it right now – irrespective of the fact that you always post as though you have everything under complete control) …?
🙂
Hi mysterious M
I had a very happy but busy holiday travelling around visiting family for a couple of weeks. But now I’m back home and trying to catch up with everything I missed online.
“you always post as though you have everything under complete control” Hahaha! No that’s a complete illusion.
I’m getting confused by doing multiple courses too, but that’s life for a scanner. Better to be confused than bored!
Well I don’t know who you are on Facebook, but welcome to the group! I don’t let everyone in who applies. You must have looked like a good person for it.
Sure you can try messaging me, but I’m not sure if you can without friending me first. Or have you friended me already? If you join Barbara’s bulletin boards you can send me a message there. But I don’t know how soon I’ll be there again to see it and reply. I’m very busy in lots of other places these days.
Ann, I would like to help you with your Hanging Out membership, but not here in the Idea Party. Please send an email to webmaster@barbarasclub.com.
Wish: I want to own (“free and clear”) a waterfront home in Del Mar, La Jolla, Solana Beach or Encinitas, Ca.
Obstacles: No disposable income, no credit, negative net worth (wife and I can barely pay bills)…57 years old…and many other things.
Hi Moose,
There is a new book out (which I just downloaded) and it looks really good. It’s called Dealing With Your Money $h!t by Cassie Parks. I think you can download it for free onto kindle through amazon. Best of luck!
Thanks, I’ll check it out.
Although I thank you for your effort, the whole “law of attraction” stuff pushed by Parks, et al., is just a steaming load of dung–a complete scam and utterly nonsensical.
I live and work legally on an island in the Caribbean because I had a coach that believes in among many things, the Law Of Attraction…I visualized it, and it happened, no one was more shocked than I believe me, the old be careful what you wish for :-). It’s also what I’m doing now, 10 years later, to get back home. I am positive I can do it, just might take a little longer. I have faith in myself, and in those I’m including in my tiny circle of cheerleaders. 🙂
I used to think that LOA was weird until I tried it – and I’ve since manifested many, many things I was actually surprised to get. I think it’s highly misunderstood depending on how it’s taught and by who. It can be seen as woo-woo attracting when really it’s about focusing on something the same way anyone would on a goal and taking action that comes from inspiration rather than desperation and anxiety. There are a couple of books with actual experiments in it which are rather fun, called E-Squared and E-Cubed, both by Pam Grout. Anyway, it’s simply a suggestion. – And Moose, feel free to disregard any of this if it doesn’t resonate with you, someone else reading these threads might like to check them out. All the best!
I’m with you, Moose. I’d rather have a more solid plan than “attracting.”
Without money, you could:
– Be extraordinarily kind to elderly people with no family in all of those towns and hope for an inheritance.
– Search for a place that’s legally abandoned and talk to the city about rebuilding it. You might not gain ownership, but if not you could live there while you rebuild and come up with profits to fund other approaches.
– Both take second jobs for the next 5 years, get out of debt, and put a down payment on a home there. Then you could both work one job until you’re 70 to pay off as much as possible of the price of the house.
– Take a gamble on starting a shoestring business and build it into something big enough to buy such a house in a few years.
– Look at used mobile homes there to bring the price down into a range you could afford with less hard work — and use the location to earn more money or meet more people who have no one to leave their homes to.
Or you could look at your wish and pull apart the details to get clearer on what order to go after them. If owning free and clear means not paying a mortgage or rent payment, you could look at housesitting or becoming caretakers instead of getting the money to purchase a house — and you could bank the money you would have spent on rent. If it means owning a house, you might consider renting to own in a place where prices are lower and on the rise. If those cities represent being in the sunshine near the beach, you might look just south of the border for less expensive properties. If you specify the cities because have relatives or a job in that area, you could work on moving them to a less expensive place.
Although I thank you for your input, those ideas are NOT FEASIBLE.
*”Kind to old people and “hope for an inheritance?” That’s just plain bizarre, “pie in the sky” stuff!
*”Abandoned homes?” As far as I know, there are no abandoned homes in any livable areas. Sounds like something an extreme risk-taker might do in Detroit or perhaps in a ghost town like the Salton Sea. Seriously?
*”Shoestring business?” Perhaps, but even a “shoestring” venture requires a certain amount of start-up capital–which I don’t have.
“Used mobile homes?” That’s a JOKE, right? Are you going to suggest living in a cardboard box next?
*”Second jobs?” NOT feasible, NOT applicable, to wit: My wife already works her fingers to the bone and I am neither interested in nor qualified to be an employee. (I could go into details, but it would take way too much space and time.)
Finally, when I say I want to OWN a beachfront house in these places, I mean THESE places–not Mexico, and obviously, being some sort of “house sitter” or “caretaker” is NOT being an owner–just a low-level flunky. I’m NOT interested in renting, nor do I have relatives who live there. (I’ve chosen these PARTICULAR places because, having lived in the San Diego area much of my life, I’m familiar with them and like them.)
In short, it would take a couple of million bucks to do this.
Hey Moose,
This wouldn’t be exactly what you want w/is to own the house but could you look into house-sitting? Those gigs are tough to get but sometimes people who live in nice houses like that aren’t living in them for much of the year and they’ll let someone stay there in exchange for watching the house, maybe mowing the lawn and doing other chores. Also sometimes people will allow someone to stay in the home of an elderly relative in exchange for caring for the elderly/disabled person. I know it’s not exactly what you want but maybe getting a situation like that cd lead you toward what you want.
Also here’s another crazy idea. Are u interested in real estate at all? I also live in a poor area where good jobs virtually don’t exist and am struggling financially, so I’m looking into getting a real estate license. In my area it’s about $300 to take the online class. It takes a while to make money doing real estate though, but if owning a home is your goal it cd maybe get u an inside look on available homes and maybe u cd find a fixer-upper that’s not as expensive or find some way of getting a discount…
I don’t know, these ideas may also seem far-fetched and not feasible but I’m just throwing out ideas that maybe will lead you toward thinking of something better.
I don’t believe in the LOA at all but I think people shouldn’t give up on their dreams. There’s a way for you to get what you want. Don’t give up. Just keep asking for ideas from other people, keep your dream in the back of your mind and, eventually, you’ll figure something out.
Well I definitely appreciate your time and kindness, but these won’t work for me. (They might work for a much younger person who just wants to LIVE in the sort of situation I’ve described or who’s into the real estate thing.) In truth, even the cheapest houses I’d like are $2,000,000+, so the obstacles are formidable. [For the record, there are a some houses in the $1.2–$2 mil range not on the ocean but close with a good view, but I don’t see any ideas yet that would be even remotely feasible as far as ownership.] To reiterate, I have no interest in being some sort of “caretaker” or in renting, and at 57 years old, I don’t have decades to work with.
Sorry, Moose. My brainstorming stops the moment I hear NOT FEASIBLE or EXACTLY THIS AND NOTHING ELSE. Best of luck to you.
Amen.
Double Amen
Soooo, are you saying you don’t plan to really achieve that wish? You just like wishing for it? Because I don’t see how you can do it the way you’ve got in mind.
Not everything is possible, Moose. I can never be an Olympic swimmer. Of course, I never wanted to be one, so it’s not too important. But if I did, we’d have to find the element that I loved most, and try to get that. Because I’m simply too old to be an Olympic swimmer. Have been since I was about 18, like everyone else.
But the part you love the best is usually possible. If you’re being sincere about this wish, why don’t you tell us what you love most about your unrealistic dream, and we can try to help you get that part.
And there are rules about accepting or rejecting other people’s suggestions. First, don’t be insulting. No one owes you a solution. You aren’t paying their salaries for this service. They’re doing you a favor to come up with ideas. I’m sure they have other things to do.
Second, the way to handle a solution that doesn’t work for you is a two-step method. First you say – sincerely – what part of the solution you like. If you can’t find anything you like, you aren’t an idea person. A creative, honest person can find something useful in *any* idea.
And after you’ve done that, you can say, “What do we do about the problem that…” and fill in the blank with the part of the solution you don’t want.
So I’d like you to get off your indignation, and apologize to the people who tried to come up with ideas for you. Nothing is easier than saying, “No, not good enough!” It takes no thought and no effort which isn’t fair. You’re not doing any of the heavy lifting.
And then I’d like you to use the system I’ve developed and described in my first book Wishcraft, which is available free at wishcraft.com and has made this point clear for over 35 years.
Thanking you in advance for doing the right thing.
Ms. Sher: Without waxing unduly prolix, I have no intention of “apologizing” for characterizing (albeit rather obliquely) some ostensibly well-meant suggestions as being, at best, wholly divorced from reality. You urge your readers to set forth what they truly want–with the promise that your methodologies will be effective in securing them–but then retreat by calling these wishes “unrealistic” or by engaging in rhetorical legerdemain in asking that we settle for “certain parts” of said wishes. With regard to my specific scenario, it stretches–no, breaks–the bounds of credible, rational discourse to believe that the “strategies” tendered could even be contemplated by a rational person. (Some of the suggestions read like self-parodies, late-night TV comedy fare.) Failure to endorse the efficacy of snake oil isn’t a dearth of “ideas” but rather, the capacity to “call a spade a spade.”
Your assertions that one who fails to find something “useful” in “any idea” lacks creativity and honesty…or that one who can’t find “anything to like” isn’t an “idea person” (whatever the hell that is)…are self-serving, offensive and intellectually dishonest.
By the way, I’ve perused “Wishcraft” and commend you, at minimum, for your empathetic tone. Notwithstanding certain intrinsic deficiencies emanating from certain of your premises, there’s reason to believe that some of your approaches might prove beneficial to some “wishers” under some circumstances. With that in mind, I’ll study the tome in greater detail with the goal of gleaning specific information that I might apply. Although I am rather skeptical that your book–or any other–can transform one’s financial prospects, I thank you for your input and wish you the best of luck.
Dear Moose –
Writing from love and kindness, I sense a frustration, resistance and contempt in your writings. My experience is that I could not move forward into the manifestation of that which I desired until my own frustration, anger, contempt etc which was the real obstacle, was addressed, worked on, and moved through to the other side. That is when EVERYTHING changed for me. By the way, I’ve had numerous copies of Wishcraft on my shelf for over 20 years to give away.Though I was still my own obstacle at the time, I derived many benefits from the book. Why not try to peruse the book from finding what’s right with it instead of what you think is what is wrong with it. Sincere Blessings on your Journey
Okay Moose. Actually the real estate and house-sitting ideas are ideally suited for an older person. I saw ppl your age doing those things but it sounds like it’s not your cup of tea. I was just brainstorming to see whether the ideas might at least inspire u to come up w/better ideas.
One more idea I did have is that if u want to do something & don’t have the $$ you’ll probably nd to get other ppl involved. (It’s called Other People’s Money, OPM.) U cd, for ex, borrow the $$ to buy the house then rent out parts of the house to get back your money. U wdn’t nd to rent it out forever, just until u get ur money back. U cd rent a room out to a college student or an elderly person, for ex. Or find a business person who’s only in town a few days per wk who nds a place to stay while he/she’s in town. Or rent to vacationers who nd a place to stay for just one week. Hotels charge a ton so u cd make a lot of $$ by just charging less than the hotels do.
U cd also rent out ur driveway to car owners who don’t have a parking spot, your garage or part of your basement to ppl who need storage. Heck, if u own a home now u cd do all this now to save up the $$ to buy the house u want. It’s not hard to rent space to ppl. You’ll want to intvw them 1st tho’ to make sure they’re nice ppl, although most ppl are.
Another thing I’ve seen ppl do is they go in with a friend or relative, put their money together and buy the house together. You’d draw up a contract, get a lawyer involved and make an agreement. Cd be just a summer home for you while they live in it during the winter or vice versa. Or u cd share the home. I know, this may not appeal to u either but if u don’t have the money yourself you’ll probably nd to cooperate w/other ppl in some way to generate the funds (unless u win the lottery.)
Anyhow, that’s all I can think of and is the end of my brainstorming here.
Oops, I didn’t even see the above discussion. I think my reply went to the wrong place and was entered at the wrong time…
I wish I could do anything I want to do, whenever I want to do it, without financial or social constraints.
OK. That’s your wish, but we also need to know what is your obstacle that prevents you doing that.
Skannie’s question seems reasonable. Why no response?
And why do I sometimes think people don’t really mean what they say, when they say what they want? They just want to prove that it’s impossible to get whatever you want. This particular wish looks like one of those. It might even have been planted by someone who is bitterly convinced that getting what you want is a joke.
Well, as I said above to Moose, everything isn’t possible. But getting the part you love the most, that almost always is possible, when and if a lot of generous people toss in ideas and information.
Thing is, idea parties only work when you mean what you say. When you don’t mean what you say, you can’t tell us what the sweet spot or the touchstone or the part you love the best is. Because you don’t love any part of a fake wish.
So, if you have the courage to be sincere about your wish (and you also tell us your obstacle), you might actually get something you care about.
Sorry for my late reply, but I haven’t received any notification that there was a reply on my comment when Skannie post it and I didn’t check for myself until today. I know it sounds kind of like a bullish wish, but that’s really what I wish (or at least what I think I wish) and I mean it.
To answer Skannie’s question: what’s stopping me? Well I think I kind of answered it: financial and social constraints. I will try to be a bit more concise. When I say I want “to do anything I want to do, whenever I want to do it” I mean that I constantly need to do something else hour by hour day by day. And when I don’t want to do anything I just like to sit with my own thoughts and enjoy the moment. For example there are many things that I enjoy doing, but only for a short period of time. If I’ll have to do that thing for a longer period of time, even if I first loved it, I end up hating that thing. This is where life/reality kicks in. Nobody will “feed” you, a.k.a pay you, to do only what you want, whenever you want. Most of the things I like doing don’t generate any income, so I have to have a job/other income source in order to sustain myself. This income generating source usually eats away all my time and I’m left with very little time for things I love doing. OK, many people will say: “try generating income from what you love.” The problem is that in order to generate income one must have a certain level of consistency, whereas I end up hating things I once loved just because I have to them every day. This is what I mean by financial and social constraints.
I hope I’ve cleared things out a bit. I didn’t said what I wish just to prove that is impossible to achieve, I really wish I could be free of social and financial constraints and do whatever I love, or at least do more what I love and less what I hate.
Ah hah! *That’s* the problem. Looks like you don’t know about Scanners, yet, Cosmin. In fact, you might be surrounded with them here on Barbara’s Club. Scanners are people who have many interests, sometimes they last weeks and sometimes years, but they rarely last forever. (Unless you’re a ‘Sybil,’ like me, and then you like to do about 10 or 15 things, for short times, over and over.) Wish I could get you a copy of Refuse to choose, but you can get the 99c one on kindle, or go to amazon.com and read the reviews. It might be a revelation. It is for many, many people. (I get letters every day.)
Scanners can 1) find jobs they don’t mind that don’t eat up all their time and use their free time any way they like (and call their jobs a subsidy to the arts) or they can 2) get income from a number of different things that they might love or might only like okay, but that happen at different times of the year (such as helping out at trade shows breaking down booths, or making and selling jewelry once a year ((or once, period)) or 3) being a tax accountant for artists and actors and working like a maniac for 3 months a year and making more than you need for the whole year.
But it’s not impossible at all. Lots of people do it.
This weekend the Barbara Sher-Coaches start another Idea Party! All englisch speaking people are invited to share their wish and obstacle and have fun by giving each other inspiring tipps and ideas!
From Fri 05.12., 7:00 pm, til Sun 07.12., 8:00 pm, a group of trained Barbara Sher Coaches will be there to support you. The Idea Party takes place in a closed Facebook Group. Just click attend and one of our Admins will add you.
We are looking forward to you!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/900175639992970/
I just received this today, Dec. 17…it indicates this wknd ‘Dec. 5 – 7’ is open to ask Coaches but that was ‘last’ wkend. Is this a typo or????
I think the dates are right. I got that e-mail in time, so don’t know why you did not. But you’re here now… so what do you need?
A minor miracle. I’m a corporate trainer, want to try something else back in Canada, currently living in the Caribbean. Need work and an affordable apartment in Toronto (ha, ha :-). Speak fluent Spanish now, and French from before, and English of course. Thought of getting my ESL certification, but not sure I want to teach basic English. Liked the idea of dealing with execs transferred from other countries, but realized not sure I’m really fond of folks at that level, and there is not enough income in dealing with new immigrants although they are closest to my heart and I’m not a qualified social or aid worker.
The Link above refers to an idea party on facebook. At the above mentioned weekend a lot of trained Barbara Sher Coaches have been there to support the “idea seekers”. The Idea Party is still going on. The members now support each other. So you are still much welcome to post your wish and obstacle there. And from time to time we will announce another weekend with intense support from BSher-Coaches. Next one will take place in January.
I am not sure if I understood your obstacle. Can you specify it?
And your wish is to find work and an appartement in Toronto?
Hi Orlanda.
Depending on your budget, there are great affordable apartments available in the Mimico area near Lakeshore and also Yonge+Eglinton.
I would suggest to open a LinkedIn account and have a look at groups as Canadians are doing a lot of job postings on Linked in. Also feel free to send me your email address and I’ll send you some recruiters I know, maybe they can help.
Hi Orlanda.
Depending on your budget, there are great affordable apartments available in the Mimico area near Lakeshore and also Yonge+Eglinton.
I would suggest to open a LinkedIn account and have a look at groups as Canadians are doing a lot of job postings on Linked in. Also feel free to send me your email address and I’ll send you some contacts for recruiters I know, maybe they can help.