In Step Two, you created your wish list by freewriting whatever came to you. Now it’s time to fine tune your list to better sync with the vibration of that which brings you your heart’s desires, the Universe. Some expanded considerations we use in writing wishes include the scope of wishes, the role of free will in wishing, and the power of positivity.
What we mean by “scope” has to do with “how big” we wish. In the beginning, our wishes were small, like the perfect pair of blue jeans or a handbag that was just right. Then we got a little bigger with our wishes like a household helper or an outlet for decluttered stuff. Finally, we went just a little bit bigger with wishes like free time to read or write, or an invitation to socialize.
Start small!
Parking spaces make for good everyday wishes. That’s part of how we boost our confidence that wishes can always come true. Finding a good restaurant for a special dinner is another good everyday wish. Or wishing for inspiration to solve a “stuck” problem is another good everyday wish.
As we have progressed in our practice, we have noticed that each year of wishing brings a somewhat broader emphasis, but we are always grateful that we started small to build our practice into what it is today. So start with a simple question - “What do I want right now?” and write down whatever comes to you. That is the start of a very good wish list.
If you still find yourself a little stuck, you can also try “What’s between me and being perfectly fine right now?” The answer will likely be a problem, or a challenge, or something similarly negative. In wish work, maintaining a positive, good-feeling emotional state is essential. So whatever comes in answer to that question can become a wish by restating it in a positive framework.
For example, suppose you ask yourself “What’s between me and being perfectly fine right now?” and the answer is, “I’m not perfectly fine because I haven’t finished writing my essay and it’s due Monday!” Your wish then might be, “I want to finish my essay at my highest quality before the end of this weekend.” That is a positive wish statement, asking the Universe to provide whatever is needed to bring the essay to completion.
It might seem rather simplistic to wish for something so obvious - of course I want to complete the essay by the deadline! But the mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual “machinery” that is put in place by expressing this statement out loud and with positivity is what sets the Universe in motion to clear the way for completion.
And how does “free will” fit into wishing?
We believe that our wishes must never express a desire to change the life of another person in any way, large or small. That would interfere with free will and we don’t do that. What we will do is wish to be our best selves or to do the best we can to aid another. Their outcomes are up to them; all we can do is show up and be prepared to help.
Implied in the protection of free will is another wishing rule we live by: do no harm. We never wish for anything that could cause another person or living creature harm. It can be tempting to wish for the guy who just cut you off in traffic to “get what’s coming to him,” but it violates a closely held wishing principle to refrain from exactly that. It’s bad enough to live in a world where harm is done on a regular basis. We don’t want to add anything to that negativity, but rather do our very best to foster all the positives we can: kindness, empathy, generosity, gratitude, support, sustainability, and respect.
Once you have created a list of wishes and fine tuned it, the final act of Step Three is to write your wishes by hand in a nice notebook. The part about handwriting is important. You can compose your wishes on a computer, but then you will want to handwrite them in a notebook, a special one, in order to make them part of your living, breathing, everyday desire-generating organism.
Science tells us that the brain wiring for handwriting is very different from other forms of written expression, including typing. We believe this is beneficial to the process of making wishes come true. To learn more, here’s an article on the topic of handwriting and brain wiring: https://www.forbes.com/sites/nancyolson/2016/05/15/three-ways-that-writing-with-a-pen-positively-affects-your-brain/?sh=451f10095705.
In the next step, we will describe the practice of reading and reviewing your wishes on a regular basis, which is where you really begin to see wishes come true; however, we don’t want to leave the impression that wishes can only come true after you take these steps. Wishes are coming true for us all the time and part of the practice - for us, one of the most fun parts of the practice - is noticing how wishes have been coming true for us throughout time. We simply needed the inspiration to see this magic when it happens.
Until then,
Peace and all Good!
Margie and Barbara
The Wish Mavens
Photo Credit
The photo featured in this post was taken by (and is copyrighted by) Margaret A. Herrick.