How to Make a Wish
A beautiful friend invited me to take part in a social experiment inspired by messages people wrote to the newly elected US President Obama. You can see the results of our experiment on how to make a wish below.
Our mission was simply to write down a wish and be photographed with it. I spent a lot of time thinking about my wish before hand and I think that reflective process is part of the joy of the exercise. Actually writing down your wish and presenting it to the world is a powerful way of committing yourself to your wish.
A few days later I heard a talk by a local musician Linsey Pollack who created a project called The Wishing Well for the Woodford Festival, a popular Australian music festival. The Wishing Well was a similar project with a more elaborate presentation but he also added a new twist where people also identified what was standing in the way of their wish and then buried it. They even put up tombstones and crosses for the mock funeral and it’s a powerful idea.
How to Make a Wish
- Come up with some wishes of your own or at least one of them.
- Write your wish down. Committing your wish to paper which will help you commit to it in every way.
- Now work out what’s standing between you and your wish. Is it fear? Anxiety? Doubt? Laziness? Time Constraints?
- Whatever it is bury it for good. Lay those mind sets to rest and start working on your wish.
Wishes can come true if you believe in them enough and start working on making them happen.
9 Wishes and a Funeral
I hope these wishes will inspire you to make some of your own.
I’m having a funeral and burying self-doubt today but there haven’t been any tears. RIP self-doubt. I won’t miss you.
What do you wish for and what’s stopping you from getting it?
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Special Thanks
Many thanks to Andrej Kadacik for taking the photos and to the Noosa Biosphere Social Board and Bettina Walters for letting me share them and inspiring me to write about it.
Other Self Development Articles
>> 5 Instructions For Better Writing and Life
>> 10 Things To Be Grateful For and Why You Should Be
>> 5 Ways To Prevent Depression
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Hey, Annabel, nice post. I agree, writing wishes down is a powerful tool. If it’s for your own self improvement purpose I recommend sticking the paper next to your bathroom mirror so you refresh your focus for the day. Catch up soon.
Bee – Great idea, and the fridge or by the kettle could be handy too:) Especially for English people like me who drink about 8 cups of tea a day…
I love this idea, Annabel!
Brenda – I think some of your wishes might be coming true soon:)
I love it! What a fantastic idea. The wishes are great, and taking the pictures with the wishes is super too.
Your wishes will come true because thoughts have power- and universal power adapts to thoughts. I love your Think Big approach to life! Great pics too! I’m working on my wishes.
Eric – It would make a fun project for kids and a lovely way to record their journey through life. I’ll be interested to see how my daughter’s current wish for a guinea pig evolves over the years. Hopefully it will:)
Heather – I agree, thoughts are infinitely powerful and I’d love to instill a can do attitude into my kids and my readers. That’s part of the story with the toucan which represent a silly phrase: I can, you can, toucan. We really can do anything if we believe it. It’s amazing.
I love the pictures!! The idea is great, but the pics were absolutely..motivating! How many wishes does one get? LOL
I find hard-core wishes from the heart inspiring … the types of wishes where somebody would literally invest their life in making their wish come true.
Making a wish and then taking a picture with it, it’s a great idea.
You have just inspired me to write my biggest wish on paper. I will stick it on my room’s wall so that I can see it and get motivated everyday!
Jen – The more wishes you make the better?
J.D. – I think seeing them on paper does make you more determined to follow through on them, even if it does take a lifetime… or longer.
Ishan – What is it?!
Love this and our photographer is looking at doing something similar. We loved your post on Copyblogger and had to hop on over and check out your blog.
We put our dreams on vision boards, but find writing about it on our blog makes them come true too.
Big hugs from your sister dreamers out here – Catherine
Catherine – Great to see you here. So glad you found this post and are also following up on your dreams so they come true:) I’ve found the same, writing about things on my blog and committing to them in that way does make them happen. It’s very powerful and I’m lucky to be supported by an amazing bunch of readers. I think we cheer each other on and that’s exactly the sort of space I’m trying to create here – a place where people can talk about their dreams and know they’ll be supported no matter how big or small they are.
These photos are so precious and inspiring and the article too. I’m visiting after reading your post on Copyblogger and love your site. I wish you the best with blogging.
Very inspirational. My wish would be I wish there is no hatred in this world. (yes, world peace =D) The funeral reminded me of a story I once read in a book. There was this grade school teacher. She made all her student write down their “I can’t”s in a piece of paper. Then they made a funeral. They buried all their self-doubt, fears, all those negativity in their piece of papers. The teacher would then remind them every time they would complain that they already buried their “I can’t” It was very empowering and I wished life is that easy. Maybe it actually can. =D
hey, Its a great idea. I really like the pics, especially the one in which the kid wishes that no one smokes.
writing it down makes us more focused to achieve it… but I have personally observed not many people are willing to write those things down, any suggestions on how this can be improved ??
Raj – Lovely to hear from you. That’s my lad:) I’m trying to set an example on comitment by sharing my plans and seeing them through. I’ve decided to make them quite big then even if I don’t achieve them all I will have made progress. That’s the most important thing really – getting started. I hope this will motivate other people to try it too:)
Megan – This is an excellent idea. Imagine writing them down on a piece of (recycled) paper and burning them. That would be powerful. Thank you!
I wish I could see you within the next month :)
I wish I would marry a guy who is faithful to me and fall in love with me, we’ll spend our honey moon in egypt.
I wish to got 3 lovely kids.
I wish to take Phd. and teach abroad.
Finally I wish everyone wishes would come true :)
i wish i was the best reading and writing in the world. i wish i could have the most wonderful voice.i wish i had everything i want.i wish i was the best cook.i wish i could act just like selena gomez.i wish i could have long hair just like lucy hale.i wish i look more hot than lucy hale.i wish i was the best dancer and singer.i wish i had a packs of gums.
I am always late catching your super, inspiring posts. What a beautiful project to get involved in (back then). Master L is so positively beautiful – wishing everyone’s wishes would come true! I wish for a world free of disease and poverty, and a world where everyone believes that life is worth living! Oh and can I say I wish to win lotto so I could help my other wishes come true :-)