I decided

Vision Board Highlight: Believe you can


I am reading (and loving) this book right now:

And early this morning I decided to be wealthy (one of the five lessons).

"(Psychologists have proven that the simple act of writing down an intention-even if you don’t fully believe it- can yield powerful psychological results.)"

So I wrote it down for all to see.

Last night (or I should say very early this morning) on page 63 I came across a section I must share:

"One of the traits I often find women guilty of is undervaluing their abilities and talents (I think we are all guilty). While it’s common to find people with great talents who take their abilities for granted, women seem to be especially susceptible. “What I do is no big deal,” they tell themselves. “Anyone can do it.” The truth is, everyone can’t. (Where would Debbie Fields be if she had thought, “Anyone can bake a cookie”?) (Mrs. Fields cookies)

We’re the same way about our ideas. All too often we discount them, storing them in the bargain bins of our minds just because they seem obvious or simple to us. In doing so we forget that the most brilliant of ideas are almost always simple in concept. Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “None of us will ever accomplish anything excellent or commanding except when (she) listens to this whisper which is heard by (her) alone.” "

I just need to say “AMEN!” I loved this! I had a friend that went to culinary arts school and I was telling her awesome I thought she was, and she replied, "It's nothing special, everyone can cook." Sure, anyone can follow a recipe, but not everyone can cook and put it together just like she could. We should embrace our talents, and believe we can! (I'm also so guilty of this by the way, and am sure many of you are too) It reminded me of this book I read while in Hawaii:

I loved this part of the book,

"I’m reminded of a scene from my army days. I was on the parade ground, watching a regiment drill in formation. Of the one hundred men marching, ninety-nine were in step, but one poor guy was off. “Look at him,” I remember saying to a friend, “they’re all in step except for that one guy.”

My friend studied the formation. “You’re wrong. Look closely. They’re all out of step. He’s the only one marching right-left, right-left to the sound of the drum as he should. He knows what he’s doing.”

Sometimes in life, everyone will act like you’re out of step. It’s okay to believe if for a while, but you must learn when you’re the one in step, driven by the beat of the drummer in your head, and everyone else is off." (p.99)

He (Mark Burnett) compared this to before he started filming Survivor he had a vision of interviewing the castaways a certain way, but other producers told him that it just was not the way it was done. But, he stuck to his guns, and tried it, and found it to be very effective, and “on the fly” interviews were created.

“Bottom line: believe in yourself. Your opinions and ideas are far more valuable than you give them credit for.” - Richard Paul Evans

"Neglect not the gift that is in thee"

I've been working quite a bit this week and have some fun new products (shown above). Yesterday, I was finishing an order of bows, and all of a sudden I had this thought to try and make them a different way. I thought to myself, "No, I tried that before, and it didn't work remember?" I tried it anyway and voila! I have a new method of making bows!! It saves me a tiny bit of ribbon, but it saves me a lot of time (and some frustration)!! I am excited about making bows again!

This is the thing. This past year I have totally witnessed my talents multiplying. Like in the Bible, in Matthew 25, it talks about taking your talents and gaining more. I have totally seen this in my life so much since starting my business. Sure, I have always been crafty, but since starting to craft I have come up with stuff that I had never thought of before, and probably would have never thought of. Sometimes I will be making something, and the idea of two new products comes to me. I know that is all part of the creative process, but had I never been making that certain product, who knows if I would have come up with the next two. It's a reminder to use my talents, so my talents will grow! That certain talent will develop more, and from exercising that talent, I will gain other talents.

If there is something we are good at (and we are all good at something) we should use it! Use it or lose it baby! For example, I have never been a fantastic singer, I think I can sing, but it isn't anything to write home about. I mean, I can carry a tune and pick up harmony, etc. But, one day singing to the radio or at church (I can't remember) I thought to myself, 'I used to sound better than this.' I was in concert and show choir in high school, but I quit my senior year. So, all through high school my voice was getting exercise, after I quit there was no more training (other than in the shower or the car). I know my voice is not as good as it could have been, had I kept singing since high school. It still probably would be nothing to write home about, but I know I would sound better. That's one reason I like to plan parties so often, because it keeps my brain thinking in party mode - keeps my party planning muscle fresh. If I stop thinking about planning weddings, and learning about planning weddings, then the ideas won't come as easy to me. It's a simple truth.

Seriously, we use it or lose it. We use it, we get better.

So, what's a gift you have that needs a little exercise?

(The title of my post is from 1 Timothy 4:14)