30th Anniversary of Wishcraft, How to Get What You Really Want by
Transcription
30th Anniversary of Wishcraft, How to Get What You Really Want by
Wishcraft Join us as we celebrate 30 Years of Watching Dreams Come True “Everyone has unique gifts and talents. What you love is what you’re gifted at. To be completely happy, to live a completely fulfilled life, you have to do what you love.” -Barbara Sher Table of Contents Dreams Do Come True ........................................................................................................Page 3 Idea Party Schedule, Dates, Times ................................................................................... Page 4-5 Published and Mugged on the Same Day ........................................................................ Page 6 About Barbara Sher ...............................................................................................................Page 8 What is an Idea Party? ..........................................................................................................Page 9 What is a Twitter Idea Party? .............................................................................................Page 11 Why Idea Parties Work..........................................................................................................Page 13 How it All Started, Ronnie’s Story..................................................................................... Page 15 Wishcraft 30 Years of Dreams Come True....................................................................... Page 18 Wishcraft .................................................................................................................................Page 20 Isolation, the Dream Killer ................................................................................................ Page 21 Allow Yourself to Soar!......................................................................................................... Page 23 From Orchestra Usher to Orchestra Composer..............................................................Page 24 There’s No Such Thing as Too Old or Too Young ...........................................................Page 25 Passion is the Path to Change..............................................................................................Page 26 What is Twitter? .................................................................................................................... Page 28 Join Us on Twitter ..................................................................................................................Page 29 How to Join and Use Twitter in Four Easy Step ............................................................. Page 30 Twitter and Tweetchat Explained in Pictures .................................................................Page 32 Two Real Idea Party “Tweetchat” Success Stories.........................................................Page 35 Barbara Sher’s Books .......................................................................................................... Page 44 Definitions ...............................................................................................................................Page 45 Legalese ...................................................................................................................................Page 47 Dreams DO Come True... Dreams do come true. For 30 years men and women around the world have been following the simple steps outlined in “Wishcraft,” to make their dreams come true and you can too! You’re not “too old, too young, too inexperienced, too shy, too skinny, too fat,” or too anything. All you need is a dream. Don’t believe me? Then read the stories of the men and women who did! But wait! There’s MORE!! We’re throwing The BIGGEST TWITTER IDEA PARTY EVER! And YOU are invited! March 23-24, 2009 To celebrate the 30th anniversary of her bestselling book, Wishcraft: How to Get What You Really Want, author Barbara Sher invites you to a 24-hour, marathon, around-the-world Twitter Idea Party, the first of its kind. Thousands of men and women in over a dozen countries will be “Tweeting” their dreams and getting ideas, information, contacts and encouragement — or helping you with your dreams — in this 24-hour idea party marathon. Do you have a dream? How would you like a lot of free help achieving it? This isn’t a sales pitch and doesn’t lead into one. You won’t be asked to buy or do anything except tell us your wish and your obstacle - and bring your friends. The stories on the following pages are of people just like you - people who wanted a job, a relationship, meaning, purpose, direction, a new hobby, to go on a cruise, to learn to dance, paint, draw, build a web-site. Whatever it is, YOUR DREAM IS POSSIBLE and we want to help you make it come true. Dates and Times for Twitter Idea Party! When should you join the party? Whenever you’re awake! We’re running this party for 24-hours through every time zone from Kyoto to Slovakia to South Carolina. All you have to do is come to Twitter and remember this important hashtag (we’ll explain in the pages that follow): #ideaparty. The Twitter Idea Party will run for a full 24 hours, from midnight to midnight on March 24th, London (UTC) time. That means it starts at 8 p.m. New York time on March 23, with Barbara talking and tweeting with everyone. (We’ll have all the <teleconference info> at www.barbarasherwishcraft.com before then.) Here’s when it starts for you: • • • • • • • • • • • 8 p.m. on the 23rd to 8 p.m. on the 24th in NYC 7 p.m. on the 23rd to 7 p.m. on the 24th in Chicago 6 p.m. on the 23rd to 6 p.m. on the 24th in Denver 5 p.m. on the 23rd to 5 p.m. on the 24th in Los Angeles 1 a.m. on the 24th to 1 a.m. on the 25th in Paris/Frankfurt 2 a.m. on the 24th to 2 a.m. on the 25th in Capetown/Jerusalem/Istanbul 3 a.m. on the 24th to 3 a.m. on the 25th in Moscow 5:30 a.m. on the 24th to 5:30 a.m. on the 25th in New Delhi 5:45 a.m. on the 24th to 5:45 a.m. on the 25th in Katmandu 10 a.m. on the 24th to 10 a.m. on the 25th in Tokyo 11 a.m. on the 24th to 11 a.m. on the 25th in Sydney A TWITTER IDEA PARTY IS A BRAND NEW EVENT. DON’T MISS IT! Published and Mugged on the Same Day In the Beginning... 30 Years Ago It was 1979 and a sunny afternoon when a messenger sent by Viking Press rang my doorbell and handed me the first copy of Wishcraft. I was so overwhelmed I took the book and went to the park to just think about it. I sat down on a bench a few hundred yards from the entrance, away from the noise of traffic, took the book out and just stared at it, trying to grasp what it was, what this moment was, and who I was. I don’t remember everything I was thinking, except that I didn’t understand why they had decided to put the title and subtitle in a strange-looking typeface, some echo of Hebrew lettering. I guessed it was probably to evoke the Kabbalah as some kind of ‘witchcraft’ echo, and wasn't sure I liked it. But who cared? This was my book. I had become a published author. After awhile I looked up, dazed but happy, and noticed down the walk, only a few hundred feet away, a very worrisome sight. A group of about 6 teenage boys was walking up the hill, most of them holding some kind of stick in their hands. The leader, a pale, skinny kid, was smacking a good-sized stick into his palm and looking straight at me. And all I could think was, “Oh boy, I’m in a lot of trouble.” Published and Mugged on the Same Day At this time in Central Park’s history it was considered very unwise to go into the park at night, or deeply into the park at any time. But it was only about 2:30 in the afternoon (before any of the local schools let out) and I was within sight of the busy street just outside the entrance. All the same, I knew this wasn’t good and I knew it would be a bad idea to get up and try to get away, because things could get physical. They got up to where I was sitting and stopped, facing me. The leader sat down beside me and said, “I hope you have some money on you.” And I said, trying to come up with something, “No, but you should come back in a few months because I’m going to be incredibly rich.” He was faintly amused and didn’t stop smacking his palm with this unpleasant-looking stick. “Why are you going to be rich?” I picked up the book and showed it to him and said, “This is my book. It was just published today. It’s going to be a huge seller.” He looked at the book for a moment, squinting to read it. Then he suddenly bolted to his feet, a startled look on his face. “Witchcraft?!” he said, in an alarmed voice, “My mother’s into Witchcraft! Listen, never mind, we don’t want any money. Good luck with your book, lady,” and he turned to his gang and said, “Let’s get out of here! Move!!” and they walked quickly away. I decided not to push my luck, got up and went home. As I recall, I was thinking that the cover was pretty good after all. About Barbara Sher By Barbara Sher Barbara Sher is a business owner, career counselor and best-selling author of seven books, each of which provides a different down-to-earth, nuts-and-bolts method for uncovering natural talent, pinpointing goals and turning dreams into reality. She has been named the “godmother of life coaching” by the media and her many fans. Barbara has presented seminars and workshops throughout the world to universities, professional organizations, Fortune 100 corporations and federal and state government agencies. She has been called “a standup comic with a message” and “the best speaker we have ever seen,” in evaluations. Joining forces with public television, she has also created five hour-long pledge specials that continue to air in cities around the U.S. What is an Idea Party? Whether it’s a 3-hour or 12-hour workshop for public television or a corporation, at all my workshops I demonstrate what an idea party is. All of them are amazing, but one of the most memorable was at a public television show in Memphis. I asked for an impossible dream and a woman raised her hand to say she wished she could go on a cruise. “What's your obstacle?” I asked. “I have three,” she said. “First, I have no money. Second, my adult daughter is ill and staying at my place, and I'm looking out for her. “And I'd rather not tell you the third obstacle.” At that moment a man in shorts ran quickly from the back of the room up the central aisle waving a piece of paper: “I just won a cruise for one person by running for the heart association, just a few hours ago. I don't want to go on a cruise. Anyway, I'm married.” And he gave the certificate to the women. We were wowed. What is an Idea Party? She was very moved. “That's so nice of you I don't know what to say, but I can't leave my daughter.” A few rows back a hand went up. “I'm a public health nurse and I have to give 10 days pro bono every year. Would that help?” The woman was flabbergasted (so was everyone but me, because I'd seen it so many times before. But this one did turn out to be unusual.) “I think you'd better tell us your third obstacle,” I said. She sighed. “My daughter's being stalked by her ex-husband and can't be alone.” The room fell silent and then a man's voice came from the very last row: “I'm a cop. What's his name?” Everyone started laughing and cheering. She went on the cruise. And that's an Idea Party. What is a Twitter Idea Party? We're making Twitter history (and Idea Party history as well). There’s never been a Twitter Idea Party before, so it deserves an explanation. I’ve been having Idea Parties with the audiences of my large workshops since before Wishcraft. Half way through each workshop I always ask someone to tell us an impossible dream and the obstacles that make it seem impossible. Then I ask the audience if they have any ideas and their hands fly into the air as they come up with solutions and make the dream possible. It’s the big moment in every workshop, the moment everyone sees that no dream is impossible. Small Idea Parties can be just as helpful. Readers of Wishcraft and leaders of Success Teams all over the world run Idea Parties in small groups in their living rooms. You’ve just read a description of one of those, on the previous page. I’ve also presented Idea Parties on conference calls with dozens of participants, and they’re just as exciting. The larger the audience, of course, the better the ideas are because someone always comes up with some hard information, a contact, or the name of an organization that the ‘impossible’ dreamer can contact to launch his or her dream. But not until my trial run of February 27 has there ever been, to my knowledge, an Idea Party held solely on Twitter. A few people had suggested that I give it a try, but they thought I’d have to set it up, fake it, with scripts and actors, so it would look like we were solving problems. “We don’t have to do that,” I said to one. “We can really ask for wishes and obstacles. She was alarmed. “Don’t do that! You’ll look bad. What if you can’t solve the problems you get?” “We can always solve the problems we get,” I said. “Watch this.” What is a Twitter Idea Party? I went on Twitter, came up with the hashmark name #ideaparty, and tossed in a problem of a client of mine whose son was at loose ends, trying to find direction after graduating from a college in the Pacific Northwest. He was a volunteer assistant a few days a week to a teacher at a grade school, but wasn’t getting much out of it. I remembered that he had a passion for baseball, so I went into Twitter and asked whoever was there if they knew of a way that a non-pro young man could find a way to get involved with baseball. What happened was amazing. The ideas came fast and furious, in 140-character tweets, some useful, some not (for this particular young man), but they got better and better. They ranged from ‘start a baseball club,’ to ‘start talking up baseball in the volunteer job he has right now,’ which was practical and doable for him. Then a very professional-looking amateur baseball club was located by a tweeter in the Czech Republic who suggested that he try to arrange an outing for the kids to attend a game at this club. The climax came when someone found an ad on Craigslist from a community center that was looking for a volunteer amateur baseball coach for a team of younger kids. This was perfect! I wrote the young man and he was very excited. He sent for his collection of baseball cards that were with his parents back east, and we’re waiting to hear what happens next. That’s when I knew we had something very big here, and that’s when I decided I wanted to celebrate the 30th anniversary of WISHCRAFT, my book that tells readers how to do Idea Parties, with a world-wide Twitter Idea Party. That’s what will be happening on March 23, starting at 8 p.m. in New York, and led by Success Team leaders but open to everyone, for 24 hours, in time zones that allow everyone to attend, all over the world. Why Idea Parties Work An Idea Party comes in many forms: you can run one in your living room, online or on the phone. In my eight-week Success Team program, leaders schedule an Idea Party for the 7th weekly meeting. But that's just the form of an Idea Party. The content, the thing that happens, is best described in this letter by one of our veteran Success Team leaders, Patty Newbold. It may seem like an odd concept, but the Idea Party is one of Barbara's best inventions! Isolation really is the dream killer, as she keeps telling us. We run out of steam trying to reach our goals in isolation. First, we need support. But we also need information, and a six-person Success Team often doesn't have all the information a member might need. The more people that are involved, the richer the Idea Party. Who should you invite? Everyone! Why? Because you never know. Every one of us knows someone who knows a big shortcut to another team member's goal. But there's a good chance we don't know how much anyone knows without asking. And we'd never think to ask without the stimulus of an Idea Party. For example, I invited a friend to an Idea Party. He's a corporate trainer who works for many of the largest companies in the area. I thought he might be helpful to some of the folks looking for work. I had no idea he was looking for help putting together a video demo reel. Fortunately, someone else had invited a video producer who works in advertising. When my trainer friend stated his wish and his obstacle, the videographer introduced himself and my friend's problem was solved. It’s lucky I invited him — not because anyone needed to know anything about training or the companies that are his clients, but because he had information I didn’t know about, which appeared when someone voiced a need. This happens all the time, but it’s always unexpected and always exciting. Why Idea Parties Work He had the answer for a completely different problem: One of the team members was an artist trying to figure out how to get better photos of her work to send out to prospective buyers. Her problem: the texture in her paintings never shows up. Unknown to me, my trainer friend is married to an artist whose work appears regularly in Architectural Digest, thanks to the services of a great photographer. She, too, had needed a special photographer for her textured paintings, and he had found just the right one for her. He shared the photographer's name with this stranger he had just met at the Idea Party. And the video producer who helped him? She was looking for help publicizing a problem with our local ASPCA. We had no PR people at the party, so all the rest brainstormed ways to get local TV coverage. Given all their different backgrounds, the synergy was really great and the group came up with excellent ideas, building on each other's suggestions. No one could have come up with those ideas on their own. One of the brainstormers was a young artist who works with stained glass. The artist gave him the name of a store where he might be able to sell his creations. And so on. It's a great concept. You need people who have done big things, people with many different interests, people who know lots of people, and people who are really creative and love to toss ideas around. So don’t limit yourself to people who seem like they have a lot in common. Variety is the spice and spark for really great idea parties! You just never know what will happen in any given mix of people. Ronnie’s Story How It All Started I’m still digging through the boxes of Wishcraft stuff I’ve saved. In the back of the old workbook there’s a loose page, yellowed, with typing on it, labeled only “Quotes.” But I recognize it, and every name under the quotes. These are from the members of the first-ever-pilot-practice Success Team. I think it was about 1975. For a few years I'd been one of a number of people chosen to run a kind of informal ‘coping group,’ that was being tried out by a psychiatrist. In one of the groups, the Tuesday night group, I could tell that something very special was happening. One of the members, an unprepossessing fellow (he had been described as ‘Woody Allan without a sense of humor,’) had admitted to his first feeling: he was unhappy because he was lonely and wanted a girlfriend. At first the people in the team shook their heads and told him to forget it. “Women hate you, Ronnie,” one of the members said. “I know,” he said. “Fix me.” Ronnie’s Story They started to protest that everyone had to fix themselves when I interrupted and said, “It doesn't look like Ronnie is going to be able to do that. Why don't you all help him out?” And they did! The Tuesday night group, instead of talking about their own problems, decided to get Ronnie a girlfriend. I watched with amazement, week after week, as they reported that they'd taken him to a store, showed him how to dress, and asked him to buy new clothes. The men went with him to a gym to build some muscles but mostly so he'd stand up straight. During the sessions, they made him rehearse how to say hello so women wouldn’t hate him immediately (as they usually did.) Finally, when they figured he was as good as he was going to get, they set up parties to which they invited all the women they could find -- until Ronnie finally found his mate. Even more amazing than this accomplishment was how terrific the members of the group had become as they worked on this project. Before that time, they had all been unmotivated, fussy complainers. This had transformed them! I realized that I might have stumbled on a fantastic motivator, better than any kind of positive thinking or mantras, the kind of ongoing concern and support that a few lucky people are born with, but most of us never have. A team that makes us do what we want to do, and refuses to let us lose. Every week, step by step, they rolled up their sleeves and put another piece in place. The combination of support and the structure and accountability of the weekly meetings created a motivational miracle. Ronnie’s Story Right then and there I got it: orphans don’t make it. Isolation is the dream killer. You can get what you want even if you don’t love yourself and don’t feel positive -- as long as you have an ongoing team to help you think and back you up and help you over the hard spots. And what did these helpers get in return? The same thing. Everyone, even Ronnie, helped every member go after their dreams, too. And that turned out to be another miracle. Instead of only being the problem, the one who needed help, each person was often the solution, the one who helped each of the others, the smart, supportive person who knew how to help someone else's dreams come true. And that raised their self-esteem like no lectures, no mantra could ever do. I knew I had something special here. So I pulled together a small group of friends and positioned myself as a member, not a leader, so I’d know what it felt like to go after my dream, and to feel the resistance and fear everyone feels, and that way I could test what worked and what didn’t. We met for almost a year. The team’s entire purpose was to make sure that every member got whatever she wanted, plain and simple. I wanted to create a 12-hour workshop that would help strangers form support teams, the workshop that, unknown to me, would some day turn into my first book, Wishcraft. People Who Got What They Really Wanted Every one of the stories of their adventures is wonderful. All of them, at one time or another, wanted to back down, make excuses--you know the routine I'm sure--but we wouldn’t let them. We were warm and friendly, but we were tough. For example, my workshop design wasn't finished when, in the middle of that year, I had major surgery. A few days later, when I was in the hospital bed, barely sitting up, my team came to see me. I was very glad to see them and touched that they’d taken the time to come by. “How are you doing?” they asked. “Not so bad,” I croaked. “How are your hands?” “My hands?” I said, confused. “They didn’t operate on my hands.” “Great!” they said, and rolled the bed table up until it was over me, pulled out the notebook with the half finished notes in it, slapped it on the table and said, “Get to work.” One of them remembered to give me a pen. I was laughing so hard I was afraid I’d pop my stitches. But I finished the workbook. I could tell you a dozen stories just like that from the first group: how we made Caroline go to an art class and stood outside the door for 3 hours so she couldn’t leave. We knew she wanted to be in that class and that she was scared. But after the first night, she was hooked. People Who Got What They Really Wanted Diane, who wanted to go to grad school to become a city planner, claimed that she couldn't get to the bookstore to buy the GREs study book because her office job didn't give her enough time during the day and the bookstore closed at 5. So the group bought the book, went up to her office one afternoon, walked over to her desk and, in front of the whole room of co-workers, handed it to her. “There you go,” they said. (She studied, got into grad school, and before even getting her M.A., at a time when New York was so broke they were laying off policemen, she was offered three jobs as a city planner!) I remember every one of the stories, each is better than the last, and maybe one day I’ll have time to tell them all. Wishcraft 30 Years of Dreams Coming True WISHCRAFT: How to Get What You Really Want, will celebrate its 30th year of changing people's lives all over the world! To celebrate this milestone my publishers are reissuing the book in an anniversary edition with a new introduction I’ve written. Not only am I sharing my memories on my blog, but I’ve put together this special ebook as well. There have been thousands of amazing, inspiring and heart-touching stories from people whose dreams have come true, or whose lives have been changed by reading Wishcraft. I’ve gathered some of the most memorable and moving ones here for you to read and share with friends. That's not all. My readers and I are throwing a 24-hour virtual Idea Party on March 23-24 and want you to be a part of the fun and to kick off achieving your own dream. Join us with your dream - big or small. I believe dreams are the banner of talent and that isolation is the dream killer. Everyone needs help. Let those who have experienced the changes in their lives help show you how you can change your life, your career, or relationship by letting an Idea Party help you achieve your dreams. Just keep reading for detailed instructions. Even if you miss the party, you can still download the transcripts later at: http://barbarasherwishcraft.com Isolation, the Dream Killer Isolation, not attitude, is what kills our dreams. It took me a while, but I soon realized that isolation, not our bad attitude, is our dream killer. Each of us needs the people around us. There are no self-made people. Behind each person who has realized her or his potential, you find a string of crucially placed individuals who believed in the person, encouraged and aided her or him and helped smooth the way. Assuming that you should have made it on your own by now with no support is debilitating and unrealistic. If your life isn’t all you wanted you can blame yourself, blame circumstance, or get all the help you need and change it. Genius is that combination of unique gifts, that universe inside each of us which, when it is respected and nurtured by our environment and trusted by ourselves, gives rise to a life that is a work of art. The only path that will truly absorb you is your own path. It will generate all the creative energy you will ever need. If you lack that energy you have not found your purposes. Isolation, the Dream Killer It is your duty to yourself – to your one life – that you find your path and follow it. Wishcraft is about changing your life, and changing it without mystery or magic. Wishcraft gives people a non-mysterious, nuts-and-bolts way of reaching their goals -- even if they think they don’t know what their goals are, don’t believe in themselves and can’t sustain a permanent positive attitude. In fact, I want to give them a rarely-stated dose of happy reality: “You don’t need to change yourself to change your life.” So I try to make everyone laugh at their negativity and realize that have everything they need inside them to create the life they want. I want them to see that the reason they haven’t achieved their dreams so far is because humans can’t sustain positive thinking. They need structure, accountability and support. Isolation and a lack of structure can create disorientation and fear. That’s why I repeat, over and over, “Isolation, not attitude, is what kills our dreams.” Allow Yourself to Soar! Not every dream is material. For many of us, happiness and satisfaction with our lives is our dream. It was for Judy. She writes: “Twenty years ago, I was going through a very difficult patch in my life. My second marriage was going through a steep decline and I was very unhappy. A magical friend I knew through yoga classes introduced me to Wishcraft. At the time, I believe we spent an afternoon listening to the book on tape. Were there CD's then? “The process evolved and empowered me to see me living the life I deserved. In that moment, I was allowed to soar. In my mind's eye, I saw myself living somewhere much prettier than where I was. I felt really happy inside, I felt whole, and, moreover, I felt that I was free to be me. At the moment, I was envisioning this possible future, it seemed so real, I could almost touch it. “I knew I lived somewhere beautiful with someone I loved. I could see myself looking out a kitchen window that was very cheery and definitely my home. And there were cute dogs running around my feet full of joy. Later, I felt myself driving around in a peppy car that I loved. Life was grand--I was living my dream. “Through the power of this book, I knew there was a better world and life for me. Now, I do live in California with my soulmate, my partner of 18 years. The kitchen I saw at that moment was the little house I first lived in in California, my new home. Today, I drive a Prius which I adore. And, as for the dogs--they are two Hurricane Katrina rescues that bring joy to us every day. I believe this book enabled me to infuse the vision into my heart, mind, and soul. “What a gift! By the way, I think I'll buy the 30th anniversary copy---best to start planning for the next 20 years!!” From Orchestra Usher to Orchestra Composer “I hope you never get tired of hearing stories about people whose lives have been changed by your book Wishcraft, because here's another such. “In 1984 someone gave me a copy of your book. I read it and did the exercises and was excited by the whole process. A couple of weeks later I was going to my bank and saw on the wall a poster for a local amateur orchestra concert. The ticket price was on $6, but at the time I was in extremely bad shape financially and couldn't even afford that low price. So I called the number and asked if there was anything I could do for them as a volunteer to earn a free ticket. They offered to let me be an usher, which I accepted, and got to hear a very nice concert for free. “Now you need to know that I was at one time a student at Juilliard back east, a composition major, but had never had an orchestral piece of mine performed, although 18 years had gone by since leaving there. I had a vague dream of someday having an orchestral piece performed, but had not done anything concrete about it. “Had I not read your book, it would have never occurred to me to try to get a free ticket by ushering, or to turn an ushering job into a dream, but I did. With in I think about 18 months I was the general manager of the orchestra. By the time I resigned eight years later, they had performed three full-length orchestral pieces which I composed for them, and that in turn led to many other opportunities. “All thanks to exercising a little "Wishcraft." You cannot possibly have any idea how thankful I am that somebody gave me your book, and that I read it and did the exercises. I know it's a cliche, but it's true: you literally changed my life.” There’s No Such Thing as Too Old or Too Young You’re never “too old.” It’s an excuse many people use, but one I dismiss. Ridiculous! Too old? I don’t think so. I was 45 when Wishcraft was published in 1979. You’re never “too old.” Just ask Susan. She said: “With Barbara's suggestions in mind (making a five-year plan for your goals), two years ago I drew up a four-year plan to finish backpacking the Pacific Crest Trail. This is a 2,650 mile trail that makes its way from Mexico to Canada through the highest mountains of California, Oregon, and Washington. My husband and I had already completed about 900 miles, but since he was then in his 70s and I was in my mid-sixties, we decided we better get moving! “Sixteen hundred divided by 4 is 400 miles per year, of course, so that became our plan. We are a bit ahead of schedule with now 1,900 miles completed. We hope to be celebrating our completion of the PCT at the Canadian border in 2010.” Passion is the Path to Change So many people believe they don’t have a dream. “I’m not sure what my dream is,” I hear. But when I ask them about what they’re passionate about, what makes them want to get out of bed in the morning, what they would do if they knew they couldn’t fail, or if money were no object, they know immediately what their passion is. It rarely involves years of studying self-help books or chanting affirmations. It always goes straight to the heart of what lights a fire in their heart and soul. For Deborah, passion was her path away from misery. She writes: “I truly credit Wishcraft for giving me direction and motivation in my life. I remember at 22, being curled up in a fetal position in my bed and crying because I had no idea where my life was going or what I wanted to be. Someone in a class I was taking had just finished the book, and so she lent it to me because I thought it sounded interesting. (I still have it today, and it's falling apart at the seams!) That was 1982. “After taking the exercises and learning more about my own unique passions, it illuminated a path for me based on what I wanted for my life, not what others thought I should do. I always tell people that reading Wishcraft transformed my life from black-and-white to color. Suddenly, I immersed myself in my passions and set all kinds of new goals that filled me with energy and excitement. “I enrolled in college (finished in just 3 years!), studied broadcast journalism, learned German, started painting pastel portraits and tried out for and got the lead in my first community theater play. I even studied abroad for a summer, which turned out to be the greatest experience of my life! “Upon graduating, I set off on a career in broadcasting, working as a TV news reporter and anchor in Texas and Nevada. Passion is the Path to Change “In the end, the nomadic lifestyle of TV news wasn't as fulfilling as being close to friends and family, but I did apply everything I learned from my Wishcraft experience to reinventing my life back in here San Diego, where within the next year I co-authored a romantic travel guide, taught a class based on Wishcraft at the local Learning Annex, and planned a romantic wedding and honeymoon to my then-fiance. “Since then I’ve had a success career in corporate communications and continue to apply the principles of Wishcraft to my daily life. I also have "Success Teams" with the women here at work from time to time, which keep us all on track, supported and inspired. Wishcraft is always a great place to return to remind me of who I am at the core and help me figure out what my passions are, as I continue to evolve to a person.” What is Twitter? If you’re already using Twitter, skip to the next page! If you’re not on Twitter, read on. Twitter is a free social networking and microblogging service that allows you to send short text messages only 140 characters in length, called “tweets”, to your friends, or “followers.” Tweets can be sent by cellphone (like text messaging) or online in a number of ways. You can use http://twitter.com or one of a variety of free chat services like Tweetchat. Both will allow you to follow just one conversation - like #ideaparty. #ideaparty is the official Wishcraft Idea Party link! To join Twitter and open an account, visit the Twitter website and click “Join for free.” Consider using your real name as your user name to help your friends find you more easily. You can open more than one account and use different names if you’d like. You must have a different email for each Twitter account. Once your account is created, login and click “Settings.” From here, you can setup your account details, manage your password, register your mobile phone and IM account, configure how you receive Notices, upload your photo and customize your account's design. Join us on Twitter What to expect! If you’re new to Twitter, or even if you’re not, there are a lot of different rules and certain “Twitter-etiquette” for different situations, chats and interactions. Just so we avoid confusion, here’s how we’ve set up the party. Each cycle of the party lasts for an hour and a half, at which time a new Success Team Leader introduces herself and the party continues. During the call you can send in wishes, obstacles or solutions for others via Twitter. Stay for as long as you like, come and go as you like. If you are already using twitter, keep reading and I'll explain a few tricks to make joining the twitter idea party easy and enjoyable. If you’re totally new to Twitter go to page 29 for more directions and some easy to follow pictures. How to Join and Use Twitter in Four Easy Steps Step 1. If you have not already done so, sign-up for twitter, it's free and it's easy enough to do. CLICK HERE to sign-up. Write down your user name and password, I'm going to ask you to use them again in step three. Step 2. Want to head right over to the twitter idea party and see what's happening? OK then, CLICK HERE to go to Tweetchat: (http://tweetchat.com). TweetChat is a service that makes chatting on a topic on twitter really easy. There are alternative ways to follow a single conversation on twitter but this is the easiest. Step 3. On the first TweetChat window, type in your twitter user name and password. Now, when you get to the next window, type ideaparty. You are now in the ideaparty chat. You'll see you have only a mere 140 characters to say what's on your mind. You do not have to type in the #ideaparty when you post something in the chat room, it will show up on your chat automatically. Step 4. On Twitter my name is @BarbaraSher. If I send a message (a ‘tweet’) and you’re following #ideaparty (which you should be!) here’s how to reply (A reply is also known as an ‘update’): First, hover your cursor over my text. Over on the right, less than an inch away, you'll see a little star and a curved little arrow. Click the arrow. In your update box at the top of the page you should now see my name with the important @ sign in front of it. Just type in what you have to say to me in less than 140 characters. Be sure to leave room to type #ideaparty ! Then, click on Update or Reply and it will pop up where everyone in the #ideaparty chat can see it. How to Join and Use Twitter in Four Easy Steps Next is a short explanation of "following" people and a few people you might like to follow. Don't be afraid of being followed or following people. It's the way to connect on twitter. So how to follow someone? Once you are online and logged into Twitter you can click on the names that are of interest to you below. If you want to “follow” someone - meaning you get all the “tweets” they send out, you add them to your list or “follow” them. If you are following someone and they are following you, you can send them a “direct message” that only they can see. Otherwise, if you want to get their attention in a chatroom or on Twitter, you will need to put an “@” sign in front of their Twitter name. For instance, if you want to talk to Barbara Sher you would type in the @ and her name, like this: @BarbaraSher So if you're logged-in already on twitter all you need to do after you get to @BarbaraSher's twitter page is click the word “Follow,” under Barbara's picture. Here are a few other people you will want to follow. Sher Success Team Leader and Success Team Leader by Phone Patty. Patty’s name is on twitter is: @married Another Sher Success Team Leader to follow is Beth. Beth’s name on twitter is: @bethlamie Rachel has two twitter accounts and is also a Success Team Leader and Success Team Leader by Phone. Her twitter names are: @DreamInAction and @ProNagger Those are just a few of the names you’ll want to follow. Now once you are on the idea party you'll meet other interesting people. If you click on their name you will be brought to their twitter page. Click on the follow button under or beside their name and you will be following their updates now. Twitter and Tweetchat Explained in Pictures Your Twitter page is located at twitter.com/your-username. You can “tweet” from your Twitter page, your mobile phone, IM account, or via a third-party Twitter client like Tweetchat (see below). To go to Tweetchat type in http:// tweetchat.com in your browser window and click “Enter” on your keyboard. You will go to a webpage that looks like this. Type in your Twitter Username and Password. Then click the “Login” button. Your Twitter Username goes here. Click here to Login after entering your Username and Password. Your Twitter Pasword goes here. How to Twitter on “tweetchat” In tweetchat once you enter your name and password you’ll go to a screen that looks like this. The color and background will vary according to the settings on your personal Twitter page. But this is the dialogue box you’ll see. Enter the hashmark and name of the room you want to enter. For the Idea Party, you would enter: #ideaparty and then simply click “Enter Room.” Make sure there is no space between the # and ideaparty. Then you’ll be in the “chat room.” The #ideaparty tag will automatically be entered in the chat box every time you respond so you don’t have to type it every time. tweetchat Room to Enter: #ideaparty Sign out Enter Room Type in #ideaparty and then click “Enter Room” Control the speed of YOUR chat window here. You can pause, speed things up if you read fast, or slow things down if things get too fast! Type YOUR message in here and then hit “enter” or Tweet Chat to “send” it. tweetchat Click the “star” to highlight a “favorite” remark, or to create a bookmark for something you want to respond to later. The star will become gold. Click the “reply to” arrow to respond to the message/person want to talk to. Two Real Idea Party “Tweetchat” Success Stories. What does a real “idea party tweetchat” look like? Here are two that happened just last week. We’ve removed the avatars (photo id’s) to make it easier to read. And we’ve highlighted each “chatter’s name in a different color so you can follow the conversation a little easier. These were two REAL chats in real time! tweetchat BarbaraSher: Got an impossible dream? Tell us: what's your wish and what's your obstacle? #ideaparty BarbaraSher: Gotta follow the Idea Party rules: tell us your wish and then tell us your obstacle. #ideaparty Jaybezo: Me next! Wish:Teach adults to do pottery Obstacle: No art degree, not very good on wheel (Ok on hand building) #ideaparty BarbaraSher: #ideaparty @Jaybezo What's the part about teaching pottery that you like best? Jaybezo: The part about teaching pottery that I like the best? I suspect it would be seeing them have fun / a sense of accomplishment. #ideaparty BarbaraSher: @Jaybezo A friend, a sculptor, volunteered to teach ladies at some church center to draw and paint. She loved it 4 that reason. #ideaparty BarbaraSher: So you don't have to have a degree or even be good at it. You just have to love making pottery and find a place 2 teach it free. #ideaparty BarbaraSher: #ideaparty: We can brainstorm places you could do that without needing a fancy degree. Making people smile is something places want. tweetchat andreaklee: @Jaybezo I agree with Barbara; what about voluntarily teaching a pottery class? It could develop into something big later. #ideaparty BarbaraSher: @Jaybezo #ideaparty: After awhile they paid her. Worked there 4 years! They loved her & artclass so much they helped her in lots of ways... affirmingspirit: @BarbaraSher I was just approached by a Senior Ctr looking for instructors in San Jose area...ck UR local Senior Ctrs! #ideaparty BarbaraSher: #ideaparty But you can teach potting in a nearby RV park. Who can stop you? Jaybezo: @barbarasher @andreaklee #ideaparty There's a retirement home nearby. I'll bet they would love a volunteer teacher. Brilliant! Will do. Thx BarbaraSher: #ideaparty @Jabezo all you want is to see their eyes light up, see them having fun. Anyone know other places she can do this? BarbaraSher: #ideaparty When I was at SloaneKettering they had people come into the rec room and teach things 4 us patients - things like paperfolding. andreaklee: #ideaparty @Jaybezo Your wish was not impossible enough ;-) BarbaraSher: #ideaparty @andreaklee To her it was. But nobody’s dream is ever really impossible. You can always get the part u love. Jaybezo: @barbarasher #ideaparty Looks like you really can do this. I didn’t believe it. Two Real Idea Party “Tweetchat” Success Stories. tweetchat dizneluver @Sha1978 welcome...do you have a wish and something that is causing that wish not to happen #ideaparty -8:56 PM Mar 12th, 2009 Sha1978 of course! I'm a scanner. One pick: FASHION!! #ideaparty 8:57 PM Mar 12th, 2009 Sha1978 OH. Boring job...draining energy. #ideaparty -8:58 PM Mar 12th, 2009 dizneluver @Sha1978 what do you want to do if money wasnt an obstacle #ideaparty -9:01 PM Mar 12th, 2009 Married @Sha1978 How about setting aside the first half of your days off for fashion? #IdeaParty -9:01 PM Mar 12th, 2009 Sha1978 No obstacles. So many choices! One Pick: Play with designer clothes ALL day!! #ideaparty -9:03 PM Mar 12th, 2009 dizneluver @Sha1978 can you do a part time paying job and then your fashion stuff part time? #ideaparty -9:04 PM Mar 12th, 2009 Sha1978 Dizne. Yes. Could do fashion stuff part time. Sorry don't know how to respond to users. #ideaparty -9:06 PM Mar 12th, 2009 tweetchat Sha1978 @LoveSpringtime could set aside the first half of my day for fashion. #ideaparty 9:09 PM Mar 12th, 2009 ciaooneida Got a wish? What's your obstacle? Search #ideaparty and join the brainstorm! 9:18 PM Mar 12th, 2009 ciaooneida @Sha1978 what are your interests? talents? what do you love so much you would do it for free? #ideaparty -9:24 PM Mar 12th, 2009 Sha1978 @ciaooneida i love fashion so much that i would do it for free. education:Exercise Science. Other loves: painting, writing, trvl #ideaparty -9:25 PM Mar 12th, 2009 ciaooneida @Sha1978 prom season is coming up, offer services as a stylist and help non-fashion obsessed teens nail a look #ideaparty -9:28 PM Mar 12th, 2009 Sha1978 @ciaooneida Any ideas on getting to fashion week? #ideaparty -9:29 PM Mar 12th, 2009 Sha1978 @ciaooneida ooh! that sounds fun! #ideaparty -9:29 PM Mar 12th, 2009 Sha1978 @BarbaraSher Truth. Just really scared. :-( #ideaparty -9:32 PM Mar 12th, 2009 BarbaraSher @Sha1978 Welcome 2 the human race. We're all like that. You need a Success Team. They make u do what u want to do! #ideaparty -9:32 PM Mar 12th, 2009 BarbaraSher @Sha1978 I can already see your fashion coach site: befores & afters, Tips, newsletters, videos, ustream classes, YouTube, Yummy! #ideaparty -9:35 PM Mar 12th, 2009 tweetchat ciaooneida @Sha1978 maybe you can try contacting some of the labels you like and offer to help out #ideaparty -9:36 PM Mar 12th, 2009 ciaooneida @Sha1978 you wouldnt go to Fashion Week to make $$, but to make contacts. offer to help doing ANYTHING. sewing buttons back on.. #ideaparty -9:37 PM Mar 12th, 2009 BarbaraSher @Sha1978 Where? NY? Paris? Barcelona? Istanbul? #ideaparty -9:38 PM Mar 12th, 2009 Sha1978 @ciaooneida that's just enough skill for me. can sew..not well. buttons: Can do! #ideaparty -9:38 PM Mar 12th, 2009 ciaooneida @BarbaraSher omigosh i LUV that singles fashion night idea!! #ideaparty 9:40 PM Mar 12th, 2009 ciaooneida @Sha1978 where are you located? if you live outside of a major Fashion week city, you can hold your OWN fashion week #ideaparty -9:41 PM Mar 12th, 2009 ciaooneida @Sha1978 invite local designers to show their collections. u could rent a space, or even rent tents and do it in a park! #ideaparty -9:42 PM Mar 12th, 2009 Sha1978 @ciaooneida Singles Fashion Night? #ideaparty -9:42 PM Mar 12th, Sha1978 @ciaooneida OMG!!! What awesome ideas! #ideaparty -9:43 PM Mar 12th, 2009 BarbaraSher @ciaooneida Hold yr own show - Great Idea!!!! Small, perfect, in a church, lotsa publicity, (need hook) #ideaparty -9:45 PM Mar12th, 2009 BarbaraSher @Sha1978 Yes,but they gather, already dressed. Too late to learn. Feel bad. Dress them the day before.Dept store will do PR? #ideaparty -9:48 PM Mar 12th, 2009 tweetchat Sha1978 @BarbaraSher growing boutique population. could help local boutiques with shows too!!! :-) #ideaparty -9:50 PM Mar 12th, 2009 emberlexi @Sha1978 growing boutiques could be sponsors...#ideaparty -9:51 PM Mar 12th, 2009 ciaooneida @Sha1978 helping boutiques with shows - great idea! #ideaparty -9:51 PM Mar 12th, 2009 Sha1978 @emberlexi OMG!!! #ideaparty -9:52 PM Mar 12th, 2009 ciaooneida @Sha1978 isnt ATL famous for hair shows? maybe you could help the hairstylists dress their models. they know hair not fashion! #ideaparty -9:52 PM Mar 12th, 2009 Sha1978 @ciaooneida used to do that show. may have contacts still! Can't breathe! #ideaparty -9:53 PM Mar 12th, 2009 BarbaraSher @Sha1978 Getting excited at possibilities or need to call 911 ?!!! #ideaparty -9:54 PM Mar 12th, 2009 Sha1978 @BarbaraSher I know CPR. Can't self administer. #ideaparty -9:55 PM Mar 12th, 2009 Sha1978 @BarbaraSher Possibilities. LOL! #ideaparty -9:55 PM Mar 12th, 2009 BarbaraSher @Sha1978 LOL! Jump up and dance around. Do laughter yoga. Go to YouTube or Hulu & watch John Belushi doing anything - his taxes. #ideaparty -9:56 PM Mar 12th, 2009 emberlexi @Sha1978 if you DO get to go to fashion week, you could wear the boutique sponsors' clothes & accessories to advertise for them #ideaparty -9:55 PM Mar 12th, 2009 ciaooneida @Sha1978 the important thing is to make a cause right away, some kind of action. send an email, make a phone call. something! #ideaparty -9:55 PM Mar 12th, 2009 tweetchat AlixeAlo @Sha1978 For NYC, you could do "front of house" for Bentley Meeker - they do lighting/sets but their ushers/hosts can watch show. #ideaparty -9:55 PM Mar 12th, 2009 AlixeAlo @Sha1978- go to http://www.bentleymeeker.co... to contact them #ideaparty -9:56 PM Mar 12th, 2009 Sha1978 @AlixeAlo just pulled up website. #ideaparty -9:58 PM Mar 12th, 2009 Sha1978 @ciaooneida about to craft email to bentley meeker. #ideaparty -9:59 PM Mar 12th, 2009 BarbaraSher @Sha1978 Keep us with you. Old elephants on either side. Tweet each step. Isolation is the dreamkiller. #ideaparty -9:59 PM Mar 12th, 2009 AlixeAlo @Sha1978 thats great!! you can do it! #ideaparty -10:00 PM Mar 12th, 2009 AlixeAlo @Sha1978 Good luck! #ideaparty -10:00 PM Mar 12th, 2009 Sha1978@AlixeAlo they want lighting techs..what the hell. can learn anything. #ideaparty -10:01 PM Mar 12th, 2009 Sha1978 @BarbaraSher will keep tweeting. today first day. #ideaparty -10:02 PM Mar 12th, 2009 ciaooneida @BarbaraSher you're amazing, i have been reading your books for years. this ideaparty is one of the best things yet! xoxo g'nite #ideaparty -10:04 PM Mar 12th, 2009 ciaooneida off to sleep now, i really have to pry myself away. this was amazing! #ideaparty -10:04 PM Mar 12th, 2009 tweetchat @Sha1978 please keep in touch, wishing you the best of luck! g'nite! #ideaparty 10:05 PM Mar 12th, 2009 Sha1978 @BarbaraSher ah! will do! #ideaparty -10:05 PM Mar 12th, 2009 Clarifier @Sha1978 have a great friend in atlanta in fashion, contact me and I will ask him for some suggestions. kbaer@bellsouth.net 10:05 PM Mar 12th, 2009 AlixeAlo @Sha1978 Say you want to work usher, go-fer, "front of house", anything so u can see the show, ask for other co.s to contact too #ideaparty -10:05 PM Mar 12th, 2009 ciaooneida @Sha1978 please keep in touch, wishing you the best of luck! g'nite! #ideaparty -10:05 PM Mar 12th, 2009 Sha1978 @ciaooneida Goodnight! thanks for all your suggestions!! #ideaparty -10:06 PM Mar 12th, 2009 @Sha1978 They only mention tech on the site but use many kinds of people on jobs- ask who else to contact if they have nothing #ideaparty -10:06 PM Mar 12th, 2009 Clarifer @Sha1978 make some homemade business cards that has your name and contact info on it to give out to people when you are there #ideaparty -10:06 PM Mar 12th, 2009 Sha1978 @AlixeAlo Ah. I see! #ideaparty -10:07 PM Mar 12th, 2009 Sha1978 @dizneluver Ok! there's step #1! Vistaprint business cards! #ideaparty -10:08 PM Mar 12th, 2009 Sha1978 @AlixeAlo Best party since New Year's! #ideaparty -10:09 PM Mar 12th, 2009 tweetchat AlixeAlo @Sha1978 An auspicious beginning! #ideaparty -10:11 PM Mar 12th, 2009 Sha1978 @AlixeAlo yes it is! #ideaparty -10:12 PM Mar 12th, 2009 Sha1978 @Clarifier you are SO getting an email! Thanks! #ideaparty - 10:13 PM Mar 12th, 2009 dizneluver I would love to get this group together every so often to just check in #ideaparty -10:29 PM Mar 12th, 2009 BarbaraSher @Sha1978 Bye, Sha. Glad you were here. #ideaparty 11:32 PM Mar 12th, 2009 Barbara Sher’s Books Love Wishcraft? You’ll enjoy Barbara’s other books as well! • Wishcraft • I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What It Was • Live the Life You Love in Ten Easy Step-by-Step Lessons • It’s Only Too Late If You Don’t Start Now • Refuse to Choose/What Do I Do When I Want To Do Everything • Barbara Sher’s Idea Book BARB A SHER RA ’S IDEA BOOK How to c second reate your life at a ny age By Bar bara Sh er Definitions Barbara Sher: A business owner, career counselor and best-selling author of seven books, each of which provides a different down-to-earth, nuts-and-bolts method for uncovering natural talent, pinpointing goals and turning dreams into reality. She has been named the "godmother of life coaching" by the media and her many fans. Blogging: Blogging means writing on a blog, and a ‘blog’ is a short term for “weblog,” or “web log.” A web log is a web site that contains information about a variety of personal or not-so-personal information. Think of it as a journal or a diary. Idea Party: An idea party is where friends -- or even total strangers -- gather to tell their wishes and the obstacles that might be keeping them from achieving them. An idea party can be as small as two people or as big as thousands. Think of it as “Speed Networking.” People at the party will have names of people you should call and names for you to drop. They will have cars you can drive cross country for pay so you can get to the meeting that will land you the adventure you have always wanted to have; or links to websites with information or ideas and resources that will help you achieve your dream. And they’ll toss out one idea after another until you find the ones that will overcome your obstacles so your dream will come true. Microblogging: A form of blogging, but the length of the entries is limited to 140 characters (not words, individual spaces, letters or numbers.) Success Team: A Success Team is a small, ongoing group, made up of about 6 people like you. The people on your team will help you make your dreams come true. Why? Because you're going to do the same thing for them. Your team will keep you moving until you discover and achieve your dream. A Success Team usually meets every week until everyone's reached their goals. It will help you figure out what you want, and design a plan of action to get it. It will get you information and contacts and support week after week. Definitions Twitter: A social media and microblogging tool. Twitter allows users to send short, 140 character long messages including hyperlinks (links) of urls to other users. Wishcraft: Barbara Sher’s first of seven and soon to be eight books. This bestseller is 30 years old. More than 1 million copies in over a dozen languages have been sold. Legalese - About this ebook and the Rights You Have ABOUT THE AUTHOR Barbara Sher is a business owner, career counselor and best-selling author of seven books, each of which provides a different down-to-earth, nuts-and-bolts method for uncovering natural talent, pinpointing goals and turning dreams into reality. She has been named the “godmother of life coaching” by the media and her many fans. Barbara has presented seminars and workshops throughout the world to universities, professional organizations, Fortune 100 corporations and federal and state government agencies. She has been called “a standup comic with a message” and “the best speaker we have ever seen,” in evaluations. Joining forces with public television, she has also created five hour-long pledge specials for public television that continue to air in cities around the U.S. SEND THIS You may pass along a copy of this ebook to others via email, posting it on your website or uploading it, CD or other means available to you. However, you may not offer it for sale or bundle it with any other item for sale. SUBSCRIBE Sign up for our free e-newsletter to learn about our latest books and ebooks as soon as they are available. BORN ON DATE This document was created on March 14, 2009 and is based on the best information available at that time. Check here for updates. COPYRIGHT INFO The copyright of this work belongs to the author, who is solely responsible for the content. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License. To view a copy of this license, visit Creative Commons or send a letter to Creative Commons, 559 Nathan Abbott Way, Stanford, California 94305, USA. WHAT YOU CAN DO You are given the unlimited right to print this manifesto and to distribute it electronically (via email, your website, or any other means). You can print out pages and give them to anyone in need of attaining a dream. You can transcribe the author’s words onto the sidewalk, or you can hand out copies to everyone you meet. You may not alter this ebook in any way, though, and you may not charge for it. BUY THE BOOKS You can buy any or all of Barbara Sher’s Books by going to: http://geniuspress.com.