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

  1. Come up with some wishes of your own or at least one of them.
  2. Write your wish down. Committing your wish to paper which will help you commit to it in every way.
  3. Now work out what’s standing between you and your wish. Is it fear? Anxiety? Doubt? Laziness? Time Constraints?
  4. 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?

Self Improvement image

Self improvement image

self improvement image

Self Improvement image

Self Improvement image

Self Improvement image

Self Improvement image

Want To Be Wow? Subscribe Now

Most new readers spend a minute subscribing to Get In the Hot Spot because it’s a brilliant way to stay motivated and inspired plus it’s totally free.

So don’t miss out. Subscribe now by email or to choose the RSS Feed for updates in your feed reader.

A warm welcome to all my new subscribers and welcome back to the old faithfuls. Thank you so much for your support.

Thanks for Reading

[tweetmeme]If you like this blog or article, please Tweet about it, post it on Facebook or email a friend with the link. If you Digg it, or bookmark it on Delicious or Stumbleupon, that might also help me to get more readers and improve my blog.

Many thanks for your help, I appreciate it.

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

>> 101 Ways To Feel Happier

>> 5 Ways To Prevent Depression

>> 10 Ways To Get The Life You Want

>> 3 Keys To Living Our Dreams

Share This Story, Choose Your Platform!

22 Comments

  1. Bee April 23, 2010 at 2:19 pm - Reply

    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.

  2. Annabel Candy April 23, 2010 at 2:23 pm - Reply

    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…

  3. Brenda April 23, 2010 at 7:37 pm - Reply

    I love this idea, Annabel!

  4. Annabel Candy April 23, 2010 at 7:52 pm - Reply

    Brenda – I think some of your wishes might be coming true soon:)

  5. Eric | Eden Journal April 23, 2010 at 10:51 pm - Reply

    I love it! What a fantastic idea. The wishes are great, and taking the pictures with the wishes is super too.

  6. Heather April 24, 2010 at 7:36 am - Reply

    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.

  7. Annabel Candy April 24, 2010 at 7:42 am - Reply

    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.

  8. Jen Gresham April 24, 2010 at 10:36 am - Reply

    I love the pictures!! The idea is great, but the pics were absolutely..motivating! How many wishes does one get? LOL

  9. J.D. Meier April 24, 2010 at 11:26 am - Reply

    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.

  10. Ishan April 24, 2010 at 5:29 pm - Reply

    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!

  11. Annabel Candy April 24, 2010 at 11:00 pm - Reply

    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?!

  12. Eight Women Dream April 25, 2010 at 12:54 am - Reply

    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

  13. Annabel Candy April 25, 2010 at 9:16 am - Reply

    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.

  14. Sandra Lee April 26, 2010 at 11:03 am - Reply

    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.

  15. Megan Zuniga April 26, 2010 at 1:58 pm - Reply

    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

  16. Raj@ The Positive Life April 27, 2010 at 5:25 am - Reply

    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 ??

    • Annabel Candy April 27, 2010 at 10:23 pm - Reply

      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:)

  17. Annabel Candy April 27, 2010 at 10:14 pm - Reply

    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!

  18. Teresa May 1, 2010 at 3:50 am - Reply

    I wish I could see you within the next month :)

  19. shahin June 25, 2010 at 7:04 am - Reply

    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 :)

  20. catherine July 12, 2010 at 9:01 am - Reply

    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.

  21. Lisa April 17, 2012 at 11:18 pm - Reply

    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 :-)

Leave A Comment