How to get what you really want – Wishcraft anniversary

Did you know the book “Wishcraft” by Barbara Sher is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year? I found that out last fall from my friend Gudrun who teaches Success Team Leaders in Germany and has translated Barbara’s book into German.

This fact is notable to me, and very much worth celebrating for the simple reason that the book changed my life well over 20 years ago. I was working in Corporate America at the time it called to me from its shelf in the bookstore.

At that point in my life, a few years out of college, I believed that my work/life formula would be to get a good job with great benefits, then keep said job.  My story continued: at some point in the very distant future, I would be able to retire living on the retirement benefits earned, and THEN would be able to enjoy life. It didn’t feel right to me, but I had no other model to go by.

WOW. Wishcraft turned my world on it’s head, as the ideas resonated deep within my core.  As I read and re-read those pages several times over the years, the idea was planted that I could begin to live my dreams NOW.  I could maybe even do work I loved, and perhaps even create something of my own design. The wheels started spinning.

Then something interesting happened. Settling for less than being authentic at work became harder and harder for me to do. Such began a long creative quest to find the work I was born to do. As I continued to search, I was still terrified of jumping off the cliff of the old model to embrace the new paradigm. As I look back, it’s interesting that I didn’t create the support to help me do that. Barbara very clearly shows how… I was just so busy searching and continuing to absorb great ideas. Yet the entire time, I continued to hang onto the essence of possibilities.

That is what I will always appreciate about the book Wishcraft. On it’s pages Barbara got me excited about possibilities. Possibilities I could dream about and perhaps one day create! Even though it took me 20+ years to get brave enough to make the leap off the “old paradigm” cliff, I had a new belief in possibilities. And that is truly a gift.

As a final thought for today’s post, it occurs to me that perhaps when it was first published, Wishcraft was way ahead of its time. Now, more than ever with the job market fluctuating wildly, I believe it is important to be doing something you truly love, and finding new ways to bring your passion to the world. We need the authentic you!!

If you’ve not read this book, it is very high on my list for recommended reading!

Thank you, Barbara Sher for sharing  your authentic voice, and Happy Anniversary Wishcraft! You have my deepest gratitude!