Kelly, I just love this post. And as I mentioned earlier, it is YOU who inspires ME.

The idea of the original (and re-make) of the secret is so simple, but so unbelievably powerful. I’m trying to mix this in with a dose of Eckhart Tolle to live in the moment while believing I am living my dream RIGHT NOW.

I can probably sum up my life’s ambition quite simply: live with my relatively happy and healthy family in a beautiful home; earn an income and and touch the lives of others through my writing; have time to work in the garden, read, putter around, just enjoy — and breathe.

I have the family and the house part already, and I should acknowledge that every day. Yes, an important part of my dream is to be able to write rather than work. But it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. I’d like to whittle down my client list to a few very special and interesting projects. Instead of spending 30+ hours a week on client work, I’d like to spend 20 hours a week on my own writing and occasionally make room for a one-off client project. I could go all the way and say I’d like NO client work at all, but if I could get to a place where my primary focus was my own writing, and I wasn’t experiencing the considerable stress of my current work situation, I think I’d be able to say I’m living my creative dream. So how do I turn that into the present moment? Make the dream my present reality, not some ghostly future shadow?

I need to focus on how I *am* living my creative dream right now. As in, focus on the time that I *do* spend writing in my library. Really be present in those moments, so that they begin to dominate the less enjoyable work stress. Keep the client work in a box as much as possible. Immerse myself in the crystalline family moments that are given to us every day. Remember that “someday is today.” I already have the “right” notes in this particular song, I just need to play them a little more loudly so that I don’t forget that the harmony is already audible. “Focus on the positive” doesn’t mean much at this point because it’s such a tired cliche, but bringing this back to Kelly’s friend Ken, the power is there.

Not to belabor the point, but there is an important distinction between thinking of your dream as some “if only” fantasy and instead breaking that “dream” down into a tangible goal — and then realizing that there is at least some amount of that goal (or goals) that you are already living. (We have touched on this several times in different ways on this blog.) By focusing on those in-the-bag parts of your dream, you create a momentum that will carry you the rest of the way.

Sunday sermon’s over!

Can you imagine… you’re working on something, stuck, not feeling the mojo… You reserve a room at The Happy Shack, and find yourself hanging out and collaborating with other artists of all different types? Can you imagine the subsequent explosion of creativity???

didn’t mean to bring on the tears, cath! i hope they are happy tears.

and kristine, i agree completely. we all have a purple cottage of some sort. may we all get there soon!

I wish you the best in your job.