Heroes Not Zombies

In the second part of the A to Z of Becoming, W stands for Wish.

How nice, that we’ve come to this verb at this time of year!

You might want to make a single wish, like the Japanese one I saw above, or to create a whole flourishing bush of wishes, like in this next photo….

Or you might be a more organised type, and like your wishes in rows and columns! –

Whether or not you choose to tie your wishes to a tree, or a fence, or a line of thread, I think it’s a great idea to actually write your wishes down and put them somewhere! This Japanese tradition is an attractive one. Why not try it?

Do you think wishes come true? Well, have you ever heard the phrase “Be careful what you wish for!”?

What does that mean? Does it mean you might not like what you get even when you’ve longed for it? Or because you might not have thought through the consequences of your wish? Does it mean you shouldn’t wish lightly? But only after careful consideration?

Whatever it means, the person saying it clearly thinks that wishes might indeed be fulfilled. Otherwise, why be careful?

I think wishes are often fulfilled. But I don’t think wishes are the same as magic spells. There’s some similarity between wishes and goals. Both provide some kind of focus, some kind of direction and I think a wish is more likely to come true if you apply something like the “SMART” principles which people apply to goals – “Specific, Measurable, Assignable, Realistic, Time related”.

I wouldn’t map the same criteria directly onto wishing, but I do think wishes are more likely to be fulfilled if they are at least specific, realistic and time focused.

I think there is also a relationship between wishes and hopes. Someone without hope is unlikely to make a wish.

What about you?

What place is there for wishing in your life?

Would now be a good time to draw up your own list of wishes for yourself for the coming year? Would that be a nice complement, or alternative, to resolutions, or goals?

And what do you wish for others?

When you wish something for someone else, maybe the wish is more likely to be granted if you actually do something to help make the wish come true. What could you do to help make your wishes for others come true?

I think that also applies to your own wishes, by the way – the ones more likely to come to pass, are the ones you actively work towards……

One final thought about wishes. Values-based wishing is likely to orientate you towards acting according to that value. For example, if you wish there was more kindness in the world, you are reminding yourself how much you value kindness, so you are giving yourself a chance, not just to act more kindly every day, but to open yourself up to acts of kindness in your life.