2020 showcased the “art of the spin.”
We learned that anywhere, anytime, we can put our own spin
on a situation, shifting our perspective to see things differently.

 I became aware of the power of thought 35 years ago when I read an article
on the impact negative thoughts and words have on our emotions.

I read the book, “You Can’t Afford the Luxury of a Negative Thought,”
and began to do what I call “practicing the flip.” 

When this painting began, it was titled, “Reach for the Stars.”

 “Practicing the Flip” is one of my favorite tricks to keep my sunny attitude.
The idea is that for every “negative perspective,” there’s a correlating “positive perspective.”

For example, instead of saying “don’t forget your sweater,” say “remember your sweater.”

Try saying both phrases out loud.
Did you emphasize “don’t,” “forget,” “remember,” or “sweater?”

That’s the word that sticks in your brain.

To practice the flip, “Please don’t hesitate to email me if you have any questions,”
becomes, “please email me if you have any questions.”

You’ve successfully removed all hesitation!

 It takes conscious awareness to “practice the flip.”

Good news! With practice, it comes more easily.

At this stage, the painting was known as “Reaching for Possibilities.’

How far away do your dreams feel and how do you feel about that distance?

If they feel near, you might feel eager anticipation.
If they feel far, your feelings might vacillate.

 Which perspective feels better?

How can you flip your perspective to feel even better?

What if it’s a good thing that your dream isn’t about to come true tomorrow?
What would you do if it were? Are you really ready for that possibility?

What can you do today to prepare yourself for that inevitability?

You might not be aware of ALL of the things that need to happen to make your dream real.

How could you? Your dreams aren’t static, they morph and evolve as you do.
No worries, you’re finding and making your way toward your dreams.

Practice living as if your dream is getting closer every day.

Fuel your dream with the joy of anticipation and preparation.
Make room in your heart for the changes your dream will bring about.

Start to make those changes.

You are growing into your dream. It is within your reach.

Remember your ever-present ability to flip your perspective. 

“Within Reach” reminds us that no matter how far out there our dreams may feel, they are within our reach — or we wouldn’t have them!

Our dreams are our personal source of renewable energy.

Whether or not we remember our dreams, we all have them — by day and by night.

I love to nap and to dream! I’ve been a power-napper since college — able to fall asleep fast, and awaken refreshed after 10–30 min.

Lately I’ve been telling myself I want to take a nap when I wake up in the middle of the night. The results aren’t in yet, but it’s early days for this experiment.

Sharing our dreams with others is a good way to get to know one another and to feel connected.

It’s also risky.

Only share your dreams with trusted friends and mentors.

The language of dreams can make us laugh with glee or recoil in horror. Part of the fun of dreams is learning to decipher our own dream language.

I’ve never been fond of other people’s interpretations of dreams. I like Carl Jung’s work suggesting that every character in our dreams relates to some part of us.

Decades ago I taught myself to fly in my dreams because it sounded like fun, and I wanted to see if I could fly.

Every night before I fell asleep, I told myself I would fly in my dreams. It took a few nights practice before I flew, and the first time I did, my excitement at flying woke me up.

Still, it was a fun exercise in learning how to get more out of one third of my life — the sleeping part.

These days my expectation and invitation is that I am open to receiving information while I sleep.

I ask questions before I fall asleep so I can wake up with answers or ideas.

Dream Time is a gift we give to ourselves and to the world. The information of our dreams holds clues to answer the questions we have when we’re awake.

It seems a shame to place all of our attention on our waking state while ignoring what goes on in our creative minds while we sleep.

Sweet Dreams!