SuccessWritten by Robert Bruce Baird
There is an axiom or three about success and what it means to be sure. There is little certainty or anything to be sure about. I have had success and I have been on opposite side of things a great deal to be sure. I am probably happier when I am not rich but most people cannot fathom that. They think I am some kind of ‘nut’. They often do not believe me when I demonstrate my ego and its playful willingness to laugh at my self or say opposite of what people think about me. In The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas we see Gertrude Stein had some time to consider success as she sought to become ‘historical’. She and I are alike in this regard. “Mildred Aldrich liked Picasso and even liked Matisse, that is personally, but she was troubled. One day she said to me, Alice, tell me is it alright, are they really alright, I know Gertrude thinks so and Gertrude knows, but really is it not all fumisterie, is it not all false. In spite of these occasional doubtful days Mildred Aldrich liked it all. She liked coming herself and she liked bringing other people. She brought a great many. It was she who brought Henry McBride who was then writing on New York Sun. It was Henry McBride who used to keep Gertrude Stein’s name before public all those tormented years. Laugh if you like, he used to say to her detractors, but laugh with and not at her, in that way you will enjoy it all much better. Henry McBride did not believe in worldly success. It ruins you, it ruins you, he used to say. But Henry, Gertrude Stein used to answer dolefully, don’t you think I will ever have any success, I would like to have a little you know. Think of my unpublished manuscripts. But Henry McBride was firm, best that I can wish you, he always said, is to have no success. It is only good thing. He was firm about that. He was however enormously pleased when Mildred was successful and he now says he thinks time has come when Gertrude Stein could indulge in a little success. He does not think that now it would hurt her.” (1)
| | A New Conversation About Dreams - The Power of IntentionWritten by Marcia Wieder
It’s time to change way we think and speak about our dreams. Transforming a conversation, just like manifesting a dream, begins by setting an intention. Your intentions will assist you in taking greater control of your life. A working definition for intention is: “to have in mind a purpose or plan, to direct mind, to aim”. Lacking intention, we sometimes stray without meaning or direction. But with it, all forces of universe can align to make even most impossible, possible. My intention is to transform conversation around dreams from fear and doubt, to hope and possibility, followed by action and results. Some might say this is not right time to dream. The media and masses say, “It’s time to be realistic.” Consider this. Without our dreams all we have is our present reality. Reality is not a bad thing. We have to know where we are so we can design appropriate strategy for getting to where we want to be. The challenge is our attitude around “reality” and being “realistic” and what being realistic has cost us. Often that’s our passion and joy, our hopes and dreams. Given unknowns and sometimes craziness of life, there’s never been a more important time to dream and setting your intention is first step. When should you set an intention? You could set an intention every day. Your intention could be to work less and make more, or to find a new career that you are passionate about. It could be to get healthy and physically fit, or to spend more quality time with loved ones or alone. It can be specific and about something in particular or more like a quality, such as to be more relaxed or involved with life. At seventy, Bessie set an intention to become a world famous photographer. Although many thought she was too old, she didn’t. She entered a photo contest where she won first prize of $10,000. Her prize-winning photo toured around world with a Kodak exhibit. She told me, “We’re never too old to make a dream come true.”
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