Give it a name
- The Thoughtful Baker
- Nov 21, 2018
- 5 min read
Have you ever had an idea that made you so excited, you immediately felt like you grew 10 ft taller? Like you've undergone some metaphysiological change in order to take on this idea and grow into the person large enough to carry it through to manifestation? I love that feeling and just the same, I love witnessing my friends experience it. Our ideas are real, living, growing, breathing things. Ideas are extensions of us and have a great way of allowing us to explore untapped areas of our brilliance. They become as we become. They gain confidence as we, their bearers, gain more confidence.
"Set a goal so big that you can't achieve it until you grow into the person who can." - Unknown
(Yep, I'm sharing this quote again, because I really want to drill this one in!)
I was randomly messaging someone earlier and she had a lot of great feedback on my instagram posts and its content with account @thoughtfuldozen. Of course it was nice to receive compliments and some constructive criticism, but I realized in that moment that, just as my "audience" is discovering more about me and my projects, so am I. It's beautiful! To say that "I have learned so much about myself, my interests, and my habits in creating this blog, this website, and @thoughtfuldozen on Instagram" is an understatement! During the process, I have also gained a new appreciation for the bloggers I have known and loved over the years. I can finally say, in a sense, I get it. There's nothing like having people you don't know personally, holding you accountable when you promised to share a recipe or a quote, the day is moving along, and the goods have yet to be delivered. It's amazing when "strangers" become friendly and maybe even friends as you form meaningful connections with people with goals and ambitions and human conditions just like you. When I set out to create The Thoughtful Baker's Dozen, one of my biggest priorities was to make connections. Now that I've begun making connections with many of you, I'm beginning to experience a different sensation and a level of responsibility I hadn't anticipated. It's great knowing that other people, outside of my family, have a vested interest in something I care about and produce, because let's face it, family members tend to support us and our projects out of obligation and a sense of duty, not due to genuine interest. Even so, it's amazing when they do. (HI, MOM! LOL)
My best piece of advice to a person who has an exciting idea is to write it down. Allow your fantastic, new, living thing to join us in this realm and begin to manifest in the physical. If it's a new food truck serving gourmet and unconventional panini's, just start writing about it and allow it to develop. Name it! Maybe you like the name "Pressed" and the feature item will be a panini jam-packed with leftovers from Thanksgiving and you'll call it the "Jive Turkey" Panini. Start thinking up things in detail. What does the food truck look like? A matte periwinkle exterior with a fist smashing down on a bulky sandwich; ingredients are literally splattered and spilling over the sides. Images of tomatoes and pickles and cheese and olives and mustard are all over the truck's exterior. What's the price range? Which local bakery will supply your breads? Will you use focaccia bread or some other kind(s)? How much will the truck and equipment cost? At which busy street corners will you park? What does your logo look like? As you start asking and answering these questions, you are truly breathing life into your idea. It now has a life of its own and a name. The more you speak its name and take the steps necessary to will it into existence and manifest it. As you work on it, saving the money, securing the investments, creating the logo, making the calls, applying for the permits, you and the idea are on a journey to intersect. It already exists at conception. You just have to sustain the signal/connection that will allow it to find you as you find it. Before you know it, it will ring your doorbell and greet you.
It is crucial that you are as SPECIFIC as possible when writing things down. Ironically, I read all about this on Jade Renee's instagram story posts earlier. Jade describes herself as a "Serial Entrepreneur and Digital Media Maven" and is #onetowatch by any standards. In her stories, she shared an experience where she created a broad goal and the universe, with its colorful sense of humor, delivered unto her what she requested... Well sorta. She recalls writing "Forbes 30 Under 30" as a part of list of goals for 2018 and was later nominated for the list. She was eventually invited to attend the summit, but was not selected. She enjoyed the experience and believes attending the summit was a great opportunity and shared a MAJOR lesson learned, "Moral of the story, get specific with yourself and your goals." Jade went on to share, "Specific such as: If you write down 'I want to make money in my business' or 'I want a lot of customers' then that's leaving tooooo much room for the Universe to be a smart ass and give you exactly what you asked for, because 'making money' in your business can be $5 or $100... having customers can mean 1 customer or 20 customers." She urges everyone to "write specifically how much money you want to make (ex: I want to gross $100K in my business in 2019). Write specifically how many customers you want (ex: I want 300 paying customers in 2019). Because the universe will end up giving you exactly what you asked for... Dream big NOT broad." Y'all... This is the reason I love discovering women pursuing their passions and making their dreams come true. Seeing another person win feels like a win for me too. Can anyone else relate?
I totally planned to post about something different this week, I may post it in the coming weeks, but I feel so compelled to share this message instead, in light of a conversation I had earlier today. This stuff is simple and complex. It's easy and can be your most challenging work. I personally believe that we are endowed with exciting ideas solely for the benefit of that metaphysiological change I mentioned earlier. We each have this divine purpose in life and these ideas have come forth to chisel us into the right configuration and position us in line to do the works we were created to fulfill. I'm not trying to preach or make this an after school special. I feel obliged to share this information in the hopes that at least ONE person reading this post will have a break through, bring an amazing idea to life, and work intentionally toward their goals.
Thanks for reading.
*Also, make sure to follow @iamjaderenee on instagram for more insights! While you're at it, make sure you're following @thoughtfuldozen for daily updates, a chance to share your thoughts, and to join the community forming around The Thoughtful Baker's Dozen! Don't forget to subscribe to this site and get email alerts when new blog entries are posted. As always, keep the conversation going in the comments. I love hearing from you all and gaining from your perspectives! Thanks, again, for your support!
Comments