I dwell in possibility.

- Emily Dickinson

“I dwell in possibility.” What does that mean? I don’t know exactly what it meant to Emily Dickinson, but I do know what it means to me.

Living in possibility means being open to new things – to the unexpected, to alternate life scenarios, to multiple options, to the twists and turns of life’s roads, to dreams and wild imaginings, to the magic of dreams come true and wishes granted. It is a place of hope and creativity.

Living in possibility is a right-brain activity. It is about imagination, creativity, and the willingness to be surprised. It is also about living in a place in your mind where there is no certainty, and often no clarity, focus, or structure. It is not always a comfortable place to dwell.

Living totally with your head in the clouds is not practical for most people. Most of us need to be grounded in reality, in the here-and-now. Some of us are “just-the-facts-Jack” people. On the other hand, without possibility, life can seem very cut-and-dried, with limited options and not much hope. What works best is a blend of the two, living with one’s head in the clouds and one’s feet on the ground, and developing the connection between the two.

One a scale between 100% feet-on-ground and 100% head-in-clouds, where are you? Are you where you want to be? If you want to explore the art of possibility, read on.

Many of the clients I work with are in transition. They are in the process of moving from one situation to another, from the known (pleasant or unpleasant as it may be) to the unknown (as awful or wonderful as it might be). Perhaps they are changing jobs, starting a business, moving into or out of an important relationship or a familiar life stage. Transitions are both scary and exciting. What makes them scary is the unknown. What makes them exciting is the possibility that something better, something wonderful, lies ahead.

In my Designing Your Life program, we involve ourselves in the three phases of transition: Phase 1: taking stock of where we are, Phase 2: identifying where we want to be, and then Phase 3: building a bridge between the two.

The second stage – envisioning the future – is all about possibility. This is the place for checking things out, researching and learning about options, thinking of different possibilities and trying them on in your imagination, clarifying what you truly want, defining for yourself your ideal life, career, business, mate, or lifestyle, re-inventing yourself or creating a new future.

There are many techniques or strategies for dwelling in possibility. Ten of them are suggested below.

1. Meditate - When you meditate, you access a deeper part of yourself - a place of intuition, creativity, and wisdom. The goal of meditation is to quiet your mind and immerse yourself in silence. A daily practice of 10-20 minutes of meditation can help to open up many possibilities.

2. Visualize - Use your imagination to visualize whatever you desire. Imagine the desired situation, object, relationship, etc. in as much detail as you can. Include all your senses - vision, hearing, touch, taste, smell. Imagine the desired result as already present in your life and happening now.

3. Write: Ideal ____ Exercise - Use this exercise to clarify the details of something you wish to attract or create in your life. Take some blank paper, or a new page in your journal, and create a headline: My Ideal _____ (Fill in the blank - Job, Career, Business, Mate, Relationship, House, Client, etc.). Then describe your ideal "whatever" in as much detail as you can. A great time to do this exercise is immediately following your meditation.

4. Write your Career/Life Fantasy - Imagine your ideal future life in all its aspects. Choose a date from one to five years in the future, and write the story of your ideal life/career/business from the perspective of that date but in the present tense. For example, if you have chosen to visualize your life 5 years from now, begin your writing with "It is March of 2011, and I am living in ______" (continue in this way).

5. Make a Visualization Journal or Poster - If you enjoy art projects, this is a fun one. Gather a bunch of magazines and catalogues, and cut out images of things you want to attract into your life. If you can't find suitable existing images, draw them, find them in clip art, or use words or phrases with the images. Arrange these images in a beautiful journal or scrapbook or on poster board. Put the poster where you will see it often. Or be sure to go through your journal or scrapbook at least once a day.

6. Think Outside the Box – Start by identifying a goal you want to achieve or a challenge you want to handle, and then start brainstorming. Write down everything you can think of, without censoring, editing, or judging. Just let the ideas flow and write them all down, no matter how silly, far- fetched, or impractical they might seem. Look at the goal or challenge from as many perspectives as you can. Suspend your rules about how things ought to be. Think like a Martian.

7. Immerse yourself in the natural world – Take time to observe the flora and fauna of nature in detail. Note sounds, patterns, colors, behaviours. Imagine yourself as a flower opening, a dolphin swimming, a favorite pet, or a bird in flight.

8. Lie in a hammock and dream - This one needs no explanation. Just do it! If you can't find a hammock, lie on a newly mowed lawn or on a blanket under the night sky. Watch clouds go by or look for shooting stars.

9. Do something creative that you have not done before – Write a poem, paint a landscape, build something, take up knitting, plant a new garden, start a journal, photograph a place you have never visited before.

10. Read a good book - There are many great books available on this topic. Here is one of my favorites: The Art of Possibility, Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander. Penguin Books, 2000.

March 25: How's My Life Going? The Big Picture

In this retreat workshop, we will take time to step back, reflect, and look at our lives holistically, taking the first step towards re-balancing our lives.

This Saturday morning workshop is part of the program for a retreat weekend for women, run by Debby Hoffman of Positive Results Seminars. The retreat takes place March 24-26, 2006, by the ocean in Biddeford Pool, Maine.

For more information, contact Debby in Concord, NH at 603-783-4446 or email her at Debby@DebbyHoffman.com.

Mark your calendars to reset your clocks!

In most places in the US, Daylight Saving Time begins on the first Sunday in April – this year, April 2nd at 2 a.m.

There are seven places in the US or US territories that do not observe DST. Can you name them? And, did you know that in 2007, DST will be extended by about two weeks? Do you know when and why?