You probably are familiar with the Disney song “A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes” from the classic animated film Cinderella. The lyrics remind us to have faith in our dreams so that they will come true.
But is it enough to just wish for something? After all, we can look in our own experience and see countless times we wished for something that never happened, or that turned out all wrong, a far cry from what we had in mind.
Here’s what Napoleon Hill tells us in Think and Grow Rich in the chapter on “desires”:
“There is a difference between WISHING for a thing and being READY to receive it. No one is ready for a thing until he believes he can acquire it. The state of mind must be BELIEF, not mere hope or wish. Open-mindedness is essential for belief. Closed minds do not inspire faith, courage, and belief.
“Remember, no more effort is required to aim high in life, to demand abundance and prosperity, than is required to accept misery and poverty.”
In my studies of the laws of the mind, I’ve gotten really curious about the difference between hoping and intending that something will happen a certain way, and preparing for its arrival.
First, I have to be open to it being what the Universe (God, Spirit, Infinite Intelligence) sends in response to my asking, instead of narrowly focusing on a particular outcome. I love reading anecdotes about people who learned that lesson the hard way, not because I’m laughing at them but because it makes the concept a bit easier to understand and apply.
For instance, someone who kept chanting affirmations that he was attracting $10,000, and after he got it, found out from a friend that he could’ve asked for more because the company paying him was prepared to go up to double that amount for his fee.
Second, a key ingredient is truly believing that I will get what I desire. Often, we’ll repeat our positive affirmations about a big dream and get really frustrated when nothing much happens. Look deeper and see if you are canceling out your affirmation with the inner belief that it’s not going to happen. That doubt is the vibration in charge of your results.
And third, having an open mind means allowing miracles to happen. Keep dreaming, keep wishing, but do it the right way, with full faith you can have all you want as long as you believe you can.