Today is the day!  The announcement of two winners for the first An Empowered Spirit contest. 

Before I make the announcement, I’d like to share how difficult it was for me to decide on only two winners! Thanks to all of the contestants.  You wrote heartfelt, thought-provoking, and insightful answers. This month I feel like I’d traveled from New England to Santa Fe to Paris.  I took time to think about “knowing who I am and who I am not,” using exercise (like the swim technique“ the crawl”) as a way of helping me to focus clearly, and finding time to have periods of “nothingness” (a dream in itself!). I learned greatly from you and benefited from your honesty and spirit.  I hope everyone who reads this will take time to read their comments (click the circle on the right of the title “Living Your Dreams – Share Your Comments to Enter Our Contest”).  I promise - they will EMPOWER you!

So here it is:

Winner #1: Michael Winderman dreams of bringing his ailing father back to Paris, where he was educated after WWII.  His father relished in the city’s magic and beauty, and Michael would like to share that magic with his father alongside him.  Here is Michael’s beautiful entry:

“My Dream is a simple one, but I do not know if I can make it happen. My Dad wants to return to Paris with me and relive His college days after the War. He has a rare form of Cancer (stage 4) and is undergoing chemo. I told Him that if the Chemo is successful, I will organize the trip. I hope that someday my Dad and I can sit at an outside table of a Parisian Cafe and talk about life, food, and politics. I hope we hear Jazz Manouche(Gypsy Jazz) at a seedy bar in Montmartre. I hope He can take me on an insider’s tour of the Sorbonne, where He got His Doctorate. I hope we can hit His favorite Flea Market, drink Sancerre at His favorite Wine Bar, and haunt His favorite Streets and Alleys. That is my Dream. Every day I meditate on it. I have started reading travel guides, putting lists together, and working on learning French with Rosetta Stone.”

Winner #2: Janet O’Neill dreams of a simpler life while traveling and teaching her artistry in Italy and Germany.  Janet strongly believes in G-d, and sets daily goals for herself while passing the light within her onto her students.  Here is Janet’s eloquent entry:

“I dream of having a simple life but rich with experience.  I want to paint and teach illustration and mixed media workshops in Italy and Germany in the summer. I want to travel, travel, travel.

I have a strong faith in God and work on it every day.  I have created a few vision boards and actually make my students create them each semester.  We return to them on the last day of classes as a reminder of their goals.

I continue working on my craft.  I create something new every day and read about fostering creativity constantly. I make a daily effort to write down my thoughts and re-work my goals on a monthly basis.  I take walks to clear my head and pray for guidance.

If you can afford it, visit one of your dream places every few months.  If not, get a documentary on those places and start looking for jobs in several of them.  Put your house on the market when you are ready – easier to buy than sell, so when you sell, you may have the catalyst to find your dream location!  Go to restaurants that have the “feel” of your ideal location or invite friends over for dinner and have a theme party or meal that reflects your spot.  Conversation can lead to brainstorming about making your move!

Go outside as much as possible and imagine you are in your dream location.  For instance, mine is Santa Fe.  I bought dishes that look Santa Fe-ish, made Mexican food, took walks picturing myself in the Santa Fe landscape, and painted images of the area as often as possible.”

I love your quote by Robert Browning:
“Each life unfulfilled, you see; It hangs still, patchy and scrappy:
We have not sighed deep, laughed free, Starved, feasted, despaired, – been happy..”

Congratulations to Michael and Janet!  I will mail you a copy of The Tiny Buddha by Lori Deschene.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I and many others do.  Keep us posted on how you are doing – we’d love to hear about Paris, Germany, Italy, and Santa Fe!

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DISCLAIMER:  Comments from An Empowered Spirit are brought to your attention on topics that could benefit you and should be discussed with your doctor or other medical professional. I am not medically trained, and my posts are of a journalistic nature and not in lieu of medical advice. An Empowered Spirit and its author will not be held liable for any damages incurred from using this blog or any data or links provided.