“I’ve known for some time that staring at objects while holding pictures in my head makes reality oddly responsive.”—Martha Beck 
Martha Beck, who I met one year at an author’s conference in Kansas City (we both had new books out), wrote an article for O Magazine about vision boards. As she said, “Some results are so successful that the hair on the nape of my neck prickled for months.”
Anyone who has read The Secret (a group that includes pretty much everyone on the planet) knows about vision boards where you cut out pictures of things you’d like to invite into your life for dinner.
However, today, I’d like to talk about an even more important practice. Instead of making lists (and vision boards) of things you’d like to receive, how about composing a list of things you’d like to give? Of things you’d like to create?
And before that, make a list of all the things you already have. Things you’re grateful for NOW.
Gratitude (or amazing awesomeness, as I like to call my practice) is the oil that lubes the channels of the world’s beneficence. If you’re not playing with and appreciating “the toys” you have now, why expect new ones? Why even want new ones?
The other day I was walking my dog (lots of things happen when I walk my odd-looking bassador—that’s part Bassett Hound, part Lab) by a railroad track. It’s junky, not exactly a spectacle for the eyes. I’ve walked this route countless times. But earlier that morning I’d been reading Blue Iris, a book of poems and essays by Mary Oliver. Most were about flowers.
In about three blocks, next to what many would describe as an eyesore, I found at least seven species of teensy little flowers. Teensy little flowers that I’d undoubtedly marched by many times and never noticed. I plucked one of each and pressed them between waxed paper and into a big, heavy book. I figure they’ll be a good reminder next time my ego decides to launch a new campaign around lack and fear.
They aren’t the big showy blossoms florists stock, but each one is ridiculously beautiful and I am embarrassed that I walked by so many times without noticing.
So, yea, vision boards are great. But right now, I’m too busy making lists of all the ridiculously beautiful things I already have.
Tell me in the comments below: What ridiculously beautiful things do you already have?
Pam Grout is the author of 16 books including E-Squared: 9 Do-it-Yourself Energy Experiments that Prove Your Thoughts Create Your Reality.
21 Responses
I have many ridiculously beautiful things..the list can go on!..but I must point out finding your blog is one of them 🙂 ..I hope you know this already, but your writing can make the even more amazing day even better. Its just so inspiring, funny, but just feels so good to read, I look forward to reading your new post every time 🙂 thank you so much
Thank you so much!!
Yes! I’m with you, Aditi! Pam, I feel the same way. When I see your name in my Inbox, I’m like, Oh I’ve gotta read Pam’s new article. Many, many thanks for all the smiles, chuckles, warm fuzzy feelings and ah-ha’s you’ve given me! <3
I have the most beautiful piano that was passed down from my grandmother, to my mother and now to me. It’s actually nothing to look at really – it was one of the first pianos ever built in Canada (1896) although its in great condition. What is amazingly special about it are the number of miles logged on it – through my childhood, youth, teenage years, young mother days and now single mom days. No matter what’s going on in my life it always says to me “come play”! I am blessed!
Destiny, Groucho, Jasmine, Licorice, Cleo”catra” (5 cats), Elliotte (Quaker Parrot) who is in control of the cats……..my beautiful home, a beautiful man that adores me and whom I would follow to the ends of the Universe , and a writer I came across a few years ago that I can’t seem to get enough of, because every thought in my head and experience in life I have had, she has written – Ms Grout!!! Last but not least a drive in me that keeps telling me to go bigger, as soon as I know what that bigger is, will be so ridiculously beautiful that I will be in awe that it came through me!
“What ridiculously beautiful things do I already have?” In such a list, what could possibly be more beautiful then what my spiritual awakening has afforded me in the way of recognizing those things of Eternity. Sure, I have wonderful ‘things’ I could list that I’m grateful for, however like ADITI above, I am grateful for your blog and YOU, Pam. I am grateful for the new vision I now have that reveals things of beauty and grace. These will ALWAYS be with me. 🙂
It’s not a story about ridiculously beautiful things now but your blog reminded me of a situation many years ago. I was coming to the final of my Art degree in 1999 & was looking for an idea. We were coming up to the millennium & I was thinking about the talk of the ‘New Age’ & was interested in how these ‘New Age’ practices were infact in some cases thousands of years old practices. Now long before I knew anything about LOA or Quantum Physics (came to me via the secret in 2010 via strange sequence of events) a strange sequence of events led me to a lecture by an Artist who oozed energy and on the way home I found beauty in a bright yellow van going over a newly built blue bridge on a grey day, I spotted a loan poppy on a piece of waste land and came home to an amazing bunch of flowers (as it was my birthday) & hidden in side was a posy of Lilly of the Valley which brought back a childhood memory and I suddenly had an idea for three canvasses for my finals with the theme of looking for the beauty/ positive in our hectic lives.
Wow, Ali, I’ve got goosebumps from your story! Thank you for bringing that beauty to this page!
Great post, as usual. And here’s another flower for you:
I was just listening live, to Wayne Dyer’s weekly radio show on Hay House, and he endorsed your book E-Squared. He also said he has done the first three experiments, so far, with remarkable results.
An update: Once today’s Wayne Dyer show is posted, anyone can listen to it for free for about a week. Then it goes into the member’s archives.
Just go to the Hay House Radio site and click on “Archive Preview.”
Thanks, Dennis. I always enjoy your comments.
And wow! I’d have never known about the radio show if you hadn’t told me. Thank you, Dr. Dyer.
He also mentioned it on Facebook over the weekend, said he bought a case for friends and family and it shot right up into the top 100 of all books in Amazon. That guy has some pull!! Woo-hoo!
I’m very grateful for my health , my wonderful Les Pauls & stratocasters.
My Deepak audiobook & glorious mornings with a wonderful cup of coffee . Mornings are special .
My first thoughts are those of gratitude for my 2 beautiful, healthy, talented, girls, Elizabeth and Joanna, and my wife Julie. I’m grateful for our new home in Lawrence, where I’m meeting wonderful, positive, people like you Pam; for my job where I’m able to help relieve people’s suffering. And one of my partners reminded me the other day that in 2008 I was suffering from a cardiomyopathy and my heart was pumping at only 15% efficiency. My cardiologist was talking heart transplant. I recovered completely, which is rare, and the next year and every year since, have been hiking up fourteeners in Colorado. My partner said that I should wake up every day thanking God for that miracle. He said, “Look at you, you recovered completely. You’re climbing mountains.” Then he pointed at me and said “Look at you; you’re perfect.” My first thought was “I’m far from perfect.” But then, I remembered that I am a child of God, and in that sense I’m perfect. I just need to not doubt that, and plug into my Divinity and to the FP(field of potentiality) that you talk about in your book “E-Squared.” Tha
My daughter’s little King Charles Cavalier is such a sweetheart. She does not go into a bad mood and she is always happy to see you. She just loves to snuggle up beside you. My sweet peas are actually flowering this year and smell wonderful. The fresh smell of my clothes after I have dried them outside on a warm, sunny day Come to think of it a warm sunny day is amazing! I live in Scotland by the way. Have a great day everyone!
There are so many ridiculously beautiful things I already have. I have a ridiculously wonderful, loving and supportive husband of 11 years, I have all my physical senses and a body that not only gets me where I need to go, but allows me to enjoy yoga and dancing and walking. I have a beach 10 minutes away that insists on putting on shows for me. Yesterday evening I glanced up from reading my book to see a rainbow streaming through a cloud.
Hi! I just wanted to say that I’ve recently read your book E-Squared, after stumbling on it during a time when I have been working towards shifting my entire mindset and perspective on the universe. It’s very difficult to break out of a lifetime habit of seeing nothing but the bad in everything, but since I’ve been making a decided and determined effort to change my worldview, I’ve noticed so many little blessings popping up out of nowhere! There really is so much beauty in the world, things that are grand and overwhelming, and things that are tiny and delicate and often easy to overlook, and all of them weave together to create a fantastic reality.
Hello Pam!
Thank you first of all for your beautiful blog, I started reading it today after reading your book E Squared. I have done three of the experiments with amazing results! I’m reading it again be caused I loved the book!
Ridiculously beautiful things in my life:
My son and daughter
My dog Mokita
My family
And the list goes on and on and today I must add a wonderful author whose name is Pam Grout!
Thank you once again!
Julia
Everything in my life is ridiculously beautiful <3 Including my babies (dogs), my faith, My Reiki Practice/Business, my husband, my Harley… Life is Good!!! So Grateful I have found you and your work (today). Just downloaded started reading E2 and when you said something about ACIM, fireworks went off in my brain!!! Love!!! 😀
Wow, this is great. An utterly awesome thing in my life is that I found this blog and you, via my old friend, Keith Boyer, who said that you’d brought up my name when he corresponded with you!
What a small world, and what lovely Kismet! So glad to see that you’re doing well. I can tell that I need reminders of some of this stuff, or it wouldn’t have popped back up into my life right now, would it?
I’ll never forget your Statue of Liberty at Unity in Overland Park. Are you still there? In Overland Park?
Oh, that was such fun!
No, many many changes since then. R. and I divorced (but now are friends), moved out of state, started a great Celtic band for six years, married the guy, band and marriage broke up and now I’m back in Kansas City. Not doing statues any longer but still singing and sewing! Lovely to be back in touch!