My Flower Shop

This story is a beautiful illustration of how our mind creates our world. If we hold a vision or a dream deep inside our heart and mind, it will begin to not only influence our attitudes and actions, it will reach our and influence the circumstances of our lives. Notice how all things are created twice-first mentally and then physically (Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind). This woman planted the mission statement so deeply into her heart that it bridged the gap between her dream and its fulfillment.

I’ve dreamed about owning a flower shop since high school. In college, I studied horticulture. Slowly the dream died under the pressure of marriage, divorce, and raising a family. Ironically, it was my son’s death that resurrected my dream As I saw those beautiful flowers coming to our door in expression of people’s sorrow for our loss, I was moved. As I touched their petals and smelled your touch, your brave color, your smell. I’d forgotten all about you. I envisioned the florist carefully arranging these beautiful blooms so that this arrangement could brighten our lives at this dark, dark time. I knew I wanted to help in that way.

When I imagined my eightieth birthday as part of developing a Personal Mission Statement, I thought about my flower shop. I imagined all the people I could help: the births, weddings, birthdays, and funerals. On all those days I could help people show they cared. I couldn’t imagine a more nurturing and rewarding way to spend my days. When it came time to write my mission statement, I put that I would own a flower shop one day. Just seeing the words on paper somehow made my dream more real.

About a year later I ran into the owners of a flower shop called Ocean Shores. I asked, “How’s the flower shop going?” They said, “Oh, we’re getting ready to sell i. We haven’t got a buyer yet. Would you be interested?” 

These words grabbed my heart. Rather than saying, “I can’t do it; it’s not possible,” instead of making excuses, like “Gee, I would really like to, but it’s not the right time,” or “You know, I have a full-time job, and am a single mother supporting two teenagers,” I thought, “This is it. This is it. Here comes my dream.”

I set to work to make it happen. I examined their profit-and-loss statements. I hired a business consultant to see if this was financially feasible. I got the financing I needed and was able to buy the store.

Now that I own my own flower shop, all of my business decision and how I deal with the employees is measured against the dream I had in the first place. 

“When It came time to write my mission statement, I put that I would own a flower shop one day. Just seeing the words on paper somehow made my dream more real.”

My mission statement gave me the courage, and I am actually doing what I ‘ve always dreamed. I know owning a flower shop is my own peculiar dream come true. Others want to own the world. I just want to make it more beautiful. 

Imagination is more powerful than memory. Imagination taps into possibilities, into the infinites. Memory is limited by pass events and the finite. When this woman used her imagination and her dreams as the criteria to make her decision, they become self-fulfilling prophecies. The subconscious mind seizes upon experience and opportunity to actualize those imagined dreams. Such dreams also ignite excitement and hope in other people. 

Story from: Living The 7 Habits