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This week, as promised last week, I’m sharing the “saga” of my broken van window. It’s a story full of little miracles and synchronicities and will show you how you can use some powerful DreamBuilder practices to have more peace and joy in your life, in spite of any circumstances, situation, or conditions.
For those of you who don’t know, I’m currently living one of my dreams which is to travel and work from my 2017 Ford Transit 150 passenger van that I’ve converted to a campervan.
Right now, I’m on my way back to the beautiful desert areas of the southwest after spending the summer in Denver, enjoying my daughter Katie, son-in-law Justin and adorable granddaughter, Aspen who was 2 years old in June.
For the past two weeks, I’ve been enjoying the temperate climate and fall colors in and around Canon City, Colorado.
The first evening that I arrived in Canon City, I chose to camp in a beautiful city campground near the Royal Gorge Park. As always, I like to position my van for the best views of sunrises and sunsets and the slider door facing away from other campers. To do this at this particular campsite was going to require backing into the site and I have not been confident in my ability to back up the van.
I’d been wondering about why I was feeling so limited in this department, because, when I test drove the van before buying it, one of my concerns was whether I would be able to maneuver it well and I had felt very confident that I could handle it. With all the windows, which I love, it’s easy enough to turn my head around and see everything. It also has special mirrors that give a longer distance view so I can see the whole side of the van and beyond. The ease of maneuverability was actually the deciding factor in my buying it.
So what happened? I allowed a “should” to get in my head.
Do you ever do that? Do you ever “should on yourself?” “I should learn how to use the backup camera. Why? Because it’s there and there must be value in it. Other people, including my sometimes travel partner, Mike, use backup cameras.”
However, the backup camera on this van is very small, has a kind of a gray cast to it and doesn’t show much of anything except the road directly behind you; and ever since I started trying to use it, I’ve felt insecure about backing up.
Thou Shalt Not Should Thyself
So the first DreamBuilder principle illustrated here is to remember to follow your inner wisdom and not do things just because others think you should. As I often say, “Thou shalt not should thyself!”
I was thinking that I’m not good at backing up my van and that the back up camera was pretty useless. So I drove in frontways instead of backing in. But then I realized that I wanted my sliding door on the other side for more privacy. (the neighboring campers were too close for comfort.)
Then because of my insecurity about backing up, I decided to do a three point turn instead of backing straight out. Suddenly I heard a thump and then the sound of crunching glass. (You know how safety glass breaks – all crumbly?)
Oh my God, I was horrified! I thought, “What just happened?!! What was that noise?” And I looked back and saw the shattered window. My heart sank. And I’m thinking, “How did that happen? What did I hit? I had know idea I was close to a tree!!!
I got out to look, and couldn’t tell exactly what had happened, but it looked like I might have hit a protrusion or knot from where a branch had been trimmed. And then I felt so sad as I thought, “Oh no my beautiful van!
There was a pile of crumbled green and black glass on the ground under the tree. “What a mess! How am I going to clean this up?!” And then my thinking went to, “How much is this going to cost to get fixed – parts and labor are so expensive! I think I have a pretty high deductible. I’m going to have to pay for this out of pocket and it’s going to be hundreds of dollars.”
Can you relate? All the painful thoughts of sadness and regret!
Well, DreamBuilder, practices to the rescue! We observe the painful thoughts, let the feelings pass through the body, and then choose better feeling thoughts.
The reality is that you can’t control circumstances, you can only control your reaction to circumstances. Regretting that it happened, blaming the camera, or criticizing myself doesn’t change anything AND it ties up one’s energy that could be used for figuring out creative solutions. Resistance just magnifies the negative energy. As I often say, “What you think about, talk about and focus on, expands.”
Indulging in regret, self criticism or blame, doesn’t change anything, it saps our energy and prevents us from taking the most effective actions because “Our thoughts create our feelings, our thoughts and feelings create our actions, and our actions produce our results.”
I Created The Very Thing I Feared!
My thoughts about my lack of ability to maneuver the van had led me to take actions that had created the very thing I feared – bumping into something!
However, as a DreamBuilder, I was able to notice what was going on with my mind, shift my perception and create better results.
The Power of Decision
First, I made a decision that I would not be using the backup camera anymore. I would use the windows and my common sense. I would jump out and look around to evaluate the situation when necessary and trust myself to do it well. Decision made!
And secondly, I got focused on what needed to be done in the present moment to create the best results with the resources I had.
So I said to myself, “Oh well, it is what it is. It will all work out. The first thing to do is to get the window sealed up and clean up the mess. I remember seeing a Ford Dealership in town. Maybe they are open on Saturday.
So I called my friend, Mike, to get his advice about the best way to seal up the window. And it was so interesting, because when I told him what had happened, and heard his empathetic “Oh no!” I realized that he was more upset about it at that moment than I was, because I was pretty much over it and in taking-action mode. So good!
I told him my plan for covering the window and he agreed that it was the best I could do with what I had. I have window covers that I made out of reflectix which looks like silver bubble wrap. I use them for keeping the sun out, the warmth in and for privacy; and I had some duct tape, so I would tape the window covering over the hole. He agreed that that was a good plan for what I had available.
I knocked out some of the loose glass into a plastic bag and taped it up. Then cleaned up as much of the glass as I could because I didn’t want to leave a mess at the campsite. It was pretty futile – trying to separate the glass beads from the gravel and I gave up.
Then, I did a Google search for the Ford Dealership, called the number, and found out from the voice recording that they were on Saturday.
I thought, “Fine, I’ve done as much as I can for now.” And then I focused on enjoying the present moment which was a beautiful sunset. I’ll put some pictures on the blog post for this episode.
I actually was a little surprised and very pleased with myself about how quickly I processed the whole event and got over it. The main thought I had was, “What good does it do to be upset? It isn’t going to change anything. The facts are what they are. My insurance deductible is what I decided it was going to be in order to pay the rates I wanted to pay. It will all work out.
Shifting My Perception
And then I thought about the positives: there’s a Ford dealership in this relatively small town and I should be able to get it fixed fairly quickly. It could be a lot worse.
Can you relate? What thoughts would have been going through your head at this point? Do you have an incident in your life where you were able to process something – something you wished hadn’t happened, and put a positive spin on it to feel better and think more clearly? This is what DreamBuilders call “shifting your perspective” and it’s such a powerful practice!
Choosing A Better Feeling Thought
Can you see the value of this practice – of choosing a better-feeling thought? It isn’t looking through rose colored glasses.” We aren’t denying the facts, But it’s the way we choose to think about the facts that affects our ability to think clearly. I didn’t waste any time berating the Ford dealership for “putting a crappy camera in the van” or feeling sorry for myself, or being angry and frustrated, and flooding my body with stress hormones. When you’re calm about things, you think more clearly and know what to do – the best actions to take. You are open to hearing “That Still, Small Voice.”
So the next morning I called the Ford dealership. The guy looked up the part and said it would be $379 for the part. (I had expected that it would cost several hundred dollars but this was just for the part. It didn’t include labor. He hadn’t told me that yet.) But then he said it wasn’t in stock and they are having trouble getting parts these days. It might take as long as two weeks to get the part.
Yikes! I told him that I was living out of my van and that I needed it fixed as soon as possible. He said he would leave a note for the manager and someone would call me on Monday. (more on that in a minute)
Now, my optimism started to waiver. My monkey mind started creating a vision – a vision of a life I DIDN’T want. It started imagining what it would be like to live with a broken window for two weeks and the risks of leaving my van for any length of time. Someone could easily punch through the reflectix and tape, open the back door and steal things.
Well, I chose to “nip that in the bud;” because I know that that line of thinking does not serve me. I reminded myself that I am always guided to the perfect solutions.
Befriending Your Fears
This is what we mean by “befriending fear.” You recognize that it is trying to help and protect you. You allow it to be a companion on your life’s journey but you don’t allow it to sit in the driver’s seat.
Monday morning I had the idea to call the Ford Dealership in Palm Springs, where I have my van serviced, and see if they could get the part sooner. The guy there said, oh no. The dealerships only have one source for parts. I should call an auto glass company. They can get a window sooner. I was so grateful for his honesty and helpfulness. He sounded like he really cared about me and my situation and wanted to help.
Doesn’t it just make such a huge difference when people treat you that way? I really appreciated it.
So I did a Google search for auto glass repair shops and there were several choices. How to decide? You know when you travel, you’re constantly looking for reputable service providers and my experience has been that reviews are not very helpful. Everybody’s opinions are based on their unique expectations and perspectives on life and often don’t sync with mine.
So I decided to call the company that was paying for a google ad. I figured that someone who was willing to invest in advertising for their business would be serious about giving good customer service in order to grow their business. I used to avoid those listings on Google searches but then it occurred to me, as a business person who has invested in Facebook advertising for my business, that paid ads are a positive indicator. And sure enough, the gal that answered the phone was super friendly and helpful. She said they could have the window by the next day and the total cost installed would be $379. (The Ford dealership had quoted that price for just the part!) Yaay! I was so relieved and happy!
It turned out that this was a mobile service and they would come to me. I laughed and said, you don’t want to come out where I am! I’m camping way outside of town. Maybe we could meet at the library and then I can get some work done while waiting for the glue to dry. (She had told me that the glue has to dry for one and a half hours.)
I mentioned that libraries often have limited hours and she took the initiative to do a a quick search on her computer to verify that the library was open on Tuesday. I was so impressed. She really cared about getting things done! We agreed that I would meet the repair guy at the library.
I had definitely been led to the right solution. The Ford Dealership didn’t call me back until almost 3 o’clock on Monday! The guy said they could get the part the next day and would I like a quote? I told them, “No thanks, I called an auto glass shop and they’re taking care of it. I expected to hear from you early in the morning.” He said, “Oh, OK.” Not a word of apology for the delay.
So the next day, I met this nice young man in the library parking lot. His name was Leo. I told him how much I appreciated the way Lindsay had handled my call. I said she’s great! And he said, “I know.” And the way he said it, I figured he meant on a personal level as well. I wondered if they were married.
Another Challenge
We’ll, it turned out the window was the wrong size. It was for a mid-high van and mine has a standard low roof. He explained that it’s really challenging with Ford Transit vans because they come in three roof heights, three wheel base lengths and a lot of other options and the VIN numbers don’t always indicate all the right information. Then he offered to give me a 5% discount for the inconvenience.
I felt sorry for them as well as for me because, from the conversation he was having with Lindsay, it sounded like he was going to have to work hard and fast to fit me in the next day. I heard him say, “Well, Babe, I’ll just have to move fast and make it work. I thought, “Wow, this couple has a great work ethic and they are going to be very successful.
Fortunately they were able to get the right size window by the next day and we rescheduled.
In the meantime, I needed to get some work done so I decided to look for a fast food restaurant. They have Wi-Fi and you can usually find a seat looking at the parking lot so I would be able to keep an eye on my van. And sure enough, I settled in at a Wendy’s and worked for about four hours.
Their Wi-Fi had a weak signal and wasn’t able to load web pages very well, so I used my cell phone as a hotspot. And there was an AC outlet in the wall next to me so I could keep all the gadgets powered up. (Using a cell phone as a hotspot drains the battery pretty fast.)
I was following the DreamBuilder practice of “doing what you can, from where you are, with what you have.
The next day, Leo cleaned up the mess from the broken window and popped in the new one in about 20 minutes. I told him never mind about the 5% discount. It wasn’t their fault and I was so happy with their service and grateful to have found them.
And then, It turned out that because the smaller window cost less, the price was $325 instead of $379. So I paid less than I had expected, and they received full payment for their work. It’s so amazing – the way the laws of abundance work.
Be “A Person of Increase”
In the DreamBuilder program, one of the practices for manifesting more abundance is to “be a person of increase.” That means you live as if you are prosperous. You are that person. You are generous and you trust that good always comes back to you even if it’s not from the same place that you gave. You are always provided with what you need. This is what I was practicing. And it was more gratifying to help and encourage such a nice young couple than to save $18 on the repair.
So I went into the library and got some work done while the glue dried and then, with my van all fixed and secure again, I headed off to Colorado Springs to buy a new phone. That’s the “Miracle” story I shared last week in episode #51
A Sweet Synchronicity…
There’s a sweet twist to this story. The day of the repair, I had asked Leo if he would mind if I watched him repair the window, not to monitor his work but because I was curious to see how car windows get fixed and he said, “sure.” Normally I don’t like it, but you’re nice.
As he was preparing to get to work, I asked him if Lindsay was his girlfriend and he said, yes and told me all about their plans for their future, the business, the children they wanted to have, that they had grown up in Canon City, had family here and had moved back here from Denver to settle down. He mentioned that he had just signed a lease on a shop, because it was a good location and he didn’t want it to get away. And I thought, “Wow, here are a couple of natural DreamBuilders with a clear vision and dedication to taking action!”
Well, a few days later I was coming out of the gym and I heard a young female voice say, “Hi Mardi! Hi! And I’m wondering who it could be because, obviously, I don’t know anybody in Canon City. I looked up and this cute gal says, “You don’t know me, but I’m Lindsay, I’m the one from you talked to about your window repair.
And I said, “Oh, hi Lindsay! I’m so happy to meet you! And then Leo came around the corner. It turned out that the shop he had just leased was right there next to the gym and they were working on getting it ready to open before snow season so he would have a good place to work.
I told them how much I appreciated Leo doing such a great job on my window and her being so kind and helpful. We chatted for a minute and then I just had to ask her why her hair looked so amazing! It was done up like something out of a movie, with ringlets and pearls. I said, “your hair looks amazing, have you got a big date night tonight? And she laughed and said, “No, we’re getting married at the end of this month and today was my hair rehearsal. And Leo’s standing there looking so happy. It was adorable! What a gift it was to run into them like that and have that lovely experience.
And There Is More…
When I called AAA to find out what my deductible was and if I should report the window mishap, the gal said that my deductible for this type of thing was $250 and if I would send her a copy of the invoice, they would send me a check for the amount exceeding $250! Like I said, good always comes back to you! So have faith that everything will work out for your highest good and be “a person of increase.”
Commit To Your Dreams
I hope this story has inspired you – and entertained you, and that you will commit to your dreams now and develop those mindsets that are in the guidebook I created for you.
You can download the book at https://dreambigandbloom.com/guidebook/ and you can do the scorecard online at http://dreambigscore.com/
Not only will you realize your dreams but you will be able to manage stress and enjoy more peace and joy in every present moment, no matter what the circumstances, situations or conditions.
Share in the Comments
I’d love to know about your progress and I’ll be happy to answer any questions. Post in the comments and I will respond.
And if you’d love to get faster results and have massive guidance and support, consider joining the 12 Week DreamBuilder Program. Imagine having me as your personal coach to believe in your vision, even when you have doubts, to keep you moving forward.
And imagine being a member of an exclusive group of enthusiastic, like-minded ladies who understand the DreamBuilder process and cheer each other on.
Let’s get together for a complementary Strategy Call. You’ll get clarity on exactly where you are now, where you would love to be, how the DreamBuilder Program works and the results you can expect. Go to https://dreambigandbloom.com/get-started
Always Remember…
Now, as you go remember…
The Power within you is far more powerful than any circumstance or condition you are facing.
- Your past does not determine your future. Your ‘story’ does not define you or your Infinite potential.
- The dream in your heart is Life seeking to be expressed and realized in the world through you.
- You are here to fulfill your heart’s desire and live a life you “absolutely LOVE living!”
- The dream in your heart really can become the life you absolutely LOVE living!
Here’s to a life filled with peace, joy, prosperity and “miracles”!
Much love to you,
Mardi
Here Are Four Ways You Can Take Your Life To The Next Level
1. Get The Book
Get a free copy of my book, Living Happy, Rich and Free After 60, The guidebook and scorecard for achieving your dreams. dreambigandbloom.com/guidebook
2. Listen to the “Power of Vision” Workshop
Listen at your own pace to this free, three-part series where you’ll learn the foundational principles of DreamBuilding, and create your vision for a life that makes you feel happy, rich and free. Listen now at DreamBigandBloom.com/workshop
3. Be a guest on the Podcast
This is a great way to get a feel for the process in a friendly environment. Coaching women just like you, to use the DreamBuilder principles and practices to overcome any challenge and achieve any dream is one of my favorite things to do. To be a guest just visit DreamBigandBloom.com/guest
4. Join the Dream Builder Program
Studies have shown that when education is combined with coaching, individuals increase their productivity by an average of 86%.That’s why top athletes, celebrities and successful business leaders hire coaches. To make this difference in your life, join the 12-week DreamBuilder Program and get in-depth personalized support applying these powerful principles and practices. To get started visit https://dreambigandbloom.com/program/