wishes – Created Curated by Sara Brown

Hello to you all. It’s March so the 100 days of January and February have finally ended. That’s always a huge relief. Flowers are starting to appear and Spring just around the corner!

To start with, my fullest apologizes for the lack of posts in 2025- I had fully intended to write regularly as my offerings in 2024 were scarce to say the least. However,the year didn’t go quite as intended, and my time had to be focused on work and more mundane, less enjoyable life tasks. The intention was set for 2026 to focus on achieving more balance in my life and to find the time for my creative skills which included writing.

At the end of 2025, I tried the 12 Magical Nights Ritual- which is an old pagan ritual during Winter Solstice – 13 wishes are written on a small piece of paper, these do need to be things that you can achieve by yourself. These are burnt over 12 days. Starting in December and ending in January. On the last day the remaining piece of paper is the wish you have to set out to make true for that year. Mine was to write a book! I have been saying I would write one for a while, so perhaps it’s now the time. I have left it on my pinboard as a reminder.

I also ate 12 grapes under my breakfast bar- in lieu of a table- I don’t think I am alone in this as Instagram was flooded with posts. I don’t know if I will have 12 months of good luck but it was a silly and fun way to end a year and start another. (Although it’s best not to drink a very dry Champagne at the same time as eating grapes, for several reasons)

I found, whilst having a declutter some printed sheets of blogposts written in 2011. It’s surprizing to find that the topics are as relevant today as they were then. Over the next few weeks I am going to start posting these and I hope these will be of some interest and help. I am having to go old school as they’re not saved to file and have to be re-typed.

Bye for now.

Sara x

Several years ago, I wrote a blog on healing and self-help books. I am not too sure if many people read it but by actually writing this blog it helped to heal me during a challenging time in my life.

During a recent sort out, I don’t just write about Marie Kondo, I found copies of some of the blogposts I had written. On reading these I wondered if I had ever put into practice any of the things I had blogged about?

We use the phrase “Make a Wish” when blowing out candles on Birthday cakes, we throw coins into wishing wells and fountains whilst making a wish, make wishes while blowing on dandelions and make wishes on the stars. But do these random wishes ever come true or are they instantly forgotten?

One of the books I enjoyed reading and talked about was 5 Wishes by Gay Hendricks. Just to give you a brief history on Gay, he is a psychologist, writer and personal growth practitioner. With his wife Kathlyn he has written around 50 books often focusing on positive relationships and attracting genuine love. Through the Hendricks institute they teach seminars on core skills for conscious living and conscious loving. Their work has touched the life’s of millions of people around the world.

I have read many of his books and what I think what was so special about this short book was that it was poignant with a strong message and it made me think about what I actually wanted from my life. Its not about just focusing on something but putting these goals into action. By writing down your goals it starts the process. But its not just about thinking there does have to be some action.

To give a brief synopsis: (as I would encourage you to read the book yourself)

An encounter at a party changed Gay Hendricks forever. A stranger asked him to imagine himself on his deathbed and to consider the question “was your life a complete success? If not, then what would be the things you had wished had happened” As a single man at the time Gay said his deepest wish was to have a loving, lasting relationship with a woman. The stranger then said “turn this wish into a goal and put it into the present tense” Gay came up with this goal I enjoy a happy relationship with a woman I adore and who adores me. Having had a wonderfully happy marriage of 40 years to date, it is fair to say he achieved his goal.

Now at first glance this might appear a bit simplistic but the focus of the book is to discover what your personal five wishes would be to lead a fulfilled life.

I wrote my Five Wishes and put them at the front of a journal/scrapbook that I frequently look at. I haven’t achieved them in full yet, but I certainly have achieved aspects of them and are still making steady progress in moving in the correct direction.

I think this wonderfully little book helps to point you to your ultimate goals and when you actually focus on what you truly want, you maybe surprised by what you discover about yourself.

For more information see https://hendricks.com/