Confession: my obsession with writing personal ads for things that no one would ever write a personal ad for is spinning slightly out of control.
First I wrote a personal ad for my ideal home… which is how I came to live at Hoppy House. Hoppy House! I love Hoppy House. Plus it has blueberry bushes.
Then Kelly wrote a personal ad for a copywriting assistant… and I ran it for her here and that ended up completely transforming her business.
But then lately I’ve been writing really, really little ones and not putting them up on the blog. Not even telling anyone about them. And here’s the weird part. It’s still working.
I don’t get it.
But I also don’t really care because hey, look at that, it’s working.
And so I’m writing personal ads.
That’s how I found a really great dentist who is smart and sensitive and caring and considerate (all the qualities I asked for).
And a dermatologist who is sensible and down to earth.
And a great space for teaching workshops.
And it’s not just me.
My clients and students and Kitchen Table participants are knocking me over with the way they are finding what they need while using this extremely unlikely and “soft” technique.
Houses. Jobs. Relationships.
But also smaller things… like a home for a puppy. Or a good book to read on the plane.
So I’ve decided to start writing itty-bitty personal ads for things I need and want that aren’t big, crazy things to ask for.
Just to see if the process of finding them can be made that much easier.
A tiny personal ad for hangers.
I am a person without a lot of stuff. I don’t have a car. I don’t have a desk. I have two pairs of shoes.
So simple living suits me. And at the same time, I somehow don’t have enough hangers in my closet.
Here’s what I want:
Sturdy clothes hangers, made of wood or metal. Some of them should have clips for hanging skirts on them.
Here’s how I want to get them:
I am more than happy to pay for them. I just don’t want to have to go look for them.
And I prefer used to new, to not have to be part of that endless cycle of more crap being created.
Ways they could come to me:
- A friend or neighbor could want to give them away.
- Someone might see an ad on Craig’s List or Freecycle and tell me about it.
- I could happen upon them somehow. (This makes me think of Mr. Micawber and his waiting for something “to turn up”!)
- Any other possibility. I’m willing to be surprised.
My commitment.
I will treat these hangers well. I will appreciate them. They will be loved.
A tiny personal ad for a place to donate old clothing.
Again, I don’t have a lot. But some of it is stuff that no longer needs to be with me.
I’ve gone through my closet and asked “Is this something that the Pirate Queen or one of her consorts would be happy wearing?”
And now I have a bag of stuff that isn’t. And it would like a good home.
Here’s what I want:
I want to know where to take this bag of clothing, without having to do a bunch of time-consuming research, or calling everyone I know to ask.
Here’s how I want to receive the thing I want:
- Someone reading this could leave a comment here with a useful suggestion.
- The next time I’m hanging out with a friend, I just remember to ask and they have the exact right answer.
- I type my question into a search engine and the first thing that comes up is perfect.
- The right answer just comes to me.
- Any other possibility. I’m willing to be surprised.
My commitment.
I will take this bag of clothing to the right place once I find it. I will give these things joyfully and appreciate the new space in my life.
And … I’m out of personal ads for now.
But I’m sure I’ll think of other things I want to ask for.
I really like the clarity that asking gives me. I like the ritual of it.
And I like the idea that a personal ad doesn’t always have to be for some big life-changing thing.
That it can be tiny and hopeful and personal.
That’s what I’m going for.
And since I’m already asking …
I am going to also try asking today for what I would like to receive in the comments, and that way, if you feel like leaving one, you’ll be part of this experiment too. 🙂
Here’s what I want:
- Stories of things you’ve asked for. Or are asking for. Or would like to ask for.
- Helpful thoughts and ideas you have about the two things that I have asked for here.
- Ways that you’re thinking about this concept and how it could be applied to interesting things … or questions you have about it and how to apply it.
What I would rather not have:
- Theories about why it works.
- To be judged or psychoanalyzed.
My commitment.
I am committed to giving time and thought to everything that people say, and I will interact with their ideas compassionately and honestly.
What I’m noticing.
How weird/hard it is to just say what I want.
Really interesting.
That’s it!
p.s. Thanks for doing this with me. I really appreciate it.
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I would like my uncomfortable anxiety to leave me forever.
I would like L to call me.
20 something, aspiring life coach seeking an experienced coaching mentor and many satisfied followers/customers.
I will share my enthusiasm for life and my technical gadgetry knowledge, and hopefully make you feel rewarded and fulfilled.
As my mentor, you are patient, humble and knowledgeable, but not PERFECT. (This means no robots or aliens please, only homo-sapiens need apply.) 😉
The most important thing for us in this relationship is a deeply rewarding experience that will stay with both of us until we leave this mortal realm.
As my followers, you are positive, open minded people seeking a different perspective on your lives, dreams, and goals.
For our relationship, I want you to be so fantastically in love with the knowledge I share that you feel warm and fuzzy and tell all your friends about me.
If this is you, please visit my blog below and subscribe or contact me. 😀
Andrews last blog post..How to Read Blogs
I have been very lucky with getting things that I wanted and needed over the years, although I have never actually written an ad.
I do think it is a wonderful thing to do and I actually wrote this long comment with an ad that I realized was totally shameless self promotion and I felt so awful and icky and wanting to crawl under a rock-ish that I deleted.
Thank you, Havi, for providing such a lovely forum for expression and I hope everyone gets exactly what they need!
Just a little comment about the clothes hangers . . .I went through this weird phase a few months ago where I was like I HAVE TO HAVE CLOTHESHANGERS THAT ARE ALL THE SAME. No more skirthangers that are too small or too big or that always get tangled together. So I bought some skirthangers from IKEA for $1 per, and I ordered a specific shape of plastic hangers for the shirts. And it has very weirdly improved my life. I am happy every time I look at my closet. So please do take the hangers part seriously. (uh, I probably still have some mismatched crummy ones I haven’t donated yet. but you probably want some good ones for your very own. I can recommend the IKEA ones for skirts.)
Wow… Very, very coincidentally (or not), I just wrote a blog post about what happened when I asked for some clues about a career decision I was pondering. It’s a story about asking and watching for the magic. I won’t retype… the link should show up below.
I would also like an answer about where to take clothes that are no longer “me”… yay! that there are 50+ comments above to search for the perfect answer! Ask and ye shall receive! Thanks!
Jennifer Voss
Jennifer Vosss last blog post..When Your Essential Self Speaks – Watch for the Magic
Darn… forgot to post my commitment… which is the most important part. (Not for the clothes, but for the career decision help.)
I will do my best to heed my calling to help women end the war in their heads against food and their bodies… without fad diets or other unhealthy nonsense. My ultimate dream is to help at least 1000 households reverse the childhood & teen obesiety trends by teaching parents healthy eating & life style habits that can be passed along to their children. This all starts with me and my family… and we’re making progress!
Jennifer Vosss last blog post..When Your Essential Self Speaks – Watch for the Magic
Yes, I’ve done this before. I’m not very good at asking things, but I can manage to ask things on paper that nobody gets to see.
One day, I sat down and wrote down the qualities that I would like to find in a gentleman friend. The man I found had all the qualities that I had written down. Yay! But, it turned out that what I thought I wanted and needed didn’t work out very well in practice. So it didn’t last as a romance, but I did find a great friend and I learned about relationships (it was my first one).
So now, I am thinking about writing something down again, but how to word it in a way that makes me find my right gentleman friend? I’m sure I’ll figure it out, there’s no rush…
I will be pondering Andy’s ‘Asking to know what to ask for’ a bit more later today. Thanks for bringing this up again Havi!
I’ve recently finished a very long and extremely stressful job hunt. It took over a year, I spent every day stressing about job applications, I sent out several applications every week and I ended up having about 12 interviews, but was always second best (according to the person rejecting me).
I was absolutely desparate to leave my previous job so I was applying for anything remotely related to my field. But at one point in the madness, to get some clarity about what *I* wanted as opposed to what was actually out there, I wrote a list of three things I was looking for in my next job – the money I wanted to earn, the number of days I wanted to work, and the type of work I wanted to do.
But it was just wishful thinking – I *never* saw a job advertised that met my three criteria. I kept applying for anything and everything that might get me a tiny bit closer to my ideal job. After about a year of furious searching I realised that my current job situation was so bad for me that it was causing severe anxiety, and that the anxiety was exacerbating my asthma and creating tension headaches. I decided that anywhere would be better than there, sucked in my ego and applied for a temporary filing job.
I never heard back about the filing job, but a couple of weeks after that moment of realisation I was offered a different one – one that met my three wishlist criteria *exactly*. Now that I’ve worked there for a little while I’ve found that it’s even better than my wishlist – like, in addition to getting to work the days I wanted, the days are also *shorter*! And my company is extremely generous about things like chocolate biscuits. And on and on. I actually get excited about going to work in the morning.
Not to mention the fact that my anxiety and asthma all but went away the day I was offered the job.
So I totally understand the whole writing-something-down-and-then-getting-it thing. This isn’t the only time it’s happened for me. Although I do think sometimes the universe (or whatever) waits until you’ve hit rock bottom before it gives you that glorious Thing You Want. I’m not sure why it feels the need to do that.
Chloes last blog post..chloewrites: @rosiefantail What exactly would that achieve?
There needs to be a website set up for all these stories and ads. I’d *love* to read them.
Tiaras last blog post..Acapella Toto’s "Africa" – being moved out of a funk
@Tiara We could make one…
Chloes last blog post..chloewrites: @rosiefantail Does it really determine your income? I thought it was invoices paid, not invoices sent.
Tiara & Chloe, I heartily second the idea!
I came up with another one this morning:
Wanted: 1 new mindset
48 yr old lifelong emotional eater seeks freedom from obsession with food. Ideal mindset would possess the following qualities:
– Realizes that food is fuel, NOT a bandage for life’s problems.
– Seeks non-food alternatives for dealing with stressful situations: blogging, emailing friends, talking with others, Havi’s recordings, etc.
– Understands that some days (weeks?) the shoes will just be flying fast and furious.
– Takes responsibility for actions and faces the issues instead of wishing they would just go away.
– Accepts that a lifetime of gaining and losing weight has taken a toll on the elasticity of the skin and that being fully clothed is easier on the eyes than the alternative.
Serious applicants only, please!
Whoa. This feels really big to me – like *this* idea of writing personal ads is the thing I’ve been asking for in a less organized, less articulate way. So, even though my asking has been more of a “need something! need some help here! no idea what it will be, but send help!” kind of thing, Wump! there it is.
So thanks, Universe and Havi!
I’ll be writing personal ads about:
Finding a happy solution to our money/mortgage/edge of foreclosure thing
Gentle but thoroughly effective healing on all levels for the trauma-related issues that have been up for me recently
Transforming what I do for money into something more creative, more flexible, and supporting me and my family even more effectively than ever (this process has already begun, apparently)
Thanks again!
Anna-Lizas last blog post..When the Cat’s Away, Pollyanna Will Play
I LOVE THIS IDEA!!! LOVE LOVE LOVE IT! It’s like affirmations, but better somehow, more complete. I love writing: “Wanted:…” So fun.
So this morning I wrote 3 personal ads–smallish-to-biggish and I copied your format completely. Here’s an abbreviation of each one:
1. “Wanted: 5/16th circle punch (today or tomorrow)” so I can finish a prototype I’m working on and meet some deadlines…(thought I’d experiment with a time frame request)
2. “Wanted: The Rest of a Poem” I was awoken by two lines of poetry in the middle of the night a few years ago, and I LOVE them, but I never have be able to create the rest of the poem. So I requested either the rest of the poem, or clarity that I should use these lines in some artwork–and if that’s the case, some clarity about the artwork.
3. “Wanted: Mastery over IMovie”. I’m trying to go live with my blog, and part of that involves creating how-to videos and I’ve never used a video camera or video editing software until last week and I’m running into frustrating problems that I’d love to be able to solve efficiently. I’ll write another personal ad for mastery over my video camera shortly.
Thanks for this great idea! I’m hooked. 🙂
I would desperately love to start a fabulous a capella singing group with some friends, but we are all variously time-strapped, and a little distance-strapped. This week I totally articulated in my head that I would love the opportunity to at least practise singing in some form (other than in the shower or to the eyebrow-raising judgement of my family). My friend who sings and plays guitar came over on Saturday and surprised me by showing me how well she does sing and play, and SHE TOTALLY LET ME SING BACK-UP.
Tangerine Megs last blog post..Hambook, art and words, beat bad mood
Ooh, I just had an idea! Maybe I will start posting my tiny personal ads (or the big ones too) as a weekly practice. Like the Friday Chicken. Only not on Fridays.
Sundays? That would give more time/space to the ritual and also serve as a reminder for people who *want* this to become a practice, but aren’t ready to get their feet wet.
Hmm, maybe I’ll write a personal ad about this too.
Also … I want to write a post about some of the principles/guidelines I use when I write these, in case some people are wondering about that. Not “rules” or anything like that. Just concepts that might be useful.
And @claire – I will write more about the doctor thing soon!
Loving (and slightly overwhelmed by) the sheer amount of creativity and hope emerging from this post … and ultimately from my having asked for hangers and talking myself out of the thought that this was too stupid to post.
You guys rock.
@Tiara + Chloe – if you do make a website, I will absolutely tell people about it here and spread the word! Just saying. 🙂
This is very exciting!
WANTED: Personal Ads Website with a Difference
You look like any old personal ads or classifieds section from a distance, but get up close and personal and you show your true self. Instead of just advertising cars and clothes, you host dreams, wishes, and aspirations.
You contain a special kind of magic – anything that is posted on you is fulfilled with kindness and goodwill. People long to post their wishes on you because they always seem to come true, somehow.
You are easy, friendly, welcoming, and open. You do not look like a conventional classifieds site. Instead of being filled to the very last pixel with words of commerce, you allow for breathing space.
You are run and hosted on ethical reliable servers, using open-source software that is easily adjusted and maintained so that our magic ads can stay up. You are appealing, interesting, and fascinating. You are home to the desires of many.
If you can manifest this, please apply!
Tiaras last blog post..Acapella Toto’s "Africa" – being moved out of a funk
All right–
I am: a beginning soaper, just starting to collect my equipment so I can make lovely hedonistic goodies that make the world a cleaner brighter better-smelling place.
You are: a used kitchen scale, still accurate if a bit bunged up, with a large, easily read dial and a capacity for weighing anywhere from one ounce to ten pounds. (I’ll still love you even if you can weigh more, promise.)
I’m happy to meet you at one of the thrift stores near my home, on CraigsList, through a mutual friend. I’d prefer that you be used simply to avoid buying more new stuff and supporting that whole cycle, but at a deep discount/overstock store is fine, too. I won’t hold that against you.
I commit to using you all the way up, until you start lying and insisting two pounds is two and one-half, or one and three-quarters. Honesty and clarity are very important values.
Looking forward to finding you soon–
Spike
Spikes last blog post..Traditional Lyhr Celebration
@Spike – I adore you.
And now I kind of have a crush on your used kitchen scale too. Hope you two find each other soon!
I love it! Thought it wasn’t written in the form of a personal ad, this is essentially how I met My Alchemist Man! We’ve been together for 4 years going on 5 now. It’s also how I found a good internship, got better grades, and essentially transformed my life. I had initially just made a big old list, and hid it in a drawer. Looking back most of it happened. 🙂
Now here is an add I would create for my current situation:
I am a holistically aligned person into healing with a raw diet, exercise, chinese medicine, and mindsets. I don’t like taking drugs or getting surgeries.
You are a knowledgeable dentist or healer, who knows how to communicate your work with good listening skills and compassion. You understand that I am not looking for a quick fix solution that might cause more issues down the road.
You’ve dealt with small-mouthed individuals with wisdom teeth coming out before, and you understand all the pros and cons of tooth extraction.
I promise to be open to learning more about the options, as well as following your advice. I look forward to having a healthy mouth full of great teeth and being pain-free. 🙂
Thank you so much!
Nathalie, The Raw Foods Witch
Nathalie Lussiers last blog post..Home Garden Makeover & Redesign to Grow Your Own Food
Just wanted to post a little update–
my first (and most concrete) personal ad came true before noon today!–I got my 5/16th circle punch using one of the methods I suggested to the universe.
Now I’m on schedule and can finish my prototype.
(Sounds like an easy thing to get, but it’s kind of a weird size and I searched and called many art or big box craft stores in my area to no avail and was resorting to ordering it online and waiting a week when I did this personal ad.)
Even the person at the store expressed surprise that they had it.
Good times.
Fun fun! Never thought of posting a personal ad, but realizing now that I’ve already done 😛
I tweeted about wanting an affordable lawyer to help me read a contract (and make sure I wasn’t signing my life away), more joking than anything.
A month later, a real life lawyer tweeted me a tip on hiring lawyers…within an hour she WAS my lawyer, and now I’m not scared to take on projects just because the contracts are long or dull or confusing or scary. I just holler for help and she’s right there, watching my back.
I’m gonna need to do a lot more of this?…hmmmmm…
Blessings aplenty, Havi!
Crystals last blog post..Elastic Waistbands, Stretch Jeans, and the Lies We Tell Ourselves
This is so embarrassing, but I’m going to share it anyway, because it’s apropos:
I asked the universe for a life coach, someone who could help me get past some inner blocks and take my creative dreams to the next level, someone with an Internet presence with whom I could interact on a flexible schedule, someone wise and empathic, someone with a sense of humor and a sense of perspective, someone who not only “gets” me, but also gets *herself*, and so helps me, by example, to get myself on a deeper level. Someone to help me make some deep, authentic changes, paradoxically nurturing my self-acceptance all the while.
I asked the universe for that person. And you appeared.
So, um, thanks. *blush*
What I’m noticing: how oddly risky it feels to click the “Submit Comment” button right now, but here goes…
I just wanted to share — it’s been one day, and not only did I get my Shiva Nata DVD mere hours after posting this, but this morning I got a call from a potential new client! Hooray for asking, and receiving!
Amy Crooks last blog post..The Exercise Conundrum
Hey everyone!
Just an FYI that I took most of the ad type posts and made a Ning community for it.
http://personaladsfornonpersons.ning.com/
I’m new to Ning so this is a learning experience for me. (Mainly just figured I’d do it for “you know whats and giggles”)
I think you need to register to post, but I’ve tried to copy and paste most of your ads from here into it.
Please let me know if you have suggestions, questions, or want to help me out with the logistics of running it!
goodness, I’ve just heard that some funding has come through and I have got a contract extension, for another 3 months till the end of October!
A friend in the office has just produced a mango and pineapple, another has broken out some cherries, and we’re all sitting around enjoying a celebratory fruit platter. can’t quite believe my luck!
sending positive, thankful, fulfilled good vibes to everyone else in the hope that your wishes come true too!
Rosies last blog post..rosieclarke: Interested in working for Culture24 in #Brighton? We’ve got a job for a Technical Producer http://bit.ly/CT9to
I haven’t written a personal ad per se, but in the past, I have written some pretty specific lists around attracting my mate. I’ve learned that you not only have to address what you do want, but remember to address it in a way that doesn’t bring what you don’t want (like your bumbling nurse).
The part I enjoy (aside from my wonderful husband) are the signs that come to you right after you complete “the list”. Each guy I met (including random guys you speak to throughout the day like tellers and register people) represented a little more of “the list” than the one before. It’s as if the Universe is letting you know that they’re working on it and to just be patient.
I’ve been meaning to do this with my clients so that I can attract my “people” and this is a great reminder to get busy.
@kat_Taf
Katys last blog post..Have You Set Up Your Squeeze Page Yet?
This same thing happens to me all the time. Since I have conscious memories of wishing for things. Because I don’t call them personal ads. I call them wishes, pleads, requests, needs. It’s good that I am a simple person, too, and I don’t have that many of them. But I have wished for big and small things – always in details and I do get them. Sometimes only to realize that my wish obviously was not accurate enough. Because I did not want that exactly. But that’s good, too, because in this way you get to know what you really want / need.
I never write them on paper and I seldom share them with other people or I do share them partially.
The hard thing is really to get to ask. You have to picture your wishes in your head ot write them down in the smallest details and wait for them to happen or appear. While at the same time showing your commitment towards achieving them. Not pushing – just being active.
The funny thing is that I have wished for other people too and they also get it.
helens last blog post..Как Ñе ползва YouTube?
OK here goes
Here’s what I want: a buyer for my sweet sweet used to be home in the mountains of southern CA who is more than happy to pay enough to cover all of the loans I have on it as well as the closing costs and a little extra to make life seem not quite so financially challenging right now. I would still be there except I had to move here to PA- and life is grand here with a new baby and a wild playful man- but we are strapped and I really really want to walk off the career path and live the simple life- love and art and garden and tiny fingers in peanut butter jars. So I need help getting my old fabulous sweet red house in the tiny town in the mountain into the right person/people’s life. And by the way I love my neighbors up there and I really want this right person to be in love with the quirky eclectic town and the house and the mountain and the snow and the bears and the rocks and the wild flowers and the fact that the mountain is still on its way into gravity. Hurry please.
here’s how I want to receive the thing that I want:
I would be happy if the realtor up there in Forest Falls would find the right person and do the work of closing the deal
I would be willing to place an add somewhere, but I need help figuring out where- so I am looking for guidance on that one
somebody tells someone and three steps later someone asks for the key and decides to buy
some other way that I have not thought of
My commitment:
I will release my home hold on the place so this next person can make it her/his home with no encumberances by me. I will tell the realtor to put it on the market even though she says it is not a good time because of all the foreclosures driving the market. I will have faith that the right person is in his/her way and I will send her/him loving gratitude and generous heart.
Thanks Havi for making a space for all of these wonderful wanted adds!
I want:
*To own a cottage by a (warm) beach.
*To be a better swim teacher.
*To amp up our swim school in all areas (teaching, profit, etc)
*To have a foundation/way to provide funds for those who cannot afford swim lessons.
*To remodel/update my current home just the way I envision.
So, there you go.
This is perfect for me — the girl who needs serious lessons in asking for stuff. I’ve had a gorgeous desk calendar on my shelf since Christmastime… It’s empty because I use a digital organizing system, but I bought it because I knew something would present itself that would work well in a daily format. Six months later, here it is. Thank you.
Allies last blog post..TypePoster
I love Twitter. It’s because of Twitter that I found Victoria’s personal ad and thence this post.
Wanted: A Mind
Seeking clear, focused, fluent mind to complement mid-life meno-brain. Attitude more important than skills. Must be creative, love adventure, and be willing to coral unruly employer (that would be me).
How this might come to me: Sheesh. I haven’t a clue. That’s why I’m writing this.
What I am committed to doing: Staying out of the way so you can find me.
Thanks, I needed that.
Um, “coral” should have been “corral.” At least I think it should. How would I know?
Wanted: Clarity from the chaos. Because there are too many routes to choose from, too many things I’d like to do and I do some of everything and it all gets muddy. I want to work for myself but there are sooo many options open to me for doing so and all are okay and achievable but none of them pinging out at me still and shouting ‘Here I am!’.
How I’d like to recieve it: However it comes, because those trusted people I speak to about these ideas thinks they are all good ideas too and I can’t decide and my head starts to hurt and here I am months later still no further forward. Owww!
What I am committed to doing: Weeding out the sidetrack thoughts and focusing on the right thing for me.
mrs menas last blog post..The MENA week
Oh this so awesome Havi!
I’ve been doing this in a bit different way, where I write a “Thank you!” to the Universe for all the things that it has (but not yet in reality) brought to me… Ok, it’s the same thing.
So I asked for: my perfect red boots, the last pair that waited for me for 2 months in the store window in my size (that are now totally worn out but I am refusing to admit it); my dresses that the sewing lady makes perfectly in the last moment; some foods I crave and that my mom magically brings the next day, my gorgeous bike that I bought at a local old man’s workshop, my amazing clients that approach me in the most random ways (forums, Twitter, Facebook, the blue skies), amazing inspiring people online that just link on to each other, my Macbook that I got at a lesser price from another guy and sometimes even, sunny weather when they announced rain on camping days. Oh, I’m good at this advertising!
What I’m asking for: more friends. more travel. more organization in my life.
What I love about this concept: The way it can be applied for as I see it, EVERYTHING. The face my sister makes when I count her the things that have appeared and that she knows I needed or wished.
I’m not sure how this works in USA, but here we’re great fans of hand-me-downs. We love it. Especially us youngest. So I love to hand-stuff-down to my younger cousins. I tell them a story behind each piece. They love it because of it, and I am happy the thing will be loved away from me. So that’s one very enjoyable thing you could do with your old stuff.
OH, and you do have insanely many comments! That’s like a public ad for your super-personal ads! When my blog grows up, I hope it has as great message as yours!
Cheers!
djuro
djuros last blog post..djuro: @Charolija morat ću se onda joÅ¡ oslanjati na sprej dok sam vani u ovo radno doba za nemani… A Äula sam da u 10 ko fol prestaju.. Mutacija!
So here I am down at the bottom of 89 comments or some such. Just to say I do this too. I haven’t done it in the personal ads style that you use thought – so I like that method. I will, if you don’t mind, copy it and use it. I write wish lists.
However since you ask I have asked for, and received A LOT including
a lap top
a house (within 15 mins walk of the station, gas centrally heated, constant hot water, 3 bedrooms, freehold, reasonably decorated – but with room for me to add improvement, space to go up into the loft, near a park, near some corner shops, walking distance to a really nice pub etc etc)
a baby (at the time I had had 2 miscarriages and was already 39 – so I was pretty pleased with this result)
creative interesting well paid work that is fun to do
xx cheers
M
mos last blog post..things are good but
Oh my, I want to read them all! That’s not going to happen this week, though, as I’m kinda overwhelmed with everything I’ve got to do before leaving for Taos, but I’ll do so when I come back!
For now, could anyone help me locate the switch that would turn my brain on at the “fully functioning” mode? If that’s the mode in which I’d see that the overwhelm isn’t necessary, and in which I’d be able to get my ideas in order so that I could do what needs to be done without freaking out a little bit inside – yeah, that would be awesome! That’s not much of an ad, but hey, there’s a reason why a fully functioning brain is the thing I need most right now… Maybe I should look for it at the Destuckification Station or the Procrastination Dissolve-o-Matic? I kind of have a feeling that the answer lies somewhere in a cross between those two wonderful inventions…
Josianes last blog post..Traveling Muffins
@spiralsongkat – this is basically the coolest thing in the entire world.
you said:
I asked the universe for a life coach, someone who could help me get past some inner blocks and take my creative dreams to the next level, someone with an Internet presence with whom I could interact on a flexible schedule, someone wise and empathic, someone with a sense of humor and a sense of perspective, someone who not only “gets” me, but also gets *herself*, and so helps me, by example, to get myself on a deeper level. Someone to help me make some deep, authentic changes, paradoxically nurturing my self-acceptance all the while.
I asked the universe for that person. And you appeared.
And here’s the thing. I have been asking and asking for my role to change. I have been asking for ways for my ideas and concepts to help more people without me getting worn out.
Seriously, have been just running up against the “but how could that ever work?!” aspect of this for so long. So what you said was so perfect. Because it means that if you are getting all this from the blog … then my ask has already come true and I don’t need to worry about the “how”.
So thank you so much for that because I feel so much more clear now about my business and where it’s going. MWAH!
Thank you!
@Molly – I LOVE your mind. Can’t wait to see what the new one looks like though. 🙂
@everyone here – sending you so much love and hope and support for your sweet hearts and your wishes. Whooosh!
whoa whaaat happened..what i meant was I put an ad on CL stating how badly I needed to work to get the rest of my rent money and wow…what a response. Thanks for giving me the courage…Hi to the Duck…
Talk about coming late to the party—but I really wanted to tell you how I found this post:
I haven’t written my personal ad yet. Until today, it hadn’t occurred to me to do so. I’ve just been struggling along, keeping everything to myself, getting more and more stressed out over the things I’m not letting myself do.
So, today, I finally asked a friend for help. And she answered! She reminded me about this site (I used to read regularly, until I got too “busy” to do the things that help keep me centered and grounded. I know… I picked the wrong things to cut back on… I’ll be back more now, I promise.) and offered to help me get myself moving in the right direction. Funny thing is, she hasn’t even called me yet, but she’s already gotten me moving!
My personal ad:
What I want:
My perfect clients. You appreciate that I do more than just “press a button.” Maybe you think you don’t look good in pictures—until I show you that you do. You like me, and maybe even think I’m funny; at the very least, you find that I’m easy to be around, and I put you at ease.
You are happy to pay what I’m asking, and maybe even think (whether you tell me or not) that I ought to be charging MORE money.
You love that I capture you with many different expressions, and that I get an insane amount of detail shots at your wedding, because you love detail shots as much as I do. You are so in love with my pictures that you want them all in an album, and you want some of them blown HUGE to put on display. You want mini albums, and accordion-fold prints, and calendars, and you want to know what else we can put the photos on, because you love them so much that you want to see them everywhere! You’re thrilled with my print and product prices, because you’ve heard how much more other people are charging.
You love that I can’t stand to process every picture the same way: you actually enjoy the variety as much as I do, and can’t wait to see what I’ve done with your pics. You love them so much that you post them on Facebook/your blog/your website/MySpace/whatever, to show them to everyone who will look!
I would rather not have anyone who:
– looks at my favorite photo and says, “but your white balance is off!”
– is annoyed by a wordy website. (Sometimes it takes a lot of words to say what I mean!)
– prefers stiffly posed traditional photos, or who prefers to have their photos taken in a studio.
– wants to haggle over pricing, or try to make me feel that I’m charging too much.
– will take my gift of web-sized images and try to print them rather than purchasing prints.
I promise I will do my best to give you more than you expect from me. I’ll be as non-threatening as possible, so you can relax and be yourself with me. I’ll be self-deprecating, and do my best to be funny (no promises there, though!), and I’ll smile a LOT. I’ll answer any questions you ask me, personal or no, and I’ll try to come up with some to ask you, even while I’m distracted by technical stuff.
I promise I’ll get photos of you that even YOU will like, even if you don’t normally like how you look in pictures. And if I don’t, I promise I’ll give you your money back. : )
Havi, thank you for starting this. You have NO idea how much you have just helped me. (Or maybe you do…. You probably get that a lot…. In any event, thanks!!)
.-= Carole´s last blog ..My favorite photo (that I’ve taken) =-.
when I am not attached to the outcome it comes to me no problem, when I AM attached ti is not always so obvious.
I have been asking, in my own form of itty bitty personal ads, directly and indirectly for the perfect mate for me, for a really long time. It hasn’t happened and I don’t think it ever will. That affects the outcome. I wish it didn’t.
GR8 blog