The Gift

Anne Louise Carricarte is a unique and profound teacher whose playful and powerful work comes from the heart. Her mission in life is truly to share her intuition and insight with others on this magical journey we call life. Anne Louise, known as “Missy” to many, has a deep knowing and wisdom that amazes and delights those fortunate to be touched by her gift.

I have been honored to closely support her in the past five years as she expanded her extensive body of work to share with a broader audience. I have had the privilege to witness the results of her private consultations with various clients, from top Fortune 500 CEOs to her neighbor’s grandmother, as well as the effect her work has had on the thousands of participants who attend her workshops and seminars. In this time, I have personally journeyed through my own life and manifested results both small and substantial using the effective principles and tools of Power Wishing®. I have witnessed the potency and true magic of her work on a personal level and through all of the touched souls who receive the empowering awareness and capacity to consistently create the authentic life they desire.

Anne Louise’s work truly awakens renewed self-awareness in others and creates clarity for manifesting the goals and desires you dream of. Often called a “Soul Catalyst,” she inspires and is able to break through emotional barriers to allow your authentic spirit to move forward with joy and ease. Her teachings cut through the self-created chaos and unnecessary drama to see the cause and effect of a situation clearly. Her inspiring messages bring out an emotional mindfulness and her valuable formulas deepen your knowledge of how to form the certainty of achieving success and prosperity without struggle.

Anne Louise has a layered perspective and understanding of the psychology of human behavior and relationships, religion, spirituality and metaphysics. She truly is a visionary powerhouse of intelligence and imagination. Refreshing, candid, and compassionate, Anne Louise’s writings pose insightful questions, share informative case studies from her

years of private consultations and workshops, and offer efficient tools to support stimulation of your aspired potential. Able to merge ancient universal laws, spiritual teachings and other knowledge into modern day living, she provides a powerful and supportive safe space for self-reflection of the potential paths you desire to create in your life.

At any point, when Anne Louise discusses Universal Energy, Creator, God, Spirit, etc., please know, as she often shares, that it is not her intention to define God for anyone. She strongly supports your own definition and relationship with God and sincerely respects that we all have different religions, beliefs, backgrounds and experiences. The beauty of her teachings is that they awaken emotions on a deep level differently for everyone and they personally resonate in their own profound way for each one of us.

Anne Louise offers you an opportunity to claim your wellbeing, create more joy and abundance, and steer your life in the direction of dreams. As you journey through Power Wishing and experience the gift of Anne Louise, you will be blessed in experiencing a wonderful journey of heightened awareness, a strengthened spiritual connection and an enhanced life that you create by simply visioning, believing what you expect and Power Wishing.

– Christina Nicodemou, Director of Simple Results

Message from Anne Louise

So often we have wishes that we think about all day long. I remember when I was a young girl I would love to visit wishing wells. I cherished my opportunity to throw a penny in and make a wish. This simple act made me feel that my wish had the possibility to be true. With this action, my hopes felt reinforced by my belief that the wishing well gave some magical care to my wish and I was not alone, as if a messenger took my wish somewhere special to come true. I still smile as I remember this hopeful feeling of wishing and feeling so certain my wish would be granted.

I developed Power Wishing® based on a playful way to integrate a solid foundation of Universal Law and proven formulas for manifesting. My work has a playful approach: I use wishing as a way to have lightness with creating your world and to bring playfulness to the seriousness of life. Though a wish may feel as though it does not have real form, it does. This body of work is a vehicle to bring awareness to what you expect from your feelings of hopes, dreams and wishes. This body of work is powerful and proactive. You will consciously transform your feelings to beliefs that manifest your life, and at the same time release creating experiences that do not serve you. You will create clarity of what you desire. What you believe is possible is what you believe you can expect; Power Wishing gives you the tools to enhance your awareness and identify your beliefs to accomplish this.

If something is worth having, then it is worth asking for. When you wish, you are asking – this is the start that creates the possibility of a wish being granted to you in your physical experience.

I believe we are all Amazing Souls that are given Divine gifts by Loving Energy that many name God, G-d, Source Energy, Creator or Spirit, among others. How you define this Energy is personal to you. I am not here to define God, and I sincerely respect your personal relationship and definition. What I know to be true through my own personal connection with Source Energy, and what I will share, is my belief that we are all connected to this Universal Source Energy of Love. I believe this “Source Energy” is a pool of Love waiting for us to consciously access it. In accessing this love, you remember your true Self and activate the gifts that are Divinely yours to manifest your Soul’s calling as your physical reality. I wholeheartedly believe in this Love that has given us the tools to be the deliberate creator of our lives. My intention for this work is that you wake up every day feeling empowered, knowing how to activate your life as a wish granted.

Love is personal, as is everyone’s individual journey and Soul. Your dreams and how you believe to live them is distinctive for you. I would like to reiterate and be clear that I do not define what love is for you or advocate any spiritual doctrine within this writing. I simply wish to bring awareness for you to explore your Divinity.

I am not separate from my teachings; they are a part of me. Through my own personal connection with Source Energy, and with years of studies and experience working with formulas to create and manifest, I believe we are absolutely connected and co-creating with this Source Energy. I am not separate from this Universal Source Energy of Love; it is within me and surrounds me.

Love is a special gift; life is a gift of love.
Your Soul is here to experience the experience of love – yes!
It really is all about love.

As far back as I can remember, it fascinated me as I observed that all human behavior was motivated by the desire to be loved or give love, and this created our beliefs about ourselves and what we believe we can expect from the world that surrounds us.

With this awareness, I became passionate about asking why people live their lives embracing love or actively pushing it away. Why do they say they wish they could do this or that and then do not? It seemed at some point that many forgot they are Amazing Souls and instead felt trapped in this “world.”

In my eyes, the world is a magical playground for creation. Having a fine sense of intuition since I can remember, I observed the world with this sixth sense, which gave me an opportunity to witness from a place of multiple perspectives. I can feel the energies of others, and can also feel unseen energies all around me. As a child, I assumed everyone could see and feel the same way. I just presumed that everyone processed the same and then I realized that I processed my surroundings differently than most. I also have the gift of dyslexia, and this is another layer that influenced my way of processing. At times this created a feeling of solitude. I remember sharing with my grandmother about my differences and discussing my insecurity about wearing bifocal glasses on top of all this and she said, “There is nothing wrong with you, you just see differently.” At the time, I was fortunate enough to avoid being labeled as dyslexic or extrasensory, etc., as these labels were not as popular or mainstream. Besides these differences in my perception, I was often told I was overly sensitive so I naturally was placed in a position to just figure things out for myself. In order to keep up in school and personal studies of interest, I had to learn another way. Because my processing was not conventional, I became aware of how I could depict patterns and simplify concepts. I became very observant of this and grew my trust in the fact that I filtered my surroundings differently; therefore, I was able to receive different information.

Though it may seem like a wonderful gift to be able to “see” and feel in a more complex multi-dimensional way, more often than not, as I got older this gift added to me feeling like an outsider. I witnessed all that I “saw” and attempted to process human behaviors that were painful to feel with my heightened sensitivity. It took me some time to learn how to language the empathy of what I was witnessing. This often caused me to retreat to the consolation of Spirit as I did as a child and continued as an adult and to learn from that perspective. Nevertheless, as a child I trusted my relationship with Source Energy and my gift of partnering with this energy, and I found comfort and wellbeing in this Love. To this day, this is where I find my comfort, understanding and knowing. For me, there is no loneliness in this place.

I began to quickly realize that this language of emotions was one that few paid attention to. I found myself asking, “Is it possible to feel love for others and ourselves as a core emotion and utilize this to manifest differently no matter what our life circumstances are?” “Why do so many people treat emotions like a liability?” “Is it possible to formulate our emotions to systematically work for us as an asset and stay aware as Conscious Creators?”

As I grew older, I was more and more aware of my ability to connect with Spirit, read energy and interpret people’s emotions on a deeper level with my gift of sense. From the early age of 14, I began to fine-tune my intuition and learn other healing practices with spiritual teachers and mentors. It took me many years to perfect how to language the understanding of this skill and balance my sensitivity of witnessing and interpreting the energy of feelings to support others. I am able to “see” patterns, life plans, and the “Movie” of a Soul through the DNA of a person and through that person connect to ones close to them and their family DNA in the seen and unseen. This definitely can be complex at times, but there is also a simple beauty of love when reading a Soul and sharing as I witness others awaken with knowing of their true Self. This is beautiful because it has served as a gracious and life-altering gift to activate this in their life. I use the information from these energetic readings to support them to shift beliefs for themselves, as well as past and future generations.

Through these interpretations, I am able to deliver compassionate understanding, self-empowered healing and enhanced awareness of the connection to your Soul as it relates to your partnership with the Universe we live in. My work is always about empowering you to be your number one resource and know that you are Divine beyond your imagination. I will remind you of your gifts and capabilities with tools to reinforce the power you have to activate your life as you wish; no person, no thing, no circumstance has power over you. They only possess the power you give them. You are the power of your creation, you have already been provided with all that is necessary to create the life you wish for, and it is your discovery of this that activates these opportunities to achieve your wishes granted.

Everyone desires to both give and receive love in their lives, but all too often our emotional behaviors do not serve the love our rational Self may define. And these behaviors create beliefs of what we can expect and greatly shape our life experiences. How do we shift our life experiences? How do we stay connected to ourselves and have healthy boundaries of love with beliefs that honor that which we genuinely are? Can we do so even when it feels the world around us seems to be falling apart? How do we utilize our emotions to drive our great potential as our physical reality?

All these questions and more created a passionate drive for me to find a simple formula to manifest our dreams. Like many of you, through my own personal life challenges, I desired to heal emotionally and physically at different crossroads in my life. I have seen great abuse, loss, betrayal and sickness. Through all of this, I have continued to persevere through my conscious connection to Source Energy, and ultimately, to live a life that I love that is a constant expansion of whom I am. I witness my external world as a reflection of what I love. Even when I find myself in moments of chaos, there is tranquility in my Soul that navigates my direction. Through my work, I offer you a safe space to allow your perception of possibilities to expand creatively and for your connection to Absolute Love to strengthen.

I feel fortunate to be able to explore my passion and empower results for so many to experience being the “Amazing Soul” that they are and feel a heightened sense of love. There is so much to explore in life and there is far more Divinity to explore within ourselves. What is seen with our naked eye is limiting in relation to all that is unseen within us.

I believe that we all have the opportunity to create our lives as our design and to live a life feeling free and joyful. I also understand that we can benefit from a type of structure to support ourselves emotionally to achieve our dreams. Power Wishing gives you the framework where you can easily structure your life as you wish it to be and become a true master of your emotions and experiences. This work supports you with awareness of your Soul’s voice by harmonizing this with your personality to create dreams as reality here in the physical.

I have dedicated my studies, my gifts and my time to supporting others to resolve emotional conflicts, illness and pain. Many of us experience anxiety and chaos with loving ourselves, maintaining physical and emotional health, sustaining loving relationships, and achieving joy and success. We often carry beliefs that sabotage these goals and push love away.

The gift of Power Wishing is to support you with harmony in all areas of your life as you shift your emotions, solidifying your beliefs for life experiences that bring you inner peace, happiness and abundance with ease. This is an organized system of emotion-based formulas to support you in enhancing or shifting patterns in your life. Tried and tested, the body of work I present to you is not theory; it is based on proven results. I began teaching and writing my work over 30 years ago, as I gave my first formal workshop of self-awareness at the age of eighteen.

This has been my life’s work, which is based of my life creations, whether it is in relationships, my family, my children or business. The emotional structure of a human being fascinates me. Everyone has their story and it amazes me to see what people choose to do with the experiences of their lives. I have developed successful workshops and courses such as Power Wishing, Language Your Life®, Visualization Technology®, and Character Legacy among others, which are based on strengthening one’s emotional intelligence and foundation.

I am passionate about witnessing others awaken to having a greater appreciation for themselves with more love, and therefore love others in a way that they could not have previously imagined. I love the smiles that reflect the empowerment they feel to create their world and the joy they feel when they become deliberate creators. In my view, it is not about right or wrong, it is about fine-tuning your definition of life that is authentic. It is really about witnessing, examining and choosing your emotional experience. I deeply appreciate how this work resonates with people from all walks of life and how they begin to live a fuller, healthier life experience after they begin to use Power Wishing. They quickly take accountability for their own emotional wellbeing and enhance their best Self to be the reflection of their actions. Experiencing miracles soon becomes a normal way of life.

I often say “Your Soul Will Win.” By this, I mean that your Soul will always desire to be aligned toward fulfilling its purpose. When you are off track and not living a life genuine to your Soul’s purpose, I believe your Soul will give you signs to redirect you; those signs are guided by your emotions. Your emotions are an extraordinary asset to lead you, like a GPS would, to support you in navigating your driving route.

Our life experience is a journey, and each of our paths is unique and ever changing. I believe our experiences provide the emotional growth we wish to explore in our life. The foundational purpose of my work is to proactively awaken the expansion of one’s definition of Love, Joy and Divine Love – an experience where you feel this as your connection to your Self and the world around you.

No matter what the circumstances are…
We can always choose love.
And no matter what the circumstances are…
It is always our choice.

Define your life with your definition; your life is a definition of YOU! Connect every bit of your being with the power of love, kindness and gratitude, expecting the best! It has been my wish for many years to translate this beloved body of work into a book and share the understanding that we are to experience life full of love, wellbeing and joy. I thank you for sharing with me what is so dear to my heart and Soul.

With love and blessings for your continued wishes granted,

– Anne Louise – “Missy”

Chapter 1

Amazing Soul

Life is a continuous journey, an ever-evolving story full of unique experiences that define who you are. It’s not about being perfect; it is about being a reflection of how you define yourself as the Amazing Soul you are.

You Are An Amazing Soul

I truly believe we are all Amazing Souls and we are having an emotional experience of our Soul in the physical.1 We activate this experience by utilizing our emotions and our imagination. As we play out our emotions as the expression of what we believe we deserve, our life reality unfolds.

Life = Your Definition

Our imagination plays out these emotions as scenes, possibilities to the “Movie” we wish to have as the reality we create outside of ourselves which is called life. Playing out your emotional scenes as a “Movie” in your imagination allows you to play with possibilities so you may have clarity about your choices and what you expect. This is more efficient than playing out several of these possibilities in your day-to-day experiences. In your imagination, you can figure out what you really wish for and therefore accelerate the process of manifesting2 by attracting your expectation into your reality.

My philosophy is that there is nothing to fix in you. No matter what has happened, no matter what you are feeling right now, I assure you that you are not broken, damaged or incomplete. Sometimes circumstances in your life are not what you would like to have experienced I understand that this can be hurtful, sad and challenging.

This does not mean you need fixing or you are broken. We often focus too much energy on what we define as “broken” or on what “needs fixing” in our life. Instead of thinking you need to fix things about your Self or your life, I like to think of it as simply desiring a different experience that feels better and is a more defined match of who you truly are.

We Attract More Of What We Say

It is best to avoid constantly talking about what we say we do not want because then we naturally focus on what needs “fixing,” which is comical when we wish to attract the opposite. With this as your focus, your mental “to-do” list keeps growing with what you think needs changing. You likely continue another list about what needs to be fixed in others and in the world. Your energy focuses on what you don’t want, which only attracts more of it, so I say, “Forget that list!”

The feeling that you or others need fixing will get resolved when you focus on what you love about your Self and others. When you focus on what you love, then whatever you believe needs fixing will resolve itself because what you love has taken the place of lack or drama… Purchase Power Wishing Today!

Chapter 6

Language Your Life – Words Are Your Sacred Language

Language Your Life® focuses on how your language guides your skill of manifesting. This important part of the Power Wishing® method is comprised of understanding the principles of writing out your wishes and acknowledging the power of your words. Your language, both verbal and written, keeps the direction of your vision towards the way you expect to receive in the physical world. Language Your Life is a component of Power Wishing where you compose your “Ask” using specific language combinations. You use writing as a tool to claim your wish, hope, desire and prayer into physical reality.

In Power Wishing, there is tremendous respect towards the meaning and emotional weight of your words. We honor words as potent and instrumental tools in aligning your experience with your intention. Our language is sacred and holds the power to activate our reality. You will learn to articulate and claim your desire with emotion-based language that represents wholeness and respect towards yourself and others.

Words carry emotional messaging and as you begin to consciously use Language Your Life, you will have a heightened awareness of how your communication affects what you attract. Use your words wisely as they can either be a weapon or a tool towards your Self or others.

Words Are Your Literal Command

From here forward, think of everything you say and do as a literal command to manifest. Meaning, every joke and conversation to yourself and others is taken as it is said, as if it was written on a piece of paper and submitted as a request and responded to in the same literal way. Sometimes we say things we do not mean and think that this is okay. We act as if words and feelings have little value. Use the gift of your words to say what you truly mean and to honor your life and others.

The Japanese scientist Dr. Masaru Emoto conducted one of my favorite experiments. He performed a series of tests observing the physical effect of the vibration of words, prayers, music and environment on the crystalline structure of water. He has proved that if water is exposed to a word, it will respond to that word. Water exposed to words such as war or hate deteriorated quickly, whereas those exposed to words such as love and thank you did not deteriorate. He also showed how loving words purified water that had been polluted. Words are a vibration; there are many scientific studies that confirm the effect our words have on our DNA, your physical body. This research backs what I know with certainty based on the results that I witness in my work and in my own life.

Reflect for a moment when someone says something that hurts your feelings and how it affects you physically. Your stomach may hurt or you may get a headache. For me, it is refreshing to know that if others need proof, then this concept can be shown with evidence as a tangible fact. Then again, your feelings should be proof enough. Also, if thoughts and words that come from us have an effect on water crystals, and we are about 60% water, think of what kind of effect they have upon us, as well as the people and events that come into our lives. It also goes to show that prayer of high consciousness positively affects the matter outside of us.

It is important for us to choose the words we use carefully. Release the notion that “words are just words.” As our society progresses, it is interesting to see how the use of language has changed. I feel that there is less and less respect for the way words are used and valued.

Reflect for a moment on how you use your words. Do you feel your words as they are spoken? Are you conscious that they are bringing to you what is actually being said? Words bring opportunity. Are you aware of what you say to others? Are your words healing? Do you value the opportunity you have with your words?

Language holds a frequency just as music does. Both words and music can affect the rhythm of your life. From the Universe’s perspective, which takes your words literally, it makes no sense why one would say something that one does not mean. Logically speaking, it makes no sense to be hurtful to others or our Selves. We already know that positive and negative thinking have a major impact on surrounding environments, besides the impact on ourselves. Furthermore, why would you speak in a way that is hurtful to yourself?

Awaken To Your Blessings

“Everything is energy and that’s all there is to it. Match the frequency of the reality you want and you cannot help but get that reality. It can be no other way. This is not philosophy. This is physics.” – Albert Einstein

If you think everything that surrounds you, along with your words, thoughts, and actions, and is here to support and love you, how would you approach your life? Would this affect your choices? How would you use this support? If you totally dropped the notion that you are not supported, or energy is not in flow with you, and shifted to knowing fully that how you make choices is how everything responds with you, how would your choices be different? Would you language your life differently?

How you perceive what is surrounding you is your choice. Know that all is in perfect order as blessings for you; it is your choice to awaken them. Can you visualize your Self with your arms open wide, receiving gifts of love and abundance like rain falling, and having so many wishes being granted and given to you? Would this shift the way you live your life? You empower these opportunities with the energy you give it.

Everything you feel, think and do is a language that is creating your life. Taking ownership for what and how you are languaging your life is what encourages the outcome you desire. When your Vibrational Language® expresses the ownership of your choices, the need to feel disempowered or victimized is released. Owning your choices creates a life that is happening for you and you live knowing that your physical reality is created by you.

When you use your words, you are claiming your hope as an actualized reality in the physical world. Your words reinforce your Vibrational Language, communicating how you expect to receive what you have asked for. In your Emotional Imagination®, you have designed your “Ask.” Now, as you will phrase this “Ask” as your Power Wish, your words are the action that claims this as the physical experience you expect to have. The expectation of what YOU, dear Amazing Soul, must first and foremost believe you deserve. The belief of what you expect determines what you will receive. This is why it is important to take time to mold your dreams with your Emotional Imagination, write it and take action to have your dreams and beliefs match the way you wish to receive… Purchase Power Wishing Today!

Chapter 8

Writing Your Power Wishes – Guidelines

In the Guidelines of Power Wishing® we will explore the details of writing your wishes. You will understand the process as it relates to different areas of your life and will begin structuring your wishes specifically. This section is designed like a workbook to ponder and explore within. Refer to what you need; skip over what does not apply; and go back to it when you fine-tune your wishes. Write your wishes playfully, have fun and allow your imagination to envision all that you truly desire, with the expectation to receive this. In writing out your wishes, take yourself literally as you ask for what you desire. As you read your request, see what is really being asked for exactly word for word, as if it’s an order taken by a waitress or a command programmed into a computer. When reading your written wishes this gives you perspective to create clarity.

Create A Ritual

Wishes can be written at any time. Nevertheless, I feel that creating a ritual with writing your wishes can bring conscious awareness and give importance to this process. This is your life and you are claiming your choice of how you wish to experience it. Give importance to what can support the way you love, feel, think and wish to live. Ritual may have different definitions for different people, though universally it means formal procedure, service, ceremony, habit, practice or routine.

Nature is a wonderful guide for us; it has its own cycles of energy that can support the flow of your wishes. In ancient cultures, and even today, we can measure and take advantage of the movement of the celestial system to assist us with everything from planting seasons to decision-making. Changes of nature are influenced by the lunar cycle; the new moon is known as a time of giving direction to new beginnings. It is a good time to “plant” your intentions and make your wishes. In astrology, each lunar phase has a specific purpose or theme. For example, a certain month may have an astrological sign that may have traits that are also a focus for you, so utilize this energy to accelerate your manifestation.

You could also write your wishes on the same day every month. I suggest that you only write your wishes once a month to allow some space in time to witness the growth of how you are manifesting. Allowing time to pass also gives you the ability to recognize and reflect on what is appearing in your reality based on your expectations. As you reflect on your wishes monthly, you will observe a pattern of how you receive. Then each month you can make adjustments to receive the way you expect.

Use a Handwritten Journal

I suggest that you handwrite your wishes. You may type them in your computer first but then transfer them to a handwritten journal. Handwriting is an action of grounding and claiming your wishes to be a physical reality; this is an extra step that reflects a deeper persistence with your intention, the same way there is a more profound response when you send your personal sentiments with a handwritten note rather than via email.
When you begin to intentionally state to yourself what patterns you would like to shift or enhance and what you truly desire on a monthly basis, you create a rhythm where you are fine-tuning your Vibrational Language® to be in synergy connecting you to everything you wish for.

When you start to write your wishes, there may be a long list of so many things you desire. Believe me, you will get to them all and create more along the way. As a suggestion, begin your focus on one main desire and create wishes to emotionally support this main desire. Your written wish should be short, sweet and to the point. Write down a minimum of 6 and no more than 12 wishes per month. In the beginning, keep focused on the emotions of a main desire, and then as that desire gets resolved, you may like to add a few more towards other areas. Remember that the manifestation of your desire depends on your belief towards it, so focus on how you expect to receive. Keep your wishes precise and simple. Keep one focus at a time. Play with dreaming and wishing, knowing they can come true.

Positive Emotional Patterns

Through Power Wishing you have consciously asked for change, so expect that things around you will begin to shift. Imagine if you have a line of stacked dominos and you pull one because it is your favorite number; the other dominos in the line have to change as a result of this shift. This is true with your experiences, people, events and your own attitudes that will change as a response to the shifts you have asked for in your life. Welcome these new changes. Some may seem positive and others not. Be patient and release judgment towards what appears negative. Things are not always what they seem. View the changes around you as evidence that your life is changing as a result of what you have asked for.

Yes, Power Wishing is about witnessing your wishes come true, but to me it is bigger than this. It is about understanding your emotional patterns. Keeping a Power Wishing journal will help you notice patterns in your life. Acknowledge and validate the themes that reoccur, witness them and make new choices. Embrace those wishes that come true as you are strengthening the construction of your life with positive emotional patterns, which is the greatest wish of all… Purchase Power Wishing Today!

Chapter 12

You Get What You Expect

I have a passion for hearing people’s stories. I am genuinely curious and intrigued to listen to what others believe and what they have created as a result of this. It fascinates me to witness their beliefs and see what they have manifested and how this is reflected in their world. It is all based on their belief of expectations. People have lived their stories attached to their beliefs for so long, they are usually not even aware of the beliefs that are running their lives.

When was the last time you reflected on your beliefs? Your feelings, words and images that you play over and over again in your mind reinforce your belief system, which creates your life. Understanding and acknowledging your beliefs is vital, because your beliefs are running your life. You get what you expect. Do you know who you are according to your beliefs? Where do your beliefs come from? Are your beliefs really your own?

Mirroring Positive Qualities

There have been times where I knew I needed to shift beliefs about myself, but my surroundings at the time were not supporting the beliefs I wished to carry. So I would immerse myself in books and movies in order to absorb the attributes of the person I wished to mirror and to embody those positive qualities I wished to enhance in my Self.

It is also powerful when you hang around others in surroundings that you admire. I find myself being around people who I believe are smarter than I or who have an interest that I admire; they stimulate possibilities within myself.

My grandmother was from Cuba and she lived a very privileged life until she left her home country to immigrate to the United States. Like members of many other Cuban families, she was sure at the time she left that she would go back to Cuba and her life in the States would be temporary. I remember that as a young girl I spent a tremendous amount of time with my grandmother. She had a great influence on me in regards to the person I am today. Besides knowing several languages and having studied in the best schools, she was a very determined person. She had me learn new things, and taught me with patience. Since the age of eight, I accompanied my grandparents on trips to Europe, where we would travel to museums to study art and music. She wanted to give me the experience of understanding the world from a broader perspective.

She was an entrepreneur, her family was entrepreneurial, and if there was one thing that I learned from her, it was that she had very clear beliefs. She owned her belief systems and lived by them; “no” did not exist in her vocabulary. She may have challenged me on my belief systems or our beliefs may have been different, but I felt there was mutual respect between us. At times she would get frustrated with me and say, “When you get something in your head, you do not let it go!” She was right and some things have not changed.

Like my grandmother, we could get lost in our hobbies. She could always entertain herself, and I do not ever remember her being bored. She would tell me that I was always inventing something new, but she would be right next to me making sure I had what I needed for my invention. Neither of us needed much outside entertainment. My grandmother was an artist, and I was creating or spending time exploring. I feel that I am an artist with my words, my work and my life as a creation, and I appreciate the encouragement my grandmother gave me.

At the same time, she was a businesswoman, a highly educated, experienced woman who did what was necessary to support her family, whether it was selling valuable assets, investing in a business or in a piece of land. After leaving Cuba, she also did babysitting for three dollars an hour at strangers’ homes. I would go with her, as I was curious about how other people of means lived. She would read books in different languages as she continuously educated herself; this was a good example for me.

After leaving Cuba, my grandfather, an MIT graduate, sorted mail at the post office to be able to support their family. Amongst my grandparents, there was an attitude of resolving and figuring out a solution. They did not ever take on a “poor-me” mentality. I do remember my grandmother speaking of her past, but one story in particular she repeated to me several times, which I feel has a great impact on the way I share with others.

As You Believe, So It Is

My grandmother had five sons and one daughter. At the time of the Vietnam War, four of her sons were in the military at the same time. I cannot even imagine what that must have been like, especially after leaving your home country to make a new life for yourself. She felt she owed a lot to this country, as did her sons.

At one point, she disagreed with President Johnson and thought to tell him so; this was not a surprise if you knew my grandmother. As a woman from Cuba with no political connections or background in this country, she decided to write her senators and submit a letter to President Johnson. I have a newspaper clipping with the headline “Johnson says, ‘I need to speak to this woman, she has something I need to hear.’”

Basically, President Johnson received her letter and personally called her. Then my grandmother and grandfather were invited to make an official visit to the White House.

In my office, I have a picture that I treasure: it is a close-up of just my grandmother and the President walking together up a set of stairs, seemingly having an intimate conversation. She would point to that picture and share this story that I will always remember.

She said that she shared with President Johnson that he should always fight communism because she, along with many others, had made the ultimate sacrifice. She had four sons in the military and now she only had three living sons because one died in action.

She would share with me that though President Johnson was compassionate, they did not agree on some issues. Over my years with her, she would repeat over and over again this part of the conversation. He said to her, “Mrs. Carricarte, we may not always agree, but we can reason with each other.” This is what she would say to me when we would think differently. In all sincerity, this knowledge is a precious and beautiful gift that my grandmother left me.

She expressed to me that people should reason with each other rather than pushing each other to believe what the other believes or deciding who is right or wrong. This does not mean that people always agreed, but this style of communication can bring out positive results.

I can attest that this was not always the style of communication my grandmother took on, as she was strong towards her beliefs, but I felt that we reasoned with each other and this allowed me to appreciate our differences, along with others.

Imagine. How did she get to the White House? No contacts, little money – there is no logic to this. I share this as an example to remind you that the convictions of your beliefs are how things get resolved. Of course, you must take actions when opportunities present themselves, but the desire and strong belief that it will happen is the ticket… Purchase Power Wishing Today!