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[text and photos by Starla J. King, Big Fish 2009-10] 

My brother uses this wonderful term called “awfulizing” – where you take a scenario and visualize something bad turning into something very bad which turns into something terribly bad which of course ends (in your mind) in utter catastrophe.   

Then there’s the other end of the spectrum – where you think about an exciting possibility, start getting wonderful ideas, then everything seems possible and suddenly amazing opportunities present themselves.   

Either scenario is what happens when we give energy to that which we want to grow – a concept important enough to be the foundational principle of the 7 Big Fish Principles to Wild Success.

We  women entrepreneurs tend to have high energy, energy that makes things happen.  And it’s up to us to decide how to use that energy to move our lives and our businesses forward in positive ways.   That’s where our visions come in.

Our vision is the perfect guide for channeling our energy toward that which we want to grow.  (make sure you read Lorin’s recent blog for more information on creating your own written vision story).

Quick example:

I was talking with my (Big Fish) friend Rebecca yesterday, and it went something like this , “You know, this week I’ve gotten a web design/development company for our new business (yes, new biz #2!), I’ve updated and sent out about 20 repeat-client contracts for our gardening business and I’ve published three blog entries, but I haven’t brought in much money…what the h*** have I been doing all week?!??”

We both immediately started laughing… realizing how mis-directed my energy was!  All those significant forward-moving milestones, yet the bulk of my energy has been focused on not making money.  (You know what I’m talking about, don’t you?)

So I turned to my vision story.  To re-feel that inspired, hopeful, forward-moving, everything-is-possible energy.  To remind myself that I’m an entrepreneur so I can choose where to put my energies.

Shortly thereafter I got an email from Rebecca, connecting me with people who will be key in the vision of my new business. 

And after that I got an email from my brother (yes, the one who awfulizes) speaking to the heart and soul of my new business (one he’s not even aware of).  And this morning he used the words “Let this interchange be our mutual vision statement for some of our mutual journeying ahead.”   

Talk about “that which we want to grow”!!

Take some time to think about it – where are your energies?