Colleen went to a meeting that changed the way she practiced. It was a visioning session. Rather than just chanting about difficulties and desires, the facilitator encouraged the participants to have a vision of their future, then to envision the steps from where they were to where they wanted to be.

Colleen was vice-principal of a school, while she worked on her doctorate in education. Her vision was to be a school principal.

She sent out résumés and chanted for interviews.

Just before each interview, she would get the jitters and do badly. 

She was at job fair for educators, explaining to a recruiter why she would make a great principal. He told her that if she was all that and a bag of chips she would already be a principal.

It was discouraging to hear something like this from a person who was supposed to be recruiting educators like herself.

Colleen went home and chanted to figure out why she did so poorly at job interviews. She remembered worrying about her hair, her dress, her make up, thinking that maybe they might be inappropriate. Then she thought: "This is crazy! The job interview isn't about my appearance. It’s about communication, just like we do at every discussion meeting!"

For her next interview, she was determined to treat the person interviewing her as she would anyone at a discussion meeting.

The interview went perfectly, and she got the job. In California, no less.

Oh yes, she also got her Ph.D., so you can call her Dr. Colleen now.

[This experience was given at the Washington DC World Peace Gongyo.]