Now a warning. You may be feeling confident and excited. Hey, my dreams are in progress and all I have to do is wait patiently. Not exactly. There is a significant difference between those who dream big and those who truly believe in their dreams.

Demonstrate Commitment

If I said, "Demonstrate that you believe your dream will come true," what would you do to convince me? We've all heard the saying, "Fake it till you make it." The principle of "acting as if" is similar. In Step 5 you just focused on specific dreams you'd like to create. In Step 6 you must now "act as if" you already have your dream to show your commitment.

Imagination is like a seed and it must be watered if it is to yield a harvest. What are you going to do while you're waiting for your dream to manifest? The answer? Take action by letting your imagination kick into high gear. In Week Six, you'll begin taking some baby steps toward your dream and demonstrating your faith and commitment.

If you recall in Step 5, Tim wanted to help his sales rep achieve his dream of owning a condo. At the time it seemed impossible due to insufficient income. Now most of us would probably stop right there. No income--no condo. Why even bother dreaming when we don't have the money. Tim, however, remembered how important it was to act as if we expect our dream to happen.

Make Believe

Tim referred his rep to a real estate agent and suggested he start looking to get an idea of what he wanted and the purchase prices. Looking at condos and imagining owning one was a powerful demonstration of faith. Then together they figured out how much more he would have to earn to afford the condo. Between the pictures of the condo and the excitement of looking with a realtor, his rep actually felt his dream moving toward him. By acting as if and making believe he accelerated the process and was able to buy his condo. Today managers need to remember to motivate people by focusing on their dreams. Believe in Miracles
Now let's do a little soul searching. Would you have the courage, faith and desire to look at condos or houses if you didn't have the money? Does it seem silly or irrational? If so, I'm asking you to put logic and fears aside and truly expect the best. I'm also asking you to believe in miracles. Believe in your dreams like Dayle Dunn and Carl Mehler did.

When I met Dayle and Carl in 1987, Dayle was a training professional and Carl was an architect. They are a happily married couple who loved life and art. They dreamed of owning an art gallery and living by the ocean. In 1993 they moved into their dream home on the ocean which also contains a spectacular art gallery. How did they do it? I can assure you it was not luck. They did it by "acting as if" and moving toward their dream.

One day in a playful mood, Dayle and Carl discussed, "Wouldn't it be fun to totally change our lives and live our dream? Imagine if we were gallery owners, surrounded by art and living by the ocean." The more they talked the more excited they got until they finally decided to pursue the gallery.

Within two weeks they took their first "act as if" step and contacted realtors in Half Moon Bay, California. All the realtors said it couldn't be done. To build an art gallery in a residence and get the sewer and other necessary permits was nearly impossible. Now many of us might have stopped there and said, "Well I guess it's not supposed to be." But not Dayle and Carl. They continued to look on their own and found the ideal property on the ocean zoned for both residential and commercial use.

Next they put their lovely house on the market and rented a small one bedroom apartment in Half Moon Bay. This gave them the opportunity to adjust to the weather, the new environment and begin designing plans for their new art gallery and home. Long before the gallery was even designed they both went to art fairs to meet artists and see what kind of art they would want to display for sale.

Meanwhile many banks turned down their loan request and found their unique project undesirable. Finally, they found the ideal lender. Just when things were looking good, the planning commission was considering declining the entire project. This was especially frustrating since they had made all the suggested changes and spent years of hard work.

Did they give up? No way. They visited their neighbors and other business owners on the street and got their support in writing. Armed with a model of the project, slides and support letters, the planning commission unanimously approved their art gallery.

I fondly remember attending the opening gala of the Dunn-Mehler Gallery with Bob and sharing in their joy. They were glowing with happiness as they proudly gave us a tour of their spectacular art gallery connected to their dream house.

Carl said the reason they had no fear was they were not attached to the outcome. They had lived in a small apartment for l-l/2 years and had a great time. "If things didn't work out, we'd sell the property and move back to an apartment. Things are not important to us--it's the fun in trying and doing. Dayle and I are energized by the people we meet, the ocean, working with art and enjoying ourselves. If we don't succeed it's not a failure--it's an adventure."

P.S. I thought it was interesting to note that ten years before they bought the property at the beach, Carl was impressed with an art gallery in Chicago. He obtained a poster size picture of the inside of the gallery and kept that picture above his desk for years. Now he and Dayle are in their own special picture. The key is they consistently "acted as if" they expected their dream to work out. If you happen to be in Half Moon Bay, California, be sure to stop by the Dunn-Mehler Gallery and say hello.

For you skeptics, let me give you a personal example. Remember in Step 5, Dream Big, I mentioned I wanted to attract my divine mate. Recording my dream on an audio tape and gluing pictures on my Dream Big Board certainly helped keep my dream alive. However, I still had to show faith and "act as if" I expected my dream to happen.

When I moved into my lovely new home as a single, I had a large walk-in closet with two built-in dressers and lots of poles for clothes. I put all my clothes in one dresser on the left and filled up half the pole space. The right hand dresser and pole space remained completely empty even though I could have easily used all the closet space. Why did I only use half the closet? Because I truly believed my divine mate was on the way, and I had to make space for this person in my life. My realtor thought I was crazy. Now I have the last laugh with an incredibly loving, devoted husband.

In addition, I kept one extra room, the den, completely empty because I imagined my partner as an entrepreneur like me in need of a home office. That empty room became Bob's office where he ran our consulting company activities before moving to our new offices. By praying for my divine mate regularly and "acting as if" he was coming, I was rewarded with my wonderful husband.

Are You Willing To Work Hard?

Now just so you don't think it's too easy--we must be willing to take a hard look at ourselves. Besides making my audio tape, using pictures and leaving my closet half empty, I felt I had to get myself ready for my ideal mate. I sought out intensive personal counseling to identify any blocks or behaviors that were preventing me from having the close, intimate relationship I desired. It was a painful and vulnerable process and the best thing I could have done.

I also sought out feedback from male friends and associates about how they perceived me. Guess what? They were all surprised that I was even interested in a relationship. One friend, Kurt, said, "You seem so happy and independent, as if you don't want or need a partner." What an eye opener for me. Obviously, I had work to do. The hardest part for me was to admit I had no control and ask for help. I'm convinced the combination of my counseling, prayers, feedback and "acting as if" all led to my soul mate, Bob.

Probably the biggest and most difficult act as if experience was when Bob and I bought our new dream house together. We both decided that one day, if we could afford it, we'd like to live in a really nice, large Mediterranean home with land, views, clay tile roof and lots of light. In fact, we had pictures of our dream home on our board.

At the time we were looking to relocate to San Diego. We could not afford our dream home and were content to buy a nice tract home that met our needs. While looking our realtor said "There are some really incredible houses on the market now at distressed prices." He then proceeded to drive us to an area that was full of gorgeous custom, Mediterranean homes at practically half price.

When he pulled up in front of a beautiful home with columns, I felt a bit uncomfortable and whispered to Bob, "This is out of our league." As soon as we walked inside and I saw the canyon views, the arches, the tile floors and the sunlight streaming in I thought, "We belong here." The house was nearly twice the size of the tract houses we were considering.

Our realtor, Rick, said, "Let me see what I can do--make an offer." Bob and I offered what we wanted to pay on a much smaller tract house and considerably less than the asking price. I thought Rick would refuse to present our offer but he went for it. We prayed for guidance, "If this house is meant for us and we can easily afford it, please let the builder accept our bid. If it is not in your divine plan now, please let the deal fall through and we will happily move into the tract house."

The house had been on the market brand new for three years. The builder, unfortunately, was in serious financial trouble and needed to pay off his construction loan. He accepted our low offer allowing us to move into our dream home about ten years ahead of schedule for a price we could afford. If we didn't allow ourselves to "act as if" and actually walk inside some luxury homes, I doubt we'd be living in our dream house today.

Acting As If Is Fun

At first "acting as if " can seem silly, irrational and even scary. With practice, it gets easier, playful and becomes a way of life. All it really is, is making believe and acting out your dreams. Don't delay--move toward your dreams and take a baby step.

The "act as if" principle is also powerful to create prosperity in our lives. Prosperity is a feeling of plenty or abundance. We have plenty of friends, plenty of love and perhaps plenty of money. I'm convinced, however, that money by itself does not bring happiness. It is through our beliefs and reliance on our spiritual source that we can attain peace and prosperity. We are rewarded with a life filled with friends, love, health, vitality, spirituality, and most of all, a sense of well being. Please note we can feel prosperous without actually being prosperous.

Show Faith In Difficult Times

People don't seem to understand that to attract more prosperity they have to "act as if" they are prosperous. You don't have to be rich to feel rich. For example, I met a young struggling single mom who was working as a bank teller. Her husband left her, she had no family in the area and money was very tight. Despite these difficult challenges, she purchased some fresh flowers every week which for her was an extravagance. "The flowers are a reminder that my life is blooming and I am only experiencing a temporary setback," she told me one day. What a great outlook on life's challenges. It is important to show our faith when money is tight and not focus on scarcity.

Do The Little Things

For example, leave a standard or generous tip in restaurants. Give generously at your church service or to those in need. Buy gourmet coffee now and then if it makes you feel good. By not obsessing over our tight financial situation and "acting as if" all is well, we are demonstrating our faith that all is well. Please understand I am not suggesting that we buy or charge things we can't afford. Just do little things to keep our outlook hopeful and positive.

"Acting as if" means we need to adopt a "do it" mentality and avoid the "prove it" mentality. The "prove it" mentality means "You show me first exactly how I can have my dream without any risk of failure." If Walt Disney had the "prove it" mentality, we'd never have Disneyland.

Are you ready to do it? Of course you are or you wouldn't be reading this book. What can you do to "act as if" your dream is coming? If you are interested in doing TV commercials, sign up for a class. If you are hoping for a big promotion, buy yourself a new briefcase. If you are dreaming of buying a special car, take one out for a test drive. If you want to go on a cruise, buy yourself a cruise outfit and save it for the trip. You get the idea--have fun! In other words, do something to show your commitment and faith. Beware of your fearful voice, Ms. Misery, who will try to stop you and ask "how?" Remember, don't worry about the details. Just ask for guidance and help.

Following is a list of suggestions to help you feel prosperous and avoid scarcity thinking:

• Give to your church or spiritual source
• Treat yourself to a massage
• Get a house cleaner periodically
• Get help with mowing the lawn or gardening
• Order a special glass of wine instead of the "house" brand
• Give money to a friend or family member in need without expecting payment
• Donate your time to help a friend or comfort someone
• Buy a little gift for a friend or loved one for no specific occasion
• Get "full serve" gasoline occasionally

Avoid these scarcity activities:

• Spending excessive energy on coupon clipping
• Driving out of your way to save a minimal amount of money on groceries
• Ordering the cheapest item on a menu
• Asking people to split an entrée when you really want your own (A friend of mine dated a guy who insisted they split an entrée! Is that cheap or what?)
• Undertipping for services
• Wearing old clothes or shoes you no longer enjoy

Summary of key points:

• Imagination is like a seed and it must be watered
• Demonstrate you believe your dream is in progress and "act as if"
• Adopt a "do it" mentality and avoid the "prove it" mentality
• Act prosperous and treat yourself and others well when money is tight

Exercise: FIVE MINUTE JOY BOOSTER
Every morning this week before you get out of bed, prop up the pillows, sit back and take a few minutes to imagine one of your dreams. Then either say a little prayer, an affirmation or read one of the quotes at the end of this section.

Exercise: ACT AS IF YOU BELIEVE
In your Dream Big journal, write at the top of a new page Act as If and the date. To get warmed up focus on one or two dreams and jot them down on the left leaving extra space to write on the right side. Next, ask yourself, "If I know this dream is definitely on the way, what can I do to prepare and demonstrate my belief?" For example, long before I ever became a professional speaker I was dreaming about it. I made it a goal and like you, wanted to keep my dream alive and not get discouraged. One day, Sparkles said, "Go buy new luggage." Ms. Misery, my fearful voice strongly objected with, "That's ridiculous, the luggage you have is just fine, besides you can't afford it." Sparkles said, "If you buy the luggage you'll get to use it as a speaker." I listened to Sparkles, (my divine guidance) and remember the joy I felt when I took that luggage on my first speaking tour. Buying the luggage was my way of "acting as if" I had my dream. What can you do to take one or two action steps toward your dream? To act as if you already have it? Write it down now in your Dream Big journal and then DO IT!

DREAM BIG GROUP MEMBERS or PARTNER
Share one or two of your dreams and ideas of how you can "act as if". Make a commitment to do something in the next month to move toward your dream. Get support and ideas from the group members or your dream partner.

TIP FOR THE SPIRITUALLY INCLINED
The following affirmations are recommended for creating prosperity (Insert the name of your spiritual source):

Dear Lord, or _______________, show me the way to attract great abundance and be of service. Dear Lord or _______________, let all that is mine by divine right come to me now as I fulfill my life plan according to Your wishes.

God or _________opens doors of opportunity to me and my faith leads me through them.

"Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." Mark 11:24