Thank you for your interest in this case study of how a small community is using the positive approach to build a hospital. As the title indicates, this is a work in progress.
See Update: February 12, 2010 at the end of this blog.
This project actually began July 9, 2007 at 3 a.m. I had a heart attack. The village we live in has no hospital and residents must rely on an ambulance service staffed by paramedics. Patients are taken to a small rural hospital 25 miles away for evaluation and stabilization. The hospital has a small emergency room. Two nurses and a physician were in attendance. After 30 minutes of monitoring, X-rays, injections I was moved to a regional hospital 25 miles farther down the road. I woke up two days later in the ICU and was told that I was now a card-carrying member of the cardiac club.
Although this could have been a frightening experience, I occupied my time while in transit from one hospital to another, thinking about my “view from the ambulance.” I was fortunate to have a well-trained EMT available. He saved my life. I knew that I was saved for a reason and it was to build a hospital in Cherokee Village, Arkansas.
During my 3-month recuperation, I prepared a 30-page document that supported the reasons we needed a hospital in our community. It was read by a small group of interested individuals who agreed we were all on the same page. We would have to use the positive approach to build our hospital.
Not long after that, a letter appeared in our local weekly newspaper. It was an appeal by a woman who provided strong emotional appeal for building a hospital here. I responded the following week with a letter of my own, followed by an opinion piece for the editorial section of the newspaper. What follows is an account of how the positive approach has moved us closer to the construction of a hospital in the Village.
1. First Opinion Piece
Hold That Thought
Positive Thinking: Hope, Prayer, & Intention
Believe it or not, it is possible for a group of people to have a major influence on an event when they have the same thought. The influence can be positive – or negative, depending on the thought process. Building a new hospital in the Village may be accomplished if we truly believe it can be done. The more people who hold this belief, the easier it will be to succeed.
Lynne McTaggart, author of The Field, and The Intention Experiment, explains how one community may have controlled the weather on graduation day – for 30 years. A former Princeton scientist and researcher for the Global Consciousness Project conducted a study, when he realized that the sun had shone on graduation day at Princeton for years. He reviewed weather reports for Princeton and the surrounding areas for the times around graduation day for a 30-year period and found that Princeton was drier and sunnier than surrounding communities on graduation day. McTaggart said, “If figures were to be believed, the collective wish for good weather by the community of Princeton may have created some sort of mental umbrella that stretched only to their borders during that single day.”
Closer to home, in a news story in the October 3-9, 2007 issue of the Villager Journal, “Eagle Fest Slated” Chris Murphy wrote, “With all the planning, the committee is simply praying for good weather.” Charlotte Goodwin commented, “We’ve been so lucky Mother Nature has blessed us with good weather for 12 years now. We’re hoping she will again this year, too.” You may have noticed that it did not rain on the 2007 Eagle Fest.
What happens when a large number of people think the same thought at the same time? What could happen if a large number of Sharp County residents held the same positive thought about a new hospital? McTaggart turned to people who had successfully managed to master intention to understand the processes they underwent to be able to use their thoughts for positive results. She found many ways that intention is used in real life. In sports for example, Olympic athletes visualize their routines and see them winning medals before they compete.
How do we promote healthy, positive thoughts about a new hospital? Encourage the belief that such a facility is possible, that sending out good thoughts (in the form of hopes, prayers, and intentions) will increase the possibility it will be built. Consider this activity as laying a thoughtful foundation for a positive outcome. Then as our talented business, financial, and government leaders begin to work with our educators, community organizations, and medical professionals to do the hard work of actually building our new hospital, they will have our full, positive support.
Just as “The sun always shines in Princeton on graduation day.” Our positive intention is, “We’re successfully building a new hospital in Cherokee Village.” The more people who accept the premise that it can be done and hold positive thoughts about the outcome, the more likely it will be done.
Phyllis Kates
Hospital Vision Quest
HospitalVisionQuest@gmail.com
2. Next Opinion Piece
Pay It Forward
You may recall the movie “Pay It Forward.” It’s about a young boy who is inspired by an assignment from his teacher (Kevin Spacey) to make the world a better place. The boy (Haley Joel Osment) performs good deeds for three strangers, paying them "forward" instead of paying someone back, starting a chain reaction that reached national proportions. When the movie first came out there were inspirational stories around the country of people who were moved to do the same for others.
After my opinion piece, “Hold That Thought” was published in the Villager Journal, I received a check from a woman from another state. The donation was given in honor of the two local businesswomen, whose kindness to an out-of town couple inspired their contribution. This led to the establishment of the Hospital Vision Quest building fund.
An email preceded the arrival of the check. In it the woman said, “I too believe in positive energy. I'm interested in making a donation to your hospital. The donation illustrates the point that people committed to doing what is right create positive energy and make a difference.” She then added, “I think there is merit in fund-raisers whereby customers recognize businesses. People who experience good service might be inclined to give a dollar or two in appreciation of a business committed to the hospital fund. Dollars here and there add up. My mother was a nurse and my two nieces followed in her footsteps. I well understand the importance of good health care and a hospital to serve a community. I wish you the best in your mission.”
This is how a small town in Arkansas became involved in the “pay it forward” moment. A letter accompanied the $200 check. The contributor wrote, “The pride these two woman have for their town is heart-warming. As they wished, thanks to them, we left Hardy with a good feeling.”
The businesswomen are the recipients of the first Hospital Vision Quest Service Above Self certificate. If you would like to honor someone, by making a donation in their name(s) we will provide a Service Above Self certificate of appreciation for them.
Donations may be sent to: Hospital Vision Quest, P.O. Box 671, Cherokee Village, AR, 72525. Funds will be held at Liberty Bank in a “deposit only” account for the new hospital. When it is built, the funds will be transferred to the hospital.
hospitalvisionquest@gmail.com
http://www.hospitalvisionquest.blogspot.com/
By now we had a name for our organization, a mailing address, an email address, and finally our very own blog!
3. Next step: Recruit Volunteers
The letters to the editor and the two opinion pieces generated a number of interested individuals in the community. They were added to a list we keep for future use. Next, I placed a classified advertisement on my website: http://www.reikiclassinfo.com/.
Wanted: Positive Thinkers Around the World
Primary Objective
2. Next Opinion Piece
Pay It Forward
You may recall the movie “Pay It Forward.” It’s about a young boy who is inspired by an assignment from his teacher (Kevin Spacey) to make the world a better place. The boy (Haley Joel Osment) performs good deeds for three strangers, paying them "forward" instead of paying someone back, starting a chain reaction that reached national proportions. When the movie first came out there were inspirational stories around the country of people who were moved to do the same for others.
After my opinion piece, “Hold That Thought” was published in the Villager Journal, I received a check from a woman from another state. The donation was given in honor of the two local businesswomen, whose kindness to an out-of town couple inspired their contribution. This led to the establishment of the Hospital Vision Quest building fund.
An email preceded the arrival of the check. In it the woman said, “I too believe in positive energy. I'm interested in making a donation to your hospital. The donation illustrates the point that people committed to doing what is right create positive energy and make a difference.” She then added, “I think there is merit in fund-raisers whereby customers recognize businesses. People who experience good service might be inclined to give a dollar or two in appreciation of a business committed to the hospital fund. Dollars here and there add up. My mother was a nurse and my two nieces followed in her footsteps. I well understand the importance of good health care and a hospital to serve a community. I wish you the best in your mission.”
This is how a small town in Arkansas became involved in the “pay it forward” moment. A letter accompanied the $200 check. The contributor wrote, “The pride these two woman have for their town is heart-warming. As they wished, thanks to them, we left Hardy with a good feeling.”
The businesswomen are the recipients of the first Hospital Vision Quest Service Above Self certificate. If you would like to honor someone, by making a donation in their name(s) we will provide a Service Above Self certificate of appreciation for them.
Donations may be sent to: Hospital Vision Quest, P.O. Box 671, Cherokee Village, AR, 72525. Funds will be held at Liberty Bank in a “deposit only” account for the new hospital. When it is built, the funds will be transferred to the hospital.
hospitalvisionquest@gmail.com
http://www.hospitalvisionquest.blogspot.com/
By now we had a name for our organization, a mailing address, an email address, and finally our very own blog!
3. Next step: Recruit Volunteers
The letters to the editor and the two opinion pieces generated a number of interested individuals in the community. They were added to a list we keep for future use. Next, I placed a classified advertisement on my website: http://www.reikiclassinfo.com/.
Wanted: Positive Thinkers Around the World
Primary Objective
Create a positive field of energy to facilitate the successful construction of a village hospital with a 24-hour emergency unit in Cherokee Village, Arkansas.
Required Skills
Ability to clear mind, dismiss negative thoughts before they take form. Willingness to visualize positive results then release to the world and the universe.Motivated to spend at least 10 minutes each day on the project.
Positive Thinkers who choose to accept this assignment will receive free online training composed of exercises that demonstrate techniques the group will use to facilitate a positive outcome.
Our group of hospital visionaries plans to set up a positive energetic field that will create the strong potential for the construction of a new hospital.
If you would like to receive more information about our volunteer group, Hospital Visionaries of Cherokee Village, please respond to HospitalVisionQuest@gmail.com
I also emailed this advertisement to all of my past and present Reiki students, friends and relatives. This made it possible for the thought of having a hospital in Cherokee Village riding on the Internet highway, available to anyone who may receive my forwarded email, or who finds
my website in a Google search. Several visionaries have contacted me and volunteered to help. For them, I sent the first installment of our Plan for Visualization.
The VISION of Eagle Lake: A Novel Approach to Manifestation.
4. HOSPITAL VISUALIZATION
(A CD was produced by Lake Paradise Studio in Cherokee Village, Arkansa. Music composed by Doug Deforest and Josh Coker. Vision guide of Kay Wiggins.)
The visualization has now been uploaded to the publisher's website for a FREE download. To link to the free download, go to www.eaglelakevision.com. During the past year, the visualization has been accessed by people across the United States and globally, in United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, and Indonesia.
HOSPITAL VISUALIZATION
Learn to shut down that useless internal chatter, which will help you focus on the future, never the present.
It is also important to have an open mind, free from skepticism. “The idea that your thought can affect physical reality may not fit your current world paradigm, but neither would the concept of gravity if you were living in the Middle Ages.”
– Lynne McTaggart, The Intention Experiment
Intention Statement: Cherokee Village has a new hospital.
It is also important to have an open mind, free from skepticism. “The idea that your thought can affect physical reality may not fit your current world paradigm, but neither would the concept of gravity if you were living in the Middle Ages.”
– Lynne McTaggart, The Intention Experiment
Intention Statement: Cherokee Village has a new hospital.
Before you begin, find a quiet space; select soft, relaxing instrumental music.
Sit in a comfortable chair. Relax. Begin meditative breathing. Close your eyes and imagine you have just arrived at the new hospital. You’re going to visit a dear friend who is a patient.
VISUALIZATION
Visualize the hospital open and operating. See cars in the parking lot.
As you walk up the path to the main entrance the doors open automatically.
Step into the foyer. Hear pleasant music in the background. Walk with wonder through the new facility. It’s not a typical hospital. It’s user friendly, eco-friendly, pleasant. The hospital staff wears uniforms in pastel colors.
Looking straight ahead you see the Main Desk. On the wall behind it is an easy to read Directory.
First Floor
Atrium, Café, Specialty Clinic, Lab, Emergency Room, Visitors’ Lounge
Second Floor
Patient Rooms 1-25, Nurses’ Desk, Consultation Area, Annex, Wellness Center,
Training Rooms, Conference Center
Turn to the right and see the Visitors’ Lounge, a waiting room with comfortable furniture. A large window looks out onto a patio near a reflection pool. A blue bird, common to the area, lands at a feeder.
The elevator is just across from the Visitors’ Lounge. Enter the elevator and press the Second Floor button. Even the elevator décor is pleasant, calming. As you exit the elevator you immediately see the Nurses’ Desk. Then you check in with the nurse on duty and she directs you to Room 212. You note that all patient rooms are private. Although small, they are designed so that there is ample room for visitors. Your friend looks calm and rested. She smiles as you greet her. She is pleased with treatment here, and you know that when you leave, she will continue to receive the necessary support, both medical and emotional, to gain an early release. Leave Room 212, go back to the elevator, enter and press the First Floor button. When the elevator doors open, walk to the entrance, and step out onto the path leading to the parking lot. Before you leave, look back at the hospital and remember it as you saw it.
END VISUALIZATION.
Bring your thoughts back to your room, open your eyes, knowing you have visited the Cherokee Village Hospital. The next time you wish to visit the hospital, follow the same directions for preparation and visualize the Emergency Room, the Café and Clinic. The more often you visit the energetic version of the hospital, the stronger the vision becomes.
Thank You.
5. Hospital Vision Quest Update:
A steering committee is ready to consider the multitude of tasks necessary to put our plan into action. We believe the events and the progress made are not a coincidence, but rather thoughts attracting like thoughts. The more people who believe we will have a hospital in Cherokee Village, the stronger the vision will be, and one day soon we will make it so.
Update: February 12, 2010
Our steering committee has become the Sharp County Hospital Foundation, Inc., received tax exempt status, has a website: www.sharpcountyhospital.com, has commissioned a feasibility study, is exploring a variety of funding sources, and meeting with potential institutions with whom we may collaborate in bringing our county a new hospital.
Published July 15, 2009
The VISION of Eagle Lake: A Novel Approach to Manifestation (paperback and ebook) Global distribution. Published by LuLu.com and available on most large book selling websites. Amazon.com provides the "See Inside" feature.
A small village in the foothills of the Ozarks is in desperate need of something vital to the well being of all residents, and for the survival of the village. The situation seemed totally impossible until six women discovered a positive approach to reaching their goal. These ordinary ladies performed an extraordinary feat, as they came together to form a cohesive group with a mission. They were brought together by design, not by happenstance, not by coincidence. Everything happened for a reason, planned well ahead by the Intelligence of the Universe.
About the Author
P.J. Kates, M.A., RM
Before moving to Arkansas in 1993, P.J. taught communication classes at Purdue University, Northern Illinois University, and the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. She has more than 20 years experience as an educator and writer. Phyllis is a member of the Sharp County Hospital Foundation, and serves as spokesperson for the group.
Phyllis is also a Reiki Master (teacher) in the Gray lineage. Her husband, son, daughter, and granddaughter are Second Degree Reiki Practitioners.
Believing that you must heal yourself before healing others, her classes emphasize the self-healing aspects of Reiki, in addition to teaching students how to give treatments to others.
For more information about Reiki classes: http://www.reikiclassinfo.com/.
© PJ Kates 2008 Hospital Vision Quest – All rights reserved.
