Commitment and dedication are what it takes to maintain a positive outlook
By Rick Garrick
THUNDER BAY – Lake Helen’s Cindy Crowe encourages people to follow one’s vision throughout all aspects of life.
“If you have a vision for something, live your life according to that vision,” says the founder of the Blue Sky Community Healing Centre in Thunder Bay and owner of Cindy Crowe Consulting. “In my case, you won’t see me out at the bars, or hanging out at the bingo, or hanging out at the malls. That’s not my image, so you want to be very cautious about that.”
Crowe says it is also important to maintain one’s vision on social media.
“I’m not using curses and calling down people on Facebook because that doesn’t fit my image,” Crowe says. “My image here is about love and kindness and unity, so I need to maintain that image at all times. And that takes commitment and dedication.”
Crowe shared some tips about following one’s vision during a panel discussion on Circles, Clusters and Leadership at the PARO Centre for Women’s Enterprise Exceeding the Vision celebration on Nov. 13, where she received one of the Top 20 PARO Women of the Last 20 Years awards. Crowe recently received charitable status for the Blue Sky Community Healing Centre, which opened about 13 months ago, and she launched Cindy Crowe Consulting about 10 years ago.
“The biggest and most important thing is listening to ourselves,” Crowe says. “So if there is a little voice inside of you saying I want to open this business or I want to start this project or I want to go and help this community, whatever that vision is, you need to follow that and follow your heart. It is so important.”
Crowe says that following one’s inner voice requires practice.
“If you truly listen to your heart and truly listen to your spirit, it is a very quiet voice,” Crowe says. “But if you practice every day listening to it, you get better at following that guidance.”
Crowe now gets messages all day long after years of practice.
“I think that is how our people used to live,” Crowe says. “We saw each other as equals and we followed that spiritual guidance.”
Crowe also notes the importance of surrounding one’s self with people that believe in them.
“Don’t be hanging out with people who are telling you: ‘Oh, you can’t do that, that’s not possible,’” Crowe says. “You want to surround yourself with people that are in alignment with your vision.”
Crowe encourages people to listen to their mentors, noting she has had the same three women mentors for the past 10 years.
“Meet with them, have tea with them, talk to them about your vision, and they will provide you with little tidbits about how to move forward with your vision,” Crowe says. “Work very closely with your mentors.”
Crowe also encourages people to seek out professional advice, noting the Blue Sky Community Healing Centre has a lawyer and an accountant to look after its affairs.
“When you’re out there trying to attract funding for your vision, if they see that you are being serious, well then they will take you seriously too,” Crowe says. “Yes, it’s an investment of time and it’s an investment of money, but how serious are you about your vision, how serious are you about what your dream is.”