My Wish Came True and So Can Yours

I was out for a walk today.Same pond. Same path. Different body. Different life.Almost exactly one year ago, I was here too. But then, I was walking with a walker after a bilateral mastectomy. One breast removed. One rebuilt using a flap surgery where they take fat from your belly and rebuild the breast.I had no idea what I was getting into.I only knew one thing.My health mattered more than anything else.This time last year, like so many of us, I was thinking about goals and wishes. New year energy. Fresh starts.But, when your health is shaky, you don’t have a long list of wishes.There’s an old proverb that says:When you have your health, you have a thousand wishes.When you don’t, you have one.I had one.I wanted my health back.At the time, my thinking wasn’t lofty or poetic. It was survival thinking. I just wanted to get better. I wanted to feel like myself again. And honestly, there were moments when I lost hope.People would sometimes say things like, “Don’t get your hopes up.”I remember thinking, Are you kidding me?I want my hopes all the way up.Hope was the thing that kept me moving.I thought it would be one surgery and done. It wasn’t. It was a process. A long one. A humbling one. One that asked more from me than I expected.But inside that wish to get my health back were real actions. Not affirmations. Not pretty intentions. Actual steps that came from managing my mind.Walking.Changing how I ate.Losing thirty pounds.Managing stress. Writing down my thoughts each morningShowing up to every appointment.Paying attention to my body in a new way.My driving thought or goal was I am going to beat this.At the moment I like the word wish more than goal.When you’re a child and you make a wish, you believe it can come true. Goals have always felt trickier to me. Like something I might fail at. And I know I’m not alone in that. So many women avoid goals because they don’t want to disappoint themselves again.A wish feels different.A wish comes from the heart.And mine came true.Today, I am in the best health of my life.My relationships are richer.My life feels bigger.My work feels more meaningful.I’m deeply grateful.So this year, my wish has changed.My wish for 2026 is to fulfill my purpose.To have a bigger impact on women who are trying to come back to themselves.To come back to their art.And to stay.One thing last year taught me is thisHope matters.Gratitude matters.And action matters.Wishes don’t come true by accident. They come true because we keep showing up, even when it’s hard, even when we’re scared, even when the path isn’t clear yet.If you’re holding a wish in your heart today, especially one that feels tender or big or slightly impossible, I want you to know this.I’m walking proof that wishes can grow into real lives.Thank you for being part of mine.With love,LynnIf this speaks to youIf you’re ready to stop circling your art and actually come back to it, The Practice waitlist is open. It’s a guided space to return to your creativity and learn how to stay. You’re welcome to join us here.Become a paid subscriber to get the full experience, in-depth guides, printable art practices, behind-the-scenes studio lessons, access to live workshops, and member-only gatherings that nurture consistency, confidence, and joy in your art.Thank you for being part of this circle. Whether you’re reading for free or supporting as a paid subscriber you help make Make Art Be Happy possible.SHARE THE WEALTH: Have a friend who does not think they are an artist or fellow artist struggling with a consistent art practice? Gift them a month of paid access with this special link: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lynnhardin.substack.com/subscribe