How do you see yourself now, and how would you like to see yourself? To me, it looked like a gingerbread man. Do you remember those wonderful ginger cookies with raisin eyes you loved as a kid?

I had drawn a crude drawing in my journal to represent me before my New York trip. Across the top of the page, I scribed, “The Identity Project.”

What would I be like after my two-week retreat? How did I want to change?

I went to work. First, I added feet. My figure was now grounded. Next came hands. The hand on the left was open to receive, and the one on the left was outstretched to give.

Eyes followed. He looked straight ahead as if he knew where he was going. I then drew ears, one on the right and one on the left, representing a nice balance between the right and left brain.

Around his throat I placed a large circle. This figure would be less scripted and more confident in what he had to share.

A huge heart followed. This figure would speak more from the heart than from the head.

I then wrote attributes to describe this man at the bottom of the page: inspiring, empowering, empathetic, elegant, and authentic. I knew I already possessed many of these attributes, but I hoped they’d be more pronounced when I returned.

I looked at my work and was pleased.

I know there is no guarantee that a transformation will occur on my sabbatical, but I’ve found that when I approach an experience with a strong intention, magic can happen.