NMAAHC
Several years ago, I read about a museum that was to be built as part of the Smithsonian Institution, the world's largest complex of museums, education, and research facilities. As a native of Washington, DC, I was very familiar with the institution and been visiting its museums since I was a child. The new project was to be called the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), and it was expected to be the largest Black history museum in the United States. It took more than 100 years for this museum to open (worth reading up on if you don’t already know the history), and The Smithsonian broke ground for NMAAHC in 2012. It finally opened in September 2016.
During the museum’s construction, I would look for updates on when it would be completed. I planned to visit as soon as it was possible. When I came across information on how to become a Charter Member, I did not hesitate to follow through. While my contribution wasn’t large, I could not have been prouder to have contributed to what I knew would be an amazing tribute to African American history and culture.
Before its grand opening, the museum invited its Charter Members to a private reception, and I was beyond excited to attend. Once I was inside, I was in awe of everything from the design of the building to its incredible exhibits, and to its immense collection of historical artifacts. It was more than my mind had ever imagined. It felt welcoming, educational, and safe. It was a place where African American heritage was honored.
I could not leave the museum without visiting the Museum Store. I felt like a kid in a candy store there. My soul was excited about everything it offered. After visiting, all I could think about was the strong desire I had to be a part of the museum by having something I created in that store. I didn’t know how it would happen or what my product would be, but I began a mission to find out. The first thing I did was pin a picture of the museum on my vision board and captioned it, Products in the NMAAHC Museum Store.
I did some research and found out the steps I needed to take to apply to be a vendor at the Museum Store. Over the next three years, I submitted several applications featuring a variety of products for consideration. In September 2019, three years after the museum first opened, I submitted another application and received a phone call five days later from a Buyer for the Museum Store. They were interested in carrying one of my enamel lapel pin designs in the store. If they sold well, there was the possibility for expansion to include some of my other pin designs. When I hung up from that call, I screamed and danced around like I had won the lottery. It was a dream come true.
Thankfully, the pins sold well and the museum went from carrying one of my designs to carrying five. Now, more than six years later, my pins are still selling in the Museum Store and I replenish their inventory on a regular basis. While this goal has already come to life, I have never removed it from my vision board, now digital and word-focused. This is confirmation that it worked!
Aside from this example of how a dream I placed on my vision board came into manifestation, it also shows how important it is to follow through. You need to do the work to show that you not only want the vision to come to life, but you are also serious about doing what is necessary to make it happen. If you are fortunate enough to put something on your vision board, then sit back and twiddle your thumbs and one day it appears, you are not like most people in this world. You should Double-Count your blessings. For everyone else, I recommend that you give that vision some help. Do what needs to be done to ensure that you can claim that dream when it presents itself to you. Like the saying goes, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”
I could have submitted fifty applications to NMAAHC without first doing my research on how to have enamel lapel pins made, and then actually having them made and determining a wholesale price that would give me a desirable profit margin. Thankfully, I was ready. The Buyer talked cost with me on that initial call, then wanted me to send a supply of pins as soon as possible. Not only was I prepared to complete the initial paperwork, I already had stock on hand. If I had not been ready, she may have decided to move on to the next, and that opportunity may have slipped away.
Another lesson here is that it is important to be patient but steady. Your dream likely will not manifest overnight, but believe that it is already yours and keep the faith. Show the Universe that you deserve it and that you are ready to receive it.