Hi, I’m Kay Ross in Hong Kong, and I’m your Head Tour Guide in The Playground of Possibilities.
UPDATE (cue fireworks and a brass band):
Hooray! Thanks to the success of the crowdfunding campaign, the decks have been printed, and they’re beautiful. Thank you to everyone who supported the campaign.
And don’t worry, even though the campaign is officially over, you can still order a deck of cards (or several decks, or even a deck plus a Skype call with me) via this crowdfunding page.
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With this crowdfunding campaign, I’m asking you to pledge funds to help me get an initial print run of my “The Playground of Possibilities” card deck printed.
The deck is a tool for you to use to transform and heal your old, limiting, unresourceful thoughts, beliefs and stories about yourself and the world, and take inspired action.
It has 52 thought-provoking (and action-provoking!) questions for you to ask yourself, and every question starts with “What would be possible for me if I...”.
I’ve created a hand-made prototype deck and used it in many gatherings with friends, and in public workshops. People love the questions, and they've been asking me when they can buy the printed deck.
My target is US$2,500 (that’s about HK$19,500). With that, I’ll order an initial print run of 1,000 decks – and of course if the demand is there and this campaign raises a lot more than US$2,500, I’ll order a bigger print run.
In return for supporting this campaign and placing your pre-order, you’ll be among the first people to get a card deck (or even several decks to give to your friends or sell to your clients), a thank you on The Playground of Possibilities website, a one-on-one conversation with me via Skype, a meal or even a workshop in Hong Kong with me and some of your friends, a nice warm fuzzy feeling… – check out the rewards.
AND you’ll also be sending me belated birthday wishes, because I turned 60 (yes, honestly, 60!) on September 23.
Dwell in possibility.
~ Emily Dickinson
Supporting a worthy cause
When you support this campaign, you’ll also be supporting a fabulous organisation here in Hong Kong, because I’ll be donating 5% of the funds raised to KELY Support Group.
It's a non-government-funded organisation that runs peer support, mentorship and leadership development programs for young people aged 14-24, from Chinese-speaking, ethnic-minority and English-speaking backgrounds.
Life is either a daring adventure,
or nothing.
~ Helen Keller
So what is The Playground of Possibilities?
It’s LIFE! YOUR life. The Universe is constantly offering you an unlimited array of choices, opportunities, adventures, challenges… and YOU get to pick the ones you want, take action, and accept responsibility for your choices.
And those choices are driven by your thoughts, beliefs and stories about yourself and the world.
So when you use the cards, you get to:
- examine and transform your old, limiting thoughts, beliefs and stories about yourself and the world,
- play “What if?” and improvise new, more resourceful, more joyful ways of being,
- listen to the wisdom of your body and boost your vibration,
- tap into the benevolent abundance of the Universe,
- take bold, inspired action,
- play with supportive friends, and
- approach life with more love, joy, trust, compassion, integrity, forgiveness, resilience, gratitude, courage, responsibility, serenity, mindfulness, playfulness…
Every moment of our existence
holds an infinite number of possibilities.
~ Dr. Wayne Dyer
About the card deck
Every card in the deck features a colourful drawing of me, on a swing, in The Playground of Possibilities (I drew it myself!). On the other side of each card is a question for you to ask yourself, starting with “What would be possible for me if I…”.
For example, what would be possible for me if…
I loved myself?
I let go of all my excuses?
I gave myself permission to have fun?
I was grateful for everything I already have / do / am?
I chose to see things differently?
And there’s even a Joker card that invites you to come up with your own question.
The printed deck will come in a flip-top box, and will include one card with some tips about how to use the deck (more info will be on the website). Each deck will weigh only about 175g – easy to carry with you wherever you go.
My prototype cards measure 12.7cm x 9cm (5” x 3.5”), but I’ve found that they’re a bit too big to shuffle comfortably, so the final cards will be a bit smaller: 12cm x 7cm (4.75” x 2.75”). Also, the drawing might be slightly different than in my prototype deck.
Here's a short video about how to use your deck:
And here’s what some people have said about the cards:
“The questions that you post in the Playground of Possibilities keep me positive, productive and purposeful.”
“I love the sound of your new project. Fantastic questions! Very powerful. I’d love to use your cards with my clients. They would love them. So would many of my colleagues.”
“This is brilliant! Just what I need! Thanks Kay!”
“I have been listening to my body’s messages as per the card I picked from the Playground of Possibilities. I am learning a huge amount about myself and learning a great lesson for life.”
“This is such a great project and I really look forward to seeing the fruitful results. Your cards are amazing – thought-provoking and transformational. They will help many people.”
And the most common comment I hear when someone picks a card is: “Oh, that’s the perfect question for me right now!”
Life forms around our beliefs and expectations... it is nothing but a story.
~ Pam Grout
Who is the deck for?
The deck is for you (and people like you) if:
- you’re already familiar with and interested in personal/spiritual development and healing
- you like books, card decks, workshops, webinars, coaching, bodywork etc. about personal/spiritual development and healing
- you’re committed to doing the work – and play – of examining and transforming your old, limiting, unresourceful thoughts, beliefs, stories and behaviours
- you’re willing to accept responsibility for your life
- you sometimes catch yourself slipping back into your old bad habits and self-critical thoughts
- you’re a coach, healer, therapist, bodyworker or trainer looking for a simple tool to use with your clients – individually or in groups – so they heal and thrive
And the deck is NOT for you if:
- you’re a “Negative Nelly” who blames everyone and everything else for the state of your life
- you automatically say “Yes, but you have to be realistic” to every suggestion
- you’re not willing to do the work – and play – of examining and transforming your old, limiting, unresourceful thoughts, beliefs, stories and behaviours
- you have no interest in the spiritual dimension of life
- you expect a magic quick-fix pill for all your problems
- you’re looking for a fortune-telling deck
It’s only a thought,
and a thought can be changed.
~ Louise Hay
About me
I was born in Scotland, grew up in Australia, and have lived in Hong Kong for 24 years. My three passions are:
- Healing – I’m passionate about personal/spiritual development and healing, and I’m a bodyworker/healer (I trained in a methodology called Body Harmony)
- Performing – I’m an actor and an improv performer, so I approach life with an improviser’s “Yes, and” mindset
- Marketing – I’m an editor, copywriter and marketing consultant
The common thread in all that is Storytelling – the stories we tell ourselves and others, about ourselves and the world.
I was inspired to create the card deck when, one day in August 2013, the phrase “The Playground of Possibilities” popped into my head. I immediately sat down to write a list of “What would be possible for me if…” questions. And I keep thinking of new questions every day.
The concept was born out of my passion for personal/spiritual development and healing, and my many years of reading books about that, attending workshops, training and practising as a bodyworker/healer, listening to webinars, having private sessions with coaches and healers, studying and performing improv…
And that passion was born out of my quest to deal with and heal from an abuse-filled childhood and all the limiting thoughts, beliefs and stories that I learned (or maybe chose?) from that. It’s an ongoing journey that sometimes delights me and sometimes pisses me off!
And now, doing this crowdfunding campaign is a way for me to experiment with living as if life is a Playground of Possibilities – every day, I’m invited to trust, play, forgive, choose love over fear, improvise, connect, learn, grow, and tell myself new stories about what’s possible for me. I confess, I don’t always succeed – that’s why I need the cards myself!
I wish I could show you,
when you are lonely or in darkness,
the astonishing light of your own being.
~ Hafiz
Why I'm asking for your help
I've been thinking of this idea of producing a card deck for four years now, and it feels like the ideas are demanding to be expressed through me! Lots of people have been asking me when the deck will be available, and I don't want to delay any longer. No more excuses!
So with your support, when I reach my target of US$2,500, the funds raised will cover:
- design and printing of 1,000 card decks
- a donation of 5% of the total amount raised, to go to KELY Support Group in Hong Hong
- PayPal fees
- Next Chapter fees for hosting this campaign
And even if you don’t want a card deck, I’d love you to support the campaign as a way of saying “Happy 60th Birthday, Kay!”
So please choose your reward and click the “Fund Now” button. You can come back later and chose another reward if you want.
Life must be lived as play.
~ Plato
The team
I’m Kay Ross, Your Head Tour Guide in The Playground of Possibilities.
Helping me to bring the card deck into existence are:
Nicole Denholder and Janice Hewitt at Next Chapter
Elise Phillipson – wise crowdfunding coach and patient graphic-design tutor
Stephen Barnes and Chris Owen at Video Cha Cha
Sky Siu, Rosanna Yim, Kinki Chung and everyone at KELY Support Group
Kevin Fung and the team at Expression Power printers in Hong Kong
And my cheer squad of family members, friends and followers around the world – I love and appreciate you all!
Once you make a decision,
the universe conspires to make it happen.
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
The rewards
Yes, even though the campaign is officially over and I successfully reached the target (hooray!), you can still order a reward (a deck of the cards, or several decks, or even a deck plus a Skype call with me).
Feel free to choose more than one reward!
Note: All the prices for the rewards and shipping are in US dollars, and you can contribute more than the listed price of a reward if you want – just type in your chosen amount.
Curious about the concept of crowdfunding and how the Next Chapter platform works? See the FAQ page.
Congratulate - US$5 or More
Pledge US$5 or more (you choose the amount) to support the campaign and wish me a happy 60th birthday. I promise you my eternal gratitude, and free hugs whenever I see you. I’ll also acknowledge you on Facebook and the “Thanks” page of The Playground of Possibilities website. No card deck included; no shipping cost. (Choose another reward below if you’d like to order one or more decks, or have a Skype call with me.)
Estimated delivery date: As soon as you make your pledge!
Number available: Unlimited
Experiment - US$10 or More
A downloadable, printable, black-and-white PDF with 20 “What would be possible for me if I…?” questions for you to ask yourself. Pledge more than US$10 if you want! Also I’ll acknowledge you on Facebook and the “Thanks” page of The Playground of Possibilities website. No card deck included; no shipping costs.
Estimated delivery date: December 2017
Number available: ALL GONE
Jump - US$18 or More
Earlybird special – jump in quick and get 1 deck @ 10% off the normal price if you pre-order in the first two weeks of the campaign. Pledge more than US$18 if you want! Deadline: 23:59 on Monday October 23, 2017 (Hong Kong time). Also I’ll acknowledge you on Facebook and the “Thanks” page of The Playground of Possibilities website. Free postage within Hong Kong.
Estimated delivery date: February 2018
Number available: ALL GONE
Transform - US$20 or More
Your very own Playground of Possibilities card deck, to carry with you and use anytime, anywhere. Pledge more than US$20 if you want! Also I’ll acknowledge you on Facebook and the “Thanks” page of The Playground of Possibilities website. Free postage within Hong Kong. If you’d like to order extra decks as gifts for your friends, or to use with clients in your coaching/healing/therapy work, see the rewards below: “Energise” (3 decks), “Dream” (5 decks) and “Inspire” (10 decks).
Estimated delivery date: February 2018
Number available: Unlimited
Connect - US$50 or More
One deck plus a 30-minute, one-on-one Skype call with me at a mutually agreed time, after you receive your deck. I’ll show you how to use your deck and answer your questions. Pledge more than US$50 if you want! Also I’ll acknowledge you on Facebook and the “Thanks” page of The Playground of Possibilities website. Free postage within Hong Kong.
Estimated delivery date: February 2018
Number available: 20
Energise - US$60 or More
3 decks – one for you, and 2 to give to friends. Pledge more than US$60 if you want! Also I’ll acknowledge you on Facebook and the “Thanks” page of The Playground of Possibilities website. If you’d like to order just 1 deck, or a bundle of 5 or 10 decks, see the “Transform”, “Dream” or “Inspire” rewards. Free postage within Hong Kong.
Estimated delivery date: February 2018
Number available: Unlimited
Dream - US$100 or More
5 decks – one for you and 4 to share with your friends, family, clients, colleagues... Pledge more than US$100 if you want! Also I’ll acknowledge you on Facebook and the “Thanks” page of The Playground of Possibilities website. If you’d like to order just 1 deck, or a bundle of 3 or 10 decks, see the “Transform”, “Energise” or “Inspire” rewards. Free postage within Hong Kong.
Estimated delivery date: February 2018
Number available: Unlimited
Inspire - US$200 or More
10 decks – one for you and 9 to share with anyone you know who’d enjoy and benefit from them. Pledge more than US$200 if you want! Also I’ll acknowledge you on Facebook and the “Thanks” page of The Playground of Possibilities website. If you’d like to order just 1 deck, or a bundle of 3 or 5 decks, see the “Transform”, “Energise” or “Dream” rewards. Free postage within Hong Kong.
Estimated delivery date: February 2018
Number available: Unlimited
Celebrate - US$250 or More
One lunch or dinner (drinks, airfares and accommodation not included) with me for you and up to 2 of your friends, at a mutually agreed time and venue in Hong Kong. Each participant will receive one deck in a silk bag, and will have the chance to pick a card, discuss it with me and ask questions about how to use the deck. Pledge more than US$250 if you want! Also I’ll acknowledge you on Facebook and the “Thanks” page of The Playground of Possibilities website.
Estimate delivery date: February 2018
Number available: ALL GONE
Play - US$500 or More
One live, private, 1.5-hour workshop led by me, for you and up to 5 of your friends or colleagues, at a mutually agreed time and venue in Hong Kong (airfares and accommodation not included). We’ll use the cards, do some meditative processes, and play some fun, co-operative games about improvising new ways of thinking and being. Each participant will receive one deck in a silk bag. Pledge more than US$500 if you want! Also I’ll acknowledge you on Facebook and the “Thanks” page of The Playground of Possibilities website.
Estimated delivery date: February 2018
Number available: ALL GONE
Imagine a new story for your life
and start living it.
~ Paulo Coelho
Project timeline
October 10, 2017
Crowdfunding campaign goes live at 00:01 on Tuesday October 10 (Hong Kong time)
October 23, 2017
Deadline for the “Jump” earlybird reward: 23:59 on Monday October 23, 2017 (Hong Kong time)
November 23, 2017
Crowdfunding campaign ends at 23:59 on Thursday November 23 (Hong Kong time)
December 2017
I'll email the “Experiment” reward: a downloadable, printable, black-and-white PDF with 20 “What would be possible for me if I…?” questions.
December 2017 - January 2018
Design and printing of an initial print run of 1,000 decks
February-March 2018
Delivery of rewards: hard-copy decks, Skype calls, lunch or dinner with me in Hong Kong, and/or a live workshop with me in Hong Kong
The risks and challenges
There’s a risk that if you use the cards, you’ll let go of your old stories, step into a new you, and experience things that you never thought were possible for you! That might feel a bit scary. Legal blah blah disclaimer.
There’s a risk that designing, printing and/or shipping the card decks will take longer than I expected. If that happens, I’ll let you know immediately.
And there’s a possibility that LOTS of people will want to order a deck, and that this campaign will raise more than US$2,500. If that happens, I might need to order a bigger print run, which might delay delivery.
The challenge is that Next Chapter is an “all-or-nothing” crowdfunding platform. That means this project will be funded only if I reach my goal of US$2,500 by 23:59 on Thursday November 23, 2017 (Hong Kong time). If I don’t reach the goal, I won’t receive any funds, and your pledged funds will be reimbursed.
Believe you can and you’re halfway there.
Theodore Roosevelt
Please spread the word
Would you do me (and KELY Support Group) a favour? If you like this campaign, the card deck and the concept of The Playground of Possibilities, would you please spread the word about this campaign to your friends and followers around the world?
That will help me to reach my target, get the deck printed and make a positive difference for lots of people. Thanks!
And if you’d like to receive occasional ePostcards from The Playground of Possibilities, please opt in to my mailing list. No spam, I promise!
There is a force in the Universe, which,
if we permit it, will flow through us
and produce miraculous results.
~ Mahatma Gandhi
Contact me
The Playground of Possibilities website
The Playground of Possibilities on Twitter
Hashtag: #possible