The Secret to My Success

As much as I hate to admit it, I think there's something to this whole Secret thing. Well, at least the visualization part. I've been finding that the more I picture things in my mind, the more I see them in real life. When I moved in with Drew, I sort of convinced him the apartment was a little haunted. There was the little yellow topaz stud earring I found under the desk one afternoon, and the way the lights would flicker from time to time, and how the cats would stare off at a spot on the wall or ceiling with ears back and a nose sniffing out something supernatural (or was that just another kind of creepy crawly they sensesd?). And then there were the dimes. I told Drew about my haunted apartment in college and how I'd find dimes all the time and how someone told me that ghosts left dimes as their way of communicating with us. Soon after, Drew began finding dimes all over the apartment. I still think the apartment is a little haunted, but I also think Drew's finding dimes because he's got dimes on his mind and it goes back to the idea that we see and find that which we visualize.

This all brings me to an upcoming 4th of July talent show I'm going to be in. Our friends are throwing a 4th of July BBQ/talent show and in a drunken moment not too long ago when I first heard about this party, I blurted out that I'd like to do a hula hoop routine as my talent. The next thing I knew, the evites were sent out with a promise of a hula hoop dancer and suddenly, it was too late to back out. Of course, being the novice that I am, I can't exactly let my fairly weak hoop skills speak for themselves; I need a spectacle....and some sparkle! To that end, I've decided to not only hula hoop, but to make balloon animals while I hoop! And to wear a great costume! In my mind I was picturing a red sparkly gown...for less than 20 bucks. And then after brunch in Astoria on Sunday with my old college roommate, I stopped by a thirft store in search for a little something for the roof, and I found this red, sparkly dress instead....in just my size...for 15 bucks! Visualization works, you guys! So obviously, now I'm going to start picturing million dollar checks in my name and the naked guy from the Sex and the City movie rubbing suntan oil on my back on the Riviera. Yes, suntan oil because in my visualizations, I don't burn and I don't get skin cancer. The Secret rocks!!

In unrelated news, Drew and I celebrated the summer solstice on Saturday with an early morning yoga session in the middle of Times Square. I read a blurb in Time Out New York last week about the now annual solstice yoga event — which is dubbed Mind over Madness — and the idea being if you can find peace and serenity in the center of chaos, you can find it anywhere. (Show of hands — how many of you think Drew and I found peace and serenity in doing the downward dog in front of the Times Square NYPD station?) Well, I roused Drew early Saturday morning and dragged him down to the commercial center of the world, grateful for once that it's just a 10-minute walk away, for some mindful stretching and meditation. We were two of the last people let inside the barricaded section in the middle of 7th avenue, which was enough to garner us a spot in the very back of the rolled-out green carpet and to score us a gift bag, full of freebies. I can't say we really found peace and serenity in the middle of Times Square (if you raised your hand, you're wrong!), but we did score some pretty good soy joy bars and a bunch of certificates for free yoga sessions at various studios around the city. We've decided to take advantage of the free sessions and try out different studios around town. After all, I'm visualizing Naked Guy doing the warrior and the Laughing Lotus and it's enough to drag me out of bed at 7 am and wear stretch pants in public any morning of the week.

Comments

[Kyla Bea]

That’s amazing – what a crazy experience to be in Times Square like that! Definitely a bit of a perspective shift. Hope the Yoga tour of New York goes well!

[Nick]

I love the idea of a mass yoga session to mark the summer solstice. Hadn't heard of that. But a bit of a shame if you can't really tune out enough to create a real sense of serenity and tranquillity.