Warning: Woo-woo Alert

I’m very lucky to be a part of a writer group called the Tiki Bar Pals. We started chatting via WhatsApp and Zoom during Covid and kept going after that, and it’s been awesome to have fellow writers to lean on. There’s so much positivity, support, laughter, writer geekdom… the whole thing. And very often lovely conversation that keeps me on my toes. We were recently chatting about the Law of Attraction, a topic that is near and dear to my heart. I talk about the idea in this blog post, where I summarise all kinds of self-development. Anyway, I realized I’d lost touch with it this year amidst the madness of buying a house and moving from Spain to Maine, adopting two new puppies, writing under deadline, and all the typical challenges of being human.
 
But I’m back… back to affirmations and visualization, taking control, manifesting, and designing my life. 
 
Those of you who have been reading my newsletters for years now might remember the time I wrote a word in the sand, only to watch it stoke the fire of my dreams.
 
I’ve wanted my stories turned into movies and television shows for as long as I’ve been writing. It is my ultimate desire with regard to my creative endeavors. More specifically, I want my novels to be turned into sensational movies and television shows, produced, directed, and acted by some of the best in the biz. HBO, are you listening? Knock, knock, Apple TV. Yoo hoo, Ridley Scott, I’m still here.
 
Years ago in St. Pete, FL, encouraged by my wife, who knows more than a thing or two about the Law of Attraction and manifestation, I wrote the word “Hollywood” in the sand. 
 
Within a week, the first of several producers reached out to me. And then another and another. Nothing felt right to me though, and I got into the habit of saying no. Let me tell you, stepping into the world of Hollywood and movie rights and entertainment lawyers is daunting stuff, especially when you feel as protective as I do over my books.
 
Then, Ridley Scott’s team called. Among a list of smash hits, he did Thelma and Louise, Gladiator, Alien, and one of my all-time faves: A Good Year. Needless to say, I thought I’d finally found the connection I’d been waiting for. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be. 
 
In 2021, a fresh barrage of producers and actors reached out, including an actress that my seventeen-year-old self would have flipped out over had he known she and I chatted about a project together. Even the forty-three-year-old me had to work hard to play it cool on our Zoom call. Sadly, two new competing shows came out of nowhere, delaying our talks.
 
I’m waiting, especially apropos the Red Mountain series, for the perfect team, the perfect fit, and I won’t say yes until it feels right in my bones.
 
Sparked by the conversation in my Tiki group, I’ve rushed back into reconnecting with the idea that we create our own reality. What do I mean by that? You know that person who thinks the world is out to get them? They don’t trust people and think they’re being taken advantage of. They self-sabotage and have the worst luck, and it snowballs out of control at times. I believe that they are creating their own mess. I also think you can make use of this powerful tool in the opposite way, in a more positive way.

If you’re interested but unfamiliar, The Secret is the book that introduced so many to the idea. A couple of days ago, one of the Tiki Group members asked if I’d ever heard of Jerry and Esther Hicks. I had not. She warned me the ideas around Esther and her spiritual guide, Abraham, get a little woo-woo. Guess what, I love woo woo. I need woo-woo in my life. After listening to a podcast about her, I jumped into the main book capturing Esther’s experience: Ask and It Is Given. It’s beyond wild and woo, and I think, supremely valuable to read or listen to. (The audio version really shines here.) This wisdom is extraordinary and life-changing. 

No matter what level of woo-woo you need, or how you’d like to interpret the science behind it, the Law of Attraction is a thing I’ve seen work so many times in my life and in others. It’s not just about attempting to land material things, though it can be. It’s choosing to tune in to healthy and positive frequencies and reaping the benefits. What we send out into the universe, she returns in spades.

Yesterday, my family walked down to the beach to each write a word in the sand. It didn’t have to be a specific desire. It could be a word that you wanted to represent your coming year in any way, something you wanted to attract or tune in to.

You can see mine above. Among a specific list of my own desires for the future, I mostly want my books to find the screen, and I’ve reignited the fuse. Right before we wrote our words, a seal passed by. The first we’d seen since moving to Maine, and it felt like a sign that we were doing something right. And only a minute after I wrote “Hollywood” and spent some time imagining my little family sitting in plush seats watching the premier, the water rose up and washed it away. I can’t wait to share next year that a dream producer has optioned the rights to one of my books and that the project is moving forward. It is happening. I kind of suspect Red Mountain to be the first, but I welcome a surprise there.

We can call them prayers or wishes; some of you might call them coincidences. I’m not sure it matters. Being a lover of art, I think there are a million ways to describe or express the magic that is out there. Yo-Yo Ma comes to mind. What we must do is believe. Today, my friends, I believe. 

What is your word for 2023? I’m really asking. Just comment below; it might be the first step in creating the life you want.

You can see what my wife and son wrote below. Get this… my wife went to Yoga class today. Each spot for a mat is marked by a word written on masking tape. My wife unrolled her mat in one of the last available spots. Written on her bit of tape: Listen.

I hope I didn’t lose a few of you with this one. Like with my books, you’re gonna get all of me. What I hope is that maybe a few of you reading this note are getting it at the right time. Then it’s all worth it to me. Happy New Year, amigos. We made it.