After watching one of Oprah’s life classes a few months ago, I started writing in my journal 5 things that I was grateful for every day. I got really busy with my new job and fell behind on expressing my gratitude and writing it down. Now looking back, I can see where things in my life went sideways because I didn’t make the time to be grateful for anything.

On Saturday, June 9, 2012, I was searching Netflix for something meaningful to watch when I came across “The Secret.” I watched it over and over again not being able to fathom that everything can turn around in my life just by being grateful for what I have. This was more detailed than what Oprah was talking about, so I took it more to heart because of the explanations given in the documentary. One thing that I remember was a man talking about how he showed his friend that this really works by telling him that he will get a front row parking spot when they got to where they were going or have to wait for a short period for one to open up.

After downloading the book “The Magic” and following the steps this past weekend, I had my son with me and I had been talking to him and my husband about how this really works. So, on Father’s day, I thought to myself, I need to stop by Walmart and it is really hot today, I would be grateful to have a front row parking spot. I pulled into Walmart and guess what…front row parking. I took a picture of how close I was to the door and sent it to my husband to show him. All he could say was “wow”. But wait… there is so much for this day.

The first thing I read on my iPhone that morning in “The Magic” was to count your blessings, make them known, write them down…so I did. After I left Walmart, I was in the left lane to enter the freeway when I saw a man there holding up a sign that said “COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS” I’m trying to! While I held up traffic to reach in the side pocket of my purse, scraping to find every cent of change I had, I handed it to the man and told him don’t give up, keep counting your blessings and things will turn around for you. I cried as I drove away feeling so grateful that I had some change to give the guy.

I meet up with my son and tell him what happened, and he just sort of brushes me off. We get into the car and decide to go to the mall, but first we are going to stop at Ross Dress for Less, where I proceed to tell him that we will get a front row parking space and we will find him a pair of DC shoes for $20.99 but no more than $30.00, which will be the first pair of shoes that “I” pick up.

We got that front row parking spot, which kind of freaked him out a little, but he still thought it to be coincidence.

He finds a pair of DC shoes and says “oh I like these but they are not my size.” I looked over in the size 12 shoes (he is a size 10.5) and saw a pair of white DC’s so I grabbed them. I said, “What size did you say you wear?” He says “10.5.” I look at the shoes and they are 10.5, the cost $22.99. I told him that was pretty close to what I said they would be, and I also told him that was the pair that “I” picked up! This gets him thinking, but not enough.

Now that we are on our way to the mall, I said “you know, front row parking is hard to come by at the mall, and I will be satisfied if we can just get somewhat close to the door.” He pays no attention to what I say until 5 cars in is where he pulled the car in. Now he is catching on. So we do our thing in the mall and we end our day together with him having a new way of thinking.

My biggest event for that day and how I know this works is that my husband has been looking at his dream car that was posted on Craigslist for over two months. He has been looking at pictures of this car, talking about his love for the car and how he will have a car like it someday. He finally decides to go and test-drive it and the guy tells him that he will take another $500.00 off the price of the car. My husband calls me and says I drove that car and I have to have it. I told him that he knows how to make it happen and that it will come. He posted a picture of it on Facebook and low and behold, his sister calls him and asks him if he wants a loan for the cost of the car! I have never seen a happier man in the 27 years that we have been together.

I wake up every morning now and go sit outside with my dog and speak the things that I am grateful for that morning. Then I go to my journal and write down 10 different things and why I am grateful for those.

I have never felt this much joy in my life! I have experienced it over and over again in just one day! I can’t wait to write and tell you when my new house comes along! I’m starting on that list today!

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you for all you are doing! This is life changing if people would just pay attention!