“You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.”

I remember hearing that phrase above for the first time and laughing at how ridiculous it sounded.

In 2006, my Mother was obsessed with The Secret and I jokingly mocked her as she set out to attract her own positive thoughts and manifestations. I was 8 at the time. I have always been talented. I was good at most things I tried or did. Beginners luck, right? No. I’m Irish! Now, I know that succeeding in any endeavor is cause for celebration but things aren’t always as they seem. In fact, I feel as if this gift has limited my potential, as I have continually pandered and accepted the ideas of others under the assumption that this would make me a “good guy”. However, this was not the case. What I mean to say is in an effort to be viewed as a decent human being, I sacrificed my own energy, heart, and desires. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t just instantly become an asshol* haha! I am a loving person, so I will always remain respectful. But in my efforts to remain respectful to others, I was compromising the respect I had for myself.

Ok, so that is a bit of the back story. Here is the realization, and trust me, if you are reading this, I was possibly the most skeptical person in the world. Not on the surface, but it’s just how my mind works. Having said that, you can make a change. It starts with belief.

Once I started working from home due to COVID, I began plugging in my AirPods and going for long walks with my dog and began listening to audiobooks. The ALCHEMIST is where I started. It began providing me with insight into myself. It made me question who I was, and what I wanted.

***Side note: I had tried to read this same book 4 years prior and couldn’t make it through the first 15 pages. Thats OK. But just know it’s not because it was not “working”. Rather, I just was not ready. I had not done the background work to put my mind, body, and spirit into a position to succeed.

Moving on, once I finished the ALCHEMIST, I re-read it immediately and then I finally understood it!! I knew what my future and career were and spent much of the year focusing on this new path. But in recent weeks I began to meditate and try to better understand the world and why people had become so angry, myself included. Meditation then provided me with the ability to “slow the game down”. I was able to take a step back and separate my mind and body. This enlightenment provided me with a new understanding of balance. Of living in the moment. And it provided me with the opportunity to love myself. I let it go. I let go! I let go! And the Universe caught me! But that was only because I believed that it would. This understanding that led me to a new career path. For those of you who know the ALCHEMIST, I kept digging.

Then one late February morning, I had a very strange dream. It was more vivid than I could ever imagine. I was in shock by the realness of the dream and once again, it reignited my newfound passion for better understanding myself. I searched Audible for best sellers and noticed The Secret. I saw an opportunity to understand something I had previously neglected. This was the moment I decided to start living.

This book changed my life, but only because I let it do so. I love JK Rowling for those HP fans out there, think about this. Harry was only the chosen one because others and eventually himself, believed that he was the chosen one. A prophecy is just a thought that can only be ignited with action.

To whoever reads this, if you are in a similar situation, the power of belief, the law of attraction, and love are the ingredients to all of your heart’s desires. The Secret is whatever you want it to be if you are able to remove your limiting beliefs and take action, no matter how small, towards your goals. Just taking a step forward each day will take you to what you most desire in this life.

Let go, believe, love, and spread positivity. We all have the opportunity to learn to love again. I have a choice.