When I was a kid, several times things would happen just after I wished them… Odd things, sometimes.

Like when I was 7 and was bored playing with some friends, I wished out loud to see a tornado blow through our town and wipe out some of the new buildings in the new industrial park. It would never happen, was the general chime I heard back from my friends. New England didn’t generally see tornadoes. Was it just a coincidence that less than 20 minutes later we did, and it was as I wished?

Several weeks after the tornado, bored again outside with the same friends, I said, “Wouldn’t it be cool if a bank robber ran through our yard and hid out here until the police caught him?” It would never happen, was the chime I heard again. And people just didn’t rob banks so much in 1970 – especially in our sleepy little town. About 30 minutes later though, a stranger with curly red hair ran alongside the house and jumped into the bushes. Then he ran way onto the back of our property and hid behind some rocks. I was the only one not surprised to see the police just a few minutes after him. Turned out he had robbed a bank and was trying to hide out on our property.

I did that sort of thing regularly. I wished for my dream job one summer, and 2 hours later got a call for that job – I hadn’t even applied! Someone on staff knew me, and thought I’d be perfect. And just after college I won an all-expenses paid trip for 2 to a Mexican resort after seeing a contest and telling a friend I would win. She said I couldn’t win because she was going to, so I gave her my entry to mail. At the end of the contest, I took her with me for a fun week in the sun while New England was buried in snow!

But growing up slowed my creation down. I didn’t wish as often, and I worked really hard making backward progress. Soon enough, I forgot that I could wish things into being.

When I found The Secret, I vowed to return to my roots and believe in my power to wish and create. But it was hard. Often, something would happen and I would forget to think positive thoughts and believe that they were on their way. I’d try sporadically, if at all. I would visit this site on occasion to be inspired, and vowed to help pay that back when I found my strength again… This is how it happened.

Yesterday I got a call from my bank in the morning, letting me know my account was overdrawn by $1000. A check to my landlord would be returned unless I could make a deposit by 11:30am. That check was already 2 weeks late to my landlord; having it returned would leave me looking for another place to live. It was 9am and I didn’t have $1000 to deposit. I didn’t know how I would find that in 2 1/2 hours, and I didn’t realize I had made such an error in my account. But I said that I would go there and make a deposit.

After hanging up, a friend called and in a state of total stress, I told her what was just happened. She started asking if I could get a cash advance on my credit cards, or call any of my clients (I work for myself) and collect unpaid invoices. We went through a list of things to try (and I had a longer list in my head). I started to panic. Then I remembered the Secret. I told her I would be ok and thanked her for lending her support. I hung up and told myself out loud that the universe would take care of me. I requested the money I needed. Then I called a client with an open invoice and left a voice message explaining what was going on and asking if there was any way I could pick up a check from her. At 11:20am, my client called back and said she’d be happy to write me a check – that would put $850 in my account. My plan was to talk with my bank about the shortfall and see if they would work with me.

On my way to pick up that check, my friend called back and said that she wanted to help. I agreed to stop by and see her on my way to the bank. But I wasn’t going to make it to the bank by 11:30. I called them to let them know I was going to be late getting there. They checked my account and then said that they had already paid the shortfall, and I could take my time – just be there by 5pm! (When has a bank ever told you that?)

When I picked up my check, my client had decided to pay forward an amount she knew was coming due in a few weeks – that not only met my $1000 shortfall, but added another $400 to my account!!

Believing in your ability to create your world really, really does work. Don’t forget your power! Trust in yourself. That’s the secret.

I will continue to believe, practice, be thankful, and pay it forward.