Just a note:

Been away for awhile. I had been posting to this site fairly regularly, for about 3 years.

Recent news:

My son was turning seventeen. We would have liked to have gotten him a car, but didn't have the money. Because of the things I've learned, I decided to assume the idea that 'all was well' and not feel bad that we couldn't afford to get him a car.

Well, out of the blue, someone we don't know, who isn't a relative, has given him a car. And, before giving him the car they put in over $500 to fix the clutch (it's a stick shift).

Also, out of the blue, and completely unexpected, I got a bonus from my work a few weeks ago.

Then today, I got another completely unexpected bonus.

Also, a few weeks ago I found a twenty dollar bill.

Many other things going well (as in my health, my living circumstances, etc., etc.)

Note: I believe it's all about having dreams, doing your best, and paying attention to your feelings, and feeling as good as you possibly can, no matter what.

Also, on Thanksgiving, I heard from a guitar playing friend of mine. I hadn't heard from him for about four years.

Last I knew, he was living out of the back of his old Toyota truck with a makeshift camper shell. He was struggling along with some delivery job that paid about $6-7 an hour.

Well, now he's in Germany and he's playing, and he's gotten 2 awards for his playing in the mean time.

He owns several suits. One of them he says costs more than he was made in months as a delivery guy.

I asked him about the trip to Germany. He had been there once before, doing gigs, years earlier.

This time around, he first got a call from an old acquaintaince, when he was still living in the back of his truck, doing deliveries.

His initial response was not to respond. But then, a few days later, after struggling to make some deliveries that took longer than usual, through traffic that was worse than usual, he got back and his boss fired him for being late.

So, he decided to call his friend back in Germany. The friend told him, he 'thought' he might have a gig for him (no promises).

My friend that, "I got nothing to lose now," and said he decided to sell everything, and put a few things in storage. And (struggling against his fears) hopped a plane to Germany.

He gets there and meets up with his friend. He gets a tape of a tune to learn, and my friend says he learns it inside and out, in every key,... just in case.

He says he puts on the best clothes he has and ends up at a kind of 'cattle call' for guitar players, most of them in shorts or beat up clothes, etc.

And guess what? He DOESN'T get the gig.

So, now he's in Germany, with no gig, no place to stay, and no good direction.

Now (and this to me is a KEY) my friend told me he very consciously decided that he couldn't let himself go into a mental tailspin. He said, instead of despairing, he decided to do whatever he could to maintain or gain some good feelings about himself and the situation.

He said he decided to walk around and take in as much of the beauty and sites around him. He visited museums and focused on the beauty there. He went siteseeing and took in the people, and just tried to enjoy himself as much as he could.

Somehow he manages a place to stay. My friend's a former alcoholic, so he decides to find a local AA place and go to the meetings.

At one of them, he meets a girl and they have a conversation.

He tells about how he got there, and what happened. Guess what? She happens to know some of the people involved, and makes phone calls and gets him a playing spot on a jam sesssion where some music biz people might be in the audience.

To cut to the chase, now he's doing alright. He's even sang for a movie that seems to be going to the Cannes film festival. He's gotten sponsorships and free amps. He's met with the president of Fender guitars.

Could my friend, or anyone, have planned the route to his success? Could anyone tell how losing his only hope (the audition) would lead to him meeting the girl at the AA who just happened to know so-and-so, and etc.?

By the way, my friend is over 50. Wanna see him? Go visit PrinceRobinson.com.

For you jazz aficionados, yes, that's him with premier jazz musician, Joe Zawinul.

So, how do you go from near broke, living in the back of a beatup truck, to being an award winning musician and then some?

It seems, you gotta have a dream, and you gotta have faith, even when nothing seems to be on your side.

Phil

p.s. I'm recommending another book: 'Ask And It Is Given' by Jerry and Esther Hicks, or Abraham-Hicks.

Forward is by Wayne Dyer. It is also recommended by Louise L. Hay and others of note.

It's been significantly helpful to me, to focus, refocus, etc.

Check it out.

Glad you're back Phil.

What an inspiring post!

Thanks for sharing and all the best.

Hi Phil

Good to see you back and Thank You for the inspiring story.

It just shows that at any point we may be just one step away from opening the floodgates, no matter how tough things may seem now.

Blessings to you my Friend

Adrian

Hi Phil,

Welcome back, I was thinking about you the other day - and remembering your wonderfully deep posts, like, 'dying on the vine' and others.
Good to have you back.
When I read what you shared about yourself and your friend, it reminds me of something Mr. Wattles mentions in the book about, all success is cumulative - and once good things starts happening, they act as magnets to attract more good, sort of like a snowball.
Thanks for sharing that it's something for us all to look forward too. Excuse me, it's something for us to CREATE.
Peace & Prosperity
debbie

Hi Phil


Welcome back!

Great post.

Abundance to all


Croz from OZ


The worst financial risks are those that think the world owes them a living.

Hello again Brother Phil!

Excellent post, as always!

THANK YOU!

Welcome back, Phil. I daresay there has not been a day when one or many of the members of this forum have not thought about you and been grateful for you. I cannot tell you the number of times something you have posted has worked as a catalyst to lift my thoughts to where they need to be.

As always, the stories you shared in this post are inspiring. In both instances they showed what happens when we make up our minds to make the best of any given situation. It's all a scrumptiously wonderful thinking game, and the way we win the game is by continually expecting every play to put us exactly where we need to be to move forward. Perhaps our daily mantra need be nothing more than "I win! I win! I win!"

Glad you're back, Phil. You were missed.

Bliss and blessings,

Kate

Hi Phil,

Great to have you back. This thread is awesome, & more than helpful. Had considered taking some time & following your posts on a "Philathon" soon, &nd reading your post just confirms that thought!

Mega blessings to you & all,
Hope