I haven’t posted much in the last few months. One reason is that I’m dealing with the results of a huge manifestation that was in the works for quite a few years.

I kept asking God to send me a new mission/challenge, and a way to make a real difference in people’s lives. I didn’t specify it because I knew I wouldn’t pick the right thing for myself if I had to choose.

​I thought I’d be writing books (and I probably still will) or be a counselor. Instead, through a series of blessings in disguise, I was led into politics… the last thing I ever would have thought I’d go into. 

Some of those blessings in disguise along the way looked an awful lot like curses. Living in a state with a Democrat super-majority, after 2016 I turned from Bernie fan to Trump supporter… and lost 99% of my friends in the process.

At some point, I hated visiting Facebook because I’d be yelled at all day long for my opinions. I got kicked out of local social groups, and most of my interactions consisted of arguments. I became extremely defensive and belligerent to protect myself from the onslaught. 

At the same time, I felt compelled to get trained in public speaking, get my teeth fixed, and take on a board position in a non-profit organization… as if in preparation for a job in the limelight. But I had no idea what this job could be.

I thought I did, but I was wrong.

Then the shift happened: I stumbled over the Facebook #WalkAway group, a movement started by gay hairdresser Brandon Straka who after years of fearing and loathing Trump realized that he’d been duped all along and walked away from the Democrat party.

I looked at the stories of people and saw that they went through the same or worse as I had. Some of them were being ostracized by their closest family members for their beliefs and had no one left. I posted my story and received a ton of love, welcoming and kind comments from the group. I friended everyone who replied to my post… over 100 people. 

All of a sudden, I had Facebook friends again!

And even better, they were like-minded spirits who would even jump in and defend me from the constant attacks of the remainder of my liberal “friends” that still hung around. One of my new Facebook friends, a radio show host from Virginia, invited me on his show. Gulp. I was scared to death, but I remembered my own teachings (“Recognize and grab new opportunities”) and said yes. 

I started to look for conservatives in my local area, but they were in hiding, too afraid to identify themselves as such for fear of retribution.

Finally, I came across a post on our local message forum for a meeting of the Republican Town Committee. I hesitated to attend; after all, I wanted nothing to do with politics. But I was desperate enough to meet kindred people that I went. 

It was pretty boring, and I was shocked to see that the entire committee consisted of seven people. I kept in touch, but didn’t attend very often over the next year… until at one meeting where I was present, they said they needed another committee member to keep the committee running.

So I said fine, but didn’t expect to do much. Then they talked about the county committee; there was also an opening—would I be willing? So I said OK to that too. 

I attended the next county committee meeting, which began with a breakfast at a local restaurant. The only available spot was at the table next to a very eloquent man, John Klar, whom I had a great conversation with. We were totally on the same wavelength when it came to policies, and he was a really nice guy. 

When we moved over to the conference room, I realized he was the keynote speaker for the day. I got his email and phone number, but then pretty much forgot about him for the next few months. 

2020 came around, and the town committee chair asked around via email who’d volunteer to be a delegate. I was skeptical (I didn’t want to commit to too great a task), but then learned that all I would have to do was pick and choose people who'd travel to the RNC Convention in the summer. Not too bad, so I did that.

Then I attended the fateful Zoom meeting of the county committee, where—outspoken and opinionated as I am—I countered the speech of the RNC committee chair for Vermont and told the committee flat out that I thought they were doing it all wrong. 

The next day, I received a phone call from Ken H., chair of the county committee, tapping me to run for the office of State Representative for the Lamoille-Washington district. He said we had a two-seat district, but so far only one person was running and he thought I “might be electable.” 

I instantly turned him down. Scary thought--me, running for office? I couldn’t possibly.

Or could I? 

After the phone call with Ken, I had a sleepless night. Had I done the right thing?

I realized that I was saying no to a new opportunity and challenge, something that could turn into a new mission and a change to make a difference in people’s lives… all out of fear of the unknown. 

So the next morning, I called Ken and said, “I’ll do it.”

I jumped with both feet into the preparations. I started reading up on local issues and Vermont politics. I tried to figure out how to get on the ballot. I called a dozen people to find out as much about the election process as possible. I started looking into campaign finance and campaign materials.

After about a week, Ken emailed me saying he’d talked to some other folks on the committee and they thought maybe I didn’t have enough experience yet, maybe I needed to be groomed for a few more years before running, maybe I should let someone else have the spot. 

God couldn’t have plotted this better. Everyone who knows me knows that I have a built-in stubbornness dial. If I’m in doubt about being able to do something, all you need to do is tell me that you think I can’t do it—and my immediate reaction is, “Watch me!”

So that’s what happened. I flat-out refused to withdraw. Miraculously, I had just the night before handed my candidate form into the town clerk’s office, and I’d be damned if I was backing out now. I must also admit that in the privacy of my home office, I had all kinds of choice words for Ken and his “underhanded” behavior.

So I went into overdrive and worked harder than ever. One woman from my town committee told me that John Klar, my buddy from the county meeting, was running for governor and was looking to align with other candidates to form a more united front. I emailed back and forth with John a few times and agreed to become part of his support group. 

I started to get invited to Republican gatherings, State House events, and meet & greets, and got to know loads of like-minded people. I got invited on my Virginian Facebook friend's radio show four times so far. At the end of this month, I might enter the first-ever political debate of my life.

At one point, the county chairs had an informal in-person meeting with the candidates in a park (to enable social distancing), and Ken told me he had only been testing how serious I was about my candidacy. He invited me to visit his church the next Sunday.

I hadn’t been able to attend my own church because I couldn’t bear wearing a mask for over an hour in heat and humidity, but I missed going. Several years earlier, I had converted to Catholicism because it was the closest I could get to what I wanted from church. 

My secret dream had been to attend an evangelical church service, but I hadn’t been able to find this type of church in Vermont in all the years I’d lived here, so I assumed they didn’t exist. I figured I might score some brownie points with Ken and attend his church service just once. When I got there, I noticed two things: A. People came in and talked with masks on, but then took them off as they got seated. B. It was an evangelical church! 

I loved it from first sight. The service was so much more interactive and lively and joyful than any other church service or Mass I’d ever attended. Exactly my cup of tea. Needless to say, I’ve been attending Ken’s church for two months now, and I learned there are several others like this in the area. It’s amazing, because I was actively looking for evangelical churches years ago and couldn’t find any at all. It’s like they popped up like mushrooms after a rain.

Things are still evolving at a breakneck speed. This tale is not finished yet. Will I get elected? I don’t know. I leave it up to God what he wants me to do. If he thinks I should be in the Vermont State House, that’s what will happen. If not, then I’m sure all this networking I’ve done and all the experience and knowledge I’ve gathered will be good for something. It might lead to another step and another… and God knows (literally!) where I’ll end up. 

All I know is that this is precisely where I need to be at this particular moment. I have no clue where I’ll be tomorrow or next week or next month. The manifestation wheels have been set in motion, and my role is now to go with the flow and roll with whatever is presented to me. Jesus has taken the wheel, and all I have to do right now is not obstruct him from handling things. 

I’m super excited about all that’s going right now. I’ve had situations like these several times in my life—like when I was getting ready to move to the US.

If this happens to you sometime, know this: Somehow, you can feel when destiny is at work in your life.

It feels different than your ordinary day-to-day that you’re used to. It’s like there’s electricity in the air… like a low power hum that permeates everything… things are in motion, and all you need to do is stay out of the way to keep that motion going. Signs and synchronicity abound. Small miracles and happy “coincidences” will find you every day. 

Say YES to everything. Only say no if you have a queasy feeling in your gut, or a persistent little voice that tells you not to do this—but don’t mistake your own trepidation and fear of change for actual danger.

Talk to God every day; ask him to guide you and tell you unmistakingly what to do. Ask for signs, and you will get them. Ask for protection, and you will get it. Ask for the courage to say yes and embrace transformation, and you will get it.

Most important: Remember “Thy Will Be Done.”

Preserve your humility and try to avoid the ego traps that will make you fall for the Dark Side’s schemes. Don't manifest frivolous crap. Ask to fulfill your calling. Ask to be of service. Ask to be shown manifestation goals and dreams that will truly make you happy.

Stay on God’s side, and he’ll stay on yours. 

This was years in the making, but since it started, it's been a nonstop rollercoaster ride. It probably could have happened sooner, but I was stalling. I tried to hang on to friends that I had nothing in common with anymore... and circumstances that didn't fit me anymore.

When I finally let go, things happened fast. Within a few months, I found new friends, I found a new church, and I found a new purpose.

As I said, this tale isn’t finished yet. I don’t know where I’ll end up. But I know what’s happening is what God wants for me, and it’s all good. I’ll keep you in the loop.

I’ve had a lot of success with manifestation and have documented it in many Quora posts. 

The latest example was when I felt like I was stagnating in life and decided to manifest something new, fun, and challenging for myself. 

In March, out of the blue I was tapped to run for office as State Representative for the Vermont House. My first reaction was, “I couldn’t possibly…” but then I reconsidered, and it’s been an exhilarating journey. I never thought I’d go into politics, but here I am, and it’s been challenging all right. 

Remember that for every manifestation, you MUST be willing to jump in with both feet when the opportunity for change presents itself. 

Will I manifest an election win? Honestly, I don’t know yet. It’s a big manifestation, and I’m not sure how much I really want this.

That’s another thing: If you want to manifest something truly life-changing, you can’t send mixed messages. If you have any doubt that this is what you really want, it’s not going to work. 

Another thing: I saw a poster on this thread claim that no well-known person has ever used or is using LOA/manifestation, therefore it’s not real.

Actually, that’s not quite true. A lot of famous people use manifestation. They just usually don’t talk about it or call it something else that doesn’t sound quite so whacky, like the “power of intention” or “visualization.”

US President Donald Trump, for example, is one of the top LOA disciples. The great LOA guru Norman Vincent Peale, pastor and Christian LOA author of classics like The Power of Positive Thinking, was a close friend of the Trump family. Donald Trump went to Peale’s church services, and Peale officiated DJT’s first wedding.

You can absolutely see the workings of LOA in Trump’s life and behavior. Why do you think he always talks about winning and declares even setbacks to be “wins”? Why do you think he has all that gold covering the rooms at Trump Tower?

It’s the principles of “Believe without a doubt” and “Pretend it’s already yours” in action and full view.
He even TALKS like Peale. Ever notice how many times Trump says, “tremendous”? Guess which adjective occurs with disproportionate frequency in Peale’s books?

You can learn a LOT about manifestation from Trump, as well as from Rich Dad, Poor Dad bestselling author and personal-finance guru Robert Kiyosaki. He will openly talk about manifesting wealth and success.

Other successful people, like rockstar copywriter Gary Bencivenga or famous athletes, say they’re visualizing a beneficial outcome to everything they do.

​It’s all there for those with eyes to see.

Angel M. asked me the following question: 

I have recently finished high school and I am planning to go to college, but I haven't decided the course that I want to take. My parents and relatives are pressuring me to choose nursing. But I am least interested in becoming a nurse. Is there any way in which I can use the LOA to find my purpose and my career?

Here are some tips that have helped my own son who is 17 and will do early college in the fall... PLUS a special manifestation tip.

Tip #1: You don't need to have all the answers right now. A lot of kids your age don't know exactly what they want to do with their life. That's totally normal. Heck, a lot of 30-somethings still wonder what they want to do when they grow up. Besides, few people end up with the same job they started out with initially. Life is full of detours, and many of them are surprisingly delicious. 

Tip #2: List what you don't want to do. If you can't figure out what you want to do, try a process of elimination instead. Make a list of things that you absolutely DON'T want to do. Maybe you don't like math, physics, and chemistry. That means a STEM major would probably be out for you. If nursing is not your thing, put it on the list too. 

Tip #3: Follow your passion, but keep it real. What potentially marketable skills do you have? Are you good at languages? Are you very creative and artistic, or are you more the organized type who feels best if everything is neatly structured? Or maybe you're both.

What subjects were your favorites in high school? What do you do OUTSIDE of school for fun? There are also tons of online quizzes titled something like "What Should I Major In?" Take some of them; they might give you additional hints. 

Manifestation Tip: Let yourself be guided and don't be afraid of detours. 

Here's a personal story. For years, I felt like I was working toward something I couldn't quite put my finger on. All I knew was that one day soon, I'd be in the limelight somehow. I prayed about it and asked for answers, but I didn't get anything definitive. I did the Goodwill Manifestation, with blessings for myself and my path in life.

I thought my path might lead me to become a somewhat well-known author—maybe I'd do readings or book signings at bookstores, maybe my LOA or other nonfiction writing would take off and get me speaking gigs. 

All I knew was that I would be on a public stage, in whatever function. So I started public-speaking lessons and became a member at Toastmasters International (if that's something you're interested in, Toastmasters clubs are everywhere in the US and around the world). I told my dentist repeatedly that I needed healthy, great-looking teeth (I had to deal with a lot of crowns and stuff). 

Over time, I became more and more politically interested, but I didn't put two and two together. I started out as a liberal in a very blue (liberal) state, but then made a complete turnaround and became a conservative.

This caused me to lose all of my friends, which in turn led me to a search for other conservatives. The only kindred spirits I could find were a handful of people who made up the Republican Town Committee.

Before I knew what was happening, I was made a town committee member... and then a county committee member... and just a few months ago, I opened my big mouth again at a meeting and spoke up about some things I thought needed changing... and the county committee chairman suggested I should run for office this year.

I have to admit, I was so shocked that I said no at first. But then I slept over it (which I highly recommend for all important decisions!) and said okay, I'll do it.

And today I'm running for a seat in the Vermont House of Representatives this fall. Trust me, no one has been more surprised than I was. But from experience, I know that when things fall into your lap like this, you need to say yes to all those opportunities... and keep saying yes as long as it aligns with your goals and values. You'll be amazed where you might end up. 

The best part is, all the skills I have accumulated over the past few years—all those skills I didn't know what they'd be good for—are coming in handy now. It couldn't have worked out more perfectly, and I'm extremely thrilled with this new challenge. 

So if things aren't 100% clear this very minute, don't worry too much. You don't have to know today where destiny's winding paths will take you... nor CAN you actually know it. Embrace life as a great adventure, prepare for greatness, develop as many different skills as possible... and then go with the flow.

That new pay raise may feel great for a few weeks or even months, but at some point, it will become the “new normal” and won’t feel special anymore.

The new car you bought is exciting for a little while, but then it too becomes the “new normal.” And so you’ll need higher and higher levels of achievement to procure that same thrill and satisfaction.

It’s called the “hedonic treadmill”—and the way to get off it is not to give into the temptations to consume more, buy more, have more.

The way off the treadmill is in the other direction: to change your life into one of meaning and purpose so you can recognize materialism as the useless prop it is.

The United States is a consumer society; economic growth is achieved by ever higher production and ever higher consumption. But that is not really sustainable… and it’s not really healthy either. We’re taught early on that more is better and he who dies with the most toys wins.

Millennials, who have been forced to deal with scarcity, are beginning to change this, as can be seen in the popular FIRE movement (Financial Independence, Retire Early) that teaches extreme frugality now to reach financial freedom later.

Now LOA disciples will say, “But what abundance? Doesn’t the Law of Attraction teach that it’s limitless? So why not have it all?”

Because behind all the manifestation magic, there’s one magic word that’s even more powerful: ENOUGH.

Sure it’s great to live materially comfortable, but excessive consumption won’t make you happy or fulfilled. As we’ve seen in countless lottery winners, not even a big chunk of money will do it. In fact, a lot of working-class lottery winners wind up in a worse place than from where they started.

What most people don't realize is that they’re trying to fill an inner emptiness through consumption and the piling up of material goods. But this is like the proverbial bucket without a bottom: however much you pour into it, it can never be enough to truly fulfill you.

Then what can fulfill you? What will do the job? Here are some ideas:

Service to Others Instead of Service to Self

Turn around and start serving others instead of just yourself. Think of how to make people happy and put a smile on their faces.

You don’t have to change the world; start with small, random acts of kindness, and actively consider what you can do today to make someone’s day. Over time, you will find this so gratifying that you’ll naturally want to do more.

It’s actually been proven that even people in the thralls of anxiety and depression can drastically improve their health if they get out of their own heads and start working for a charitable cause.

Production Instead of Consumption

Instead of mindless consumption (that goes for products, food, TV, and social media), try producing something in your spare time.

Take up crafting or wood working; take a class that teaches you a hands-on, practical skill like cooking or painting. Start writing short stories or poems, or get going on that memoir or debut novel.

Making something with your own two hands is incredibly satisfying—especially for us brain workers whose only output at the end of the day is a bunch of words and numbers on a piece of paper or screen.

As an added benefit, if you get really good at making something, you might even be able to sell it and make some extra cash.

However, if this means your new hobby just becomes another chore, then don’t do it. To make this work, it’s essential that you keep having fun and not consider your productive side gig as a dreaded “second job.”

Turning to God

A lot of people who try to self-medicate with consumption and short-term relationships really have a “God-shaped hole” in their hearts that nothing will fill… except for getting closer to God.

In 1670, French mathematician, physicist, and Catholic theologian Blaise Pascal wrote:

“What else does this craving, and this helplessness, proclaim but that there was once in man a true happiness, of which all that now remains is the empty print and trace? This he tries in vain to fill with everything around him, seeking in things that are not there the help he cannot find in those that are, though none can help, since this infinite abyss can be filled only with an infinite and immutable object; in other words by God himself.”

Many people who find spirituality or religion report that it made them exceptionally happy and content to feel in communion with God. You might want to give this a try.

I’m sure there are more ways to find non-material fulfillment than these three, but they are a good start to get thinking.

Well, there’s a romantic and a less romantic answer. Let’s start with the latter. It’s called the “frequency illusion.”

You’ve probably experienced this before; so have most other people. You buy a blue Subaru Outback, and all of a sudden you see blue Subaru Outbacks everywhere. Your neighbor drives one. Your teacher drives one. There are three in the grocery store’s parking lot as you go for your weekend shopping.

So what’s up? Has driving Subarus suddenly become the new trend?

No, it’s the frequency illusion. As soon as you shift your attention to something, you start noticing that very same thing more than usual. Your neighbor and your teacher probably had their Subarus for a while (maybe that fact even prompted you subconsciously to want one too), and there probably hasn’t been a sudden increase in Subaru sales since you bought one.

It could be the same with the numbers, 11:11 and other so-called “angel numbers.” You may have read about them and now you’re seeing them everywhere.

The more romantic version: I do believe that our angels/God are sending us messages on a regular basis, and seeing those numbers can pull you out of your everyday grind for a moment and pay attention. To me, it’s the equivalent of a friendly little wave: “Hi, I’m here for you!”

However, these signs can a) be anything you want them to be, and b) mean anything you want them to mean.

a) I used to decide that a sign from God for me would be to find a penny on the ground and being reminded of “In God We Trust.” Once I made that decision, I kept finding a lot more pennies than usual. Frequency bias or sign from God? You decide.

b) You can also decide that seeing the number 11:11 means to you that your manifestation is working and in the process of materializing. Once you decide that, you’ll probably see that number much more often. Frequency bias or sign from God? You decide.
​
I know it’s probably not what you wanted to hear, but it’s you who gives your life and many of the events in your life meaning. Decide what they mean and enjoy the ride!