April Lit Mag Brag!

"This is the chance to share your own manifested dreams..."

Welcome to our weekend conversation!

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You know what happened last week? I’ll tell you. Something quite funny (as well as interesting, strange and possibly miraculous!)

Many of you may recall me talking about the Law of Assumption. This is basically focusing on something you want and visualizing yourself already having that thing. It’s a way to trick your brain into “living in the end.” If your goal is to be successful, you must act as though you already are successful. If you wish to find love, you must live as though you have love already. By living in the end, you attract more of what you desire toward you.

There’s more to it, but that’s the gist.

So, this past week, I’d just finished reading a book that I absolutely loved. It was Black and Blue by Anna Quindlen. I’d never read her before, and immediately upon finishing I decided I wanted to read everything else she’d written.

I didn’t want to order the next book from Amazon. I wasn’t sure which one to get and I wanted to touch the hard copies, skim through them before deciding. There is one used bookstore in my neighborhood, but it has funny hours. Our biggest city library is far from my home, a hassle to get to.

So on a total lark, I tried visualization. There is a Little Free Library in my neighborhood. I closed my eyes and I imagined swinging open its squeaky wooden door, finding my next Anna Quindlen novel sitting there, stacked among the abandoned baby board books and cookbooks.

I know, ridiculous. It was a lark! I knew it would not happen.

Sure enough, when I passed the Little Free Library the next day, none of her books were there. Of course not! Trying to visualize a particular book into existence is absurd. That’s not how things work. Visualization was not designed for these sorts of literal attempts to bring forth objects. Only a fool would attempt it. And I was being foolish, I knew.

Several days later I had to go to my eye doctor to pick up my contact lenses. The doctor’s office is in the ground floor of a residential building. The hallway that leads to it has a drab, industrial feel. There is a rehabilitation clinic, an insurance company, and several mysterious doors that are always locked.

As I walked down the hall, my mind busy with the day’s errands, distracted and in a hurry, I suddenly saw a room I’d never seen before. The door stood open. No one was inside.

It was a room full of books.

I kid you not. A random room full of books in the middle of this random hallway in my city.

All the books were free. A box sat on the floor for donations and returns.

Surely, I thought, I would not find my next Anna Quindlen novel here. A quick glance around revealed stacks of Jo Nesbo, Carl Hiaasen, Harlan Coben—thick, powerhouse mysteries and thrillers.

Still, I stepped into the room. It was like walking into Narnia. Was this even real?

Would you believe, then, tucked on the shelves, between those blockbusters, were three Anna Quindlen novels?

I selected two books—Still Life with Breadcrumbs by Quindlen and one I’d never heard of, Spider by Patrick McGrath. I was sure someone would stop me on the way out. Or crazier, that I would look in my bag when I got home and the books would not be there because of course I had fallen asleep on the bus and dreamed this whole thing.

Neither was the case. Two books to borrow. One book the exact one I was looking for. From within a little cave inside my city I’d never even known existed.

All of which is to say, my dear friends, the world works in mysterious ways indeed!

Sometimes you get the thing you want exactly when you want it, in exactly the form you hoped it would come.

Sometimes you picture your outcome happening one way and it ends up arriving later, in another way. Your job is to remain alert, ready, open to the possibility that when the time is right, the opportunity will find you, perhaps in a form slightly different than how you envisioned, but perfect nonetheless. Perfect because it’s yours.

Other times you simply must keep moving toward your dreams, refining your vision, listening, re-orienting your attention, trusting, growing, believing, knowing it will happen, is already happening in ways you don’t even yet realize. The work is working. You must keep the faith.

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But enough about me!

It’s the last weekend of the month and here at Lit Mag News this weekend is all about each one of you.

This is the chance to share your own manifested dreams, all the ways your own ideations, goals, fantasies, not to mention your hard work, your perseverance, your passion, grit, wisdom, intelligence and endless willingness to hustle and hustle hard, brought your vision to fruition.

Tell us: Where did you have work published this past month?

Don’t be shy! Share the links.

And tell us too:

How did you find the magazine that finally accepted the piece?

How many places did you submit to before your piece found its happy little home?

Did you revise as you submitted or was it done and out the door?

Did the editor work with you on revisions?

Are you pleased with the final product?

This is your space so go on and take it! Come on our and step right up and let’s go!

It’s time to brag your lit mag.

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