I was talking to Sharon today - we had put together about 50 questions we prepared to answer and then taped our discussion and Sharon would type up the discussion as a basis for our ebook "The Big Book Of Luck!" Our discussion was going really well. Ideas were spilling over and we were continually interrupting each other being so stimulated by what the other was saying. Then something Sharon said sparked a lightbulb on in my mind.
We were talking about what makes a person a "lucky" person. I suddenly thought of my son James. He utterly believes that when he sets out to do something, he will achieve it. This is a sign of a lucky person. I just had to tell Sharon the story of what happened to him as a young boy to hard wire in that belief.
At the age of 3 he said he wanted a computer games console (at the time it was a Sony he wanted). I was adamant that he wasn`t going to have one. I was committed to the Steiner ideal that children needed to be surrounded by natural things. Computer games were the last thing on the agenda. I told him (oh so foolishly!) "Not until you`re 9 or 10." Yes, nowI know the calibre of the boy. Then I was due to find out!
He waited. Every so often he reminded me that he was going to have the games console when he was 9. I just hmmed and talked of something else.
When he was 81/2 years old he said he now wanted a Nintendo 64 please for his next birthday. I realised my ghastly mistake!
It was especially difficult because my husband had been made redundant 3 times the previous year and had we had now embarked on a full year of his unemployment. We were very broke. And James (my son) told me that the Nintendo would cost an impossible £160.
"OK" I said brightly. "Right, your dad and me haven`t got that sort of money, my dear. However, I have an idea. If you write a letter to all your friends and relations at your birthday and save the money, we`ll see how much you can get."
By this time we knew that James was dyslexic and dyspraxic so writing a letter would be difficult for him. He could barely read and write. So I wrote out a letter for him to copy.
James wrote his letter to all his friends and relations asking for money instead of a present and bless them, most were really happy to do so knowing that they were giving him something he really wanted. They also knew that it had taken a big effort for him to have asked. This was in July.
He managed to accumulate £60. He then saved his £1 a week pocket money for the next 6 months until Christmas and wrote to his friends and relations again telling them how much he`d managed to save and once again asking for money rather than a present (bless them, some even gave him money and a present!).
On Boxing Day James proudly went with his dad into Reading to get his Nintendo 64 and purchase 2 games with the money.
I have never looked on Super Mario in the same light ever again!
James believed there would be a happy outcome - he was sure of it. And he made sure of it. He was resilient - there were occasions when he grew impatient though he recovered quickly. He had absolutely clear about his vision. He was excited by his quest and knew he`d reach his goal. James fits the profile of a "lucky" person.
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