Several years ago, I hit bottom as I pursued my musical dreams in California. I found myself in my van with no money, job, or hope (click here for the complete story). The only things I had left were a few drums and my laptop plugged into the voltage converter for power .
Everyday I would drive into Santa Barbara looking for any work I could get my hands on. I’d go into to town and offer my computer skills, landscaping, and whatever else I could think of. But for whatever reason, no matter what I did, no one would give me a chance! I couldn’t believe it. Here I was putting myself out there offering to help people with things they needed, and not one single one would say yes.
One day, after the 100th no and having lost all hope, I was driving back to my over night spot I found known as vista park 26 miles north, and I had a total meltdown and totally and completely lost it. I started screaming and crying over the maddening challenge of it all.
I had had it. I couldn’t take it anymore. No matter what I tried, nothing was working. I had $2 to my name and just enough gas to get to my destination, and then that was it.
After I had nothing left in me, I quieted down, wiped away the tears, and kept driving.
But then all of a sudden, I found myself getting off the wrong exit and onto Stork Rd, about 5 miles before my destination. “What the hell is wrong with me?” I turned into a parking lot to turn around but stopped when I saw a Border’s bookstore in front of me. I had no clue as to what I was doing, but I went inside to find a famous author, John Rogers, giving a book signing.
Afterward his talk, I found myself walking up to him and asking him if I could ask a quick question.
I said, “I love what you had to say tonight. But I’m wondering something. I myself am working on material that is related to yours, but I’m confused. Here you are totally successful while I’m living in my van with $2 to my name. What am I doing wrong?”
And he said, “Well, Carl, you have something you have to offer the world, right?”
“Uh, yea.”
“And you need resources to make that happen, right?”
“Yes.”
“Well, then ask!”
“What do you mean?”
He said, “Ok, …
(now this is where it gets spooky…)
“Tell me when it’s enough.”
He then pulls out his money from his pocket …
… and takes a $100 bill and puts it in the palm of my hand. I stare at him wondering if this is some kind of test. So I stood there in silence as he put another $100 bill in my hand….. then another….
“Ok! That’s enough!” I said.
“Carl! Don’t be stupid!” he says.
He hands me another …
…then another …
and then another!
He then put his remaining money, a $20 bill, in my hand and gives me a HUGE, trembling bear hug, and says, “Now go ask that person, then that person, and then that person until you have what you need to get your message out to the world!!”
I just stood there speechless with tears streaming down my face.
In a moment of unknown guidance, I found myself walking into a bookstore with $2 to my name and walking out with a total of $622!!
So there you go! Magic indeed can happen!
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