Reality is a peculiar and unusual place, and if one fails to pay attention, they may miss out on some pretty incredible things.

During my upbringing, I was raised in an extremely conservative religious household and taught to believe that “God” played a part in everyone’s life. The belief was that if one behaved and followed God’s commandments, they would be blessed, and if they did not, they would be cursed. I was taught about prayer and the concept of asking a higher being for assistance. If the prayer was granted, it was believed to be because of one’s righteousness, but if not, it was assumed that the request was withheld for a greater purpose.

Fast forward to the present, where I am on the brink of my 42nd birthday, no longer a member of that religion nor do I subscribe to their beliefs. However, that religion served as a stepping stone for my personal belief in spirituality. Whether one calls it God, the universe, or anything else, I do believe that there is some sort of order to the universe, and we can manipulate the world around us with our thoughts, feelings, and willpower. Many books I’ve read, such as The Secret, The Compound Effect, The Alchemist, and Siddhartha, have touched on this subject. They all speak of how individuals have the power to shape their reality.

I discovered this power at an early age. Something I have kept to myself is that when I was still a member of that religion, anything I prayed for came true. At first, I believed it to be coincidence, and even experimented with prayers, but every time, the things I earnestly prayed for with genuine desire were granted. Sometimes, the request took years to come to fruition, but it always happened.

However, the results of my prayers were not always beneficial. More often than not, the very thing I prayed for turned out to be detrimental to my mental and physical wellbeing. This is where the age-old adage of “Be careful what you wish for” comes to mind.

After leaving my upbringing and seeking my spirituality, I stopped praying altogether. I refused to bow down to any deity or God that required subservience from its followers. I discovered that most spiritual practices do not require kneeling as an integral part of their faith or practice. So, with that worry out of the way, I continued to learn and study different ideas, spiritual principles, and the very idea of magic itself.

One of the things I have come to believe is that reality as we know it has an overall energy to it. An energy that moves and sways in its own wonderful and magical ways. And if we can tap into that flow, incredible things can happen.

At the beginning of this year, my wife and I shared a plan with the universe. It was not a well-crafted plan, and the details were hazy, but the end goal was clear. We had been discussing this plan for several years and decided, at the start of 2023, to commit ourselves to make it happen. Obstacles, hardships, and difficult times came our way, but we remained resolute in our choice. We were determined that our will would not be ignored, and our choice was firm.

Now, five months after we made that choice and stayed true to our desires, I am amazed as I watch the universe conspire to make our dreams a reality. It is happening, and nothing can stop it. I want to take a moment to express my gratitude to the universe for assisting us in reaching this point, and we eagerly anticipate what the future holds.