Thought power

“There sure are a lot more VWs around these days,” my middle son commented.

“You think so, honey?” The kids had learned recently how to play Punch Buggy and had extended the game to include all versions of Volkswagens. They are in their glory (and I hold my breath) when we drive down Daniel Webster Highway past the VW dealership.

“Punch Buggy Red! No punch backs!”
“VW! Blue one.”
“Green one.”
“Black one.”
Whack! Whack! Whack! Whack!
“Hey” – whack – “I said no punch backs!”
A melee usually ensues.

“Yeah, I never used to see them before,” he replied.

“Well, does that mean they weren’t there? Or that you just didn’t notice them?” Volkswagen reintroduced the new beetle in 1998, so while there was a period of time in my lifetime where you didn’t see too many, they have always been around for his.

Silence.

I continued, “This is just like the idea that if you think everyone is grumpy and miserable, you’re going to run into grumpy and miserable people. But if you think most people are happy and cheerful, those will be the people you encounter. It can really color your outlook.” I used that as an example for my youngest’s benefit. He had the dark cloud over his head that morning.

More silence.

“Okay, here’s another example. Before I was a mom, I didn’t think so much about babies. But after I became a mom, I saw babies everywhere! And now that I don’t have any babies anymore (also for my youngest’s benefit) now I don’t see babies so much, I see all big kids.”

Silence again.

“Okay, let’s look at a more similar – and perhaps relevant – scenario. Jeeps.” The Bigs, especially have become super aware of cars these days. So much so that I have begun similarly raising their awareness of what kinds of jobs they’d be qualified for as young teens in order to begin financing the cars of their dreams.

“Why don’t you see what happens when you affirm, ‘I will see a Jeep wherever I go.’ ”

Silence.

“Go ahead. Say it.”

My youngest went first, “I will see a Jeep wherever I go.” I could hear his eyes rolling in the tone of his voice.

“Oh, look at that – a Jeep, right in CVS parking lot!”

“Oh! Yeah!” my youngest said, excitedly.

I glanced in the rearview mirror and noticed my middle son perk up and acknowledge the Jeep. “Your turn, honey.”

He said, reluctantly, “I will see a Jeep wherever I go.”

As we turned down the street towards their day camp, we did, indeed see the Jeep parked in our friends’ driveway. (Luckily this was my ace in the hole because we didn't see one before that.)

Beep beep beep. I honked as we drove by.

When it was time to go to baseball practice that night, I asked the boys to repeat their affirmation. Lo and behold, on the way to practice and in the field of dreams parking lot itself, we saw more Jeeps than we could even count. After practice, were escorted all the way to our next destination by a Jeep that had pulled out in front of us.

“I guess it works,” my son concluded.

“Yes, honey, it definitely works. Not always within the time frame you expect (sometimes it was a few minutes after affirming that he would see a Jeep before he actually saw one) and sometimes not in the form you might want (sometimes he saw the SUV variety as opposed to the roofless and doorless ATV style that he preferred).

I have begun teaching my children to apply the principles of the law of attraction to other life situations.

“I can’t do this stoopid math homework!”
“If you think you can’t, you can’t. If you think you can, you can.”

“I can’t hit past the short stop.”
“If you say so…”

“I can’t reach the faucet.”
“If you…”
“I know, I know…you don’t haveta say it! I’ll get the stool.”

We’ve also become wary of using the words “always” and “never.”

“Our team always loses” might become “our team has lost up until now, but the past is history and tomorrow’s a mystery.”

“I never get to go first” could be “My turn to go first will come.”

I want my boys to know that they have the power to create their own reality, depending on how they think and where they direct their energy. The mind is a powerful force. As Norman Vincent Peale said, “Change your thoughts and you change your world.”

I will see a Jeep wherever I go.