Well, this willing thing seems actually to work. I just landed another steady freelance job writing for a magazine (yay, magazines, how I've missed thee!), after nothing more than a phone interview.

LOVE the phone interviews.

Now let's try this one:

I will have a date—even a friend-date—to this big party I must attend next Saturday. If that works, I'll faint.

Willful Thinking

You know that book/movie The Secret that is today's Celestine Prophecy? Well, I bought it and didn't make it past page 20. But the gist of it, according to my hero Ellen DeGeneres, is that if you visualize things, they will come to pass. You know, "if you build it, they will come."

I have always believed this, yet my visualizations have, for the most part, yet to materialize.

But writing things down always helps, because then you are beholden to achieving these things; at least those of which are in your control.

So here goes:

I will meet an intelligent, humorous, smart, handsome, successful man who is not only un-intimidated by my intelligence, humor, talent, honesty, boldness and fearlessness, but who appreciates and admires these qualities in me.

I will run a fabulous magazine, even if it is from Miami. Or I will start my own. Probably I will do the former and then the latter.

I will get married before I am 34, because I do not want to imagine what I will look like when I am 35. I don't care if he's gay; I will have a Tom Cruise/Nicole Kidman-style marriage. I will get the dress and the ring.

I will own a house on the water and a nice little Porsche to go along with it.

I will, someday, maybe in the very distant future, publish a book. Any old book.

I will be self-sufficient.

I will continue to age backwards.

I will own a share in a private jet.

I will cruise the Med in a yacht with at least four staterooms, with people I love.

I will continue to cherish my friends, family and dogs.

I will be true to myself and try not to be so hard on myself when I fail at any number of things, which I do, quite frequently.

I will learn to take things one moment at a time and not sweat the small stuff, like the fact that it's 2:44 a.m. and I'm wide awake with a deadline tomorrow.

I will remember to appreciate all the things I have—big and small—that most people don't.

I will recognize the fact that for all purposes, I have a rather good life.

I will go to bed now.