On most Thursdays between my morning and afternoon client visits, I enjoy a lunch buffet of Southern Indian food. The restaurant, Nirvanam, has a great selection of dishes, the food is delicious and the price is very reasonable. I’ve been a regular there for some time now.

Today while I was munching on some parotta and chicken, I suddenly had the thought that the waiter was going to bring me a free mango lassi. It was one of those really strong realizations that make you stop and think about the power of it. Rather than focus on that thought, however, I just let it go and continued my lunch.

About 5 minutes later, the waiter walked up, smiled and placed a mango lassi on the table. I offered him a huge grin and a thank you. As he walked away, I chuckled to myself that I knew it was coming. But, did I really?

When I’d finished eating and was sipping my lassi dessert drink, I had the realization that there were two obvious possibilities in what I’d experienced:

• I had tapped into the “matrix” and received an insight or premonition of what was about to happen, or;
• In visualizing the outcome, I had prompted the creation of that experience.

Both are possibilities. For many years now, I have tended to look at these situations as receiving information of events along the timeline of my experience. Today, however, I was keenly aware of the possibility that I’d created that event through the “strength” of my knowing.

Athletes use visualization techniques as a means of achieving their goals. Visualizing (or imagining) a sequence of events leading up to our desired outcome is a huge part of creating success. In fact, that technique is now quite common among the movers and shakers of extreme sports, business or just about any endeavour that has an element of risk and reward.

As I sipped the last of my lassi, I understood that both explanations — receiving timeline information or creating the event — were equally valid and relevant. Either one describes an event in which I was open and availing myself to infinite possibility. And for my reward, I was treated to a timely recognition of my awareness. It tasted like mangoes.

Love and laughter,

trane