Later, as I grew older, we moved to Bridgeport and then it was another department store. Reid's had a lunch counter and my mother always took me for a tuna fish sandwich and/or coffee ice cream. I even got my hair cut there and toy department was endless. My real dream was to sleep overnight in toy department! I would hide out with all those wonderful Alexander dolls. This was a dream that went unfulfilled in childhood.

So, here I was as an adult -- almost living out an old dream. And live it I did, except instead of tuna fish I ate delicacies from Thailand, and as I lingered over my cafe latte I had a chance to watch people from all over world pass by. Instead of toys I shopped for cosmetics! It was a lovely experience. Those early memories layered themselves so nicely on top of my 'adult' vacation making a three-day hotel stay really something special.

Have you ever had something positive come around again? Perhaps shape had changed but essence was almost same? If you have, can you share it with us as I did? Or if you can't think of anything in particular, try to remember several wishes of childhood and think about how they would reinvent themselves now. This can be fun to do and can even lead to a determined effort to finally make an old wish or desire come true.

I admit it. I talked to myself.

Luckily I was alone when I did it, or I'm sure they'd have thrown old net over me.

I wasn't even sure it would work, but I did it anyway.

It was nothing fancy, just two sentences I repeated, day in and day out.

The first sentence was, "I am a lot more creative than I ever imagined."

The second was, "I have an unlimited number of creative ideas in my subconscious."

Two simple sentences.

So what happened?

At 50 years old I've been given a second chance.

I've gone from throwing in towel and preparing to lead what Walden called a life of quiet desperation, to making my living as a writer.

I can work from anywhere.

I make money doing something I love.

If autosuggestion isn't powerful, I don't know what is.

It's changed my life.