Changed direction

It was the spring of 1999 and I had one thought on my mind. I desperately wanted to stop smoking. I hated the habit and was not even sure why I had picked it up almost forty years earlier. Perhaps I was looking for a best friend, having grown up lonely.

On this day I walked into a health food store that I had never entered before. I don't even remember what I was looking for. Inside I found a dark man, wearing a cowboy hat. He was the only person in the establishment. I later found out he and his partner owned it. We began talking as he offered me a cappuccino. I eventually told him about my desire to stop a disgusting habit. I told him I had tried everything with no luck. He informed me he was a hypnotist and could help with my desire if I was willing.

After leaving the store I thought about his proposal. I knew almost nothing about hypnosis at that time. A few days later I called and made an appointment to take him up on his suggestion. To make a long story short, I never had the desire to smoke again. It has now been over twenty years.

Meeting this man changed the direction of my life. Most people would probably admit he was a bit strange and some might even say they were afraid of him. I will always be grateful to him for changing the direction of my life. Because of him I began a twenty year period of personal evolvement. I began removing negative aspects from my life, which allowed me to connect with the spiritual side. Some of his favorite expressions were: "think about it and rise above it". After several years the universe gave us a unique experience which allowed us both to move on in peace.

Nine years ago I met another man through Facebook. He was also a bit strange and was part of a "religious" group that has a very negative reputation. He is a Scientologist. Oddly, he also wore a cowboy hat. For some reason I compared the two men. They both seemed to have spiritual knowledge that attracted me to them. The second one had a very bad habit of being very critical of everything I wrote and said. It reminded me of my mother. I put up with it for many years until the day I finally realized he was simply a fake. He had been put into my life to teach me to stand up for myself and what I believe.

So now my life is once again going in a different direction- alone and completely free. I hope!