I once read in a book that we only perceive things that we want to perceive. It sounds too simple or too good to be true to hear that when we shift our focus to good things, good things start appearing, and bad ones disappear. However, I have had many interesting experiences in my life to testify to this.

I have always wanted to pursue higher studies in the United States. Some might think that I chose this path after deep thinking and weighing my career options based on my academic performance and financial status. But it really goes back to my childhood when I used to watch dubbed TV series like ‘Dennis the Menace,’ and ‘I Dream of Jeannie.’ I would complete all my homework and wait for these shows to come on the TV. When they were aired, I just got lost in them. I did not realize it at the time, but I had fallen in love with the USA and everything about it! As I watched these TV shows, I felt I was someone in the shows, that I belonged there. I just knew that I did. This was when I was about 7 or 8 years old, and I doubt I could even spell ‘ambition’ or ‘career’ back then.

It always stayed somewhere deep in my mind, but I never consciously thought about it. My family had never even been out of the state, forget abroad! We were always on a tight budget as my father was the only earning member of the family and supported three kids, my mom and my grandmother. No one ever went further after college. In India, mere graduation from college is not always good enough to make a great career. My father would never encourage my sister or brother to take further education and never believed in their capability. He thought they were only wasting his hard-earned money.

As I began college, I met this guy, and we both liked each other. He came from a very successful family, and just casually, he mentioned that he was planning to pursue his higher studies in the USA and that it required specific tests to be qualified. I spurted out that I was definitely going to take these tests. I heard this information for the first time, and my decision to take them already existed!

We eventually split due to some reasons and I felt very sad for many months as he was my first love. At that time, I started getting more and more information about those tests from the internet. Most people are unaware of this information, and even though they are capable, they are not able to make it in time. Only those people who come from highly educated families have all the required information. Looking back, I now realize that I attracted him into my life to guide me in the correct direction.

I met another guy who I thought was very serious about having me in his life, but he hurt me as well. He always mentioned how he likes being spiritual. We split, and it was again a bad phase in my life, but I thought maybe now I could focus on my tests. I started doing meditation and affirmations to get back on track. It helped me greatly. It was the pursuit of spirituality that led me to The Secret. Therefore, I see his purpose in my life, too, and I am grateful to him.

I was home during a vacation when I suddenly had an urge to call a friend of mine who was very hard to get on the phone. He answered my call and then asked me if I had applied for my first test because applications were accepted only in a particular season and not later. He had made the mistake of applying late and lost the opportunity, so he wanted to make sure that I did not repeat his mistake. We talked for 30 minutes, and he told me how and where I should start the application process. I hung up the phone and told my dad I was going to the USA, which meant he would have to pay for it. At that time, he earned about $800 a month and my estimated expenditure was $25k!

He started calculating his savings and looking for loans or people to borrow money from. Surprisingly, my father had turned to a man who believed in my dreams the most!
The same month, my mother heard from my uncle that they were selling my grandpa’s place where three uncles lived and would divide the money among themselves and move elsewhere.

Guess how much my mother got for her share? $20k! Then my grandmother gave her $4k from her share. My parents had never seen more than $10K in their entire lives! Then my father’s salary suddenly was increased to about $1000 a month.

It was time for my first visa interview, and without knowing much about the interview process, I secured a 10 year visa. Then I came to know there are people who had previous visits all over the world and who practiced for the interviews but were rejected many times! This is embarrassing, but I did not know about this. You are interviewed a second time at the POE, and that decides your duration of stay. I just had in my mind that I needed six months, and that’s what I got! I then heard from people that they are sometimes allowed only three months, which is insufficient time, and they have to try hard to extend it! I did not face problems because I did not know about them!

The place where I went to college had many students coming from rich families. They always made that very apparent to others. They went to expensive restaurants and trips and ate expensive chocolates that I had never even seen before. When I told them that they must be delicious, what was the name of this chocolate bar? One of them gave me a ‘why do you care? You can’t afford it anyway’ look, and did not even bother to respond to me. Soon after college, when I left for the US, all of them were shocked! Those who did not think I even deserved to be talked to started chatting with me online and were very curious to know more about me. Now I can spend lavishly on food and travel and bring home many expensive chocolates.

I now know that with the knowledge of The Secret, I can have much more abundance in my life! Infinite thanks to The Secret team!