The boy stopped and looked at the wizard.

"If that is what I have been doing all of my life, I must have been doing something wrong," he said, "because up to now, not much of what I wanted or even wished for has come true. If you say that I can wish for anything and it will just come true then I wonder why .."

"No Shaoni, that is not what I said. It's not your wishes that make things come true. In part, your wishes may help you in the process ... but in itself, they are not enough."

"I should have known." Shaoni said, "There is always some reason why all of a sudden it won't work."

Shaoni realized too late that he had said these last words out loud. He looked at the wizard wondering how he would react.
"Huh, I mean," he added smilingly, "it sounds a bit complicated ... for something I have been doing all my life."

The wizard laughed.
"Well then, let me explain it to you, and let me start with the beginning. Imagine there was a 'force' that would allow you to make your wishes come true. Or better still, imagine you were gifted with a power to create your own world. The only thing you would have to do, would be to believe this world could really come true."

"Sounds good so far." Shaoni said, thinking he was about to win the lottery.

"Imagine this fantastic 'force' really existed. Except ... that you had forgotten how to use it ... you had forgotten how to make the magic work."

Shaoni was walking beside the wizard. 'Stumbling along' would have been a better choice of words because, in an effort not to miss a single word, Shaoni was constantly looking up at the wizard and thus missed seeing most of the stones and roots lying across the small uneven path they were walking on.

"In the unfortunate event that such a thing really happened," the wizard went on, "you might have the impression that you had no control over the things happening to you and that there was not a lot you could do about it. Life would just seem to be ... a matter of luck ... or bad luck sometimes."

Well, Shaoni thought, almost tripping over yet another tree root sticking out, that's exactly how it is! Whenever I wish for something to happen ... sometimes it happens ... and sometimes it doesn't.

"The beauty of life however," Aneola followed his thoughts, "is that we do have the power to create. Whether we want it or not, we are all constantly creating and recreating the reality we live in. It's just that most people don't know about this power. What most people don't understand is that, since the moment they were born, they attract into their lives exactly the things they believe will happen. Not the things they hope or wish for but the things they believe, really believe in."

Shaoni had been too busy fantasizing about winning the lottery to fully understand what the wizard had just said.

"Still, I find it hard to believe that such a force could exist." he blurted.

"Ha, but fortunately that doesn't prevent the Law of Creation from working." Aneola replied.

Shaoni looked at the wizard, feeling a bit confused. He had to admit he didn't really understand what the wizard was saying.

"Oh but it is easy Shaoni. Too easy maybe. You see, the 'Law of Creation' works whether you believe in it or not. It creates your strongest convictions whether you realize it or not. More even ... it even creates them if you don't want them to be created."

"Huh" What do you mean?"

"Well, if you really believe that something will come true for you then it will indeed. Most often however, people are convinced that something will not happen, not for them that is. They believe their wishes cannot or will not come true ... because they feel they are unworthy or not clever enough ... or because they are not the most beautiful in the class ... or because they are too poor ... or simply just because they are always unlucky ...

Then, when their wishes do not get realized, they turn around and say: "You see! These things don't work!"

But what did they project?
What did they believe in?
THEY BELIEVED IT WOULD NOT HAPPEN!!!

So beware Shaoni, be aware of what you expect, be aware of your strongest beliefs. They are the ones that make your dreams come true ... or prevent them from ever happening!"

"Huh?" Shaoni suddenly felt a weird feeling in his stomach. That was one he had to think about.