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I’ve always believed in the power of personal manifestation recently made commonly popular with books such as The Secret, which most people who have achieved a modicum of success will tell you was really no great secret at all. But sometimes I have had a little fun with it. Most recently during my annual holiday in Fiji.
I travel with another family who has two children the same age as my son Kai. One day we put the kids in kids club and decided to set off to circumnavigate this idyllic tropical island. It hadn’t looked too big in the brochures and was beautiful white sandy beaches where the resort was, so, in hindsight rather foolishly, without questioning any of the locals we set off on what we thought would be a few hours of a walking adventure.
It started off okay with the postcard white sandy beaches. We turned two points and continued on what looked like kilometer stretches of tropical perfection. Not realising the island had about six points (was a kind of misshapen star) it was not until we passed the third point that we thought we might have issues. The beach was long and towards the end there was dense scrub and from a distance looked to be a rocky point. We passed our one and only person who looked to be a long term ex pat local. Sixty in the shade and skin like leather looking a little like Tom Hanks in Castaway. Worried about the time it would now take us (we had to be back in three hours to get the kids) we asked him how far along we were.
He pointed along the beach and explained most people cut through the coconut plantation and were back through to the resort in no time at all. He looked at us a little strangely when we explained we were doing the whole island. He shrugged his shoulders and walked off after telling us we should do it in under three hours. He also wished us good luck.
We passed the point of no return (the path back to resortville) and proceeded to the part of the beach we couldn’t see from the other end of the beach – for good reason – there was no more beach. Just a huge Rocky Balboa cliffhanger type rock face. It’s probably at this point I should mention we were dressed in swimmers, bare feet and cameras. Hmmm not so good for climbing cliff faces. And so we waded out into the sea only to be walking over slippery sharp rocks and coral.
We decided to swim for about 200 metres then more climbing (and falling) over rocks and coral and we were on the beach – except the beach was hard core busted up coral – not a grain of sand anywhere. Cut and bleeding and with stone bruises all over our feet I stopped and said, “I need some shoes. Universe, please send me some things as I can’t go on without them.”
Three steps later one of my friends picks up a kids thong and handed it to me. It fit (only just) and I limped on with one foot looked after I yelled out, “universe I need another please). Ten more steps and there was another thong. Problem was it was another left foot. And so I said, “sorry I meant another one for the right foot please.”
My friends were having a good old laugh when in a few more steps there were four right shoes. But there were all men’s and crusty old joggers and shoes I would never put my foot for fear of my toes growing something evil…euh. And so I said, “sorry universe. Can I please have a right footed thong this time.”
I’m sure my friends thought me mad but within a few more steps there it was sitting there waiting for me to come get it. Funny thing was it was the polar opposite to the one I was wearing. This was a jumbo man sized thing. Hilarious. By now my friends were convinced I had truly manifested these shoes. And there I was trudging around the coral, mangroves and bindi patch we had yet to conquer to get around the island, ten steps ahead of my barefooted friends singing to myself, “Ask and you shall receive – but be specific!” Bloody funny!
“Three steps forward and two steps back is still one step forward. And that one step is in the right direction so keep walking!!!!!”
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Ajay