I am
Harvard-educated lawyer, who, for years rebelled against my
training and education. I held resentments about Harvard, every
past employer, hid myself away from most former classmates and the
practice of law itself. I turned my back on the profession,
choosing instead a career in the arts— partly because it was a
career 180 degrees in the opposite direction from law!
But my new
profession didn't seem to be panning out. Though I got lots of
nice rejection letters, I never could seem to break through and
become a published author. I made ends meet with various projects
I absolutely hated (a little legal work here, a temp job there,
and various freelance projects). I always felt undervalued in
these jobs-- and racked up a mountain of debt because my new
lifestyle couldn't support my old obligations.
Things went from
bad to worse. My car was repossessed, I was months behind in rent
and constantly worried about being evicted. I even considered
apply for Welfare. My parents and friends couldn't understand it:
I was smart, talented and energetic. Why was my life in such a
mess?
Then, I met
Paula and started practicing the Art of Abundance.
Over the past six months, Paula taught me many things, including:
-
to stop
accepting any opportunity that didn't completely resonate in my
heart—which meant I had to turn down the "jobs" I hated—even
though in my perception, those hated "jobs" sustained me and my
daughter;
-
to edit
negativity out of my vocabulary and my thoughts;
-
to make peace
with my past and bury my resentments toward others;
-
to keep my
attention on the goal—and not the process of getting there;
-
to tithe 10% of
what I had, no matter how little it seemed;
-
to pay all my creditors
something—even if was as little as $1.00 or even fifty-cents!
None of this was
easy. Turning down opportunities to make fast cash when your
checking account balance is near zero and you're the sole provider
for a growing seven-year old was difficult. It was also difficult
to contact old professors, classmates, employers--- all people
whom I was sure had "done me wrong"-- to thank them for the life
lessons they taught me.
But the hardest
thing was trusting God, the Universe and myself to provide
something better than the life I had— when my very logical mind
screamed out: "Do something quick!"
It's been a wild
ride: one minute, trusting totally; the next minute, consumed
entirely by fear and doubt. And it's not over. Not by a long
shot.
But the following
things have happened since I started working with
Paula and
the Art of Abundance six months ago:
My agent sold a
second novel I haven't even finished (he didn't even know
what the book was about) to the same publishing house a
day later. The advances for the combined sales will net more
than any of the jobs and projects I turned down over the prior
six months.
I was offered
the opportunity to contribute a short story to another book
project—an anthology of coming of age stories for young women of
color. That book will also be published in Fall 2004.
I've been
offered the opportunity to teach writing workshops to aspiring
adults through Winter and Spring 2004—and to be paid well for
those classes. This is something I really want to do;
I've become
involved with the local elementary school's Write-A-Book program
and I have the joy of volunteering time to help children write
their very first stories;
I made peace
with my parents, my past employers and reunited with old
friends. I've healed riffs that had been festering for decades.
I even made a new friend: myself.
A play I wrote
is being submitted by a friend to theatre companies in Atlanta;
I've learned
the importance of tithing.
I am more certain of myself
and my value in the world than I ever have been before.
Today, I got an
email from a representative of a movie studio—he's interested in
reading my novels with an eye toward buying the film rights!
Understand: for two years, I wrote screenplays trying to
"break-in" in Hollywood. Now, effortlessly, Hollywood's coming to
me!
I'm no longer
writing in a vacuum, hoping someone will notice me. Suddenly, all
of my projects are in demand—and I have more new writing work than
I can do! People I have known for years are lining up to help
me—and new friends appear daily, eager to help me build my
career! It's wonderful!
In six short
months, the Art of Abundance has completely changed my life. I am
making a name for myself in the career of my dreams and happier
and more prosperous than I have ever been in my life.
I will never stop
practicing these prosperity principles since, this is only the
beginning. With these successes my goals have expanded. Now, I
see myself at the top of the Best Seller lists and, through
continuing work with prosperity principles, that goal (or
something better) will manifest, too!
Thank God for
Paula and her awesome work.
Karyn Langhorne
,
author "A Personal Matter" (September 2004) and "Street Level"
(June 2005), both from
HarperCollins
Critical Praise
"Langhorne pens a wonderful debut novel that flows
smoothly, is original and has superb character development and
several meaty subplots."
--Romantic Times
Yes, I want to see what's included in Giving Thanks: The Art of Tithing.
