Linda Howe answers the question:

What is the nicest thing a non-family member has ever done for you?

I love this question. That's a great question. I think the one that was most impactful, really, really touched me the most was my friend Lydia Laraby. Now some years back, I didn't have a car. Okay. I wanted a car. I didn't have one. What I did have, was I had a great imagination. And so I got about this business of, I was going to visualize a car. So I did, and I made a treasure map with pictures of the car. And this was not just any car. It was a specific car. I wanted a white pearlized Cadillac Allanté, with red leather interior, okay.

Even as I say it, now I'm in the car. I wanted this car. Anyway, I got together all these guidebooks on how to manifest. And so I'm following all these prescriptions to make my dreams come true. Now I am a very determined person, sometimes fierce. And I took this on with oh, wholeheartedly. And for about two years, I worked on manifesting or demonstrating this particular car.

And at the end of... It was about two years. I realized I was still on my bicycle and I was furious. And in my fury, I took down all these treasure maps. I tore them up. I had been to the car dealership in my best outfit. And I sat in that car, because I heard that if I could feel like it was mine, it would be mine. I had done all those things. Oh I was mad. I was hurt. I was betrayed. I was just flooded with all these terrible emotions.

And I told the universe, I was like, "Listen, forget it. I'm not dealing with you anymore." And of course I was overcome with relief because the pressure was off. Well, within a couple of days, I was really met with, it was almost like a tidal wave of self honesty. And in the honesty I realized I don't like to drive. I live in this city. Right? I don't want to be worried about a car. I don't want to worry about it getting banged up or somebody bumping into me. I just don't want to be bothered. And with that truth, I was really free. 

So life went on and within a couple of weeks, my friend Lydia Laraby called me and it turns out that her parents were giving her a car. And she had a yellow Toyota station wagon that she had to get rid of. And so if I could pay for the tags, I could have the car. Well I scrambled and I got together. I don't know, whatever it was. A couple hundred dollars and I got it all together. And you know what? I was the proud owner of a yellow Toyota station wagon. I couldn't believe my good fortune.

First of all that Lydia would think of me. Second of all, this car was a dream. I mean, it drove, even in Chicago winters, there were no problems. This car was a champ and you know what else? I never worried about it. I wasn't worried if someone would bang into me or I would bang into someone else. None of that worried me in the yellow Toyota wagon. So, I went along enjoying my good fortune and a couple of years later, my partner and I were going to be moving to the Pacific Northwest. And I knew it was time to pass the car on to someone else, but I didn't know who.

So I made a prayer to the universe. I was like, "Just let me know, show me who gets the car." I knew that Lydia had gifted me with the car. And so I would do the same for someone else. So a few days past, this is so fabulous. One morning I woke up and I went and I looked out the window because the car was usually parked right in front of the house and the car was gone. Well, don't you know, someone stole the car. And I thought, "Well, whoever the heck it is, needs the car more than I did." It was perfect. It was absolutely perfect.

So it was a situation where I don't think Lydia was thinking, "Oh, how can I do something wonderful for Linda?" Lydia was just a good person. And she knew about sharing the wealth, so to speak. She made an incredible difference in my life. So I was blessed by Lydia. I was blessed by the yellow Toyota and I was even blessed by the thief because I saw that... And I really felt it. Whoever took that car needed it more than I did and they could have it. Please take the car. And I was off the hook. I didn't have to make that decision.

So it really was a tremendous learning for me because first of all, I learned that I could visualize from now till kingdom come, but if something isn't mine, I'm not going to have it. I cannot manipulate life into giving me things that don't belong to me. The other thing I learned is that if something's mine, it will find me and it always has. So all the way around.

And then the other thing that was so funny was after the car miraculously disappeared, in direct answer to my prayers. I really felt that I was right in the middle of the circle of life. Receiving and giving in wonderful, wonderful ways. So, my friend Lydia really launched a chain of events that changed my life and really touched me. And here I am years later remembering the whole situation and the very thought of it brings me such joy. And I'll always be grateful to Lydia for that.
 

Dr. Linda Howe is a leading expert and pioneer in the field of akashic studies for personal empowerment and transformation. Her book How to Read the Akashic Records: Accessing the Archive of the Soul and Its Journey received the 2010 Coalition of Visionary Resources (COVR) award for Best in Spirituality/Alternative Science and Spirituality. The first edition of her book Healing Through the Akashic Records was honored with the second runner-up COVR award in 2012. In 2015, her book Discover Your Soul’s Path Through the Akashic Records: Taking Your Life from Ordinary to ExtraOrdinary was released. Her new book is called Inspired Manifesting: Elevate Your Energy & Ignite Your Dreams Through the Akashic Records. Linda’s works have arisen from 25 years of practice with students from all over the world, which includes teacher training, classes, and events.