294 DATE WITH THE GODS"Your negative attitude is understandable. You need
clarity of thought to accomplish what you set your mind
to do. Let me give you an example: You want to have a
motion picture released here in Peru. You build up your
hopes, and you're gung ho on the idea for a while. Then
something happens and boom the whole thing fails.
You're left with nothing. What you're telling me is that
in order for you not to suffer, you must have a successful
project. I sincerely hope your project is a success, but
there's one hidden thing that tells you that it's not going
to work out well in the end. So in order not to be crushed
by disappointment, you say, 'I knew it wasn't going to
work anyway.' Now let me tell you, Chacho, this is
definitely the wrong attitude to take. Remember when
we talked about prayer?"
"What about it?"
"We used an analogy about a penthouse in Rome .... "
"You said that when we pray we must make clear
mental images of the things we would like to do or be
doing."
"Let's give that a more practical use. Don't tell me your
wish; instead, make some mental images of the sort of
thing you'd like to have as far as writing this book.
Something that would make you happy and wouldn't
harm others in any way."
I started thinking I'd like to go back to the United
States, finish my Peruvian business, and have plenty of
time to research all the things I'd learned with Rama.
Rama said, "In order to accomplish what you've just
thought, you have to have some shape and form to your
thoughts. Talk is cheap. It's something like picturing
yourself in a realistic situation with people you're going
to be dealing with-the set up; whether it's an office, a
library, a movie studio, in what city, the kind of clothes
you'll be wearing, if it's cold or warm out. In other