10 lucky insights into life

There was a lot of talk this weekend about the lucky powers 07-07-07 was to bring. I even heard from a lady this weekend that more than 43,000 people got married on Saturday just for the luck factor.

Of course, I don't know the complete validity of the lady’s statement, or anything about her other than she’s a baby boomer who’s married to a man who loves to read as much as her, and neither of them can throw their books away. However, what I do know is that meeting her on 07-07-07 was a lucky coincidence because she and her husband bought three bookshelves from my friends and me at our moving sale.

Anyway, all this talk of luck and the fact that most of us will only experience an 07-07-07 day once in our lives got me thinking of all the insights into life I was lucky enough to gain this year. So, here they are:

Nessa's 10 lucky insights into life between 07-07-06 and 07-07-07

1. The hardest thing in moving on is letting go of any guilt, hurt, anger, love, hope or expectations that hold us back either professionally or personally.



2. Mending a broken heart is easier the second time around - especially when there are friends and family helping you put it back together.



3. Rumors may spread like wild fire - but they can only destroy your dignity if you let them.



4. Discontentment is a warning sign that there's a sharp curve ahead in the "Journey of Life" Road, and ...



5. ... having the courage to steer into the curve keeps us from getting stuck in a rut.



6. True friends are those who care to point out your dysfunctional behavior.



7. There's something to be said for only dating men who have real beds.



8. Doubt is a weed that can strangle us if not plucked early.



9. Death and existence are evident, living isn't.



10. Finding home means finding yourself.

luck - n. the force that seems to work for good or ill in a person's life

I've never thought of myself as a superstitious person, but on Friday I realized how much attention I give to impulse wishes made on shooting stars, yellow stop lights, and digital clocks turning to the hour of 11:11.

Even though very few of these wishes have come true, at least to my knowledge, I keep making them.

The impulse wish that caught my attention on Friday was made while walking to the final interview for a new job in Seattle that could open many doors for me both professionally and personally.

As I was walking to the interview, I noticed the latch of my necklace had moved to the front and was touching the sparkling gem that the chain was holding. So, I held the latch and thought of how much I wanted this new job and the new life it could bring about for me. I guess it wasn't really a wish I made; just more of throwing a thought out to the universe and hoping it heard me. Then I moved the latch to the back of my neck and kept walking.

While I make a lot of silly and impulsive wishes on random things, wishing on necklaces is something I put a little bit more thought into, because every piece of jewelry I own has a special meaning to me. This particular necklace came from my acting coach in New York, JoAnna Beckson, who I lovingly refer to as my Manhattan Mama. I wear the necklace and matching earrings, which are very simple and silver with just a hint of sparkle, to every big interview and occasion in my life.

Shortly after wishing on the necklace, I looked down and noticed the chain of it had broken and the sparkling gem was nowhere in sight. I looked up and down the sidewalk from the point where I had made the wish to where I had noticed the necklace was broken. The whole time I kept thinking, "This isn't good. This isn't a good omen at all."

After several minutes of looking like a scatter-brained lady searching the sidewalk, I gave up and continued walking to my interview while nervously fiddling around with the broken chain of my necklace. That's when I remembered about a girl I met at theater camp one summer who wore a very fragile and frayed bracelet on her wrist. She said it was a wish bracelet, and that once the bracelet fell off it meant the wish she made when she put it on would come true. Granted the idea of the wish bracelet came from the imaginative mind of a 14-year-old girl, the thought brought comfort to me in losing the sparkling gem of a very special necklace.

Then, right before I went in for my final interview, I decided to straighten out my suit and the sparkling gem fell softly to the floor. All I could think was, "This is good. This is definitely a good omen."

Low and behold, I was officially offered the job yesterday and will be moving to Seattle before the end of the month to start my new life. So, I think I'm going to keep wishing on little things and walking through every door that opens for me. That's how I've lived my life so far, and have walked through enough doors to have traveled all the way from one ocean to another.