The Formula for Making Miracles

So today we've decided to provide you with the formula for making miracles happen. These aren't the type of miracles that happen overnight (well, they can sometime), nor are they the "walk on water/resurrect the dead" type of miracle. The miracles we're talking about are the kind that change your life without you even knowing it. It's the book deal you've always wanted, or the opportunity to attend art school, or the "perfect job" of your dreams. It's the mural you've always wanted to be asked to paint, or the opportunity to study under a premier choreographer, the vision of the "future you" that you know may be possible, if you just believe and reach out.

One last caveat before we reveal all: the formula asks for a lot of hard work and time, so if you're not on board with busting your bootie for your dreams, either jump ship now and embrace the fact that you are choosing to ignore your inner artist, or brace yourself, strap in, and roll up your sleeves and get ready for a paradigm shift.

So the formula for making miracles happen is deceptively simple, yet can be frustratingly difficult.

The big (not so) secret is: D+W+F=O

While that probably makes no sense to you, let's break it down now, shall we?

The D is for DREAM. In movies, when it's bases loaded, down by 3, bottom of the 9th, 2 outs, you know that the batter isn't just thinking "hmm, I hope I'll hit the ball today." You know they are thinking about hitting that game-winning, last minute home run that'll make them the hero. If the batter just aims lower and goes only for a single, most likely this is not enough to pull all your runners into house base and someone on your team will get an out, and your team would be done. In this situation, you have to steel your resolve. Despite the real fear and the overwhelming doubts, you have to commit to dream big (and be ready to make it happen) or you go home with regrets. (It is not enough, to say, "well maybe . . . I would like this . . . it'd be nice" you have to think "Yes! I want it! All the way to the very ends")

Just as the batter is forced to dream big, so must you. Whatever your dream is, make sure you have it stuck in your mind and have it be clear about what you want. So take a step back and think about what sort of miracle you want. Would it be a miracle to own your own successful business that pays you $35k a year? Would it be a miracle to get a lead role in a feature film directed by David Lynch? Would it be a miracle to pay off all your student loans by selling hand-carved wooden figures? Whatever your dream is, be specific and make sure its a dream worth fighting for.

Your dream has to be worth fighting for, because the next part of the formula is going to need some fighting for. W is for Work. Like we said earlier, this isn't the resurrection-type of miracle. We're talking about real, achievable goals being met, and if you really want them to happen, you've gotta work for it. Whatever it is, whether creative or not, if you want the world to help you out, you have got to help yourself first.

Doing the work is not easy, but it is integral into getting what you want. Even if you're a certified genius, you'll still need to work hard if you want to move beyond your given talents. But chances are, like us, you aren't a genius, even if others might think you are. We would wager you probably work harder than anyone else, but you just keep that fact hidden. So given that you aren't a genius, but a normal human being that is talented and amazing, you're still going to have to put in lots of work. Ever heard of the 10,000 hour rule? So your miracle is probably going to need a bit of work, but it'll come. It's just a matter of doing the leg work. Just as you can't win the lottery without ever buying a ticket, you can't make or sell a painting without ever picking up some paint. Keep doing and keep putting yourself out there.

So you're doing the work, and it's long, and maybe it's hard, and maybe you're starting to think "why isn't this working?" If you think "this isn't working," it probably isn't. If you think that it does, it does. If you think that it's hard, it probably begins to be. If you think it's challenging, but doable and it gets easier, it probably does too. Start to get the pattern? The next part in the formula is F for Faith. This is the hardest concept to explain.

Whatever your thoughts are on religion or higher beings or the Universe, one thing that you absolutely, positively, must believe in is yourself and believe that if you take a step forward, the universe takes two for you. Help yourself and people around you can't help but lend their hands to you. You have the power to be proactive and to make whatever situation you are in, better. Trust me, there is always something that can be done that will get you closer to your dreams. And when you are working towards that, trust that whatever you are doing, is working. These miracles are the type that YOU manifest. You have to believe that you can accomplish your goal, and that before you know it, you are living your dreams. Often, most people don't achieve their goals because they give up too soon. They give up at the very moment that they should be leaning into it. The hard work didn't pay off fast enough for them, so they forsake everything and abandon their dreams.

Now people often think superstars in whatever field just explode out of no where. While this might be true a fraction of the time, often times it's not. In the art world, this misperception happens really, really often. You'll suddenly see some artist having solo show after solo show all over the world, and you'll think to yourself "damn, that artist is lucky, they just came out of nowhere." In reality, most of these artist were operating under the mainstream's radar for YEARS before they explode out into the mainstream press. Think about how long David Choe was hitting the streets before he became the world-wide gallery superstar that he is now. Like we said, 10,000 hours is about right if you're hoping to be the best at what you do.

So wait until you start hitting close to the 10,000 hours before you really decide to quit. If you want something like a free cheeseburger, give it a few days. Either way, depending on how large your dream is, the time frame that you'll have to keep believing in yourself despite all adversity will scale accordingly. After all, no one becomes the President of the United States overnight.

So, if you've taken the D+W+F, you'll see your miracles start to happen with the O, cuz that stands for Opportunity. After all that sweat (and maybe some blood and tears), you'll find that doors will start opening. Connections will suddenly become clear, investments you've started years ago will start to bear fruit, your work will be better than ever, you'll be better at hustling for your art. It'll be simple for you now, and you'll wonder about why you thought it was so hard in the beginning. But here is the hard-to-digest truth: It has always been easy if you believe it can be.

Think back, has any "coincidence" or "miracles" happened to you in the past? I know Monkey and Seal met a lot of awesome friends that seem to be in direct alignment to their dreams. We have also had many opportunities for gallery shows, freelance projects, and lasting friendships this way. So start talking about your dreams, take your Dreams and start going for them, put in the hard Work, and have Faith in yourself and believe that it's working and you'll start to see the Opportunities flow like miracles.