It all started with an anecdote. Despite even Derren saying that occasionally he'll tell a story that is completely fictional for certain purposes, this one really did stick with me.
First was the story from an old man. He'd grown up, achieved well in school, got his GCSE grades, his A-levels, went to University, got his degree, started at the bottom of the career ladder and worked his way up. Until one day he was at the top of the ladder with nowhere to climb. He'd achieved what he'd considered his goal. Yet when he'd finally got there he didn't feel a sense of achievement. He felt lost. He'd worked all those years and for what.
The message was live in the moment. Something that became even clearer towards the end of the show.
He then introduced the idea of evangelical healing. Something which he totally disagreed with but was going to show what they did just by sitting in the audience. He got us on our feet and shouting hallelujah, holding our neighbours hands who were strangers ( a little too intimately for strangers too!). Next he asked us to sit down and close our eyes. We had to think that we were standing on a beach somewhere. Something beautiful and warm. You can feel it on your skin. A single cloud flying through the air and a boat off in the distance. You could feel the sand between your toes and you look to the right. A figure is walking towards you. As they come closer you realise it is you. And you're told to imagine that this you is perfection. Everything that you want from yourself that would make you happy. We are told to stretch that image. Pull it up infront of you. Make the image sharper and vivid and more real. Make it the size of a cinema screen. Think how it's making you feel to see yourself so beautiful and whole. Now imagine that someone is dragging your image away from you like a catapult. It's all tiny and grey. Think how you're feeling now. You're feeling lost and dejected without that image. But then the image is released and it's flung up to you and it's bigger and brighter than before. Now think of the rush of feelings. How even more amazing you feel. He then did this again and again until the image was real and part of you. He asked us to imagine something that hurts us and stresses us and fade that picture out. Make it grey and grainy and replace it with that wonderful image again.
After this I have never felt so warm and comfortable with myself. A true sense of happiness.
It was following this that Derren delivered another speech. He said that regardless of everything that is happening around you you can only control two things - your thoughts and your actions. Everything else you have no control over. In a football game. You can try your hardest. As long as you know you've done your hardest, you can't do anything else. You can't change someone else's mind or decision. You can't change the past. You need to let it go.
And with this, yet again I felt relaxed and happy. And everything just sort of soaked away. I have been happy ever since. So happy.
It was the final speech that was the crunch. He reminded us that we don't need to go looking for a miracle. Because the miracle is right here. We are all miracles. If our parents hadn't met at exactly the right time we wouldn't be us. If our grandparents hadn't met at the right time then we wouldn't be who we are. All the way through the years, every little thing has led to who we are. And what are the chances of that?
There aren't any. We are just a miracle.
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