+ive

I have a packed lunch in my spotted handkerchief tied to the end of a stick.
I have a happy song playing in my head.
I have my eyes wide open and I'm taking everything in.
I have great friends.
I have a loving family.

I have nothing to complain about in my life.

I've spent the last 3 months working in Morocco as a buyer/coordinator for the special effects department on a Ridley Scott film, starring Russell Crowe and Leonardo DiCaprio. Getting paid good money, living in nice hotels, eating good food, going out, blowing things up, having helicopter rides... my life is good.

500 metres from the workshop I was based in was one of the many shanty towns in Morocco, where people live in huts made of found materials. Roofs made out corrugated tin, held in place by rocks. Walls made of corrugated tin or pieces of scrap wood, with plastic sheeting to keep the draft and rain out. In the streets around the shanty town, kids play with sticks, cycle tyres, torment the stray dogs, or see how far they can get on the back of the Land Rover as we drive through... my life is good.

When I get back, I may be going straight onto working on a Mark Romanek film, starring Benicio del Toro and Anthony Hopkins. It runs for about four and a half months, and would sort out all my money 'troubles' in one go. This film has helped, but given the amount of debt I have, it's really just put me a little closer to breaking even. If the next film happens, touch wood, I'll be in a good financial position. A position I haven't really ever been in before for any length of time.... my life is good!


So, people who are reading this who know me will be thinking....'What the hell is he on? Why all the 'life is good' banter?'. Two words for you - The Secret.

I think people who have heard of The Secret will most likely fall into one of three quite distinct and strong perspectives. There will be those who hate it, perhaps not even making it to the end of the book or video. Then there will be those who love everything about it, taking it in and reeling from the impact it has on them. And then there will be those who watch it...think about it.....then see through the drama, the laboured enthusiasm, the overflowing 'can do' attitude of it, and see that, at it's core, The Secret is really a fantastic premise.

I certainly fell into that last category of people. Having already discussed it briefly with the person who sent me the video, I'd already formed negative emotions against it. I have to admit, I nearly pressed stop about 10 minutes into it. The video production plays out like a 90 minute treacle tart strapped to the front of an articulated truck doing 100. It is heavily sentimental, smothered in feel-good propaganda, topped off with a liberal helping of very dubious scientific rhetoric..

At the end....I felt inspired by it. I know all the devices they used were there to make me feel just that way, but after thinking about it, talking about it to other sceptics and friends, I began to see through to the true meaning of The Secret as I understood it, and to really think about how I could use what The Secret offers.

If you want something, there's not really any reason you shouldn't have it. Is there? No. It may take a while to get it, but think like Guinness and you'll get what you want.

I won't go into it too much now, because you should just watch the video or read the book yourself. I'm not even going to link you to it. Go find it; watch it; take it in. Once you've watched it, message me and we'll discuss.

For now, I'm actively taking on the way of thinking that The Secret suggests. Think positive and positive things will happen. It's obvious....so, so obvious. Why do we constantly talk ourselves out of the things we want for ourselves? Anyway, I'm not going into it now!

Tonight I was supposed to be writing an outline for a film I'm making, but I hope the friend who will be reading this thinking 'Ok, this is good...where's the film pitch?' will forgive me. I've spent the night chatting to friends and co-workers. In the spare time I got, I've been writing this. This is important for me. It has helped to clarify what The Secret means to me. This new year will really be a new year, in that I'll be going into it with a positively charged attitude, which I can already feel is doing me endless good. Usually I go into a new year feeling very much the same as most other years. This year will be different.

My present goal is to have the opening to my film, which will be a proof of concept for potential investors or collaborators, written and to be in the early stages of shooting by summer. (I will have actually written the whole script by this point.) That means all elements will have been planned and given the green light to start shooting in summer, and preparations for filming to begin will have started in earnest. Once I start to develop the ideas and script, I'll go into more detail here. The film itself is really an opportunity for many of my friends and coworkers to show off their abilities. The genre of film lends itself very well to an 'anything goes' kind of project, where people can get carried away and really go to town. Watch this space. I've already started thinking about the film a lot more now, and although it's going to be a very busy 4 weeks for me from now on, I will take the time out to work on the film properly.

I'm very tired now. Excessive drinking last night has left me tired. The hotel bar has now closed, and the lobby I'm sat in is very cold. So I bid you all a good night.