Magical Power

During a hot day in Rome, Italy, in a wide alley, little Johnny was playing. He was running around excitedly, battling imaginary aliens in his mind. His imagination was so vivid that it felt as if the aliens were brought into the physical world. The green toy gun in his hand was firing imaginary bullets, and he was making shooting noises with his mouth. He was taking down one alien at a time, dodging their bullets as they missed him.

Johnny’s face was flushed, his breathing rapid, and his forehead damp with sweat. His messy brown hair clung to his skin. From a nearby window, his mother, Alena, called out, “Johnny, lunch is ready!” But Johnny didn’t hear her; his mind was fully immersed in his imaginary battle. After a couple of minutes, she called again, but Johnny was still lost in his own world, fighting aliens on another planet.

Finally, Alena stepped outside. Her dark brown curly hair was tied into a ponytail at the back of her head. She squinted her light brown eyes against the bright sunlight, watching her son as he crouched behind one side of a table, dodging imaginary bullets. She looked up at the sky, closed her eyes, and smiled, silently expressing gratitude in her heart. Moments later, she opened her eyes and walked over to Johnny, gently tapping him on the shoulder. He spun around instantly and started shooting at her with his toy gun. In that moment, Johnny returned to reality.

It was impossible to ignore the aroma of the spaghetti—a delightful mixture of garlic, basil, tomato sauce, cayenne pepper, and olive oil. His mother asked him to wash his hands. Johnny dashed to the bathroom, quickly washed his hands, and came out with his shirt soaked in water from rushing to get back to the spaghetti.

Little Johnny finished his lunch and ran to his room. The room wasn’t spacious, but it was well organized, most of the furniture was blue, the walls were painted light blue as well. His bed was adorned with a blanket that displayed a night sky. A warm breeze flowed through the white curtains as he lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling, and began flying through the sky in his imaginary world.

Johnny was an only child and didn’t have any friends. He lacked social skills and lived in his dream world, which was filled with imaginary companions. His father had passed away years ago, and his only companion was Paul, his grandfather.

Paul was a retired manager of a well-known bank in town. Johnny and Paul shared a close relationship. They spent hours together, with the old man sharing the secrets to achieving greatness. However, Johnny rarely paid attention, as much of the advice was beyond his understanding. Paul often spoke about the importance of dreaming and writing down ideas. But Johnny, being young and naïve, listened without ever acting on the wisdom shared with him.

Johnny didn’t have many responsibilities around the house. Cooking, grocery shopping, and cleaning were all handled by his mother and grandfather. He lacked discipline and spent most of his days lost in daydreams.

Years passed, and he graduated from college with a degree in business analysis, a field that didn’t appeal to him. He felt no motivation to pursue a career in business. After a couple of months, he was hired as a waiter at a local coffee shop. The only thing he enjoyed about the job was the free tiramisu and coffee. Johnny had outgrown his childhood fantasies of aliens and flying, but he seemed to have lost his spark along the way.

At 19 years old, Johnny had no hobbies, friends, partner, car, or anything that brought him joy. His life felt monotonous, like he was trapped in his own version of Groundhog Day. Each day followed the same routine: going to work at eight in the morning, eating lunch at noon, returning home by five in the evening, and staring at walls or the ceiling until bedtime.

Months passed, and nothing particularly exciting occurred in Johnny’s life. Then, on a crisp fall day, after finishing his shift, Johnny decided to take a different route home. The streets were adorned with a blanket of orange leaves, and passersby, dressed for the season in hats, fedoras, raincoats, and gloves, clutched umbrellas in one hand as they strolled along.

For the first time in his life, Johnny began to appreciate his surroundings. He admired the beauty of the old architecture—the marble exteriors, the brown-framed windows—and enjoyed the cold breeze brushing against his face. It was the most profound experience he’d ever had: living in the moment and savoring it.

As he walked, something caught his eye on the left. It was a bookstore named La Libreria Reale—The Royal Bookstore. In the window display, a book stood out under a spotlight. Its high-quality black leather cover gleamed, reflecting the light. A red ribbon ran from the tail to the headcap of the book, and the title, embossed in golden letters, captured his attention. As Johnny viewed it from different angles, the light made the gold letters and black cover shimmer in fascinating ways.

The title of the book was “The Law of Success in 16 Lessons” by Napoleon Hill. The author’s name rang a bell for Johnny, as his grandfather had often spoken about him. He hesitated for a moment, then overcame his fear of interacting with a salesperson, took a deep breath, and stepped inside.

A young lady approached him with a smile and said, “Hi, welcome to La Libreria Reale. How can I help you today?”

He pointed to the book in the display window.

“Oh! That’s the original and exclusive edition of that book. Let me get it for you,” she said, heading behind the counter. She retrieved a leather box and brought it over to Johnny.

The box was a rich royal navy blue, and the author’s portrait was meticulously painted on it. The design was exquisite. The young lady carefully opened the box, revealing the book again. Johnny’s eyes widened with excitement.

“I’ll take it!” he exclaimed.

She smiled, placed the book back in the box, and asked him to follow her to the cash register. After scanning the barcode, she said, “That will be 799 euros.”

Johnny hesitated, turning red with embarrassment. He only had 156 euros in his pocket and bank account combined. Speechless, he didn’t know how to explain that he couldn’t afford it. Feeling tempted yet helpless, he noticed the line of people forming behind him. The last person in the line was Paul, his grandfather.

Paul quickly assessed the situation and approached the saleswoman. “I’ll pay for my book and this young man’s book,” he said kindly.

After leaving the store, the two began walking home. Paul was blissfully happy, knowing his grandson was about to read a book that had transformed the lives of thousands.

“I’ve been visiting that bookstore for quite some time,” Paul said. “I’ve never seen you there before. How did you come across that book?”

“I decided to take a different route today,” Johnny replied. “I noticed the book in the display window and was immediately drawn to its design. It was impossible for me to look away.”

Paul smiled, feeling proud of Johnny.

They arrived home, and Johnny went straight to his room. He took the book out of the box and stared at the picture of the author on the cover. Napoleon Hill seemed to be looking directly at him. Something in Johnny’s mind urged him, “Open the book.” It was quite a thick book, and Johnny felt overwhelmed by how he would manage to read it all.

Johnny opened the book and began reading at twenty to seven in the evening. Hours passed, and his eyes moved rapidly from left to right. He didn’t notice the time passing, but his back started to hurt. He stretched, cracking a couple of bones in his spine, and moved his neck from left to right, feeling numb after having kept his head bent for so long. Suddenly, he noticed the time. It was quarter after four in the morning.

He wasn’t sleepy at all—he was energized. However, he knew he had to wake up at eight in the morning for work. He went to bed, closed his eyes, and thought about what he had read. At seven the next morning, Paul went downstairs to make some tea for himself. He was absolutely shocked to find Johnny sitting at the table, still reading the book. Paul decided to quietly go back upstairs so as not to disturb him.

At lunchtime, in the coffee shop, Johnny couldn’t stop reading. He had ordered a hot cup of coffee but forgot about it. The coffee went cold, but Johnny didn’t care. After two days, Johnny finished the book. He decided to talk to Paul about everything he had learned so far.

Paul was sitting in front of the fireplace, reading a magazine, when he noticed Johnny standing in front of him, holding the thick leather book. His fingertips turned white from gripping the heavy book, trying to keep it from falling.

“I’ve finished the book,” Johnny said enthusiastically.

Paul was shocked, not expecting it at all. He raised his eyebrows, looking at Johnny over the top of his glasses. “That’s wonderful! What have you learned so far?” Paul asked.

“There’s a lot of material. I’ve learned a lot. What should I do next?” Johnny asked.

“You’ve learned all the material so far. Now, you have to apply it in your life,” Paul replied. “How did you finish the book so quickly?”

Johnny thought for a moment and responded, “It was so engaging. I just wanted to finish it as fast as possible. I want to be successful, but I’m not there yet!”

Paul smiled and asked, “How do you define success?”

“I want money—lots of money,” Johnny replied.

“Having a lot of money takes time. If you want thousands of euros, you can acquire that much faster than millions,” Paul said. “You’ve gained knowledge so far. Now it’s time to put it to the test by applying it. You’ll learn what works for you and what doesn’t. It’s called trial and error. It’s like planting a seed. There’s a time for planting, and then, after a while, it’s time for harvesting. It takes time. When are you going to apply what you’ve learned?”

“Tomorrow,” Johnny responded.

“You’re postponing your result for a day, aren’t you?” Paul asked.

Johnny hesitated, unsure how to respond. Paul continued, “Ideas are like clouds in the sky. If you don’t capture them, write them down, or apply them, they will disappear forever. Every time you have an idea, it takes only a couple of minutes to write it down and capture it for future use. And if you postpone it—even for just an hour—you will lose it permanently.”

“No! I’m going to do it right now!” Johnny responded, furiously.

Paul smiled and nodded. Johnny rushed to his room and began writing down a plan for his future. He focused intently on the paper, the reflection of the pen visible in his eyes, biting his bottom lip from excitement. Hours passed quickly, feeling like only minutes to him.

When he finally put his pen down, the ink was nearly gone. He started with a stack of papers, disorganized and bulky. The blue ink on the first page was much brighter than the ink on the last page, as his pen was running out. He kept looking back and forth between his notes and drawings.

Johnny began to find a true meaning in his life, and there was a massive shift. He started to dream again—not about aliens, but about achieving his goals. His imagination became incredibly vivid, and he felt a strong urge to accomplish his desires.

Months passed, and Johnny was still working at the coffee shop while also working part-time as a broker at an insurance company. His communication skills grew stronger, especially as he worked remotely with a lot of prospects. After his shifts, he would go home and continue working and educating himself to further develop his skills.

One day, he decided to stay and read a book he had just started. It was a bit chilly outside, and though he wasn’t craving coffee, he wanted a hot chocolate. It was warm and cozy as he sat down at a shared table, opened his book, and began reading the preface written by the author.

After about half an hour, he felt as though someone was watching him. He looked around and saw a lady sitting next to him. She was wearing a simple brown leather jacket with no pockets, and shiny gold buttons. Underneath, she wore an ivory turtleneck shirt. A golden cross necklace rested on her chest, depicting the flesh of Christ nailed to the cross. It was a detailed design.

On her left wrist was a golden watch, its diamonds sparkling. The black text on the watch displayed the day and date—Tuesday, the 28th. An ivory hairband kept her light brown hair neatly away from her face. Her light brown eyes moved rapidly from left to right, scanning Johnny’s book.

She smiled, her voice laced with a refined British accent, and said, “A few years ago, I had the pleasure of reading that book, and it profoundly inspired me to embark upon the journey of establishing my own business.”

“What do you do for a living?” Johnny asked, curiously.

“I am the Chief Executive Officer and founder of my esteemed real estate enterprise, Regency Estates and Holdings. Our firm specializes in constructing and renovating properties, as well as facilitating sales and rentals. It is widely regarded as one of the most successful companies in the United Kingdom. My name is Charlotte, by the way. May I inquire with whom I have the pleasure of speaking?” she responded.

“I’m Johnny. Nice to meet you,” he replied.

“Might I trouble you by offering you something?” Charlotte asked.

Johnny nodded, and she pulled a S.T. Dupont fountain pen from her purse. The body of the pen was black and reflected the light. She unscrewed the gold and black cap, ready to start writing. The initial “D” was engraved on top of the nib. There was a notebook in front of her on the table, with Regency Estates and Holdings printed on the top of the page.

She started asking questions to understand what Johnny was truly passionate about, helping him identify his main desire in life. The conversation continued for hours, and as time passed, she began drawing on a piece of paper that Johnny couldn’t fully comprehend. The store was about to close, and he didn’t have a chance to ask her about the drawing.

Johnny began walking home, staring at the drawing. He couldn’t stop looking at it all night. It wasn’t a fancy drawing—just a sketch of a book, gears, and some sparks. He felt quite annoyed, as if she had wasted his time, and he hadn’t been able to read or focus on his part-time job.

Lying in bed, staring angrily at the ceiling, he pondered the meaning of the drawing. Eventually, he drifted off to sleep. Outside, the snow was falling, and the wind howled. Everything was buried under the snow, while the wind’s sound echoed through the house. Though no one was in the room, there was a distinct sensation, almost as if a comforting presence lingered nearby.

In his dream, he was walking on a beach. The sand felt warm under his feet, just the right temperature to be comfortable. The sun was shining brightly on his skin, so much that he had to squint his eyes. He walked closer to the water, feeling the wet sand beneath his feet as the waves touched his toes. A gentle breeze began to blow from behind him, and it felt good. Suddenly, he felt the presence of his father, who had passed away when Johnny was young. His father stood behind him.

The energy of his father’s presence was so powerful that the wind grew stronger. Johnny turned around and saw his father standing in a white robe. Johnny ran toward him and hugged him, tears streaming down his face. His father held him tightly, and the sun shone into the father’s eyes, but it didn’t bother him.

“You’ve grown so much, son. I’m honored to witness you achieving your goals and dreams,” his father said.

“Why did you leave me?” Johnny asked, his tears continuing to fall.

“Everything happens for a reason. It was my time to go. There is a higher power that decides when it’s time for each person to leave,” his father replied humbly. “One day, you’ll understand what I mean.”

“I don’t understand a lot of things,” Johnny said, still crying. “I don’t get what people are saying to me. I met a lady today. She just drew a ridiculous picture and didn’t explain what it means.” He paused and continued, “Paul and I used to have great conversations, but I don’t understand him anymore. My ability to grasp what people are saying is decreasing.”

His father smiled and asked, “What are they saying to you?”

Johnny hesitated for a moment, scratching his head. “I don’t know. Charlotte just drew a book, gears, and some sparks. Paul keeps saying, ‘Learn the knowledge and apply it…’” Johnny stopped, his eyes widening as if he was suddenly struck with understanding. He looked at his father, waiting for confirmation.

“My son, now you understand. There’s a saying: ‘Knowledge is power, only when it is applied.’ You know a lot. You’ve been fortunate enough to read many books. You took action by purchasing them. That was the action, and with it came power. Right now, you’re reading a lot and learning many things. You have the knowledge, but you don’t have the power yet. It’s time to apply what you’ve learned and start experimenting,” his father said.

Johnny stared at him for a moment, and everything began to become clearer and clearer in his mind. His father began to fade into the brightness, and before disappearing, he said once more, “It’s time for you to start applying the knowledge.”

Johnny opened his eyes and awoke. He rushed to his desk, turned on the lamp, and stared at the paper for a moment before smiling. He grabbed a marker and wrote underneath the drawing:

“Knowledge + Action = Power”

At that moment, he turned on his laptop and started applying the knowledge immediately. Within a couple of days, miracles began pouring into his life. He was hired as a salesman at a BMW dealership and resigned from the coffee shop. He became an avid reader, applying all the techniques he was learning. After a short period of time, he had become the number one salesman at the dealership and was promoted to sales manager.

One day, he sat in his office, reflecting on his life. The little Johnny, who once was just a dreamer, was now an achiever. He still looked back and remembered fighting aliens and flying over the city in his mind. He felt grateful for the great gift he had been given—his imagination. On the corner of his desk sat a frame, showcasing Charlotte’s drawing: a book, gears, and some sparks.

He felt a tingling at the back of his mind, signaling that he was on the right track. Looking toward the future, he had more dreams and desires to accomplish. He glanced to the right at the wall, where a quote read:

“Knowledge is power, only when it is applied.”

~ David J. Schwartz

To be continued.