Participants preparing for the Workshop

Nick—a musician and first-time workshop participant—sat in the hot seat before the June 1st Vortex of Attraction Workshop started. His enthusiasm oozed off the stage of the Stamford Marriot Conference Room. He hadn’t even bothered to find a seat in the audience.

“You’re going to be in the hot seat,” a passing woman said to Nick.

“I know it,” he said. “She knows it. You know it.” And I was pretty sure he would get a chance to ask his question.

Esther came on stage to a standing ovation, and quickly started channeling Abraham, a group of spiritual beings said to express Infinite Intelligence.

“Do you know what you are wanting?” she asked.

For the first time since I can remember, I didn’t really know what I was wanting.

“Do you like the expansion of your desire?”

I couldn’t really say yes to that either, because wanting what one doesn't yet have can be frustrating.

The girl in the hot seat spoke about wonderful things happening in her life

A participant expressed yearning for a person she was not currently with. This girl said that everything else in her life was going wonderfully, except for this one point.

“What if there were a willing version of him?” asked Abraham.

“But I want him,” she said.

For the first time, I heard the words about the willing version of the one you love as a positive thing.

“I don’t feel worthy,” the girl said.

“You are beautiful, “ shouted Nick, to applause.

“Don’t waste your words,” said Abraham, to laughter.

Abraham spoke about momentum.

“You only have to give attention to something for 17 seconds for it to gain momentum,” they said. “If you continue that for 68 seconds, which is 4 times 17, there will be enough momentum that it will play out.”

“Go to bed and think about how tomorrow will be a nice day. Wake up and feel good, “they said. “ Ask what disc have I chosen? What momentum is to be gained? Pick a disc. If you drop, take a nap or do anything to get to a higher place.”

I understood that discs represent different emotional levels, with the higher ones being the happiest.

Nick getting the feel of the hot seat

After 12 hot seaters, Nick was the thirteenth and final person to be chosen.

“Do I have to focus obsessively on practicing guitar to be good at it?” he asked. “Steve Vai said he played 12 hours a day.”

“Everything you do that is fun will improve your guitar playing,” said Abraham. “What he’s saying is the momentum of my desire is so great that I spent many hours in this process. Those who have mastery have inspired action. It’s not the hours but the disc you’re standing on when you put the hours in.”

Interestingly, the feeling of standing on a higher disc stayed with me after the workshop.

As Abraham said, “I believe in being a creator of reality and not an observer. I can be thrilled with the possibility even before any doors are opened.”

Firefighters are ready to deal with matters of life and death on a daily basis. So in a way, it was appropriate that I attended the FDNY Calendar Event last week, when I was dealing with matters of life and death, also. But the FDNY Calendar is also about men showing off their abs, so that was a little less appropriate. Still, an effective distraction can be useful in trying times.

Gita Sellei with a Firefighter

I joined Gita Sellei of Distract TV and four friends at the Firehouse, a sports bar on the Upper West Side for the NYFD Calendar Charity Event. Gita soon persuaded all the firefighters present to remove their shirts, pose for pictures and sign our calendars. I acquired such choice inscriptions on my calendar as, “The only pole we’ll be working with is the one in my pants,” and “I’ll be happy to put out your fire any time.” Unfortunately someone purloined my calendar, which had my name all over it. If you buy your own calendar, part of your purchase will support the Burn Centers of New York.

Wrestler Veve Lane lifting a firefighter

New York Firefighters receive around 14 calls per day, and between those, they clean and check equipment, cook, eat, and judging by their appearance, work out a lot. Although there were none at this event, the Fire Department strongly encourages women to become Firefighters.

“How do you get chosen to be in the calendar?” I asked one of the firemen.

“Oh, I don’t know,” he said. “You send in a picture and this old guy who’s a photographer chooses.”

The older gentleman is philanthropist and acclaimed photographer, Alan Batt, otherwise known as Battman. He started the calendar as a way to raise money for charities, and is also known for photographing the city and food. Proceeds from his book, "Street Eats," published last year, go toward Action Against Hunger.

Battman started shooting the FDNY Calendar in 1996. As well as showcasing New York’s Bravest, the calendar shows the landscape of NYC, with backgrounds from the Freedom Tower to the Bronx Stadium. It costs from 12.93 to 19.95, depending on where you purchase it. As always, The Burns Center of New York receives a part of the proceeds.

Me, a Firefighter and Christina Oden, who has organized previous FDNY Calendar Events

Photos of Firehouse Event by Gita Sellei