***Rising Like a Phoenix

Sometimes, life smiles on you. It’s the kind of thing that nourishes hope. And then, life turns. And, well – you deal with it.

Upon my return from Germany and settling the affairs of my late father, I retained a lawyer—with more money I did not have—to fight the eviction notice I’d received while I was abroad.

I found a bankruptcy attorney and prepared myself to let it all go. Even though I had just negotiated a huge deal with Getty Images, the largest such distributor in the world, I realized that I might not make it to see my business turn a profit.

A few days after my return, a bank executive called me. She had read my business plan. I braced myself for the bad news – the inevitable “no” that followed an explanation of why my ideas seemed good but that, business-wise, it wasn’t going to work.

To my surprise – my shock, even – the woman seemed enthusiastic about my plan and said, “We like it, we’d like to issue that loan for you.”

Just like that, my life had turned. Within a few weeks the money was in the bank. At the same time, my attorney negotiated an amicable split with the despicable landlord and I separated my personal life from my business life for the first time in 10 years. I moved my office into a real office building, and Gina and I began living in a small house in a great neighborhood. My life was changing and moving forward.

By December 26, 2004, I had survived almost one full circle of holidays and anniversaries without my father, who had passed away the previous March. In addition to being a businessperson, I’m also a painter, and the previous day I had completed a work I titled “Woman in Agony,” which I’d finished in one sitting. The painting showed a naked woman crouching and crying on the beach while a huge wave crashes and washes everything away. I hadn’t realized the import of that image.

Then my phone rang.

Was there ever a time in your life when you knew something was going to happen? Did you ever have a premonition that a loved one, a friend, might be in trouble? Have you ever written something, or drawn something, or even dreamed of something – and it happened? Let me know – I’d love to hear how you worked through it.