Every time I am at the beginning of a change, I read books on my future field of interest. When I decided to quit my job as the spokesman of The Cameri Theater of Tel Aviv and set up my private public relations firm (1995), I read a lot of books on time management, personnel management, task management and budget management. And when I decided to devote myself to writing fiction and drama, I read a lot of books about writing and teaching writing, which I still do, of course, regularly.
In the early eighties, I learned from Shelly Elkayam the method of positive statements, affirmations with which I can engrave what I want in the memory of the universe. From My former partner, Adi Ness, who was a producer on Channel 1 and later on the sports channel before we became a photographer with an international reputation, I learned how to write weekly assignments report for me and my workers. This tool helped me a lot in managing my public relations office.
In the 2000s, I underwent a lengthy personal training session with Adv. Yavin Rochli, a coach, and a lawyer. Yavin taught me how to evaluate my values, build a vision and then derive a concrete work plan. I now read two books at the same time, Shuli Ziv Asulin’s book “How to make a living from art” (Prague Press) and Yuval Abramovich’s book, “The List.”
I have two small stories to tell on Yuval Abramovich. Many years ago, in the early 1990s, when I started my publishing house, “Shufra for Fine Literature”, I received a manuscript of a thriller by someone I did not know then, Yuval Abramovich. The manuscript stunned me. It was written in some technical form, which no one used before. It was a thriller written in such a special way, that I could not accept it. I returned the manuscript to Yuval, with great sorrow. I knew that there was no chance that anyone would buy such a book and no chance that I would get the expected expense of its publication.
If he will print it today, it might become a bestseller.
When Yuval began publishing his “list” project, it teased me a bit. And this, without reading his book, but from interviews in the media about him. I told myself that he uses familiar knowledge, which I have read in many books before; that there is nothing new here. I suppose I envied him.
A few months ago I saw Yuval’s book “The List” at a book stand at the central railway station. I told myself I’d buy it for myself. What do I care? I’ll read it when I have the chance.
Ten minutes later, on my way from the train station to my writing workshop, my whole cup of coffee spilled over his book.
I let it dry and pushed it away. It is not pleasant to read in a book whose pages are soaked with coffee stains.
But life seems to lead us to all sorts of directions. Lately, I sense that I am facing a great change in my life. So to help it and create it, I started to read Shuli Ziv Asulin’s book, which teaches and reminds me a great deal about how I should earn money from my art.
A few days ago I sat down to write a series of new positive statements, affirmations, that would direct my energy and let the universe know what I want. But as you know, it is not enough to declare and announce your will. You must take steps to achieve it. So yesterday, in a moment of peacefulness, I cleaned my desk entirely, lit a candle, put a piece of white A4 paper on it, and started writing my list.
It is primary, it was written at once, and by its nature, it is subject to change. But in the past, I wrote my list only for my own eyes, like a page of tasks and a prayer. Now, under the influence of Yuval’s book, I publish it in public, inviting you to help me fulfill it.
My list (30.11.17)
1. To give birth within a year to two more twins, by the aid of a surrogate, from the same egg donor, and to raise my four children on my own, with full support of my family.
2. To stage a play of mine within a year in a repertory theater and to enjoy its profits.
3. To publish this year my book on parenthood, “Twice Fathered.”
4. To publish next year the novel I’m working on now, “The Jewish Monk.”
5. To Write my following three novels, and publish a book every year for the next three years.
6. To translate my novel “when the dead are back” and my latest novel, “the wife of the Jewish pirate,” into English, Spanish and Chinese.
7. To publish my novel “A Tale of a Ring” next year in the United States and South America, in English and Spanish, in leading publishing houses, and enjoy their profits.
8. To sell this year the film rights of “A Tale of a Ring”, “When the Dead Are Back” and “The Jewish Pirate’s Wife” to production companies abroad.
9. To move within a year from teaching outside to work from home only, so that I will have consecutive days of writing.
10. To find within three months a young, kind, creative, slim, full-haired, full-bodied and active partner for a long-term, happy relationship.
11. To stop smoking within thirty days.
12. To win one literary prize each year, so that this will allow me to live comfortably and devote myself to writing.
13. To receive a quarter of a million shekels within nine months to cover my previous surrogacy debts and to allow me to finance the next surrogacy and the rest of my dreams.
14. To travel with Michael and Daniel on Passover for a 10-14 day trip to South America for research, during which I will rent our beautiful house in the Galilee to finance this trip.
15. To Finish filming my advanced workshop and upload both courses to distance learning sites with English subtitles.
16. To record myself reading all my books, within three years from now, and upload it in my own unique voice for sale on the net.
17. To get a Precor elliptical device for gyms, so that I can work out at home without any dependence on the gym.
18. To get two new computers for Michael and Daniel, for their sixth birthday (12.4.18), with educational programs suitable for their age.
19. To publish my volume of plays and scripts within a year from now.
20. To build a study upstairs and turn the lower study into a living unit or a workroom for a partner or for a future oper.
21. To turn the secured room into a recording studio.
22. To type all my handwritten notebooks in six months from now.
23. To retire from teaching and literary editing on July 1, 2018, with passive income from advertising in my blog and youtube page, and with royalties, which will allow me to finance my dreams and provide us.
24. To Live from passive income from my books and ads on my blog.
25. To translate and upload all my books on Amazon within a year.
26. To write a book about writing and publish it within a year.
27. To edit my book on public relations, update and publish it within a year.
28. To undergo full-mouth rehabilitation with dental implants within a year from now.
29. To publish in the United States, South America, China and Europe my books, “Only You,” “Siedlce,” “A Tale of a Ring,” “When The Dead Are Back,” and “The Jewish Pirate’s Wife”.
30. To publish in the United States, South America, China and Europe a translated selection of my poetry, and go to a poetry tour with it within three years from now.
31. Series and film will be produced from my novels abroad within three years from now.
32. I will get a good piano and learn to play it.
33. I will Get an accordion and learn to play it.
34. I will Learn figurative painting.
35. To establish a communal garden in Tuval and enjoy its yield and its crops.
36. To erect a chicken coop in my yard and enjoy it.
37. To turn our lives in Tuval into a fully autarkic farm unit which provides itself.
38. To give The Gnazim archive of Hebrew Writers Association the second part of my archive so that I will feel less burdened by it.
39. To finish the duplicate file comparisons across all my computers and backups, back up everything and build a new, organized folder library on my computer.
40. Get a bed for our guest room.
41. To receive recording equipment for a recording studio.
42. To get a good video camera with a tiny microphone for future recording of my lectures and literary performances.
43. To get rid of the dependence on coffee and nicotine.
44. To persevere my nutrition according to naturopathy and be healthy.
45. To publish my master’s thesis within a year from now.
46. To write my PhD in Hebrew and English within three years through a university in the United States, under the guidance of a qualified facilitator in the field of gender and gender literature.
47. To Find a literary agent abroad, which also initiates transactions, will not only cut a coupon.
48. To find a good WordPress support person.
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It is quite startling, amazing and exciting to look at it printed and upload it to the net. But these are the things that really matter to me, and what I want most, apart from health and abundance and longevity for all of us, of course, and also peace, without which all this cannot be achieved.
I’m fifty-seven, almost eight. I want these things until I’m sixty years old.
This is a great program for three years. There is also an immanent contradiction between my desire for two more children and my desire to write and publish so many books in those three years. I know that. But with your help, with the help of the universe and with the help of diligence, commitment, and perseverance, everything is possible.
According to the Six Degrees of Separation idea, says Wikipedia, all living things and everything else in the world is six or fewer steps away from each other, so that a chain of “a friend of a friend” statements can be made to connect any two people in a maximum of six steps.
I would like to ask your help in sending this post to six of your friends, and ask them to do the same. I hope that by doing so you will help me find a literary agent, a theatre I can work with, and publishers and translators as well.
Yours sincerely,
Ilan.
thegaymomdad 