Okay, so today I report the result of my first E-Squared experiment (from Pam Grout’s book E-Squared ).

Last Sunday, I asked that you join me in these experiments to form a community of people who are trying the series of 48-hour experiments and sharing their results.

Grout calls the first experiment “The Dude Abides.”  The Dude to which she alludes is from The Big Lebowski.  You don’t need to have seen the movie to perform this experiment.  (But since I hadn’t, I watched it last week).

Grout posits that there is a Field of Infinite Possibilities and that we each have access to it. Not only do we have access to it, but we can tap into it “at any time by paying attention.”

I started my 48-hour experiment three weeks ago by doing as Grout instructed in the directions.  To ask for a blessing in 48 hours.  And then pay attention.

I wrote the principle, theory, and hypothesis in my journal.  And I expected a gift in 48 hours.

I was truly excited as I started the 48 hours.

I tried not to have expectations but to be open to what is – and what wanted to be.

But I found that I have a hard time with letting go of expectations – and fears.  Yes, fears!  I was surprised to feel a worry emerge, a concern.  What if something bad happened?

I was intrigued at that emergence.  What is the source?  Do I truly believe that with each positive potential there is a negative one?  I’ve been kind of pondering that since the first experiment.  I don’t have an answer . . .  but since this post isn’t about my neuroticism, I’ll continue to the results, to what happened during the 48 hours.

During the first 24 hours, I was very aware of potential gifts.

In a store, I had a nice conversation with a couple of moms and a cute toddler named Willow.  Was this my gift?  It could be. . . but it wasn’t in “neon,” as Grout emphasized in the “asking” directions.

I lost some focus in the second 24 hours, quit paying attention so carefully.

So, of course, that’s when the gift came.

I didn’t recognize it at first.

A knock on my front door around four in the afternoon (not very common – that should have been a clue).

There stood my neighbor from up the hill, a teenaged boy who had helped me with some yard work early in January.

Did I want him to finish filling up the holes in my front yard?

I told him I didn’t have any more soil to put in them, that I’d not remembered to get any yet.

No problem.  He’d been working in his yard and had a pile of dirt.  He’d bring some down in his wheelbarrow.

I still didn’t realize this was my dude-abiding gift.

So, to help me out, the Field of Potential made it more clear.

My neighbor brought a puppy down in the wheelbarrow with him.  I played with the puppy while he filled in the holes.  I commented on how cute the puppy was.  It played all around us and even tumbled into one of the holes.

And then . . . . my neighbor offered me the puppy!

Do you know how unusual that is?  That someone would be working in my yard, doing some work for me out of the blue, and then offer me a puppy??!

And you know what else?

I still didn’t realize that that, the help and the offer, was the gift!!

Maybe it was because I didn’t take the puppy.  I felt that if this boy could work it out to keep the puppy, she was supposed to be his.  He’s not sure he can keep her, so I told him not to give her away without checking with me first.  I’m not sure how she’d do with my four yard cats, but we’ll figure that out if we need to.  But I really didn’t and don’t want to separate a boy and his dog.

After the holes were filled and my neighbor headed back up the hill with the puppy in his wheelbarrow, I finally realized that I had indeed received a gift.

That this had not been a usual occurrence.

That the Field had come through for me.

That I had received a gift.

And that it was pretty much in neon!

That all I had to do was ask . . . . and then abide.

That was my first 48-hour experiment.

I hope you’ll share yours in the comments below.  Because I’m interested in seeing the various ways in which our intentions and expectations can influence The Field.

Next Sunday, I’ll share my experiences with Experiment #2, “The Volkswagen Jetta Principle.”

Until then, let’s pay attention.

And ask.

And be open to receiving.