I’ve always believed that thin threads of circumstances bring people into our lives, and my introduction to Omar Orellana is no exception. I was working with another client who had lost a significant amount of weight over 2021 when Omar’s wife Erica approached. I recognized her from my gym; however, I had never met her. She smiled, apologized for the interruption, and just wanted to say how impressed she was with my client’s progress. We both thanked her, and after a brief conversation, we returned to our session.

This was not the first time one of our members had complimented this particular client. But, of course, when you drop forty-five pounds in ten months, it gets people’s attention. So, a few days later, Erica approached me at the member services desk, where I often worked on one of the computers. It puts me in a strategic position to greet members as they come into the club while taking care of miscellaneous administrative tasks tied to serving my clients.

I remembered her from earlier in the week, and we introduced ourselves after exchanging brief hellos. She was particularly interested in me helping her husband, Omar, who needed to lose a good bit of weight. This simple exchange led to Omar and I meeting to discuss his fitness goals, especially his nutrition. That was two years ago, and he has grown to become one of my best clients.

Fast forward to early December of 2022, and I shared with Omar, the dream board I had created using PowerPoint. One slide, in particular, showed my dream car, a Porsche 911 Turbo. Further, I shared with him a photo of a model 911 I had recently purchased for my desk as a constant daily reminder. He loved the idea of the dream board and the model car, and after a brief bit of further discussion, the conversation transitioned back to his training. I thought it was the end of the matter; however, little did I know the seed I had inadvertently planted in his mind that would lead to the absolute best birthday gift anyone has ever given me.

The week following Christmas, Omar and I met to train on a Thursday morning. Once he got into his workout, the topic of Christmas came up, and we shared our respective times with our families. He then mentioned that he had a special late Christmas / early birthday gift for me. So, he pulled out his phone and, after doing a quick search, showed me a photo of a 911 Carrera in an eerily similar Robin Blue to the model on my desk.

He said he had a lot going on with his company immediately following Christmas and that if I could wait until the latter part of January, he would rent the Carrera for 24 hours just for me. Wow! I was speechless and found it hard to believe what he had just said. I’ve had people do some nice things for my birthday over the years; however, Omar’s gift stood far above them.

By the first of January, we agreed to a date. Monday the 23rd was only a few days after my birthday on the 19th and the perfect day as I’m off on Sundays and Mondays for the most part. That morning, we agreed to meet after my workout and one client session and to drive up to Little Elm to pick up the Carrera. The weather was perfect for late January, with clear skies and cool temperatures in the upper forties. Oddly enough, the following day, the weather was cold and rainy, so the timing of our rental was perfect.

My gym is located close to my home in North Dallas. The address for the Carrera was in Little Elm; however, it turned out to be practically in Denton. So, we took the North Dallas Tollway north until it reached 380, where we headed west for another ten to fifteen minutes. The time on 380 turned out to be a blessing, as I will share in a moment.

Omar did not go through a rental company. An individual owned the Carrera, and he rented it via an app advertised online. The app handled the process, including Omar providing insurance and payment. The owner left the key in a special lock box on the driver’s front tire. That lock turned out to be tricky; however, we figured it out. When Omar started the car, it was nothing like I had ever heard. Can you say, “Gentlemen, start your engines!” It sounded like a race car when the 379-horsepower engine roared to life.

Once Omar completed the rental application via the app, we drove away. I took his truck, and he drove the Carrera down the street to a small convenience store where we exchanged vehicles. With only 42,000 miles, it was in perfect condition and like brand new. With the engine mounted in the rear, the “trunk” is located under the front hood. It barely held my briefcase and lunch bag, and the back seat was the same. It technically had a back seat; however, there was zero legroom. It is a two-seater designed strictly for speed and thrills, and in these categories, it excelled like nothing I’ve ever experienced.

While I didn’t share this initially with Omar, I was highly intimidated by the Carrera. I’ve never driven a $100,000 plus car, much less one with almost 400 horsepower. Thankfully, the stop-and-go traffic on 380 with speeds not much more than 55 allowed me to get used to the car before hitting the North Dallas tollway southbound for home.

I love driving on the tollway, and the Carrera handled like a dream. I never went faster than the traffic flow; however, 80 miles per hour was fast enough. While I was comfortable with the car when I arrived home, I was still very respectful of the value and remained extremely careful with my driving.

Fortunately, I was able to park in one of my usual spots in covered parking. Unfortunately, we don’t have assigned parking; however, I can usually park undercover. Once inside, I immediately called my property manager to tell her about my gift. Of course, the last thing I wanted was for it to be towed. Thankfully, she was fine with me having in on the property overnight without the proper parking permits residents must display.

After a quick lunch, I enjoyed my afternoon errands like never before, heading to Great Clips for a haircut and to Costco and Dick’s for a bit of birthday money shopping. I did have one training session back at the club at five, and the drive home in the dark was surreal. Because of the Carrera’s low profile, the way the lights illuminated the ground had a much different look and feel than my Ford SUV.

The following day, my final drive would be to my doctor’s office for my annual physical and then straight to the gym to hand the keys over to Omar so he could take it back to its owner. Trust me; I did not want to give up the car. It was one the most incredible experiences I’ve ever had and fueled my desire to have my own someday.

Closing thoughts for my readers:

I wrote about reconnecting with Jack Canfield a few months ago in “Do You Accept 100% Responsibility for Every Area of Your Life?” Through studying his book, The Success Principles, I was prompted to create a dream board starting November 1, 2022.  Oddly enough, Omar and Erica followed my lead and made their dream board, including images of starting a family soon.  I always feel grateful and humbled when my actions influence someone else positively. 

Further, I listened to a Jack Canfield video on YouTube where he interviewed a woman who had won a Porsche Cayenne in a sales contest with her company.  She did two things which I’ve adopted that you may find interesting. First, she bought a toy Cayenne, much like my model 911 Turbo, and took it wherever she went.  This affirmed my actions and made me feel like I was on the right track.   

Further, she wrote daily repeatedly, affirming winning the Cayenne.  This prompted me to add a new affirmation regarding my 911 Turbo to my nightly journaling about all the things I have to be grateful for that day.  And while I haven’t obtained my dream car yet, the whole experience with Omar would have never happened had I not shared my dream board and the photo of my little 911.

You might call this a coincidence. I choose to believe otherwise. There’s so much power in belief and expectancy, so I encourage you to harness these two forces to create the abundance you seek. The last time I checked, this is not a dress rehearsal. This is your one shot, so make the most of it. For me and Omar, we’re shooting for stars.

Best of luck with your efforts.