by Dan Caro
Later, Mike told me he thought I’d done so well that I should consider a career as an inspirational speaker. While I shrugged off his suggestion at that point, Mike planted a seed in my head that ended up blossoming a few years later when I was in Brooklyn, looking for a new direction after Hurricane Katrina.
MY FATHER HAD HEARD Mike’s suggestion at the convention in 2003. He agreed that I’d be a good speaker, if only I could overcome my debilitating shyness. So, that same year, I joined the New Orleans chapter of Toastmasters International, a worldwide group that helps members improve their public-speaking skills. In essence, they teach you how to speak in front of large groups of people and not be scared to death!
I tagged along with Dad to a series of meetings, but at first I was too timid to speak. I wore dark, baggy clothes to try to hide myself; and when I was called upon to give a presentation, I’d tense up and my heart would pound so hard I thought my ribs would break. And when I tried to talk about being burned and the challenges I’d faced, I’d get too emotional. Instead, I’d hook up a VCR and pop in the Without Limits video and let that tell the hard parts. When the movie was over, I’d talk about learning to play drums and then let those drums speak for me.
It took about a year, but I did get over my fears and learn to enjoy my presentations. In fact, as I got more comfortable, I became more daring. For example, one evening I wanted to say something about the importance of persistence. I thought, What better example could I possibly use than my seven-year struggle to tie my shoelaces?
Instead of telling the audience about my struggle, I just showed them. I started my talk with my right foot perched on a stool and my shoelaces untied. I lifted my arms away from my body, allowing everyone to see that I basically had no hands. Then I bent down and silently tied my shoe. When I looked up, I could see tears in the eyes of at least half a dozen people. It was the first time I really thought I could touch people’s hearts.
That night I met Kevin and Amity Carriere, a husband and wife who went on to become good friends of mine. They approached me after my “talk” and told me that watching me tie my shoelaces was one of the most inspirational moments they’d ever experienced. I was flattered and thanked them for their kind words. We then began to talk about people who had inspired us throughout our lives.
“Have you ever heard of Wayne Dyer?” Kevin asked.
“Yes, I have,” I said with a smile. “I haven’t read any of his books, but you’re the third person to mention him to me this week.”
For me, that was the signal that a new chapter of my life was about to begin.
Chapter Twelve
Synchronicity
In the spring of 2004, I arrived at my parents’ house for dinner. As I opened the door, I was nearly knocked over by my dad, who rushed toward me and enthusiastically waved a book in my face. “Danny, you’ve got to read this,” he insisted. “Really, you’ll love it!”
I think I laughed at his exuberance—as I’ve said, my father is the even-keeled type. But he was always trying to convince me to read books he’d enjoyed, and since he’s a devout Catholic, our tastes are quite different. So I just replied, “Sure, Dad. Whatever.”
“No, I’m serious, Danny. This book is so good, it could change your life.”
I took a quick glance at the book my father was holding in front of me and saw a very kind-looking man on the cover. I assumed that Dad had picked up a religious book at church in the hopes that I’d read it and start going to Mass again.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m certainly not closed off to reading about religion per se—quite the opposite. My friend and former teacher Johnny V had turned me on to all sorts of books dealing with spirituality, and I’d read countless volumes on Eastern religions and philosophy at Loyola University. I just didn’t like Christian dogma, since I’d grown up with it and knew it inside out. There were so many other books out there for me to discover that I didn’t feel like going over such familiar territory.
“Just leave it for me by the door and I’ll take a look at it later,” I said to indulge my father, planning to do nothing of the sort. Even though I didn’t take the glossy hardcover with me as I left the house that night, I did glance at the cover again on my way out. I saw that the book was called The Power of Intention, and it was by a writer I’d never heard of before: Wayne Dyer.
The next night I was at a club in downtown New Orleans, getting ready for a gig. My pal Josh Cooker (Captain Midnight to his friends), the guitarist of the band I was playing with, and I were talking about various things. And then he told me something I certainly didn’t expect: “Man, I just read this book I think you would love. It’s called The Power of Intention by a guy named Wayne Dyer.”
“You’re kidding me, right?” I shook my head with a smile. “That’s like some kind of new Christian thing that just came out, isn’t it?”
“No, no, no,” he said. “It not about any one religion; in a way, it’s about all religions. I mean, Dr. Dyer does talk quite a bit about Jesus in the book, but he also talks about Buddha, the Hindu god Krishna, Mahatma Gandhi, and all sorts of spiritual teachers. It’s really insightful and deals with a lot of the stuff you’re into, which is why I thought you’d like it.”
“Okay, I’ll check it out,” I promised him.
Two days later, I’d given the Toastmasters presentation where I’d silently tied my shoe, and my new friends Kevin and Amity Carriere approached me and asked if I’d heard of Wayne Dyer. My presentation reminded them of his inspirational new work, The Power of Intention. I was amazed by the synchronicity. Both Dad and Josh Cooker had also mentioned this very book to me!
“Have you read it?” Amity wanted to know.
“No, not yet,” I answered. “But you can be sure that it just went to the top of my list!”
This was exactly the kind of synchronicity—the experience of two or more unrelated events occurring together in a meaningful manner—that I’d studied in philosophy class and talked about with Johnny V and other well-read, thoughtful people. Hearing about Wayne’s book from so many people in my life, and from such vastly different backgrounds, told me that the universe was sending me a message: Find out who this man is and what he has to say!
Within a few days, I’d read the book and it blew my mind.
WAYNE DYER HAD A WAY OF EXPLAINING THINGS that I’d been feeling for years but couldn’t articulate. So often in my life, my creativity had been driven by a force of will, by fighting against things in order to succeed. Sometimes even feeling discriminated against had propelled me forward artistically, so I could prove to myself and others that I was equal to them or better. And although that may have worked for a short time, I learned while studying the philosophy of drumming with Johnny V that the magic of creativity happens when we open ourselves to the positive energies of the universe, not the negative.
This was a subject Wayne talked about eloquently in The Power of Intention. Intention, he said, is the prime force in the universe that allows an act of true creation to occur. He wrote that we’re all spiritual beings connected by a field of energy, and each one of us can tap into that rich and rewarding field when we’re open to the universe. When we have the intention to connect, we can co-create our life with all of the positive energy that surrounds us.
So much of this book had taken me back to many wonderful talks I had with Wolf, my dear friend and first spiritual advisor. In the months before he died, we discussed the universal field of energy that connected all living things, which he referred to as the Great Spirit. It now seemed to me that Wayne’s book tied together all of the different teachings and philosophies that had inspired me over the years. The result was that I’d been brought to a new level of thinking, feeling, and creativity.
As soon as I finished reading The Power of Intention, I called my dad and apologized for being closed off when he had first told me about it. I also thanked Kevin and Amity for suggesting I read Wayne’s book. And I was so thankful to Josh that for months after
he first mentioned The Power of Intention to me, he and I teased each other by calling one another “Wayne” whenever we met up.
After Katrina and my return home from Brooklyn, I found myself devouring just about everything Wayne Dyer had written, and I began to incorporate the principles he wrote about into my everyday life, and the results were remarkable. My music career, which was already doing well, reached a new level—now that I was back in New Orleans, I was attracting more gigs and playing with more bands than ever before. But unlike what had happened in the past, the hard work and long hours weren’t tiring me out. It was actually having the opposite effect: I had tons of energy to spare at the end of even the toughest day. I also became so relaxed and confident as a public speaker that I was asked to become president of my local chapter of Toastmasters.
I found it so incredible that in just a few short years, I’d gone from being a terrified and reluctant guy who hung back in the shadows while speaking publicly, to a competent and effective inspirational speaker. I could hardly believe that these days I was addressing groups as large as 1,000.
Now, I’m not saying that all of this was because of Wayne, but reading his books did help me expand upon my passion—like believing I could play the drums when people told me I couldn’t—and apply it to every facet of my life.
IN APRIL 2008, I WAS PLAYING WITH A BAND called Spyboy during the annual New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, one of the largest music festivals in the country. The festival keeps just about every musician in the region working day and night for two solid weeks, which is great. During a rare night off I called up my pal Benny, the Spyboy guitarist, and invited him to join me for dinner at a new pizza place downtown.
Now ever since I’d been introduced to The Power of Intention three times in one week back in 2004, I’d been looking out for other synchronicities that might crop up in my life. As I’ve said, I believe that synchronicity is one way the universe tells us to pay attention to what’s going on around us. So when Benny told me he was already going to that particular pizza parlor to meet his friend Tiffany, I figured synchronicity was telling me I had to go as well. Coincidentally, Benny told me that Tiffany lived on the Hawaiian island of Maui. Since I knew that Wayne Dyer also just happened to reside in Maui, I thought, Aha! Another case of synchronicity! Better keep your eyes and ears open, Dan!
We met up at the restaurant, and Benny introduced me to Tiffany. She was a very open and direct young woman whom I liked instantly, and we all felt at ease with one another right away.
Somehow it came up in conversation that Tiffany had met an older gentleman at a yoga class in Maui who’d asked her to work for him as his assistant.
“Oh, really,” I replied with a smile. “Would this gentleman happen to be an author?”
“Yes, how did you know that?”
“Would he happen to be a best-selling author?”
“Yes, Dan, he would. He’s written lots of books and does television specials,” Tiffany said. “You’re freaking me out a bit.”
“And would his name happen to be Wayne Dyer?” I asked, knowing that the universe was knocking at my door yet again.
“How did you know that? Do you know Wayne?”
“I’ve read all his books,” I explained, “but I haven’t met him … yet.”
As the evening progressed, I told Tiffany all about my accident and how Wayne’s books had helped inspire me to try to become an inspirational speaker just like he was. My new friend was shocked by the coincidence— but I knew it wasn’t a coincidence at all. She went on to say she was sure that Wayne would love to meet me and hear my story. So before we said good night, she asked for my phone number and promised to call as soon as she’d spoken to Wayne about me.
Several weeks passed, and sure enough, Tiffany called from Hawaii to say that Wayne definitely wanted to meet me. She said that he’d be speaking in Florida in the fall, and if I could get to Tampa in October, she’d arrange a meeting.
“Sign me up,” I told her. “I’ll see you in Tampa!”
I immediately picked up the phone and called my friend Kevin from Toastmasters because he and his wife Amity were such fans of Wayne. “Guess what?!” I announced. “I’ve just been invited to go to Florida and meet Wayne Dyer!”
“No way!” Kevin exclaimed. “You won’t believe what I’m doing right now—I’m listening to Wayne Dyer’s CD The Secrets of the Power of Intention! Is that synchronicity or what?”
I definitely took that as another sign from the universe. In fact, I figured I’d better invite Kevin to come to Tampa with me and meet Wayne.
That October, my friend and I walked off a plane in Florida and set out to meet our mentor. Unfortunately, Wayne had an emergency appointment and had to cancel our meeting, but Kevin and I went to his presentation— and, of course, we were completely inspired. The next day we went to Wayne’s book signing. Kevin, bless his heart, went up to Wayne, pointed me out, and told him who I was.
Wayne told us to hang around for a while, and eventually sent his assistant to bring us backstage before his next presentation. Even though Tiffany had told Wayne all about me, he asked more questions about my life, and we talked for quite a while. When it came time to say good-bye, he looked me in the eye and said, very seriously, “Listen to me, Dan. You have an important story to tell that can inspire thousands and thousands of people. You must tell your story to the world, and I’m going to help you do just that. I want you to join me onstage, and that’s when you can begin.”
I couldn’t believe my ears. I’d been reading Wayne’s books, listening to his CDs, and trying to emulate his inspirational speaking style … and now he was asking me to join him onstage! What more proof did I need that the power of intention was truly a wonderful force in the universe?
WAYNE INVITED ME TO BE PART of his upcoming presentation the following month in Phoenix, Arizona. When the big weekend finally arrived, I met him at his hotel before the show. I’m sure he could see that, although I’d played drums on stages across the country, I was as nervous as could be.
“Don’t worry,” he said, putting me at ease. “You’re going to be great. Just tell your story from your heart and play your music from the heart—trust me, you’ll be fine!” How could I not trust him; he was Wayne Dyer!
The next morning a new life began for me. I sat in the audience listening as Wayne talked about me to the thousands of people who’d come to see and hear him! He told them how I’d been burned, and the journey I’d been on since leaving the Shriners hospital so long ago. He told my story in such an emotional and powerful way that I teared up myself.
Finally, he said, “Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Dan Caro.”
Any nervousness I had vanished when I walked on that stage with Wayne. I fell into my story, and before I knew it, I was playing the drums. When it was over, I was standing in the center of the stage basking in the glow of a standing ovation, feeling completely surrounded by the warmth and support of thousands of beautiful, loving people.
Since then I’ve appeared with Wayne onstage many times and have even taken part in a special for public television based on his book Excuses Begone! One of the most special moments for me came when Wayne introduced my parents to the audience, and I saw that Mom and Dad were beaming with pride at how far I’d come. That show has since been viewed by hundreds of thousands of people, and I continue to receive letters and calls from all kinds of folks who say that hearing my story and watching me play the drums helped them deal with their own particular hardships.
Thanks to Wayne, my career as an inspirational speaker has taken off, and I’m now telling my story to groups all over America. The core message I share is this: if we live our lives in the light of love and positive energy, then no matter what happens to us or what challenges we face from day to day or year to year, we can experience life as a precious gift.
My gift has been living a full and happy existence after being burned beyond recognition as a child. This gift of fire is o
ne that I have learned how to share with others—one that I hope to continue to share for many years to come.
Acknowledgments
This Divine universe has gifted me with some very wonderful people in my life. I’d like to offer my thanks and love to them.
To my mother, Marilyn: You were my voice and my guide for many years in the hospital, as well as my protector from those who tried to harm me through their ignorant and vicious comments and actions when I was too young to fend for myself. The love you’ve shown me is unparalleled. Thank you for always being there for me. You are the strongest person I’ve ever known. I love you very much.
To my father, John: You are a pillar of virtue. Your faith, wisdom, and guidance are responsible for my strength and independence. I could not have come as far in life as I have without your love and support. I thank you for the values you have instilled in me. I love you.
To my brothers: Johnny, I’ve looked to you as a guide for living. You have inspired me, and I’m grateful that you are in my life. Scott, I’ve always admired your individuality and intelligence. We have shared some unforgettable experiences, and I’m honored to be your brother. Paul, you have been one of my greatest teachers and best friends. I’m humbled to be your brother.
To Dr. Wayne Dyer: The way we were brought together is a miracle in itself. You have influenced and inspired millions, and I’m glad to be among them. As though divinely inspired, you appeared in my life at just the right time. My gratitude goes beyond words. Thank you for your friendship and for introducing me to Hay House.
To Tiffany Saia: You have blessed me with your friendship and a gift I’m unable to pay back. Instead, I choose to pay it forward and offer my story to all who will read or listen. Introducing me to Wayne has changed my life. You are a wonderful and beautiful person. God bless you.