For those of you still in the workforce, I’ll bet you’re grateful that it’s the end of the week, right?

Well, that’s a good start, isn’t it?    You see, there’s always something to be grateful for if you just look closely.

Here – let me give you a gratitude quote I found online by someone named John Henry Jowett:

“Gratitude is a vaccine, an antitoxin, and an antiseptic”

Let’s take a look at what happened this week that led to constant renewal of gratitude for me:

“Slumdog Millionaire” Movie Preview Screening

Have any of you seen the movie “Slumdog Millionaire”?  It’s an Indian movie now making the rounds at select movie theaters around the country.  I was fortunate to get a free ticket (you can get one too if you go to the movie’s website and look for “special screenings” on the right).   Even though it wasn’t captioned, I “got it” just by watching the story unfold for over an hour.    Certain parts were subtitled because some foreign dialect was spoken.

In one word:  AWESOME!

I left the movie theater uplifted and inspired because it reminded me of one very important spiritual principle and that is there is a greater unseen force at work in all of our lives, pulling together a string of people, places and opportunities, all of which are designed to help us move toward our destiny.  These are things that we cannot possibly orchestrate on our own.    I’ve written about this many times here because I’ve seen ample evidence of it in my own life.   I bet if you really think about it, you have experienced it as well.

The movie is basically a love story between one young, handsome Indian man and one very beautiful girl both of whom shared a part of their challenging childhood together.   I won’t spoil it by telling you the details but suffice to say, I loved it and I think you will too.  It’s already been nominated for several Globe awards.  I wouldn’t be surprised if the lead actor won an Oscar after the Golden Globes – he was that good!

I’m grateful Dhrumil from We Like it Raw recommended it.   Because I have a truckload of respect for him (he’s an honorable man with integrity and respect for others), I checked it out and was glad I followed through on his recommendation.

And so now it’s my turn to pass on that recommendation to YOU!

Angels in the Parking Lot

After the movie was over, I was heading toward my car when I noticed a security guard helping a man jump start his and I thought to myself, “What a good Samaritan!”  Little did I know I would be needing their help.

I turned to look in the direction of my car and to my horror, the headlights were still on!   I couldn’t believe I had forgotten to turn them off and it wasn’t the first time either.    Quickly picking up my pace, I made a beeline for the car, shutting off the lights and tried to start it, hoping the engine would crank over.

It didn’t.

Interestingly enough, while all of this was happening, I felt an eerie sense of calm.   My heart was not fluttering nor did I feel any sense of panic.  I just did what came to mind and took immediate action in rapid succession like flipping the trunk open, retrieving the portable cable jumpers (see photo below) and tried again.

Nothing.

Unfortunately the juice in the jumper unit was too weak to revive the car battery.   The reason why was a no brainer – I had neglected to charge it up at home.

Leaving the hood wide open, I quickly traversed my way across the dimly lit parking lot to where I had last seen the security guard helping the unidentified man.    They were just finishing up when I arrived.

“Hi, could you help me jump start my car too?” I said hopefully.

The security guard responded, “Do you have a pair of jumper cables in your car?”

“No,” I replied.

At that moment, the unidentified man handed over his.   “Here,” he said kindly.

Gratefully, I took the cables and went back to the car with the security guard’s car following closely behind me.

Within seconds the trusty little Honda came back to life.

Do you believe angels are watching over us?  I do.  They were there that night and I’m very grateful for it.  I made it home without incident.    You can bet your bottom butt that I not only made sure the car lights were turned off but I also took the jumper unit inside my home and got it charged up!

Another day, another lesson.

By the way, I know a higher force was at work that night because who knows?   I might not have thought of asking the security guard to jump start my car.   It was almost as if the unidentified man did all the thinking for me.    Interesting theory, hmmmmmm?

Ah, the mysteries of divine intervention.   Whether or not we believe in it, it’s always working on our behalf.

Rebirth of Entrepreneurial Spirit

A couple weeks ago I hinted that one of the benefits of changing my food consumption was the re-emergence of my inner entrepreneurial spirit.   This blog, up until now, has never had a hint of commercialism except when I had the old blogging platform (blogger.com) with Google Ads in it.

Vita-Mix Blender 5200 in my kitchen

As we move forward into 2009, you will begin to see hints of entrepreneurship flourishing and I hope you will support me in my endeavors.

In fact, it’s already starting.   If you take a look at the top of the page, you’ll see a tab where it says “Vitamix – Free Shipping!”   I am proud to be a new affiliate for Vitamix because I’ve very much enjoyed having one myself (see photo).   If you order a unit through me, you’ll get free shipping.

I also announced last week that I just started an online business, an idea whose time has come.   I’m very excited about it.    A handful of you have responded to my call for inquiries about what I was up to and I’ve replied back to all of them.

Since it won’t be until 2009 when I give out more details, you are still welcome to send me private inquiries for more information.

I’m very grateful for the re-emergence of my entrepreneurial desires because now more than ever, I am coming to the realization that I have been subconsciously holding myself back.   Thanks to the raw food journey, I’m very clear about what I am meant to do with my life and that’s to simultaneously make a difference and enjoy an increase in abundance.

What about you?

And the Winner Is……

Nita and her dog Coral

Earlier this week, I asked you to identify what you thought was my 2nd biggest passion (besides raw foods) that’s emerged for me this year.   Your responses ranged from my dream of publishing a book to speaking all over the world, among other things.

But only one person got it right.

It was Nita, a long-time subscriber, fan and friend of Adversity University.  She said “your new online business.”

THAT’S RIGHT NITA!

Congratulations!    Do you want to take another guess at where her prize will come from?

But of course!

What will it be?   A doggie treat for Coral?    A gift certificate for her favorite restaurant?

Stay tuned folks!

I’m grateful that people like you and Nita continue to be active members of Adversity University, responding to my questions and taking active part in various discussions.    It’s what makes this place so vibrant and fun, fun, fun.     Thank you!

Family Visit for Christmas

My nieces - two of the cutest identical twins who will see lots and lots of presents this year!

In a few short weeks, I will be heading to VA to visit my brother and his family for the holidays.   I was there earlier this summer and had a great time.

My Mom and Dad will also be there.   Both in their 70′s, they are carrying on rather well with their physical well being.

All of us have decided this year just to concentrate on giving the kids gifts.    There’s nothing more joyful than watching two innocent little girls rip through their presents like there was no tomorrow!   Can’t wait!

Not only will I be blessed to be with part of my family (my other two sisters and their families are too far away to join us), but I will also be hanging out with Nita (see above) who happens to live in the DC area.

A few days later, I will be meeting up with Sharmaine Hobbs for the first time ever.  You all remember her from the fantastic “Stephen Hopson Interview with Sharmaine Hobbs” back in August.    A good group of you instantly bonded with her.    I can’t wait to meet you Sharmaine!

I’m grateful that not only do I have a place to go to for Christmas but will also be meeting up with a couple of really cool people who have been part of Adversity University for a long time.

7 Principles of Mindful Wealth

These principles were obtained out of a free e-book, the link of which is embedded in the image on your left.   I am supremely grateful that I came across these principles because they have been life changing for me.   See if they make sense to you:

Principle 1:  Most people limit their wealth by choice (either consciously or subconsciously).  (Believe it or not, that was me!)

Principle 2:  Money is not evil.  They way money is EARNED and SPENT is good or evil, depending on the ethics applied to it (which is why I will not become affiliates with companies I don’t believe in or promote their products/services).

Principle 3:  Money shall be accumulated (earned) in service of protecting sustainable life (it shall also be earned ethically, honestly and without deception).

Principle 4:  Money shall be redistributed (spent) in service of protecting sustainable life.

Principle 5:  Wealth shall not be hoarded.

Principle 6:  Poverty is not pious.  You do not gain bonus karma points for living in poverty.

Principle 7:  Natural living advocates have a moral obligation to mindfully attract and redistribute vast amounts of wealth, in alignment with their core beliefs, and with full honesty in their methods (that means being upfront about your affiliate relationships or whether you stand to make money off a recommendation).

These 7 principles are everywhere in my house – on the bathroom mirror, on the refrigerator, on the inside part of the front door and in my bedroom.  Every morning while brushing my teeth, my eyes inevitably turn to look at this sheet, reinforcing my new belief system that we have a natural God-given right to abundance.

Mike Adams is the creator of these brilliant principles.  He is also the editor of the incredibly popular and powerful Natural News newsletter.    His newsletters are unbiased, full of eye-opening information and very useful, especially for those of you who are health conscious.    Check it out!

Mr. Adams, I know you don’t know me from Mr. Joe Blow but I am GRATEFUL to YOU for making this very powerful e-book available to the masses.    It transformed my life in incredible ways.    Thanks!!

Food for thought:  Has any of these 7 principles sunk deeply in your spirit?    Do you recognize areas where you might be holding yourself back?    Check it out – you might be surprised to find out the truth!

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