Brad Baggett of Juice of Champions recently tagged me in a new meme about thinking differently that was started by Peter at I Will Change Your Life. 

It took me a while to get around to it because I wanted to make sure that if I got involved, I’d be bringing value to the readers of Adversity University.  Memes are a great way to build community and link love both of which are perfectly wonderful and valid reasons to start one.  However, there are some out there that I perceive as nothing more than empty vehicles focused solely on bringing the originator a lot of link love in the hopes of building traffic and more subscribers for their sites. 

Don’t get me wrong.  Memes are a great way of fostering interaction among readers and new visitors.  I even attempted a hand at it with “Secrets of Dealing with Adversity” several months ago.  It was a modest success and I’m even thinking of bringing it back now that the community at Adversity University has grown larger. 

But I still have to ask the question: “Does it provide value?”

With the “Think Different Challenge,” the answer is a resounding YES.  I believe it fits in perfectly at Adversity University.  If each and every one of us took just a minute to change our way of thinking, the world would be in a much higher state of vibration.  There would be less hate and prejudice, not to mention drama, stress and greed.         

According to Peter, we are free to write whatever comes to mind as long as it has something to do with thinking differently.  We are also left with the freedom of either tagging specific people to participate or making a blank statement of invitation to those who wish to join us.  I choose the latter.  For more information, check out Peter’s Think Different Challenge.

If this meme is of interest to you and you have a blog, then by all means please consider yourself tagged by me at Adversity University!   

Without further ado, here are 3 ways of thinking differently:  

Be Open to New Experiences:  Don’t be stuck in a routine – do something absolutely outrageous once in a while.  Many years ago while living in New York City, I decided to do something crazy one Saturday morning.  I was out for a stroll with a friend.  Weekend traffic had slowed to a trickle.  We were in the middle of crossing Fifth Avenue when I suddenly looked both ways, dropped down and proceeded to make an imaginary snowman on the asphalt, screaming, ”THANK YOU GOD FOR EVERYTHING!”  Har, har, har, was that quite liberating!

Perceive every single person as having a divine mission:  You cannot tell why others are here on this planet but they, including yourself, are destined to carry out a special role.  Next time you see a person with a disability, (perhaps someone like Nick Vujici who has no arms and no legs), instead of feeling sorry for him, why don’t you see him as an instrument of God, teaching all of us lessons about perserverance, overcoming adversity and the awesome power of the mind?  A homeless person?  My goodness, instead of spitting in disgust at the smell or sight of one, why not see him as an angel in disguise, reminding you to get out of the “God, my life is awful!!” club?  

Want to be more centered, calm?  Imagine yourself as the center of a record.  The grooves encircling you represents life’s major challenges but there you are, in a calm state of mind, totally unaffected by everything swirling around you. 

Two weeks ago I was volunteering my time on a church community project.  A ton of unopened boxes were strewn everywhere.  Adding to the mix were a couple of volunteers rushing around like mad, loudly barking out ideas for all to hear, telling others what to do and unraveling hours of hard work previously done by others.  Needless to say, this brought on a lot of unnecessary tension.  In the past, I would have gotten caught up in the drama.  But at one point while unpacking a box, I took a deep breath, shut my eyes and visualized being in the center of that record.  In my mind’s eye, I was enclosed in a protective bubble to ward off negative energy.  Then I took it one step further and imagined those volunteers as children of God who were simply all excited and meant well. 

The result? 

I got through the entire evening in a state of unruffled grace!   It was exhilarating – you should try it.  (Photo Credit:  Bear Clause)

Food for thought:  What are the ways you can think differently today?

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How about you? Do you walk the talk? Do you find yourself doling out advice and then following it yourself? Or do you preach one thing but behave in a contrary manner?

One of the things I most admire in other people is their level of authenticity. Because I respect people of this stature and want to emulate this character trait, I am very conscientious of my own behavior and monitor whether I also “walk the talk.” If there’s anything that makes me want to vomit, it’s being in the presence of hypocrites. You can spot them a mile away.

A few days ago, I wrote “Pimping the so-called Competition.” In that article and another one (see here), I emphasized that there is no such thing as competition. Why? Because it’s all a matter of how we perceive things. It’s actually very smart business to help others out there, especially if their work truly inspires you. If you understand and respect the spiritual law of giving and receiving, then this concept will make perfect sense!

Mindful of the need to stay true to my words from the other day, I’ve decided to take the art of pimping to another level today. On the upper left hand corner, is a photo of a fellow self development writer, speaker and author that I’ve had the good fortune to become friends with recently. His name is Phil Gerbyshak from Make it Great!

While I’ve read a lot of Phil’s articles, there was one that touched me to the core, making me want to pimp the hell out of him. He wrote a beautiful, touching story of his experiences as a young boy who faced adversity along the way: “The Power of Positive Thinking.” You’ll find that he writes from the heart and shares his innermost thoughts, fears and beliefs, telling himself over and over again, “I can do it.” It’s worth your time to read it.

What did you think of it? Did it remind you of your own life’s experiences?

Food for thought: Do you walk the talk? Have you thought about taking the art of pimping to another level and telling the world about someone who truly made a difference in your life? Why not do it in an unconventional way, surprising, even shocking people?

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When I give from the heart and not out of obligation, it not only expands my prosperity consciousness, but it also strengthens the fabric of trust that I will always be provided for. Here are some of the most amazing gifts I’ve received in recent months because I was in the giving and receiving mode:

1. An international newspaper ran a full page article about my aviation achievements – this form of PR came about unexpectedly from a woman who was in the audience at one of my speaking engagements. You can see it here.

2. Howard Putnam, a former CEO of Southwest Airlines and Mark Sanborn, a best-selling business author, both provided me with powerful video testimonials about my professional speaking services, giving me instant credibility.

3. Out of the blue, a subscriber sent a $100 donation through PayPal.

4. This same subscriber appears to have turned herself into a divine channel with timely ideas and suggestions because she keeps emailing them to me at just the right time!

5. A first-time client who booked me for a speaking engagement this Fall immediately hired me for another event in Las Vegas in 2008, sight unseen. This is someone who was hiring me solely on the basis of my website, without seeing or hearing me give a speech (except for the short video clips on that site). Apparently, she had enough faith to hire me for their second event in 2008! You have to wonder, how did that happen?

6. Through a referral, I met a wonderful woman who is so excited about my personal story and what I have to offer that she’s already told her vast network of business and personal friends about me. This could very well lead to opportunities that might not have otherwise manifested had I not been in the giving and receiving mode.

7. The local news station offered to come to my church to interview Ryan Mathews and I about the “Flight to Hartford,” giving our project more exposure than we expected. You can see it here (be sure to scroll down to the end of the article to click “Play Video”).

8. Almost $8,000 was raised for the “Flight to Hartford” project. It happened easily and effortlessly, without the need for advertising or time consuming solicitation-type phone calls.

9. Several people from the blogsphere have taken it upon themselves to act as my virtual PR manager including but not limited to: Michael Werner, Aaron Potts, Rajesh Setty, Stephen Shapiro, Sharmaine, Howard Putnam, to name a few. They have been inspired to spread the word through their blogs, websites or electronic newsletters, all of which have resulted in more exposure for “Adversity University” as well as for my speaking, writing and flying endeavors. Called viral marketing, this is something that is completely out of anyone’s realm of control but happens in a most magical way. It is a great example of God and the universe doing something for you that you cannot do for yourself – it happens completely on its own without you needing to do much of anything other than being true to yourself. They want to do it because they love you for who you are, not what others expect you to be. Gosh, imagine that!

Despite all of these opportunities that came my way, I have to admit that I somehow fell back into lack consciousness and stopped tithing for a few weeks. I told myself that I was giving time and energy to the church by volunteering to mow their lawn, serve as vice chairman of their multi-million dollar foundation, among other things. While giving back in this way is certainly a form of tithing, I really believe that when you give away money, it sets the universe in motion in a much more powerful way.

Why? Because the green stuff is something that isn’t easily given away for some of us, especially if we are faced with one or more of the following circumstances: we aren’t sure of where our next dollar is coming from, we’ve been hit with a major form of adversity (i.e. divorce, loss of job, major illness, etc) or if we’ve been taught that money is scarce. It is especially during these times that when you give away money, you are making a strong, blind declaration of faith to God and the universe that not only will you pull through hard times but you will also get back what you gave many times over.

Hey, anyone can mow the lawn. Anyone can serve time on the board of directors. That’s easy stuff. But it’s when you change your way of thinking and start tithing in total faith, the more it comes back to you in some form or shape. A lot of people find this to be hard to do because it is an emotional thing for them. They fear they won’t have enough to pay the bills or whatnot.

Here’s how to overcome this……

Give from the heart and from a place of joy; not out of obligation and/or manipulation.

Several months ago I wrote a couple of articles about the power of giving: “Greatest Secrets to Unblocking the Flow of Prosperity,” and “The Temperamental Money Laundering Machine.” Yes, I refer back to them from time to time to remind myself of the powerful spiritual law of giving and receiving. Like you, I am always a work in progress. I occasionally lapse back into my old way of thinking. It does happen.

Then yesterday I had the good fortune to stumble onto a most amazing YouTube video, which inspired me to write “If Paul Potts Can Do It, So Can YOU!” This act instantly put me back on track and singlehandedly restored my faith. Almost without thinking, I whipped out my blue checkbook out from beneath a pile of rubble on my desk and joyfully began to tithe again.

It was the most amazing moment for me – imagine yours truly waving a checkbook in the air, excitedly proclaiming, “God, I have absolute faith in you!” Shhh…don’t tell anybody about this – they’ll think I’m crazy and put me in the nut house.

The point? We sometimes fall back into our old way of thinking until something magical happens, transporting us back into the giving mode again. If you have a hard time giving away money, why not start small? Give $5 or $10 or whatever amount you’re comfortable with and give to a person, place or organization that has provided you with some kind of spiritual nourishment/encouragement. Regardless of where you’re getting that from, give back without expecting anything in return. Just do it.

The more you practice this, the easier it gets. It’s taken many checks, week after week, to reprogram my mindset and go from lack consciousness to one of prosperity. And you know what? It really works if you keep at it. You’ve seen examples of some of my own experiences. Why not see for yourself – especially when you are experiencing tough times – you’ll be amazed.

Food for thought: Are you tithing your money to a person, place or organization that continually provides you with vital spiritual nourishment?

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Yes, there are circumstances outside our control causing adversity but the originator is usually YOU. Think about it.

What thoughts did you allow to circulate in your mind and what decisions did you make as a result from those thoughts? Did you take necessary action or did you procrastinate? Did you allow self defeating thoughts permeate your way of being and therefore attract a mountain of debt, the wrong people in your life or perhaps gain unwanted weight?

Among the top five ways I deal with adversity is taking responsibility. See the post about Adversity University’s interactive tagging experiment here.

The above mentioned experiment is slowly but surely catching fire and I have been reading some very interesting stories from people from all walks of life about how they deal with adversity, especially if they created it themselves. Take a look at this post by Chris over at “The Philosophy of Change.” Other stories/tips written by those who have participated in this experiment will be posted when the tagging project is completed.

Even though you may not know Chris personally, I trust you’ll find it an interesting and honest read. He writes from the heart and shows that it is possible to rise from the mess we’ve made for ourselves. Chris did what was necessary to reverse the situation he found himself in. He took responsibility and owned up to the situation and then took action. He stopped drinking, changed his eating habits/exercised more and improved his income situation. Chris shows that it is possible for anyone to rise out of the ashes if they take responsibility for their lives instead pointing fingers away from themselves.

Food for thought: Taking responsibility for our lives is empowering and causes lives to change dramatically for the better!

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One of the participants is a single mom who is a screenwriter with a project now being considered by an A-list actress (Nicole Kidman) for a major motion picture. Imagine that! She wrote a wonderful story about overcoming adversity on the long road to success. Reading it lifted my spirits and confirmed that we are all in on this together. Of course, she will be among 500 people listed on a future post here at Adversity University and you will have an opportunity to be uplifted by her story too.

The title of today’s article magically came to me last night while watching “Pay it Forward.” Have you seen that movie? I highly recommend it – it moved me to tears because it was so heartfelt. It made me want to run out and “pay it forward.” So I came up with an idea for today’s article.

About a month ago, “It’s OKAY to Celebrate Your Defeats!” was written in response to a major literary agent passing on my book proposal for THAT’S RIGHT, STEPHEN! A follow up article entitled “Inside the Mind of a Literary Agent” proved to be quite cathartic and hopefully inspired you because it surely put things in perspective for me.

Shortly after those two articles were written, I was faced with a decision – should I self-publish or continue the “traditional way”?

One of the most powerful techniques of overcoming what other people perceive to be impossible is to make a firm decision, regardless of what it is, and then sticking with it. That’s how I became a successful Merrill Lynch stockbroker, a deaf pilot who made aviation history, among other things.

My good friend Stephen Shapiro wrote a brief but fascinating rundown called “Sobering Statistics About the Book Industry.” Despite the overwhelming odds of getting published, I’ve decided to go the traditional way. Here’s my thinking on this: “If I can become the world’s first deaf instrument rated pilot despite the FAA regulations to the contrary, why can’t I defy the odds again?”

Engineering the impossible requires at least four things:

1. Belief in yourself

2. Finding someone (just one, only one) who also believes in you. All that needs to happen is that you will be divinely led to this person who is in a position to open doors for you (like that lady who helped me with the book proposal – even though I didn’t get literary representation with her agent in the end, she did get my foot in the door of a powerful literary agency in NYC – if she believes in me, imagine who else might!).

3. Perseverance

4. Create the mindset that your time will come, just have faith in God’s plan for you.

Once I made the decision to find myself a literary agent, I went out and got six books from the local library on how to write a better book proposal. Day by day I read, take notes and then go back to the computer to tweak things a little more. Taking action like that is a signal to the universe that I am serious about my intentions. This goes along with the H.E.A.R. Principle where “A” stands for “Take Action.” ACTION speaks louder than words.

I am sharing this with you not because I want to portray myself as a mythic figure of gothic proportions who overcomes great odds but to hold myself accountable to you, my readers, and to the rest of the universe of my intentions. In essence, I’ve personally invited you along for the trip. By having you by my side in spirit, I know I have your love and support, which makes this journey all the more worthwhile. By the way, you already have an idea of what the book will be like because it’s all in here, in this blog! In fact, I will be creating an e-book in the near future so that you can read it, for free, in an easy and accessible location.

My desire is to create a point of reference where I can bring future readers back to this post to show that I was at one time a person who had the dream of getting published. If you can learn to ignore so-called statistics or man-made rules, then you’ve got your work cut out for you. All that is required is a firm decision from the deepest part of your being and then moving forward from there. Henry Ford once said:

“If you think you can do a thing or think you can’t do a thing, you’re right.”

Food for thought: Have you made a firm decision to commit yourself to a certain course of action today?

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Isn’t it interesting how sometimes everything is flowing easily and effortlessly where you feel nothing could go wrong and then BAM! WHAM! you are hit with a most unexpected jolt, literally turning your world upside down?

Remember the miraculous encounter I had with a local woman (Katina) who was in the audience at one of my speaking engagements earlier this year? She unexpectedly volunteered to help me whip my book proposal in shape for her literary agent’s review and consideration. Her thinking throughout my presentation that night was: Hey, Stephen where’s your book?

Click here to read more about that fateful evening.

It had to be “divine timing” because it was providing me with an exceptional opportunity to realize the dream of publishing my first book through a well-established literary agent. Over time, Katina held a few phone conversations with him and I was told that he was very excited about the forthcoming book proposal.

Definitely a good sign, I thought. At one point, Katina even suggested that her agent was going to thank her for “discovering me.”

Before we go any further, let us step back in time for a moment here.

Seven years ago (Year 2000), after countless rejections, I landed a reputable literary agent named Joe who once represented Mother Teresa. After months of working on the book proposal, he went shopping among the nation’s top publishers only to be turned down due to “crowded book market conditions.” When Joe and I went our separate ways, I remember thinking it was okay to move on because I knew the universe would provide me with another window of opportunity later.

Everything you experience, pleasant or not, is preparing you for the future. In August 2006, I wrote a three-part series on “Trust that Bigger Things are in Store for You” (Part I, Part II and Part III). Even my unpleasant encounter with the elementary school bully and “Harry the Bank Boss” were divine acts on the stage of life to become the person I am today.

When I met Katina at the speaking engagement, I recognized a new “window of opportunity” had just emerged. I marveled at the timing. After all, she was connected to one of the most powerful literary agencies. Many of their authors have seen their books turned into major motion pictures. What could be better than having someone like Katina from a tiny, sleepy little town of Akron, Ohio help me get my foot in the door?

This was finally going to be my year to publish! With great excitement, she and I revamped the original book proposal and created a short promotional video clip with the help of Ron Hoff (you can see the DVD clip here).

The book proposal/DVD package was finally FEDEX’d to Katina’s agent in New York City last week. We tried to carry on with our lives, giving our best shot in “letting go and letting God.”

But alas, it was not to be.

An email arrived yesterday from one of the junior agents whose message was courteous yet clearly in the format of a rejection letter:

“Unfortunately, the intense competition in the current market forces us to be extremely selective and we believe that you would be better served by another agency. You should not take this as a reflection of your work, etc.”

BOOM, BAM, WHAM!

Shaking my head vigorously as if I was imagining things, I had to re-read it just to make sure.

When it became crystal clear what I was looking at, my stomach did a super flip flop and I felt a rare blanket of heaviness descend around me. It did not feel good at all.

Now what’s the point of “Adversity University” if I can’t be honest and share the good and the bad? Obstacles and other forms of adversity are going to pop up from time to time whether we like it or not. Like my business statement says, “adversity does not discriminate – no one is immune from it.” No one.

W. Mitchell, a fellow motivational speaker says, “It’s not what happens to you…it’s what you do about it.”

The junior agent’s standard rejection letter wasn’t the first time I received one. So what’s one more?

How did I handle it? First, I let myself sulk for a few minutes. Okay, it was a few hours!

Then I asked myself several questions:

Did this change anything about what I have now? (No)
Are you still alive and well? (Ahem, yes, I am!)
Do you still have your health? (Yes)
Are you homeless? (No)
Does this mean your writing sucks? (My goodness, it better not!!)
Is it the end of the world for you? (Don’t be silly!!)
Do you have food in the refrigerator and a roof over your head? (Yes)
Do you have family and friends who love you for who you are? (Where would I be without them?)
Are you still in demand as a motivational speaker around the country? (Yes)

On a drum roll, I pulled up my gratitude list on the computer and reminded myself why I should be grateful.

Then I found previous blog entries like “Gratitude Reminders” and “The Power of Thanking People with Handwritten Notes,” lifting me up even more.

In the end, I simply shrugged my shoulders, sent a very nice thank you email back to the junior agent, packed my gym bag and went for a vigorous workout.

Then I bought myself a cigar to celebrate!

Celebrate what?

Okay, here’s the deal. Despite the so-called “bad news,” I still believe everything happens for a divine reason.

Of course, I have no idea why everything happened the way it did. On the surface, it makes absolutely no sense that the universe would give me the opportunity to create the foundation for my first book proposal 7 years ago with the help of an agent who, despite his very best efforts, was not able to get me a publishing deal. And then I am presented with a chance encounter with Katina, who we all know by now is represented by one of the most powerful literary agents, only to have her agent say “Not for us, sorry.”

Huh? What’s the deal?

Isn’t this why they say God acts in mysterious ways? Like my friend Joni says, “more will be revealed.”

Perhaps a way is being paved to another path that I’m not yet aware of. Maybe an unforeseen opportunity even bigger than Katina’s literary agency will come along. Or I’m being given an opportunity to consider other ways of publishing that I hadn’t given serious thought before.

Like…………self publishing.

Hmm…let me put it this way. All I’ve ever wanted was to have a traditional publisher do all the publishing-related work, pay me a nice little advance and then presto, I have a “legitimate” book. What perspective author doesn’t want that?

On the same day I received the rejection notice, I heard from a good friend that I hadn’t heard from in quite some time. She had no idea what just happened and innocently included in her email how she was saving money to self-publish a book so that audiences at her speaking engagements could take a piece of her message home with them after hearing her speak.

Was that supposed to be a “light bulb” message for me?

The bottom line is that I am faced with two choices:

1. Continue to slog my way through names of hundreds of literary agents and publishers in the hope of finding a creditable agent/publisher someday.

OR

2. Take action now, pay out of pocket to self-publish and have faith that it will all work out.

Tomorrow I will post a blog entry from a literary agent’s point of view on why agents pass on representing someone – it’s quite interesting and I promise for those of you who are aspiring authors, you’ll understand the elimination process, just like I did.

By the way, are you wondering what my book is about? The working title is That’s Right, Stephen! and it’s a collection of stories that you have already read in this blog!

That’s right, I’m simply taking the best stories from here and turning it into a book. If you wade through past posts in “Adversity University,” you’ll get a glimpse of what kind of stories will appear in That’s Right, Stephen!

Come to think of it, I’m contemplating the idea of creating a free downloadable e-book and putting it up on my website. Seth Godin, a famous internet marketing guru, did just that and then went on to publish a wildly successful book that was at one time a free downloadable e-book from his website!

It’s called viral marketing where people have a chance to see what you have to offer and tell others about it before they decide to pick up a hard copy for themselves. The idea is if people like your book online, they’ll want to own a copy that they can touch, feel and even highlight certain sections for future reference. Pretty cool way to get your work out there huh?

Stay tuned…….

Food for thought: We are all on a mysterious journey. Along the way, we are given obstacles for a divine reason. How we choose to respond to those obstacles is entirely up to each of us. The key is to stay faithful to your dreams and eventually you will get there.

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What happens if our conscious mind is left to its own devices on autopilot? The unconscious becomes strewn with weeds and eventually becomes unwieldy, making it difficult to attract what you want in life.

When we become aware of ourselves, we automatically make different decisions, attract different people to match our inner vibration and carry ourselves differently.

You see, because I’ve become the consummate gardener in the quest to attract what I truly want, I’ve consciously raised my level of awareness of the choices I’m making on a daily basis.

In essence, I’ve become both an observer and the observed of Stephen J. Hopson.

Who?

Yes, in case you forgot my name, that’s me.

“What!?!” you might say. Think about that for a moment.

If you make conscious choices, you’re bound to become aware of your actions, thoughts and feelings, right? What could follow from that?

Number one, you become the observer. Why? Because you’re now watching yourself think, process, behave, assimilate, react, etc.

Number two, you become the observed. Why? Because you’re observing yourself being observed. Think of it this way, it’s like having an out-of-body experience where you’re not only watching yourself carry on but you also know that you’re watching yourself.

Pretty cool, wouldn’t you say?

A small yet significant example would be what happens when I reach for the TV remote control. Never before have I observed myself making choices when selecting a TV program or movie. In the past I might have sleepily flipped through the channels until I found something that caught my eye without giving it much thought.

Nowadays I find myself saying things like, “That’s too violent” or “Why would I want to watch a documentary on violent prisons?” In other words, because these are conscious thoughts, I make different choices. One of them includes taking the time to press “Info” on the remote control to find out more about the program, just like reading the labels on food packages in the supermarket.

This leads me to watching educational documentaries on the Discovery Channel or Animal Planet rather than a violent, senseless thriller. I tend to gravitate to programs like “America’s Funniest Videos” or comedy shows. One of the guests on “The Secret” testified how she was able to eliminate breast cancer by watching hilarious “Laurel and Hardy” movies every day along with daily affirmations and prayers. There really is truth in the old adage that laughter is best medicine!

Why don’t you try it right now! Pretend you are having an out-of-body experience. Take your conscious mind outside yourself and go to your living room or wherever you have a TV. Become the observed and observer and watch your thoughts and your actions while flipping through the channels. Do the same thing when carrying on a conversation with people – you’ll see how you really think, behave, speak. This exercise will shock you! It’ll feel a little weird at first but I guarantee you’ll find it quite fascinating and potentially life-changing.

Not only do you become the observed and observer, you also bring to light deeply embedded beliefs that might have been created as a result of past religious practices. For example, growing up in a Catholic household exposed me to prayers like “not being worthy to receive Jesus.”

That absolutely blew my mind to smithereens – no wonder I had struggles in the past with the notion of being worthy enough to to receive gifts, ask for what I want, accept compliments or enjoy abundance!

Food for thought: Are you becoming both the observed and observer by acting like a loving, caring gardener of your unconscious mind?

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Ever since “The Secret” hit mainstream consciousness, a lot of people have misunderstood the principles behind the law of attraction. They think it’s about sitting in their favorite recliner and imagining themselves being, doing and becoming the things they want to attract.

Yes, that’s part of it but there’s more. A lot more.

It involves elevating your level of consciousness and becoming more aware of your thought process, examining your belief system and actively changing what doesn’t work.

If you desire better health, you’d be choosing to eat healthier foods and exercising more. Your thoughts will no longer remain mired on aches and pains and all the medications that go with them.

Let’s say you’ve been invited to a picnic with your friends on a beautiful, gorgeous day. Assuming you’ve made a decision to get healthier, rather than complaining to everyone how much your leg hurts or regaling them with horror stories from the last visit to the hospital, you’ll be in the moment and take in the beautiful weather, enjoy a fun game of horseshoe and feel grateful for the friends who are there with you at the picnic. If you think and behave like this consistently in every area of your life, the aches and pains will soon become a thing of the past because you are no longer focusing on what you don’t want!

By making conscious changes to the way we think and perceive the world around us, we become more aware of the quality of thoughts that go through our minds and discard the ones that don’t work. We begin to metabolize the kind of thoughts that allow us to see the good in others, develop an attitude of gratitude and believe that everything happens for a divine reason, to name a few.

We all want more prosperity, right? For the law of attraction to work in this area, visualizing financial freedom is only one aspect of it. Examining your money belief system is another piece of the puzzle. You could be visualizing a bulging bank account until you’re blue in the face but if you have limiting or self-defeating thoughts like, “Money is the root of all evil, ” “Donald Trump is filthy rich” or “Becoming wealthy only happens to other people,” then you’ll be stuck in a rut until you actively dismantle those thoughts.

The law of attraction requires what I like to call the “metabolizing of prosperity thoughts” to manifest more money. How do you do that? By acting “as if.” Tithe as if you already have a lot in the bank. Dress nicer. Expect a check in the mail. When writing a check, instead of thinking it will lower your bank balance, see it being replenished easily and effortlessly. White out your bank balance and add a few zeros to it.

“I’ll believe it when I see it.”

I’m sure you’ve heard that one before. Perhaps you’ve said this yourself at one time or another. In order to attract what you want, the opposite is true. The unseen needs to be metabolized in your thought process before they arrive in physical reality.

Why?

Because the universe is like one giant mirror. It reflects back to you what you see in your mind’s eye and believe on a cellular level that you will be, do or have. I think it was Gandhi who said that we need to change our inner world first before the outer world will reflect it.

Here are a couple of quotes I have up on my vision board. They are from the mega-best selling book from the 1990′s, “Conversation with God” by Neale Donald Walsch (he made a brief appearance in “The Secret”):

“When you “make up your mind” about something, you set the universe into motion. Forces beyond your ability to comprehend — far more subtle and complex than you could imagine — are engaged in a process, the intricate dynamics of which you are only just now beginning to understand.”

“Nothing comes to you by accident. There is no such thing as coincidence. Nothing occurs at random. Life is not a product of chance. Events, like people, are drawn to you, by you, for your own purposes.’

Food for thought: Let these two quotes “metabolize” in your mind and take precedence in your daily thinking. They will go a long way to helping understand the law of attraction and gradually bring about desirable lifestyle changes for you!

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The notion of competition lends to the idea that there isn’t enough to go around. But it flies in the face of the universal source of abundance – the universe has unlimited resources.

In his blog, Steve Pavlina makes a very interesting point:

What happens when people put out conflicting intentions, like two people intending to get the same promotion when only one position is available?

Since you’re the only intender, this is entirely an internal conflict — within YOU. You’re holding the thought (the intention) for both people to want the same position. But you’re also thinking (intending) that only one can get it. So you’re intending competition. This whole situation is your creation. You believe in competition, so that’s what you manifest. Maybe you have some beliefs (thoughts and intentions) about who will get the promotion, in which case your expectations will manifest. But you may have a higher order belief that life is random, unfair, uncertain, etc., so in that case you may manifest a surprise because that’s what you’re intending.

Interesting point of view, isn’t it?

Not enough companies do this but have you noticed how some of them (who might be considered competitors) have found that by collaborating their resources, for example, to make a movie or drill oil in the Far East, they are accomplishing what they could not do by themselves?

The other day I mentioned that after googling “law of attraction,” I stumbled upon Wendy’s “Creation Thoughts” blog. I was so taken by her articles on this subject that I read every single one of them well into the night. Her articles then led me to her other website.

As you already know, I was so impressed that not only did I end up subscribing to her motivational newsletter but I also linked my blog to her sites. Then I wrote her a glowing email thanking her for the well written articles and explained how they touched me. In that email, I informed her that “Adversity University” readers now knew about her. She was so grateful that she ended up exchanging what we call in the blogging world “love links.” You can read some of the wonderful comments she made about me here.

The point?

To the average person, Wendy and I might be considered “competitors” because we are both writers and public speakers. That might lead some people to think that we wouldn’t want to help one another because in their minds, there aren’t enough speaking/writing opportunities out there. After all they might argue, if you googled “motivational speakers,” you’d get page after page of speakers. Too many speakers and not enough speaking/writing opportunities. Right??

Not so!

According to the law of attraction, if you intend to experience competition, that’s what you will attract. I will tell you that of all the professional speaking engagements that came my way, I’ve never had to compete with another speaker. To date, I’ve been hired on the basis of three things: 1) my speaking website, 2) my press kit (without a video) and finally 3) word of mouth. To my knowledge, it never came down between me and someone else!

We do not need to compete because we are all unique with unique skills, thoughts and energy patterns. None of us are the same. We might have like thoughts but we have different ways of expressing ourselves. We have different writing styles and talents.

A case in point: Not everyone is a deaf motivational speaker who happens to be a former Wall Street stockbroker. Nor does anyone write the way I do. No one else became the first deaf pilot in the world to be instrument rated. Finally, no one owns the rights to the “The Jordan Factor” speech because it was I who experienced that (about my fifth grade teacher who caused a ripple effect on my life years ago).

Another example: How about a man who I have the honor and privilege of being my mentor, Howard Putnam? He bills himself as a former CEO of Southwest Airlines – you can see his site here. He is in great demand as a speaker and business consultant all over the world. Do you think he’s worried about competition from other speakers? Although he has not specifically said anything to me on this subject, I would venture to say he isn’t.

Why?

Because he knows he will attract the right kind of clientele who need to hear about his leadership techniques. There are very few “former Southwest CEO’s” out there on the lecture circuit. He has his own style of presentation that is uniquely his and his alone. Whether or not he is aware of the spiritual law of giving principles, he certainly walks the talk. Not only has he reached out to me and opened some doors in the world of speaking, but he has also told others about me, just like I have told others about Wendy.

Do you see what I mean? Like Howard Putnam, Wendy and I, you are very unique and whatever it is that you have to offer, there are plenty of takers out there. Why do you think marketing experts tell us to look within ourselves and find something unique about ourselves? You have a story that’s dying to be shared with the world. Your experiences are yours alone and that makes you makes you quite special.

Go and tell! And don’t worry about competition. It doesn’t exist unless you make it so.

Food for thought: You only experience competition if you intend it. Famous motivational speaker Zig Ziglar once said “if you help just enough other people get what they want, you’ll get what you want.”

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As a result of googling “Law of Attraction,” I stumbled onto a wonderful website whose name caught my eye: http://www.wingsfortheheart.com/

Can you guess why?

Hint: The key word is”Wings.”

You may recall that I’m a pilot. Not only that, but I’m heading up a book project for my church that happens to have “wings” in the working title: Wind Under Wings. Compelled, I opened the door to her website and was hooked. I ended up burning the midnight oil and read every single article she had on the subject of the “Law of Attraction.” I was so taken by her writing that I delved even deeper and that’s when I hit pay dirt.

On her site is a free e-book by Joe Vitale. Does his name ring a bell? It should. Long before the wildly successful “The Secret” DVD came out (he is one of the teachers featured), he was already famous for his best-selling book, “Spiritual Marketing.”

Joe has a most amazing story. For 15 years he lived in poverty in Houston, Texas. From there he rose to become a well known marketing guru with a special twist. Like me, Joe is an avid student of metaphysics. He is famous for harnessing spiritual and marketing principles together.

If you haven’t seen “The Secret,” you’ll love listening to him. Even though I can’t hear his voice (I’m deaf, remember?), I’ve heard that he has a hypnotic voice. People love listening to his tapes because they are so soothing and have a wonderful calming effect. He has the capability of inspiring people to action and touching their hearts because he is so genuine. There is nothing fluffy about this guy – in fact, I’ve put him on my list of people I desire to meet during my lifetime!

What I read stunned me.

The title of Joe’s e-book? The Greatest Money Making Secret in History!

It should have been titled “The Greatest Secret to Unblocking the Flow of Prosperity” but then which title holds greater emotional appeal?

Exactly.

It is 111 pages long. I read it in under two hours. I went to bed so excited, I couldn’t wait to write about it the next morning. I’ll give you the link to his e-book at the end but let me have the opportunity to share with you what I learned first:

1. You can never “out give” the universe. When you give from the heart and without any expectation of return, the universe returns the gift multiplied many times over.

2. Never, ever expect anything in return, especially from the beneficiary of your giving. Just know that you will receive. Sound confusing? It isn’t. Knowing and expecting are two different things. When you expect to receive, you put yourself in the “if I do this, I’ll get that.” That’s called manipulation. On the other hand, if you give without expecting any return, you put yourself in the mode of knowing you will get back but letting the universe handle the details for you. How exciting is that??

3. You may think you have little to give because of the current size of your bank account or debt situation but all you have to do is open your eyes and look. Even the little you have can be shared with others. Don’t wait until you have “a lot” to give away. Do it now and you’ll open up channels that were previously closed to you.

4. Sometimes the return from giving happens very quickly. Other times it takes longer. Never put a timetable on your return. Stay open and trust the universe.

5. Don’t give out of a sense of obligation or fear (i.e. people or organizations that prey on your sense of guilt or a preacher who says the bible demands that you tithe, etc.). Give with genuine gratitude. Give to people who inspire, heal, serve and love you.

6. In fact, the best time to give (especially when your bank account is extremely small and you do not yet have the financial abundance that you envision for yourself) is to wait until you are feeling GOOD. We all have our mood swings – we all have our ups and downs because that’s the natural ebb and flow of life. Sooner or later, you will be feeling really good about something for whatever reason. You will be inspired, motivated or given a ray of hope to the point where you are feeling very grateful. That’s the perfect time to give. When you give without any fear, attachment or expectation, you unlock the universal law of prosperity, making way for more to come back to you from unexpected sources.

7. The more you practice giving away, the more you stretch your prosperity consciousness. For example, in the last year and a half, I’ve made it a regular habit to tithe at least 10 percent of my income to people or places that provide me with spiritual nourishment. Lately, that recipient happens to be my church not because the preacher asks for it but because I feel grateful that I found a place where everyone is welcome, unlike many of the churches in this day and age. That, to me, is priceless spiritual nourishment. As a result, I give to my church because I want and feel inspired to, not because I have to. Huge difference.

8. When you give money away, you are sending a message to the universe that you are prosperous and in the flow. You also set yourself up as a money magnet – what goes out comes back.

9. The key principle is to know that you cannot fool or manipulate the universe – if you give grudgingly or out of pity or obligation, you are actually blocking yourself from the giving and receiving cycle. The underlying emotion when you give must be out of sense of love, gratitude and freedom. When you give, are you excited? Or are you fearful?

10. Give love, you get back love. Give time, you get back time. Give money, you get back money. Give books, you get back books. The universe mirrors exactly what you give out.

11. Here’s the greatest secret of unblocking the flow of your prosperity. How do you feel when you write checks? Do you cringe, get a funny feeling in your stomach? Let’s say you write a check for your church every Sunday. How does that make you feel? Have you ever asked yourself why you are writing this check? If you say: “I’m helping them out of a hole” or “I feel obligated” or “My preacher says I’ll go to hell if I don’t tithe,” you’re definitely on the wrong path. Not good. When you feel lousy giving money, you are sending a message to the universe that you are associating money with bad feelings. That’s like saying, “money makes me feel bad.” Have you ever thought of it that way? It’s mind-blowing!

12. Do people owe you money? Have you forgiven them? When you harbor anger or resentment against those who owe you, you are blocking yourself. Why don’t you just let them go? Silently bless them and know that you will be paid in full some other way.

13. How do you feel when you write a check to pay off your creditors? Just the other day, I wrote a check to pay off an invoice for videotaping services rendered for my speaking business. It was for a substantial amount, taking a large chunk of money out of my checking account. In the past, I would have felt fear in the pit of my stomach but on that day I actually felt exhilarated. Writing that check made me feel like a million bucks. It gave me a feeling of incredible inner peace because I could only imagine the look of surprise on the recipient’s face. Several months ago, he told me to take my time, trusting that I would eventually pay up in full. Never once did he complain or hold any grudges against me. He simply trusted that I would pay. When I finally had the money to pay him, I was feeling so incredibly thankful for his trust in me that while I was writing the check, I was actually feeling very excited! According to Joe Vitale, this kind of emotion is the back-door to unlocking your prosperity.

14. Become aware that the universe, God (or whatever label you want to put on it), is your main source, not your friends, your debtors, creditors, business associates, family, etc. Broaden your perspective and know that the universe will provide exactly what you need, ask and visualize for yourself.

15. Try giving anonymously. What a concept! What you give is between you and God and the universe anyway. Other people don’t need to know about it. Don’t give because you want your name up on some building or recognition to satisfy your ego. Why not surprise someone with an anonymous gift? True, you may never know how that person reacted because he/she won’t know it came from you. But put yourself in that person’s shoes. If you received a gift anonymously, how would that make you feel? Wouldn’t you sing your heart out or feel grateful? Sure you would! Why don’t you try that?

16. One of the contributing authors, Paul Hartunianin, in Joe’s e-book put it very concisely. I couldn’t have said it better than him: “I have no problem with someone being recognized for giving, he added. But if you give because you want recognition or you expect a ten-fold return, then you’re not giving, you’re calculating.” Wow! We humans sure know how to manipulate things, don’t we?

As promised, here’s the link to Joe’s e-book. I guarantee you’ll love it. You might even lose sleep over it!

Food for thought: Think of the person, persons or organizations that inspired you this week. Who made you feel good about your life, your dreams or your goals? Give money to that source and don’t be stingy. Come from the mindset of abundance, not scarcity. Give without expecting return from that recipient but know that you are setting yourself up for a return from some other source. And then watch what happens! You will be absolutely amazed.

(NOTE: In a future blog entry, I will list some things that have personally happened to me as a result of my “giving from the heart campaign.”)

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