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!

a

I am and will always be a continuing student of the Law of Attraction. Even though I’ve heard of Jerry and Esther Hicks, a husband and wife team who teach Law of Attraction principles through a spirit guide named Abraham, it wasn’t until recently when I felt inspired to learn more about them. One day I kept seeing their names all over the place and realized that the universe was sending me a message to look into their teachings. So I went on Amazon and ended up buying two of their books: The Law of Attraction and Ask and It is Given.

I read both of them in three days. Yes, three. They were that good. As a result, I was given some really great tips on fun ways to feel more abundant.

1. Withdraw a $100 bill from your bank account (an actual $100 bill, don’t ask the teller to break it up into twenties, tens, etc.). Put it in your wallet or purse. Several times a day, open it and look at it. I don’t know about you, but it’s been a very long time since I’ve physically seen a $100 bill. But every time I see one, I get excited. As you go throughout the day, imagine spending it 20 or 30 times. Say to yourself, I can afford to get (name of product you see or think of). What will happen is you’ll increase your financial well-being vibration by spending two or three thousand dollars a day. The universe sees that you are feeling good about money and will respond by giving you more of it. Why? Because here you’re focusing on abundance, not the lack of it. For years I rarely carried cash on me. My wallet was always empty because I was using my debit card to keep track of expenditures by recording them on Quicken (financial software). Every time I opened my wallet to find it empty, how do you think it made me feel? What do you think will happen when I see a crisp $100 in there instead?

2. Create a fake bank account on your finance software (i.e. Quicken) or if you don’t have one, buy yourself a ledger. On Day 1, deposit $1,000 and increase daily deposits by an extra $1,000. For example on Day 1=$1,000. Day 2=$2,000, Day 3=$3,000, Day 25=$25,000. Create at least one deposit and one withdrawal every day. Before you make a withdrawal, have some fun with it and do research. Find out how much something you really want costs. You want that high definition TV from Best Buy? Look it up and then go “buy it.” Do you owe money on your car? Look up the balance and pay it off! Pretty soon you’ll be feeling quite prosperous. The universe does not know the difference between your real bank or fake bank account. What it responds to is the level of emotion you’re experiencing. And if you have fun with it and “play along,” you won’t be able to help but feel a tremendous measure of excitement.

Several months ago I created a fictitious account and deposited $1,000,000. But I let it sit there, not doing anything with it. Even though I was looking at it often (because I reconcile my bank account online every morning), it was not generating much excitement because it didn’t feel “real.” Following the suggestions of Abraham-Hicks, yesterday I made my first deposit of $1,000 to this account. Then I looked up the balance of my car loan and paid it off. Let me tell you–it generated so much excitement that I actually felt abundant the rest of the day! The simple act of entering my first deposit and adding it to the $1M balance and then paying off my car loan in one fell swoop significantly ratcheted my “good-feeling” UP on the emotional scale!

I’m going to do this for one year and see what happens. Why don’t you try it? The key it to have fun with it. Let your inner child come out and play. Then watch what happens. You might want to keep a journal of what financial manifestations you start to experience after that.

3. Get yourself a “treasure box” (perhaps a cardboard box) and write “Treasure Box” on it. Every time you see a picture in a magazine of something you desire whether it be new clothes, a nice house, a big TV, cut it out and put it in your treasure box. Put the box in a place where you can see it every day. On the days you feel “down” for whatever reason, dip into the treasure box and look through the contents and re-inspire yourself. Absorb the energy it gives you and breathe it in. An alternative to this is to get yourself a bulletin board and tack up those pictures and words (or phrases) so that you can absorb the feelings your “vision board” gives you.

4. Look in your closet and wear the nicest clothes that you have in there. Wear whatever clothes make you feel “abundant.” For me I love wearing attractive polo shirts and docker pants (or shorts). It makes me feel prosperous when I dress in “business casual” clothing. Give yourself the gift of buying a nice outfit once in a while so that you can feel more prosperous with the clothes you have just bought yourself. Consciously decide that you will wear something that makes you feel good. And then wear it often. Why not?

5. Do you have a dream car? Why not visit your local dealership and go for a test drive? It won’t cost you anything. The salesman will give you a couple of brochures to take home. Then cut out pictures of your dream car and put it in your treasure box (or up on the vision board).

6. Go on a huge rampage of appreciation. Consciously appreciate the beauty of nature or send thank you cards to people who have made a difference in your life. Yesterday, I was at a small lake with a friend. The autumn air was cool but the sun was out in full force. The water was incredibly calm, reflecting the trees surrounding it. I drank it all in, consciously thanking God for such beauty. By the time I left, I was feeling content.

7. Tithe 10 percent of your income to whatever source (i.e. your church, a nonprofit group) that provides you with spiritual nourishment. What you give away, you get back.

8. Volunteer your time, effort and resources to help others. For instance, I like to mow the lawn for my church so when I am in town, I do it at least once a week. It gives me a sense of accomplishment and a feeling of giving back.

9. Be truly grateful that success is happening for others.

10. Treat yourself to a very expensive dinner or stay in a fancy hotel for one night. Give yourself the gift of luxury and take it all in throughout the experience. This will make it easier to remember the sights, smells, sounds, feelings and tastes when visualizing yourself living that way later. It’s like taking your dream car for a test-drive. Because you’ve actually experienced it, you’ll have an easier time visualizing it.

a

Do you consider yourself a likeable person? Tim Saunders, a former Yahoo executive and popular business speaker, made “The Likeability Factor” a household phrase with his best-selling book of the same title. I haven’t read it but I heard it was a good read.

While your expertise certainly helps, that’s not why people ultimately do business with you. All the advertising in the world might get you some attention in the beginning but it’s usually a waste of money in the long run. While a lot of businesses seem to be offering similar products and services, I still stand by my article, “There’s No Such Thing as Competition.” What makes you stand out is your likeability factor.

People do business with you because they like you. How you relate to others is now more important then ever. If you exude a personality that exhibits any degree of the likeability factor, they will want to work with you not necessarily because your products and services are any more colorful, functional or superior. It’s not what you know but how much people like you.

Are you an upbeat individual with a firm handshake and a genuine smile? If so, they will want to be infected with your positive energy. Are you someone who’s articulate, a good listener and one who shows empathy for others? Then people will want to do business with you because they are buying YOU. They want a bit of that essence you exude and take a little piece of you home with them.

Look at what happened with Bill Gates. He dropped out of Harvard to start Microsoft with buddy Paul Allen. At one point, IBM asked them to create some kind of DOS program. Do you think IBM was asking them to do it because of their “expertise”? They were two young geeks at the time for goodness sake! They actually had no clue on how to do it but IBM commissioned them to create the program anyway because their likeability factor was very high. The rest is history.

Yesterday, I went into the Pollack Studios in South Euclid, Ohio to have some new pictures taken for this blog, my speaking website as well as new business cards. Wendy, the “Goddess of Networking” introduced me to him. The first thing I remember was the way Mr. Pollack shook my hand with both of his and how he looked at me squarely in the eye with a kind smile on his face. Throughout the photo shoot, he asked me questions about my speaking business and genuinely seemed interested in me, taking time to stop what he was doing to listen and respond. He made me feel like the most important person in the world. By the time we were finished, I couldn’t help but wanting to continue to do business with Mr. Pollack because his likeability factor was very high. In fact, I liked him so much that I want you to know about him. If you’re in need of new photos (whether digitial or print), please stop by his website or contact him (216-381-2001 or drop him an email at JLPPHOTOG(at)aol.com). You won’t regret it.

Could I have gone out and bought myself a digital camera and done it myself? Sure. Piece of cake. With the invention of digital cameras, the photography business has been permanently altered. Investing in a digital camera these days makes almost too easy to bypass a professional photographer’s services. But Mr. Pollack has been able to stay in business by differentiating himself through the likeability factor.

Here’s my take on what makes your likeability factor go up:

1. You are the real deal. People want to be in the presence of genuine personalities. It’s easy to spot a fake person a mile away. You’re more willing than most to show the vulnerable side of you because you have no need to provide layers of insulation, pretending that you have “it.” People respect real people, not arrogant pricks who pretend to be high and mighty like the anonymous guy on the Internet who calls himself “The Rich Jerk.”

2. Your emotional intelligence is very high. You’re great at validating other people’s feelings and emotions. You really care about others and they sense that the moment you walk into the room.

3. People have no trouble understanding you because you are a conscientious communicator. You keep them informed, even when the news is bad or when you stumble and fall. It’s been proven that doctors who fess up their errors are rarely sued for gross incompetence as opposed to those who try to cover up.

4. You have superior listening skills. There’s nothing more exciting than to be truly heard. The eyes of likeable people are riveted onto you, making you feel like the most important person in the room.

5. You are comfortable in your own skin, giving others permission to be comfortable with you.

6. You have integrity, making it super easy for people to trust you. Would you buy from someone you didn’t trust?

If you have the likeability factor, you’ll have no trouble doing brisk business. People will be drawn to you like magnet because you are perceived to be a winner. They end up becoming your human advertisers, spreading the word because your likeability factor is quite high.

How cool is that?!?

Food for thought: How is your likeability factor today?

a

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?

a

James talks a lot about what I’ve written in this blog, namely the importance of making a life-changing decision to reprogram your mindset and change the way you perceive yourself and the world around you. He said something that triggered a long buried thought.

Raise your hand if you’ve gone through the annual ritual of clearing away the cobwebs in your closet. Maybe you’ve held a garage sale or two (or have been meaning to). Bulky winter clothes automatically go into hibernation in the cedar closet in exchange for old summer clothes. Sound familiar?

Now, how many of you see this spring cleaning ritual as closely connected with the law of attraction? If this one caught you off balance, you’re not the only one. I was thrown for a loop too.

Stay with me on this.

Go take a look in your closet. Are there articles of clothes in there that you haven’t worn in years? Perhaps you’re saving them because you think one day they will come back into vogue (how about those bell bottomed jeans?).

You say they’re a couple sizes too tight yet you’re secretly hoping you’ll lose enough weight to squeeze back into them?

Well, what about those shoes, belts, hats, caps, blouses or whatnot — when was the last time you wore any of that stuff?

Last night I decided to take a good look and see for myself.

What I saw shocked me.

To my utter amazement, I still had a handful of custom-made suits and shirts that I used to wear during my Wall Street days (early to mid 90′s). With the exception of professionally expanding the pants of my favorite charcoal grey pinstriped suit, I haven’t worn any of the suits since the mid-nineties! Running my fingers along the closet, my jaws dropped at the sight of musty, yellowish ring-around-the-collar shirts that hadn’t seen daylight since forever. What’s more, some of those custom-made shirts still have plastic covering over them because for the life of me, I could never seem to find a matching tie so I never wore them!

My goodness. How could I have not noticed this?

This, of course, prompted me to examine my inner thinking. I walked out of the closet and sat on the edge of my bed with my right elbow on my thigh and the palm of my hand cradling my chin, deep in thought, just like Plato.

Why do you have so many unused clothing hanging in there Stephen huh??

Suddenly I had a light bulb sort of moment.

It dawned on me that on a subconscious level, I was hoping to save money by waiting until after shaving off unwanted pounds so that I could wear some of those tight fitting clothes again. Then my mind did a quick flashback to the price tag on some of the clothes in there. Much my chagrin, I found that I hadn’t wanted to part with the more pricey ones even though I hadn’t worn them in years!

Wow! What a shocking revelation!

Now, I don’t think of myself as a hoarder because my mother used to tell me that ever since I was a kid, I never had a problem throwing things in the garbage or giving them to someone else. The moment I had no use for something, I always found a way to get rid of it. My home is a testament to that. It is the least cluttered place you’d ever see in your life.

But NOOOOOO, NOT MY CLOTHES! The closet is jam packed with em!

At that moment, I knew what I had to do this weekend.

Forget garage sales and e-bay. Give away clothes that no longer fit or those that are no longer of interest. Why not?

Think of it this way. If you have hard time giving away money as part of the law of giving, why not start by giving away clothes? Psychologically speaking, it’s easier to give away articles of clothing compared to dollar bills or checks.

But remember that what you give away, you get back. In the last article or two, I mentioned that if you give away books, you’ll get books back. If you give away money, you’ll get money back. Give away love, you’ll get love back. So be prepared. If you give away your clothes, you’ll get new ones in no time flat. After all, nature abhors a vacuum and will soon fill it back up for you.

Do you see what happens when you make a life-changing decision? Everything you do and say becomes congruent with your level of thinking. Little things like the annual spring cleaning ritual take on an entirely different meaning simply because your perceptions have changed.

Thanks to my bedtime reading last night, I discovered that I had been harboring one last piece of scarcity thinking. By hoarding old clothes and not giving them away, I was allowing scarcity thoughts to permeate my mind.

Here I come closet, ready or not! GRRRRRRR!

Food for thought: Clean out your closet and give what you no longer want away. Affirm to yourself that what you give away, you will be able to replace easily and effortlessly. Your attitude about giving truly determines whether you have an abundance or scarcity type of thinking.

a

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.”)

a