Pam_Grout_-_E-Cubed (1) - Imagine Cells Mastermind Productions

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ALSOBYPAMGROUT
JumpstartYourMetabolism:
HowtoLoseWeightbyChangingtheWayYouBreathe
ArtandSoul:156WaystoFreeYourCreativeSpirit
LivingBig:EmbraceYourPassionand
LeapintoanExtraordinaryLife
KansasCuriosities:QuirkyCharacters,
RoadsideOddities&OtherOffbeatStuff
ColoradoCuriosities:QuirkyCharacters,
RoadsideOddities&OtherOffbeatStuff
GirlfriendGetaways:YouGo,Girl,andI’llGo,Too
YouKnowYou’reinKansasWhen:101QuintessentialPlaces,
People,Events,Customs,LingoandEatsoftheSunflowerState
RecycleThisBook:And72½EvenBetter
WaystoSave“YoMomma”Earth
GodDoesn’tHaveBadHairDays
100BestVacationstoEnrichYourLife
100BestWorldwideVacationstoEnrichYourLife
100BestVolunteerVacationstoEnrichYourLife
E-Squared:NineDo-It-YourselfEnergyExperiments
ThatProveYourThoughtsCreateYourReality*
*AvailablefromHayHouse
Pleasevisit:
HayHouseUSA:www.hayhouse.com®
HayHouseAustralia:www.hayhouse.com.au
HayHouseUK:www.hayhouse.co.uk
HayHouseSouthAfrica:www.hayhouse.co.za
HayHouseIndia:www.hayhouse.co.in
Copyright©2014byPamGrout
PublishedanddistributedintheUnitedStatesby:HayHouse,Inc.:www.hayhouse.com® •Published
and distributed in Australia by: Hay House Australia Pty. Ltd.: www.hayhouse.com.au • Published
and distributed in the United Kingdom by: Hay House UK, Ltd.: www.hayhouse.co.uk • Published
anddistributedintheRepublicofSouthAfricaby:HayHouseSA(Pty),Ltd.:www.hayhouse.co.za•
DistributedinCanadaby:RaincoasBooks:www.raincoast.com•PublishedinIndiaby:HayHouse
PublishersIndia:www.hayhouse.co.in
Coverdesign:AmyRoseGrigoriouInteriordesign:PamelaHoman
Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthisbookmaybereproducedbyanymechanical,photographic,orelectronicprocess,orintheformof
aphonographicrecording;normayitbestoredinaretrievalsystem,transmitted,orotherwisebecopiedforpublicorprivateuse—other
thanfor“fairuse”asbriefquotationsembodiedinarticlesandreviews—withoutpriorwrittenpermissionofthepublisher.
Theauthorofthisbookdoesnotdispensemedicaladviceorprescribetheuseofanytechniqueasaformoftreatmentforphysical,
emotional,ormedicalproblemswithouttheadviceofaphysician,eitherdirectlyorindirectly.Theintentoftheauthorisonlytooffer
informationofageneralnaturetohelpyouinyourquestforemotionalandspiritualwell-being.Intheeventyouuseanyofthe
informationinthisbookforyourself,theauthorandthepublisherassumenoresponsibilityforyouractions.
LibraryofCong ressCatalog ing -in-PublicationData
Grout,Pam.
E-cubed:ninemoreenergyexperimentsthatprovemanifestingmagicandmiraclesisyourfull-timegig/PamGrout.--1stedition.
pagescm
ISBN978-1-4019-4543-5(paperback)
1.Self-actualization(Psychology)2.NewThought.3.Spirituallife.I.Title.
BF637.S4G77432014
158.1--dc23
2014020093
TradepaperISBN:978-1-4019-4543-5
Dig italISBN:978-1-4019-4685-2
10987654321
1stedition,September2014
PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica
ForSpellingBeeRachael*,
whoseenormousspiritisfartoowise,
generous,andjoyouslyirreverentforthis
limitedphysicalplane.
*RachaelMarieSheridan
(November28,1974–February24,2014)
CONTENTS
ForewordbyGabrielleBernstein
Preface
PARTI:Bazinga!
Chapter1:Houston,WeHaveaProblem
Chapter2:SpanxfortheMemory
Chapter3:Well,Duh!
PARTII:TheExperiments
ThePreliminaries:ImportantGuidelinesforUnlockingtheMagic
Experiment#1:TheBoogie-WoogieCorollary(orTheImportanceofNotBeingEarnest):Without
CulturalTraining,JoyIsMyNaturalState
Experiment#2:TheRedPillCorollary(orAQuickRefresherCourse):LifeEmanatesfromMe
Experiment#3:TheSimonCowellCorollary(orWhyYou’reNotCapableofJudgingAnything):
NothingIsAbsolute;OnlyMyThinkingMakesItSo
Experiment#4:The“I’mLovingandIKnowIt”Corollary(orThereIsNo“Them”):BeinginLove
withEveryoneandEverythingBringsMeintoAlignmentwiththeFP
Experiment#5:YourNewB.F.F.Corollary(orMoney:It’sNotComplicated):MoneyIsNothingBut
EnergyandaReflectionofMyBeliefs
Experiment#6:TheNaturevsNewsCorollary(orWhyYouShouldReallyGetOutMore):The
FieldofInfinitePotentialityOffersaDivine24-7Buzz
Experiment#7:The“IfYouSaySo”Corollary(orYourWordsAreWandsThatShapeYourLife):I
WillBringAbundanceandJoyintoMyLifeOnceIStopTalkingSmackaboutIt
Experiment#8:ThePlaceboCorollary(orTheTruthaboutBendingReality):RealityIsFluidand
ConstantlyChanging,ReflectingBackMyInnermostBeliefs
Experiment#9:TheYabba-dabba-dooCorollary(orTranscendence:It’sJustHowWeRoll):LifeIs
Miraculous,andICan’tReallyDie.
Afterword:BonusExperiment#10:TheMarriageatCanaCorollary(orIt’sTimetoGetD-O-W-N!)
Acknowledgments
AbouttheAuthor
FOREWORD
As a self-proclaimed miracle worker, I get super-psyched to practice the power of positive
intentionineverythingIdo.WhenIgotmyhandsonPamGrout’sbookE-Squared,Iknewrightaway
I’dbeengivenagift—thegiftofreinforcingmyfaithinthepoweroftheuniverse.Inanearlychapter
ofE-Squared,Paminvitesustotryanexperimentinwhichweasktheuniversetogiveusablessing.
Sheemphasizesthatwemustpayattentionoverthenext48hourstoseewhatcomesourway.Wemust
lookcloselyforthelittlewinkfromtheuniversethatremindsuswe’rebeingguided.
Thirty-eighthoursintomyexperiment,Ireceivedmyblessing.IwasinTorontospeakingatoneof
Hay House’s conferences. That day I gave one of my greatest talks. I felt the energy of the room
elevate, and I experienced an intimate connection with an audience of more than 4,000 people.
Immediatelyaftermytalk,Iwenttothegreenroomtopackupmybagsandrushtotheairport.Itwas
thefinaldayoftheconference,somostoftheotherspeakershadalreadyleftorwereontheirway
out.Therewereonlythreeofusleftintheroom.AsIputonmycoattowalkoutthedoor,amanin
theroompickedupsomethingoffatableandsaid,“Gabby,IfoundthisandI’mnotsurewhy,butI
knowit’sforyou.”HehandedmeasmallangelwingcharmthathadBelieveprintedontheback.
InthatmomentIknewI’dreceivedmyblessingfromtheuniverse.Theactualwingwasparticularly
meaningfultomebecauseIoftenfeelthepresenceofangelsaroundme,andtheuniversespeakstous
inwaysthatarerelevanttoourcorebeliefs.Notonlywastheangelwingmeaningful,butwhatalso
madeanimpactwasthewordBelieve.WhenIreceivedthisgiftfromtheuniverse,Ihappenedtobein
thefirstweekofanewbooklaunch.Iwasstrugglingtofindfaiththateverythingwouldworkoutthe
wayI’dplanned.ThisangelmessagetobelievewaseverythingIneededtoacceptthatIwasonthe
righttrack.Pam’sexperimentremindedmethattheuniverseshowsupwhenweneeditmost.
Momentslikethisarenotforeigntome,thoughtheyalwaysmakemesmile.Ihavededicatedmy
lifetobelievinginthepowerofourenergyandintentions,andI’malongtimestudentofmetaphysics
andthelawofattraction.Evenstill,Isometimesforgetjusthowdeeplywe’rebeingguidedandhow
the universe is always waiting for us to simply pay attention. Our work as spiritual students is to
commit to a journey of unlearning fear and remembering miracles. And Pam Grout is the perfect
teacherforsharpeningourcapacitytoremember.
WhatIadmiremostaboutPamishercommitmenttoguidingpeopletoshifttheirperceptionsand
heightentheirfaith.Sheisamastermanifestorandislivingproofofeverythingthatsheteaches.In
her new book, E-Cubed, she takes our miracle mind-sets to a whole new level. Whether you’re
experiencedatmanifestingortotallynewtothepractice,E-Cubed is a must-have for strengthening
yourbeliefinthepowerofpositiveintention.Livingthiswaytakespractice(mostofusarestuckin
fearinsomanysubtlewaysthatwehavealotofunlearningtodo),andthat’swhatE-CubedandPam
offer.Thebestpartisherexercisesandexperimentsarenotonlyreallypowerful,butthey’reeasyto
learnandalotoffun.Whenweembracethenaturalorderofthelawofattraction,webegintoaccept
thatwehavethepowertoco-createourreality.Thisiswhenlifegetsreallygroovy.Usingthepower
ofourthoughtsandintentionstocreatealifeweloveisanartfulcraft.It’sathrilltouseourgreatest
untappedresource:ourthoughtsandenergy.
The only reason you’re not aware of this nonstop stream of blessings and miracles is because
you’relookinginthewrongplaces.Withjustalittlewillingnessandawareness,it’samazingwhatcan
happen.AsWayneDyeroftensays,you’vegottobelieveittoseeit.
Through eye-opening experiments, E-Cubed gives us an engaging way to practice staying in the
flowofabundanceandsynchronicity.Soenjoytheprocess,surrendertoPam’sguidance,andexpect
miracles!
—GabrielleBernstein
NewYorkTimesbest-sellingauthorofMiraclesNow
PREFACE
“Therecomesapointwhenyouknow,withoutdoubt,
withouthesitation,thatyoucannotgobacktoyourold
life.Youcannotbewhoyouoncewereandalsohavea
newlifewithnewriches.”
—JULIEMCINTYRE,DIRECTOROFTHE
CENTERFOREARTHRELATIONS
BeforeIbecameaseriousstudentofACourseinMiracles,Iwasthelastpersonanyonewouldhave
pickedoutofapolicelineupas“mostlikelytosucceed.”
Atthetime,myboyfriend,thelastinalongseriesofboyfriends,hadkickedmeoutofthehouse
wesharedinruralConnecticut.
Totopitoff,Iwassevenmonthspregnant,obviouslyunmarried,andhadnaryacluewheretogo.
Evenworse,itwasmid-JulyandtheairconditionerinthelittleblueToyotainwhichI’dstuffedmost
ofmyearthlypossessionswasonthefritz.Temperaturesaveraged100degreesasIsetoutacrossthe
country,bigasahouse,pointedinthegeneraldirectionofBreckenridge,Colorado.
Clearly,somethingneededtochange.
A Course in Miracles, a self-study program in spiritual psychology that I began to follow in
earnest,hadtheaudacitytosuggestthatIwasresponsibleformytrainwreckofalife.Itimpliedthat
ifIwouldsimplyletgoofallmymadfixations,my“hedonemewrong”blockages,andalltheother
clutterI’dpickedupaboutthewaytheworldworks,Icouldactuallybehappy.Itsuggestedthatthe
only reason I wasn’t experiencing big-ass love and swimming in perpetual abundance was because
myconsciousnesswasonredalert.Mythoughtsviewedtheworldasmyswornenemy.
Inshort,itchallengedtheveryfoundationofmylife.
Ididn’tletgowithoutafight.
MyconversationswithJCandtheHolyS,asIbegantocallmyCoursecomrades,wentsomething
likethis:
Me:“Butwhataboutallmyproblems?Shouldn’tIanalyzeandfixthem?”
“Letgo!”theCourseseemedtosuggest.
Me:“Butwhataboutgoodandevil,rightandwrong?”
“Resignnowasyourownteacher,”itclearlyadvised.
Me:“But…but…”
Slowly,inchbyinch,Igaveupthereinstomybeliefsandoldmentalconstructs.Itbegantooccur
tomethatifrealitywasmydoing,ifitwasmecreatingtheongoingdisaster,Imightalsohavethe
power to create a life I could enjoy. The Course, in fact, pulled no punches, going so far as to
guarantee that “perfect peace and perfect joy” are my inheritance. All I had to do was give up my
beliefindeprivationandlack.
“Butthat’ssohard,”Iwhined.
“It’snothard,”theCoursesaid.“It’syournaturalstate.It’sjustverydifferentthanthewaymost
peoplethink.”
IalsolearnedfromtheCoursethatthetallblondechickIseeeverydayinthemirrorisn’treally
me. The depressed pregnant woman driving the blue Toyota cross-country was nothing but a false
identityI’dbeentaughttoassumebyaworldthatworshipsseparationandlimitations.
Infact,byfocusinginonthatlittle“self,”Icompletelymissedmyconnectiontothisotherthing,
thisbiggerthingthatmanycallGod.
Ihadcompletelyimprisonedmyselfbyzeroinginonthisricketybodythat—nomatterhowmany
face creams I used, no matter how many downward-facing dogs I did, no matter how many Wayne
DyerbooksIread(andIreadalot)—wasnevergoingtobegoodenough.
And that’s what this book is about: Taking the wrecking ball to mental constructs that have
imprisonedusforfartoolong.Takingthefocusoffthelimitedselfweseeinthemirrorandputting
itonthegloriousfieldofpotentiality(theFP)thatallowsustoconnecttoallthatis.
Iknowbookstoreswilllikelycatalogthisbookundertheself-helpbanner,andthat’sokay.Buttruth
betold,E-Cubedisreallyaboutnothelpingyourself.Aboutnotmakingyourowndecisions.About
notassumingyouknowbest.
It’s about letting go—giving up old mental constructs and surrendering to the all-loving, allpowerful energy force that’s bigger, bolder, brighter, and, yes, stranger than anything you’ve yet
seen.ThisSacredBuzzislifeitself.Life,which—nomatterhowmanywallsweerect,nomatterhow
seriouslywescrewup—isalwaystherewaitingwitharmsopenwide.
PARTI
BAZINGA!
“Underallthesenselessthoughtsandmadideas
withwhichyouhaveclutteredupyourmind
arethethoughtsthatyouthought
withGod*inthebeginning.”
—ACOURSEINMIRACLES
*Akathefieldofinfinitepotentiality,theFP,theUniverse,
DivineSpirit,theDude,QuantumFred**
**MonikerprovidedbymynewfriendColetteBaron-Reid
CHAPTERONE
HOUSTON,WEHAVEAPROBLEM
“Justlookatus.Everythingisbackwards,everythingisupsidedown.Religiondestroysspirituality,
doctorsdestroyhealthandgovernmentsdestroyfreedom.”
—MICHAELELLNER,PRESIDENTOFHEAL
Iknowwhatyou’rethinking.Yourcopyofthisbookismessedup.Thetextisprintedupsidedown
…orisitbackward?Maybeyou’rechucklingtoyourself,wonderingwhoseheadisgoingtoroll—
thetypesetterortheprinterormaybeevenyourfriendlybookstoreassociate?
Soletmeproposeaspeedydétente,righthereinthethirdparagraph.Thispagewasprintedupside
downonpurpose.IrequesteditthatwaybecauseIWANT.TO.MAKE.A.POINT.
I want to warn you straightaway that your worldview, should you continue to read this weird,
upside-down book, is about to be turned on its pointy little head. If you thought Linda Blair ’s head
spuninTheExorcist,well,baby,getreadyforsomepea-greensoup.
If you’re reading this book on the subway or in a coffee shop and worried that people are
wondering,Hey,who’stheilliterateidiotholdinghisbookupsidedown?Ihavebuttwothingstosay.
1. It matters not what anybody else thinks. That’s part of your old-school conditioning that I
encourage you to dropkick to the nearest curb. In fact, if you really want to make an impression,
smiledeviouslyandpumpyourfistsintheaireverytimeyouturnapage.Themoreyouholdonto
what you want to think (and make no mistake—you get to decide) and the less you buy into what
everybodyelsethinks,thefasteryoucanstepintoyourhighestgood.
2.Theonlythingthatmattersiswhatyouthink.AndImeanthatquiteliterally.Whatyouthink
is what you get. And this book, above all else, is about bettering, to use a Dr. Seuss word, your
thinking. It’s about upgrading your consciousness. About becoming an early adopter of Worldview
2.0.Eventually,everybody’sgoingtogetthenewrealityanyway.Sowhywait?
SoWhatExactlyIsWorldview2.0?
“[Accept]butthejoyousasthetruth.”
Inanutshell,thisnewandimprovedworldviewistheexactopposite—ortheupside-downversion
—ofeverythingyouthinkyouknownow.
Ithastwomainprinciples:
1. The energetic world, the world you can’t see, touch, taste, or smell, is the foundation on
which all else rests. It’s the building block—the supreme cheese—that forms everything. Scientists
discovered this matrix of energy (often called The Field) about a century ago, but because it’s so
mind-blowingandopensupsomanynewdoors,veryfewofushaveyetfullyemployeditspower.
Mostofus,100yearslater,arestillfocusedonthematerialworld,whichisalittlelikerootingfor
WileE.Coyote.Despiteallhiselaborateschemesandcomplexcontraptions,thatsorryolecoyoteis
nevergoingtocatchtheRoadrunner.Andourstubbornness(beep-beep!)inbelievingthatthecut-anddried,machinelikeworldisthebe-allandend-allkeepsusinspiritualdiapers.
The spiritual world, the world that most of us can’t see, connects us to an unlimited, enormous
consciousnesswithnoedges,noboundaries,andnolimitstowhatitcancreate.
2. Everybody gets a happy ending. Everything in the nonphysical world is cooperative, userfriendly, and win-win. In fact, the real world, without the blinders, is nothing like you think. It’s
nothinglikethemoviesetyoumanufacturedtoserveas“yourreality.”Nomatterhowitmayappear
to the naked eye, life in its pure, unadulterated form (without our “life sucks and then you die”
consciousnesslaidoverit)isabubblingcauldronofpossibility,composedofpure,perfectlove.
Theveryfactthatwestillseeheartache,limitations,anddeathisproofthatwedonotunderstand
reality at all. We focus in on a very narrow band of experience, completely denying the many
dimensionsbeyondthefivephysicalsenses.
Ourignorancehaserectedaworldviewbasedsolelyonproblems,onfear,onprotectingourselves
from all the things that could go wrong. It has led us to separate ourselves from the whole and to
believethatthis,thislimitedviewfinderfilledwithindividualbeings,iswhatwehavetoworkwith.
Consequently,weuseourenormous,inexhaustibleconsciousnesstoscopeoutescaperoutes.Every
momentwewasteonworst-casescenariosunderminesourabilitytocreatethetrueandthebeautiful.
Everymomentwespendworryingerectsablockbetweenusandallthesignsandopportunitiesand,
yes,blatantlovethatishereforthesolepurposeofourenjoyment.We’veflippedthemapofTruth
with “facts” from our negative orientation. When negativity emerges (and it will, because our
consciousness, no matter how altered and off-base it may be, is powerful), we feel validated. We
smirkandthink,See,toldyouso.
But as you’ll learn in Worldview 2.0, the dominant “life sucks and then you die” paradigm is
nothing but a fictional story, a made-up pack of lies we’ve been telling ourselves for the last … I
don’tknow…40,000years?
We’retrainedfromaveryearlyagetoputonapairofgray-coloredglassesandlookattheworld
throughthelensofdefeatandpain.Wegetbrowniepointsforfindingproblems.Expectingthegood
inlifeandassumingthebestoutcomesoundsdangerouslylike“notfacinguptoreality.”Thereisa
biasagainsttoomuchoptimismandhappiness.
Eventherapists,whopurporttobrightenourlives,encourageustodigupoldbaggageandpeekat
creaky skeletons lurking in our subconscious closets. They pat us on the back for noticing where
we’restuck,forpayingattentiontohowwearesuffering.
Butit’snotanymoretruethanallthosezombiemoviesthataresopopularrightnow.
HowDoesYourMentalGardenGrow?
“Realityisupforgrabs.”
—MELISSAJOY,PRESIDENTOFMATRIXENERGETICS
In Worldview 2.0, you’ll quickly come to realize that life is meant to be approached with
exuberanceandjoy,andthat“Followyourbliss”isnotanemptyplatitudeforabumpersticker,but
rather a reasonable plan of action for your life. If that’s not the way your life is playing out, then
something, as Emmy Award–winning newscaster Andy Cordan likes to say, is messed up. If magic
isn’thappeningtoyouonadailybasis—ifyou’renotwakingupeverymorningwithpassionandzest
—you’relivinginahorrorpicturethatyouconcoctedtoentertainyourself.
Andthat’swhatE-Cubedintendstoprove.Thattheoldwayofthinkinghasrunitscourseandthata
higherrealityispushingitswayin.Allwehavetodoisletgoofthedramaandgetitthatthezombie
moviewebelieveisrealityisboring,redundant,andcompletelyunnecessary.
So,inthisbook,I’mgoingtoaskyoutoputWorldview1.0onpausewhileyouconductthenine
experimentsinPartII.I’dliketosuggest,atleastforthe30daysittakestotrythemonforsize,that
yoususpendyourbeliefs,becomewillingtosetasidecertaintyandabsolutes.
InE-Squared,thebookthatinspiredthisone,Ipointedoutthatenergytransmitsitselfintowhatever
structure our consciousness sets up. Without the squaring action of our thoughts and beliefs, the
worldremainsinatimeless,space-lessstateofever-changingpossibilities.Ifourlimitedperceptions
create an energy structure negating the inexhaustible substance in which we live, we end up with a
small,often-times-scaryreality.Becauseweidentifysodeeplywiththislimitedreality,itseemsvery
real to us. It seems as if we have no choice. We certainly don’t recognize that it’s our doing.
Negativity, slyly disguised as “reality,” has become a construct that, like Harry Potter ’s magical
cloak,isnowinvisibletous.
InE-Squared,IencouragedreaderstobeginviewingtheworldthroughtheeyesofWhatcouldgo
right?insteadofthemorepopularparadigm,Whatcouldgowrong?E-Squaredprovidedthetraining
wheelstothisradicalnewparadigm.InE-Cubed,we’rereadytofly.
QuantumDizziness
“Wecannolongerconsiderourselvesmerelyonlookerswhohavenoeffectontheworldthatwe’re
observing….Theveryactofobservationisanactofcreation.”
—JOHN WHEELER,AMERICAN
THEORETICALPHYSICIST
Weliveinaquantumagewherepeoplecaninstantaneouslytexteachotheracrosstheplanet,repair
detached retinas with nothing but laser beams, and use little handheld devices to get money-saving
Groupons.Yet,inourthinking,inourapplicationsofthesenewtruths,we’relaggingsorelybehind.
We’restillusingIndustrialAgethinking.We’renotusingtheincrediblepowerofourconsciousness.
Ourconsciousness,whichcananddoescreateworlds.
We’remorethanacenturyintothisnewquantumreality,andwe’vebarelybudgedinourthinking.
Wehaven’tevenbeguntousethesestartlingnewprocessesinourpersonallives.Instead,weinvest
ourthoughts—ourpower,ifyouwill—invictimhood,inthisideathatlifehappenstous.Thiswarped
viewofrealitywouldn’tbeanissueifourthoughtsweremerepuffsofsmoke,blownawaybythe
nextbreeze.
Butourthoughtsareinsanelypowerful.
Likeradiosignals,ourthoughtsbroadcastourbeliefsandexpectationsoutintothequantumfield
(or what I like to call the field of potentiality, the FP) and bring back into our lives an exact
vibrational match. Quantum physicists have proven that it’s impossible for us to look at anything
withoutimpactingthethingwe’relookingat.It’scalledtheobservereffect,andwhileitwreakshavoc
oneverythingwethoughtweknew,it’sactuallyquiteexciting.Becauseitmeans:
1. We’renotstuckwiththe3-Drealitywethinkis“it.”
2. We’renothelplessvictims.
3. Andthere’sawholecheerleadingsquadofmultidimensionsjustwaitingforustogetwith
theprogram.
Whatwenowknowisthateverythingwethinkisanobjectiveworld“outthere”isnothingbuta
reflection of what exists in here. And by “in here” I mean the consciousness that is doing the
observing.
You’ve heard this before, but when your thoughts center on joy, love, and peace, your life
experience will be one of joy, love, and peace. But when your consciousness stays tuned to radio
stationK-FKD—thedominantsoundtrackofourculture,thesoundtrackofpainandwoe—youget…
doIreallyhavetosayit?
LookWhatYourThoughtsDrugIn
“Theseparatedoneshaveinventedmany‘cures’forwhattheybelievetobe‘theillsoftheworld.’But
theonethingtheydonotdoistoquestiontherealityoftheproblem.”
Ourconsciousnessislikethehousecatthatproudlybringsbacktothefrontdoorstepthesquirrel
or wren upon which he greedily pounced. It’s his way of saying, Hey, inferior owner of mine, look
whatIbroughtyou.
It’stotallycoolthatyourthoughtswieldthiskindofinfluence.Itmeansthatyouandarelatively
activeimaginationcancreatejustaboutanythingyoudesire.Bysendingyourthoughtsoutintothe
quantumfieldasscouts,theybringbackallsortsofriches.JustaskthereadersofE-Squared,whose
expandingconsciousnessmanifestedeverythingfromanappearanceonDr.OztosixTeslaroadsters
tooffersforliteraryrepresentationfromWilliamMorris,CreativeArtistsAgency,ICMPartners,and
UnitedTalentAgency.
ThedownsideofyourLewisandClarkthoughtsisthatwhenyourviewoftheworldandyourself
andeverythinginbetweenisswayedsoheavilybythepast—onwhathappenedyesterday,onabunch
ofoutdated,old-schoolparadigmstoutinglack,limitation,andnasalbuildup—yourthoughts,likethe
housecat,draginalotofsquished-squirrelsurprise.
Insteadofenjoyingtheworld’sbounty,insteadofseeingeverydayasabrandnewopportunityto
dance the joy soul boogie, your thoughts bring back the same old rotten, lice-ridden squishedsquirrelsoup.
Iwanttostampmyfootandsay,“Stopthat!”ButinsteadI’vewrittenthisbook.
It’sJustHowWeRoll
“Let’stakeithigher,baby.”
—T AMAKIEVES,FORMERLAWYERAND
CURRENTLIFECOACH
ThetrueReality(thatwe’reallone,thattheworldisabundantandstrangelyaccommodating,and
thatloveisthefinalanswer)isstartingtoemergeintheheartsandmindsofindividualsalloverthe
planet,individualswhoarestandingupandproclaiming,“Thiscan’tberight.Therehasgottobea
betterway!”
ThewayIseeit,therearejusttwothingsweneedtoknow:
1. Theuniversehasourback.
2. Everythingisgoingtoturnoutokay.
That’s12freakingwords.Everythingelseisjustabigrusethatwe,inourmisguidedthoughts,sent
scoutsouttoretrievefromthefieldofinfinitepotentiality.So,yes,I’mofferingninemoreenergy
experiments in this book. Overachievers will even be challenged to turn water into a glass of their
favorite Cabernet. But mostly, this book is about sending the scouts (aka your beliefs, those allpowerfulvibratingwaves)insearchofdifferentthings—to“getit”thatjoyisyournaturalstateand
shouldbeyourguidinglightonthisearthlyjourney.Havingfunandfeelinggoodisyourpurpose.
That’swhyyou’rehere.That’sthesecrettoeverything.
Ifyou’vefollowedmyblog(andifyouhaven’t,Ihaveaveryimportantquestion:Whynot?…you
are hereby invited to come and join the fun—for newbies, it’s www.pamgrout.com), you probably
knowthatIwroteE-Squarednineyearsago.Itcameout,underadifferenttitle,aboutthesametimeas
the movie The Secret, way before the book and the resulting clones that followed. But instead of
capturing the public’s imagination as I assumed it would, it took a nosedive into the great sea of
literary has-beens, quickly going out of print. I waved a white flag, got busy writing three travel
booksforNationalGeographic,anddidn’tspendtoomuchtimeobsessing.Okay,alittlebitoftime.
Acoupleofyearsago,Idusteditoff,gaveitanewtitle,andsentitofftoHayHouse,apublisher
that specializes in these kinds of books. And as you may have heard, E-Squared became an
internationalsensation.Bothbooks,althoughwithdifferenttitles,areessentiallythesame.Whydid
onetriponthewaytothedancefloorandtheotherwaltzoffintointernationalstardom?
Here’swhatIthink.ThetitleE-SquaredmaybeatadmorecompellingthanGodDoesn’tHaveBad
HairDays.And,yes,thetimingisright(consciousnessevolvingandallthat),butItrulybelievethe
mostimportantvariableisthatmyvibrationchanged;Iupgradedmyconsciousness.LikeHansand
FranzfromSaturdayNightLive,Isaidtomyjoychannels,“I’mgoingtopumpyouup.”
I got rid of a lot of the negative twigs that were gunking up the pipes. This will sound rather
controversial,butIbecamecommittedtolivinginconstantjoy.Ibegannoticingalltheblessingsin
mylifethat,asI’vealsosaidonmyblog,nowstalkmelikeFreddyKrueger.
And as I became happy, my external world, which is nothing but the projector of my internal
thoughts,beganshowingadifferentpicture.
Inretrospect,Ishouldhaveseenitcoming.
CHAPTERTWO
SPANXFORTHEMEMORY
“Traditionalhumanpowerstructuresandtheirreignofdarknessareabouttoberenderedobsolete.”
—BUCKMINSTERFULLER,AMERICANFUTURIST
Oneofmyfavoritestoriesisaboutafour-year-oldboywhokeptpesteringhisparentsforsome
“alonetime”withhisnewbornsister.Hisparents,avidreadersofparentingbooks,weren’tconvinced
thatwassuchagoodidea.
“Whatifhepinchesher?”theydiscussedbetweenthemselves,reflectinguponcurrentstrategiesfor
minimizingsiblingrivalry.
Evenworse,theyfretted,“Whatifhetriestosmotherher?”
ButlittleJohnnywasnottobedeterred.
“We—herandme—haveimportantbusinesstodiscuss,”heinsisted.
Finally, while they waited within earshot outside the door, Johnny’s parents allowed him into the
nurserybyhimself.
He gazed lovingly at his baby sister, leaned in over her crib, and earnestly whispered, “Tell me
aboutGod.I’mstartingtoforget.”
That four-year-old boy, still on the tightrope between his divine magnificence and the cultural
trainingofWorldview1.0,wasgraspingforhislastbreathofspiritualair,beforebeingsqueezedinto
thetightrestrictionsofthedominantculturalparadigm.
WeAreTrainedtoCutOffLargePartsofOurselves
“IhateSpanx.They’resotight,whoknowswhatyou’recuttingoff?”
—JENNIFERCOOLIDGE,AMERICANACTRESS
AnyonewhohaseverdonnedapairofSpanxunderstandstherealityofWorldview1.0.Wehave
squeezed our big, beautiful selves—our radiant, multidimensional spirits—into a tight, oftenuncomfortablegarmentknownasabody.
Like the four-year-old boy admitted to his baby sister, it didn’t take long to pick up and adopt
Worldview1.0.Itdidn’ttakelongtofallintolockstepwiththebeliefsandtraditionsofhisculture,
howeverfalseandlimitingtheymaybe.
Asbabies,wetuneintotheadultsaroundus.Weseewhatthey’redrawnto.Wenoticehowthey
behave,whattheyreject,andwhattheypraise.Welearnearlyonwhatis“beautiful”andwhatisn’t.We
learnhowtothinkandfeelaboutthatgodnamedmoney,damnhim.Wenoticethattheminuteweget
sick, we are trotted off to the doctor, learning quickly that we need something outside ourselves to
heal.
When we are born, we are giant love generators. We radiate out a clear energy of light and
incomparablejoy.Inaway,we’relikedolphins,sendingoutourownspecialsonarofunconditional
love. When this unconditional-love sonar runs up against the unhealed places in our culture, those
places where distrust has developed or joy has been rejected, the sonar bounces back, giving us an
unfamiliar reading, a “not love” reading. As our boundless joy hits these rigid beliefs and
“thickened”emotions,wequicklylearntomatchourculture’senergies,beliefs,andthoughts.
Welearntopinchoffourgorgeous,clearloveenergy,allowingittoflowwherewe’retrainedit
can flow, resigning ourselves to paralysis in other areas. Little by little, we learn the “correct”
energetic-frequencyrules,onlyallowingasmallpercentageofwhowereallyaretoradiate.
Asbabies,weloveeverythingsomuch,especiallyourparents.Iftheyinadvertentlymodelacutting
offoflargeswathsoftheirpowerandenergy,then…hey,we’lldoit,too.We’lldowhateverittakes
tolove.Atourverycore,pure,unadulteratedloveiswhatweare.
Lest you get the wrong idea, I’m not dissing anyone’s parents. That neurosis went out with bell
bottoms.Ourparentsdidthebesttheycouldwiththelovesonartheysentoutandthemessagesthey
received.Theywereoncebabies,too.
CulturalParadigmsDepriveYouofYourSuperpowers
“Whenwedropourdrearystories…weareprovidedforineveryway.”
—ALBERTOVILLOLDO,CUBAN-BORNPSYCHOLOGISTANDSHAMAN
Beforetheageoffive,prettymucheverythingwehearandexperienceissuckeduplikeavacuum
cleaner.Ourbrains,atthatage,operatemainlyinwhatscientistscallthetawaves.It’ssimilartoREM
sleep or hypnosis and works beautifully for picking up language, family nuances, and other things
usefulformakingourwayinthephysicalworld.Thismental,emotional,andphysicalframeworkis
theprogrammingthatrunsourlives.It’sveryusefulwhendrivingacar(imaginetryingtorelearn
fromscratcheverytimeyougetbehindasteeringwheel)orbrushingourteeth,butitwreakshavoc
onourconnectiontothehigherrealms.
By relying on cataloged lessons from your family, your culture, and your past, you miss the
teeming energy available in the atomic now. There is great substance within each present moment,
just waiting to explode with goodness and magic and blessings. But by reapplying old, often
inappropriate “cultural paradigms,” you miss the magic—you completely overlook all the lifeempoweringdatathat’stryingtostreamtoyoufromyourinner,nonphysicalself.Thistrapsyouina
webofdefensive,limitingperceptions.
Infact,anytimewe’renotinthepresentmoment,thattapeloopkicksinandoldconstrictionsand
perceptualhabitstakeover,infectingourthinking,ouractions,andourbeliefs.They’realsoasonof
abitchwhenattemptingtobehappyormanifestourdreams.Noneofthesehabitsofthoughtaretrue,
butbecausetheystayburiedforthemostpart,livinginoursubconsciouslikeratsinthecellar,they
subtlyplayoutinourlifeexperienceanytimewe’renot“inthenow.”MyfriendJaycallsthemBS—
beliefsystemsfullofthatotherkindofBS.Unfortunately,thesearetheprogramsweusetoexplain,
identify,andcopewithourlives.Theyrunmostofthetimeevenwhenwe’reaffirmingandintending
otherthings.
If you have a smartphone and attempt to preserve its battery, you notice dozens of programs
runningatanyonetime,somanythatyourfingersgetaregularworkoutswipingthemaway.Allof
these programs—or apps, as the case may be—have different frequencies, and all of them are
fighting for battery power. Welcome to your consciousness. Still running BS from fifth grade, BS
fromtheteacherwhosaid,“Honey,youshouldsticktomath.Youhavenoartistictalent.”Fightingfor
“batterypower”withtheBSofyourmomsaying,“Honey,there’snomoneyforthatrightnow.”
This BS has taken over your consciousness, strangling your energy and, more often than not,
runningtheshow.
MemeaLittleMemeforMe
“Thisspiritualtruthisdiametricallyopposedtothevaluesofourcontemporarycultureandthewayit
conditionspeopletobehave.”
—ECKHARTT OLLE,AUTHOROFTHEPOWEROFNOW
OurBSissuchavaluedpartofouridentitiesthatitneveroccurstoustoquestionit.Weregard
these beliefs as gods, fearing them, trusting them, and completely acquiescing to them, without a
single word of protest. These accepted beliefs are what British evolutionary biologist Richard
Dawkins calls “memes.” In short, the concept of memes explains how ideas, behaviors, and styles
spreadfrompersontopersonwithinaculture.Likeviruses,theyself-replicate,mutate,andentwine
theirmendacioustentaclesthroughoutourlives.
Mostofusareunawareofhowbigarolememesplayinthewayweexperiencelife.They’relike
the kitchen junk drawer filled with a bunch of forgotten items: a dried-up magic marker, rusty
scissors, old birthday cards from people we don’t even remember, and keys that probably used to
opensomething,althoughwe’renotsurewhat.Forthoseofusinterestedincreatingourownreality,
it’simportanttocleanoutthejunkdrawer,toexaminethememesthatweandmosteveryoneonplanet
Earthhavecometoregardasfactsoflife,asinalterabletruths.Oncewelookbehindthecurtain,the
BSisliketheGreatandnot-so-PowerfulOz.
Here are 12 of the most popular memes from Worldview 1.0, memes that you might as well, as
long as you’re armed and actively fighting, take Beyoncé’s advice and “put a ring” on them. Since
you’realreadyinacommittedrelationshipwiththemanyway.
Each meme is followed by a Truth from Worldview 2.0, a Truth guaranteed to take the Mickey
rightoutofyouroldbeliefs.
1.MEME:Theworldisamenacingplace.Ourjobistoputonourarmorandworklikehelltostay
one step ahead of the terrorists, the supergerms, the dysfunctional stepmoms, and, of course, the
zombies.
WORLDVIEW2.0:Thereisnothingtofear.AsACourseinMiraclesrepeatedlytellsus,“We
lay a heavy load upon ourselves with our insane beliefs that pain and sin [are] real. Pain is
purposeless,withoutacauseandwithnopowertoaccomplishanything.”
2. MEME: Life happens to me. “I’m an innocent bystander, a pitiful victim of circumstance, of
weather,ofdisease,and,worse,ofmyowndysfunction.Externalevents(thosethingsfrommeme#1)
constantlygetinmyface.ThebestIcandoislearntocopewiththeseexternalevents.”
WORLDVIEW2.0:Lifeemanatesfromme.“Icreatetheworldwithmythoughts,mybeliefs,
andmyenergeticfrequency.”
3. MEME: Events happen; therefore, I feel bad. Most of our thoughts and feelings are
programmedbythecultureinwhichweareraised.Wearetrainedataveryearlyagewhatmakesus
happy,whichfeelingsgowithwhichevents,andhowourmoodsshouldplayout.Wearetrainedto
experienceunhappyemotions,toblamethesefeelingonoutsideevents,andtocryandmoanaboutthe
unfairnessofitall.Wearetrainednottoexpectgoodthings.Infact,allresponsiblepeopleknowthat
“shithappens.”
Irecentlywentthroughadeathinmyfamily.Death,asyouknow,hasaprettybadreputation.Itwas
obvioustomethatthelittlekids,theonesunder12,didn’tviewthispassingthesameastheadults.But
afterwatchingtheirparents,theyquicklylearnedtheappropriatescript.
Wearetrainedtoworryaboutlettingpeopledown,beingdisliked,gettingsick,beingpoor.We’re
trainedtoworryaboutpathogens,carcinogens,microwaves,plasticcontainers,preservatives,using
mobilephones,andonandon.
WORLDVIEW2.0:Withoutthistraining,joyismynaturalstate.AsEstherHicks,authorand
inspirationalspeaker,onceasked,“Howcomeweonlyerectstatuestowarheroes?Where’rethe
statuesofsurferdudes?”
4. MEME: God is an entity outside of me. “Lowly ‘little ole me’ must appeal to His Majesty’s
benevolence,withfingerscrossedthatHe’llsomehowfindtimeforme,adoubtfulproposition,being
asHe’stiedupfightingworldhunger.”
WORLDVIEW2.0:Godisastateofbeing,alovingenergythatflowsthroughme,sustainsme,
andsurroundsmewithlight.Althoughit’simpossibletodefineorputintowords,this“Radiant
X,”aspoetStephenMitchellcallsit,istheunnameablerealitythatcauseseverythingtoexist.
5. MEME: My job is to judge between right and wrong, black and white. And like comedian
GildaRadnerusedtosay,“It’salwayssomething.”
WORLDVIEW2.0:Myjobistocreate,notcritique.Wehavenoabilitytojudgeanything,and
assoonaswedo,weblockthefieldofinfinitepotentialitythatwantstocomeforththroughus.
Critiquing is not our job, people. While wearing these uncomfortable Spanx, we don’t see the
big picture. We use our subjective, limited viewfinder to play “ruler of the universe.” It’s as
ridiculous as the blind man holding the tail of an elephant, thinking he now understands the
monstrousbeast.
Once we start “critiquing,” we cease creating. By figuring things out, by labeling them, we
restrictwhatweletintoourawareness.
6.MeMe:Ithink,thereforeIam.OrinthewordsofDescartes:Cogito,ergosum.
WORLDVIEW2.0:WhatIthinkforthemostpartisirrelevant.Saywhat?Isn’tthatthewhole
thesisofthisbook?Notexactly.Ourthoughtsarelikeharmlessantsmarchingacrossapicnic
blanket.Theycome,theygo,theyquicklyflowrightthrough…untilwedecidetogatherthem
up,stareatthem,andtransformthemintoourreality.Itisourattentiontoourthoughtsthatpull
themintoourreality.Wedecidewhichthoughtstofeed,whichthoughtstoempower.Oncewe
put energy into any thought, it begins accumulating mass, forming into “material” events and
things.
7.MEME:Nopain,nogain.Thenecessityofpainandsufferingissuchalivingmythologyandso
entwined in our culture that we blank it out like a refrigerator motor. In fact, if you believe Mel
Gibson,whosemovieThePassionoftheChristmadehorrormovieslooktame,it’sevenholytobein
pain.
We’vebecomesoaccustomedtolivinginthe“lifesucks”paradigmthatitneveroccurstousthat
anotherreality,ahappyreality,ispossible.Pain,loneliness,andfeararethecontextwithinwhichwe
liveourlives.We’resoconditionedtowallowinmiserythattheconceptoflifeasajoyousadventure
seemsimpossibleorevenunnatural.Sure,wecanbuythattherewillbehappyevents.Infact,welook
forwardtoholidaysandbirthdaysandtimeoffwork.Buttobelievethathappinessispossible24-7is
abigstretch.
The“lifesucks”paradigmisreallynothingbutabadhabit,arutwe’vebeeninsincethefirsttime
ourparentsinsistedweactourage.Lookingforpainisnothingbutagrosslyirresponsiblewayof
lookingattheworld.
WORLDVIEW2.0:Thereisnoreasontostruggle.Infact,wedon’tactuallyhaveto“work”at
anything.Onceweletgo—surrendertotheuniversalflowoflife—higherforceswilltakeover
and handle the details. Once we take sorrow off the throne, as A Course in Miracles describes
ouroutlookinWorldview1.0,enlightenmentisournaturallyoccurring,organicstateofbeing.
8.MEME:It’simportanttolookatmyfaults,tonamemyproblems,andtostrivetoimprove.
Aka:Wipethatsillygrinoffyourface.Lifeisnolaughingmatter.
WORLDVIEW2.0:IalreadyhaveeverythingIcouldeverwantorneed. The only reason we
seefaultsandproblemsisbecausewecontinuetolookforfaultsandproblems.Life,inthenew
paradigm,isagame.Andthefunisintheplaying.Anytimewegettiredoftherollercoaster,we
canheadonovertotheLazyRiver.
9.MEME:It’smeandyou(andI’mnotsosureaboutyou)againsttheworld.Whatintheheck
areyouthinking?
WORLDVIEW 2.0: The universe has my back and is constantly sending me blessings, gifts,
signs,andguidance.Andasforourbrothersandsisters,seetheletterofrecommendation.
10.MEME:Ihavetodoeverythingmyself.Work,strive,keeponkeepingon.
WORLDVIEW2.0:TheonlythingIhavetodoisfollowmyjoy.Theuniversewilltakecareof
everythingelse.Limitationandlackisastorywemadeup,nomorerealthantheEasterBunny.
Tryingtoforceandmanipulaterealityiscounterproductiveinthenewparadigm.Althoughthe
universalfieldisinvisible(makingitalothardertotrustforsomefolks),it’sactuallyfarmore
tangibleandpowerfulthanforcingandgruntingandgroaningwilleverbe.Bysteppingbackand
connectingwiththepoweroftheuniverse,everythingunfoldswitheaseandgrace.
11.MEME:Ihavetochange.I’mscaredtochange.It’shardtochange.Help!
WORLDVIEW2.0:IcanflipwhateverIbelieveatanymoment.Infact,theflipside(say,lack
versus abundance) is already there. The only reason you don’t see it is you’re tuned in to the
frequencyoflack.
It’simportanttorememberthatjustbecausearealityexistsnowit’snomoresturdy,infallible,
or authoritative than any other reality. All physical realities are ephemeral and fluid. In
Worldview2.0,weunderstandthatwhenweputourattentionononeparticularreality,itappears.
Andthatwhenwesimplywithdrawourattention,itdissolves.
Noonerealityhasauthorityoveryou.You,afterall,arethecreator.
12. MEME: I have to try really hard to be good enough. Aka: All men have sinned and fallen
shortofthegloryofGod.
WORLDVIEW2.0:Myworthinessisnotatstake. No 12 steps required. No obstacle courses,
Spanx,oranythingelsegettingintheway.Mightaswellsitback,relax,andenjoytheflight.
LetterofRecommendationfor:
__________________
[FillintheblankforanyTom,Dick,orHarryonthisplanet.Idon’tcareifthepersonishomeless,
disabled,orwearingablack-and-whiteprisonuniform.]
Towhomitmayconcern:
______________________________ is a fabulous person. Given a little love, a little
understanding,he/shewilldoremarkablethings.
Sure, he/she has probably made a few mistakes, has probably done a few stupid things. But,
boy,doeshe/shehavealotoflovetogive,alotofideasthatcanchangetheworld.
Byallmeans,takethispersonintoyourheart.
Hirehim/herasyourfriendandconfidantatyourearliestpossibleconvenience.Donotwait.
Donothesitate.Thereisnothingtobeafraidof.Thispersonisatreasure.
Sincerelyyours,
PamGrout
CHAPTERTHREE
WELL,DUH!
“I’msorry,man,butI’vegotmagic.I’vegotpoetryinmyfingertips.”
—CHARLIESHEEN ,AMERICANACTOR
@Beastyboy90to@PamGrout:IsawabutterflyinmyThaiboxinggyminthemiddleofwinter.
Canyoubelievethat?
@PamGrout:Definitelynotsurprised.AsPhoebefromFriendswouldsay,“Well,duh!”Havea
greattimewiththerestoftheexperiments.
Okay,sothisisthechapterwhereIgloat.WhereIquotePhoebeBuffay,whowheneversomeone
complimentedher—wheneverRossorMonicaorChandlerravedabouthergivingagoodmassage
orwritingapowerfulsong(well,cometothinkofit,nooneprobablyeverbroughtthatup)—she’d
respondconfidentlywith“Well,yeah?”
Andthat’swhatIwanttosaytoallyoureaderswhoweresodumbfoundedthattheexperimentsin
E-Squaredworked.
LestyouworryIwillstartsinging“SmellyCat,”letmeassureyouthattheonlyreasonIcansay“I
know!”withsheergleeisbecauseInowhavereamsofproof,filecabinetsfullofevidencethatwhen
youordersomethingfromthecosmiccatalogoflife,it’sgoingtoshowuptheminuteyoutakedown
thebarrierskeepingitfromyourview.Assoonasyoureleaseresistanceand“getit”thattheworld
always,withoutfail,hasyourback,thepartycanbegin.
Butbeforewethrowouttheconfetti,Ihavetoask.Andthisisanimportantquestionyoushould
alsoaskyourself.
Whyareyousurprised?
There’ssomethingawholelotgreatermanningthedialshereonthiscrazyplanetthanyou,me,or
even Jimmy Fallon. And as I hope the E-Squared experiments proved, this “whole lot greater” is
infinitely more fun than anything we can touch or see with our retinas. We’re all connected to this
monster universal energy flow, and good stuff is supposed to be rushing toward us. That’s what’s
natural.
The only reason you’re not aware of this nonstop stream of blessings and miracles is because
you’relookingtheotherway.Worldview1.0mightsuggestyou’reanimpartialspectatorlookingat
anobjectivereality.
ButWorldview2.0isveryclear.Wearenothelplessvictimswaitingfortheothershoetodrop.
Theworldweseeemanatesfromus.Wecannotevenlookatanythingwithoutaffectingit.We’rein
aconstanttwo-stepwiththeenergyforce,butwhenmoiandvousandourcrazyguiltcomplexesand
insecuritiessitonthesidelines,holdingupscorecardslikewe’resomeDancingwiththeStarsjudges,
wehangheavyopaquecurtainsbetweenusandtheBigUniversalFlow.
People, it’s time to say, “Well, duh!” It’s time to use our thoughts and consciousness to leverage
magic.
ThrowingOutConfetti
“Focusisthemostmagicaltoolwehave.It’sthemost
powerfulaspectofourminds.It’stheletterinthe
universalmailbox,thegenieinthelamp.”
—MARIAN LANSKY,AMERICANGRAPHICARTIST
OnNewYear ’sEve2012,ItookabigstickandonthebeachatTybeeIsland,Georgia,wrotethis
proclamationinthesand:“E-Squaredwillbecomeaninternationalbestseller.”AndthenIlettheocean
anditswavestakeitoutintotheworld.
Admittedly,it’saratherunconventionalmarketingstrategy.Abillboardatleastwouldhavebeenlit
atnight.ButlastIchecked,itseemstobeworking.
E-Squared has been translated into 30-some languages. It sat squarely on the New York Times
bestsellerlistfor20weeks,severalweeksatnumberone.AndIhearfrompeopleallovertheworld,
sometimesinlanguagesIcan’tbegintotranslate.AllofthemseemtoLove.This.Book.
Everyday,Igete-mailsandFacebookmessagesfromexcitedreaderswithsomevariationofthis
theme:“Holys--t!Thisstuffreallyworks.”
ThespiritualprinciplesIoutlinedinE-Squaredarenothingnew.We’veheardabouttheseconcepts
for hundreds of years, but until this book, they’d never been broken down into bite-size pieces.
They’dneverbeenscientificallytested.
Iknewthesenineprinciplesworkedinmyownlife.I’veusedthemquitesuccessfullytojetaround
theworld,tostayinfive-starhotels,tomeetfascinatingpeople,and,whenneeded,tomanifestmoney.
What I didn’t know is just how well they’d translate into other people’s experience. As I’ve told
interviewers, there is no way, after hearing all the stories, that I could ever doubt these principles
again.Ifanything,mycertaintyintheirmerithasgrowntoSequoiaproportions.
I could barely keep up with all the stories that landed like jumbo jets of joy in my in-box every
morning. I received updates from this new cast of friends about everything from blossoming new
relationshipstounexpectedmoneysailingin.Myall-timefavoriteswerefromreadersjustbeginning
totrustinthebeneficenceoftheuniverse,thosefinallygettingitthatlimitationandlackisjustacrazy
storywemadeup.Asonereadertoldme,“Thepartofmethatissoseptichassufferedabigblow.”
Theseoh-wow!talesweresomuchfunthatIspentmostof2013withaperpetualsmileonmyface,
pumping my fist into the air so often that my right bicep began to resemble Dwayne (the Rock)
Johnson’s.GuessI’llhavetobeginpumpingwithmyleftarmwhenthisbookcomesout.
I’vegottenpictures,talesof“coincidences,”andincontrovertibleevidencethattheuniverseisjust
waitingforustocatchup,justwaitingforustobeginusingthisenergythathasalwaysbeenavailable
forourenjoymentandwell-being.ThebutterflystoriesalonecouldfilltheLibraryofCongress.
Butterflies,incaseyou’renewtotheparty,areoneofthe“signs”Isuggestedpeoplelookforto
proveE-Squared’sVolkswagenJettaPrinciple,whichstates:“Youimpactthefieldanddrawfromit
accordingtoyourbeliefsandexpectations.”
Peoplespottedbutterfliesonpieinthemiddleofthedesert,ontoiletpaper,onlapelsindoctors’
offices,andoncasinoslotmachines,tonamejustafewthatspringtomind.Somepeopleevenwrote
toask,“HowdoIturnthebutterfliesoff?”
Onceyoustartlookingforsomething,itseemstomultiplyasfastasMickeyMouse’sbroominthe
Sorcerer’sApprentice.Onereaderwhodecidedtolookforclownsreportedthathenowseesclowns
everywhere: on posters in the London Tube, in ads in inflight magazines, on buses, on vans, on
videos(mostrecentexamplewasafilmwhereDenzelWashingtonandMarkWahlbergrobbedabank
wearingclownmasks),andthateverytimeheandhiswifegetinthecar,theyhearthetrack“Clown”
byEmeliSandé.
Notsurprisingly,inaworldfocusedonmaterialthings,Igotreamsofstoriesaboutmanifesting
unexpectedmoney.Readersfound$5hereoraluckypennythereorreceivednoticeofadecreasein,
say,theirinsurancepremiums.Therecordsofaris…hopeyou’resittingdown…$100,000infive
days.Peopleweresentflowers,ledtosigns(actualsigns)thatsaidthingslike,“Ifyou’rewaitingfor
asign,thisisit.”Onereaderdecidedtomanifestpurpleandwasinvitedtoawomen’srollerderbyin
anarenawiththousandsofpurpleseats.
SoIguessit’sfairtosaythatE-Squaredhasbecomeaphenomenon.Ithasgonefrombeingafunny
title on a little black book to a verb. Instead of “making intentions,” people say they’re E-Squaring
theirdesires.Asin,“IwantatickettotheSuperBowl.I’lljustE-Squareit.”Or,“Ineedtoknowtoday
whetherornottohavethatoperation.GuessIbetterE-Squareit.”
SeveralfriendssuggestedIwriteabookwithalltheremarkablestories,asortofChickenSoupfor
the Manifester’s Soul. Since I’m rather partial to writing my own stories (and also because my old
laptopcrashedwhenIwasinNamibia,dashingthefileofstoriesIwasearnestlykeeping),Idecided
I’dhonortheirrequestbyconcludingthischapterwithafewofmyfavorites.Someofthesestories
aredirectquotations.Someareretoldinmywords.Allofthemarefascinatingremindersthatwelive
in a participatory universe. God, to use a term most of us are familiar with, created a world that
continuestocreateitself.
If nothing else, recapping a few stories is a clever ploy for tricking you into reviewing the key
principlesfromE-Squared.
E-SquaredReduxandaFewCampfireTales
“Yougainstrength,courageandconfidencebyeveryexperienceinwhichyoureallystoptolookfear
intheface.Youmustdothethingwhichyouthinkyoucannotdo.”
—ELEANORROOSEVELT,FORMERFIRSTLADY
The nine energy principles I wrote about in E-Squared are still the bedrock, the foundation for
learningtomasteryourownreality.AndeventhoughIliketothinktheystandontheirowntwofeet,
itneverhurtstohearthiskindofmessageagain,especiallysincetheold-schoolconditioningisso
ingrainedandpainfullyeasytofallbackon.Whenlearningtooverrideoutdatedculturalparadigms,
it’simportanttopracticethenewparadigmoverandoveragainuntilitbecomessecondnature.Until
youdon’thavetothinkaboutit.Untilnoticingmiraclesisjusthowyouroll.
1.TheDudeAbidesPrinciple:ThereIsanInvisibleEnergyForceorField
ofInfinitePossibilities
“Thereisaninvisibleplanesupportingthevisibleone.”
—JOSEPHCAMPBELL,AMERICANMYTHOLOGIST
Inthisexperiment,whichdoublesasanultimatum,Iaskedpeopletogivethefieldexactly48hours
to make its presence known, to demand a clear, unmistakable sign that could not be written off as
coincidence.Here’sasampleofsomeoftheblessings:
“Ifound$20,000inApplestockIdidnotknowIhad.AndaproducerfromEnglandcalled
aboutdoingadatingrealityshowintheU.K.”
“I didn’t want to wait for 48 hours. So instead I set the deadline for my airplane flight
today.Andguesswhat?Isatnexttoafamouspersonontheplane.Theguitarplayerfrom
LynyrdSkynyrd.”
“Ireadyourfirstexperimenttomyhubby,hadhimmaketherequestofanunexpectedgift,
andthatnight,totallyunexpected,hewona$1,500SmartTV.”
“For the first experiment, I asked the universe for a sign that I 100 percent could not
dispute. The next morning, I went to my desk to get some work done and turned on the
radio. Guess what song was playing? ‘Johanna’ by Kool and the Gang! It’s been years
sinceIheardthatsong.SincemynameisJohanna,astheycrooned,‘Johanna,Iloveyou,’I
knewtheuniversewastellingmeIwasloved!”
“Iwasraisedanonlychildandalwayswishedforbrothersandsisters.Foryears,Ithought
I had no other living adult relatives besides two distant cousins in Southern California. I
gavetheDude48hoursonaThursdayat10:00 P.M.Oneofmycousinsleftmeamessage
the next morning … and by Monday, I was friends with more than 40 family members,
mostlycousinsandsecondcousins,whomIhadjustmomentsbeforenotknownexisted.”
“I went to a plein air event to paint. I sold both paintings and then sold 15 more at the
Sundayshow.Twoyearsago,Iwenttothisshowandsoldnothing!”
“OutoftheblueanacquaintancewhoknewIwasengagedinsistedongiftingmea$7,000
wedding dress. I’m a single mother of four—most of my cars were worth less than that
untilacoupleofyearsago.Then,thankstoaconstellationofcuriouscircumstances,Igot
tospendanafternoonshopping,lunching,andmeditatingwithanotheroneofmyfavorite
authors,LissaRankin.”
“Imanifested$10,000fromaCatholicpriestIhadn’theardfrominfouryears,andI’mnot
evenCatholicanymore.I’mnotkidding,a$10,000giftwithnostringsattached.”
2.TheVolkswagenJettaPrinciple:YouImpacttheFieldandDrawfromIt
AccordingtoYourBeliefsandExpectations
“Thereisnothingmoredeceptivethananobviousfact.”
—ARTHURCONAN DOYLE,BRITISHAUTHOR
To prove this principle, I gave people 48 hours to pull from the field some simple thing like
sunset-beigecars,butterflies,orfeathers.Here’swhathappened:
“If this wasn’t so insanely awesome and completely out of my realm of expectation, I
wouldn’tbothersharing.Istayedhomealldayworkingonmylaptop,soIwasprettysure
I wouldn’t see any green cars or yellow butterflies. The experiment was on my mind,
becauseIknewIstillhadtomorrow.Afterdinner,myboyfriend(whohadnoknowledge
of my experiment) asked me to come into the living room because he had something to
showme.Asanearlybirthdaypresent,hemadethisforme…it’sabutterflyhouse.There
arebutterfliesinit!Inmyhouse!Igettolookatthemforafewdays,andthenwesetthem
free.Iliterallycouldn’tspeakfortenminutes.I’mhopingthegreencarsstayontheroad
tomorrow.”
“I wanted to be sure, so I asked the universe to show me different car colors … from
purpletoyellowtoorange.Andyes,Isawthemall.However,I’mstubbornandwantedto
be sure that the universe was listening and that it was not just a coincidence … the car
colorsIsawweredifferentbutbynomeansunrealistic.Idecidedtocomeupwiththemost
obscurecombinationofcolorsIcouldthinkof…apinktruckwithwhitepolkadots.Two
dayslaterIdrovebyapinktruckwithwhitepolkadots!”
“IwasinthesecondhalfofExperiment#2andwasactivelylookingforpurplefeathers—
inthemiddleofwinterinColorado.Iwasskeptical.Mycousinlosthissoninthefloodsin
Boulder last September, and I often follow updates from his friends and family on his
Facebookpage.GuesswhatWesleywaswearinginoneofthepicturesIhadyettosee?A
headbandwithapurplefeathertuckedinit.Blownaway,truly,blownaway!”
For those who still believe in and are frustrated by the concept of time (I know, it’s a pretty
convincingillusion),thisone’sforyou:
“Ifocusedonmanifestingaredrubberbouncyball(anotherzinger,Ithought).Forty-eight
hours later … no ball … that was three weeks ago. I wrote it off as not being focused
enough. Fast-forward … no sh*t, today, at the same intersection where I saw the burntorangecar,aredrubberbouncyballliterallyrolledacrossthestreetwiththewind,right
acrossmypath…asiftauntingme.Ijumpedout,dodgedcars,andpickeditup.Holdingit
now.”
3.TheAlbyEinsteinPrinciple:You,Too,AreaFieldofEnergy
“Icouldn’tevenmakethisstuffup.”
—DREW,READEROFE-SQUARED
Experiment#3,whichproveswehumansareactuallymovingcurrentsofenergy,wasarealhoot.
In it, I explained how to turn metal coat hangers into what I call “Einstein wands.” Using these
homemade energy wands, people could watch their thoughts in action. Positive, happy thoughts
“opened”thewands.Negativethoughtscausedthemtoturninoneachother.
Leslie Draper, an intuitive from Oklahoma who calls herself the Bible Belt Mystic, went to her
local dry cleaner and got 50 hangers to fashion into wands for all her clients, including several
medical doctors, who were, as she described it, “blown away.” She even made a fabulous YouTube
videoofthewands,oneofdozensoutthereontheInternet,visiblydemonstratinghowourthoughts
interactwiththeuniverse.
One reader from Florida told me he took them to his local bar to impress his buddies. Another
suggestedImanufacturethemtosellatToys“R”Us.AndIalsodiscoveredthatmetalcoathangers
arenolongereasytofind(maybetheyneverwere?)inScandinaviancountries.
4.TheAbracadabraPrinciple:WhateverYouFocusonExpands
“Bybelievingpassionatelyinsomethingthatdoesnotyetexist,wecreateit.”
—NIKOSKAZANTZAKIS,GREEKWRITERANDPHILOSOPHER
Inthisexperiment,IaskedpeopletoputinanorderfromtheCosmicCatalogofLife.Tomakean
intentiontodrawsomethingintotheirlives,somethingsimple,somethingthatwouldn’timmediately
bringupmajorresistance.Hereareafewstoriesreadersshared:
“Thisissoamazing!Isentmyselfapostcard,likeyoudid.Iwrote,asifsomeoneelse,that
they loved what they saw at my photography exhibition and would call to offer me a
contract. Well, I sent it on Thursday, and by Friday I was offered two contracts. I hadn’t
evenreceivedthepostcardyet.Iamnowatruebeliever.It’sjustuptometodecidewhatI
want.”
“I requested ‘free money.’ Not much happened for a few days … then—boom—three
randomclientssentmegiftcards(atotalof$160atStar-bucksand$50atTarget),andI
went to a party and was asked to tell a few jokes to the crowd at dinner. They sent me a
checkfor$250…I’mupto$460inaweek.”
“TodayIwentforawalk,andhalfwayinIwishedIhadbroughtmoneywithmesoIcould
getacoffee.Ihadnomoney,soItriedanexperiment.IputitoutthatIwouldfindsome
moneyontheground,enoughforacoffee.Ithought,Therehastobeawayformetohave
acoffeewithoutanymoney.IscouredthegroundasIcontinuedon.ThenIcametoapark;
Ilookedup,andrightinfrontofmewasasignthatsaidFREECOFFEEANDCUP-CAKESanda
vanwithaguywhomademealatte!”
“Iammanifestingallovertheplaceandhavejustpulledoffawhopper!Ihadneverheard
ofLawrenceBlockbeforereadingE-Squared,butyourmentionofhisbookWriteforYour
Life gave me instant goose bumps, and I decided I had to have a copy. All inquiries in
Australia led to dead ends: out of print and definitely unavailable. I logged on to his
website—prolific,ain’the?—ande-mailedaskingifperhapshehadasparecopyunderhis
pillow.Thereply,fromDavidTrevor,wasthattheremightbesomecopiessomewhere.He
wouldcheckand,iffound,wouldlistthemoneBayandwouldnotifymeofsame.Iawoke
nextdaytohise-mailandalinktoeBay,wheretheremainingstashof25just-foundcopies
(autographedbyLarryBlock)werenowlistedforsale.ExcitedlyIattemptedtopurchase,
but alas, the last one vanished as I processed my payment. I e-mailed David again,
expressingmydevastation.HisempatheticreplywasthatifIdidn’tminda‘secondhand’
copy of the book, he had one left that he would be happy to sell me (having been the
catalystfortheeBayfrenzy).ThecopythathadbelongedtoLB’s(now-deceased)mother.It
had recently been returned to them, and it’s autographed by LB to his mum! How cool is
that!Iamsothrilled!Can’twaittoreadit.”
“Iaskedforsomefreemeat.Tonightwhenmyfriendcameovertodrophergirlofffor
theweekendshebroughttwomeatlover ’spizzasandtwopacksofchickenchips.”
“Isaid,‘IamreadyforaBillyJoelconcert,’eventhoughthispastsummerheannounced
nomoreconcerts.Well,twodayslater,he’splayingNewYear ’sEveattheBarclayCenter.
IthinkI’montosomethingbig.”
“FridaynightIdecidedtodemandtheearringIhadlost.Thatmightnotseemsoimportant
totheaverageperson,buttheseearringswereagiftfrommyson,Dustin.Hefellfroma
cliffin2009attheageof17andwastrulyourgoldenboy.Iwasdevastated.Onedaylast
summerIlookedinthemirror—toseeoneoftheearringsgone,andIwasfrantic.Today
thebathroomdrainwaspartiallyclogged,somyhusbandlifteduptheplungeralittleto
allowthewatertodrainbetter.WhenIwentintobrushmyteeth,Isawallthehairentwined
on the bottom of the plunger, so I got a toothpick to pull it out. That is when I saw
somethinground,andusingthetoothpick,Ipulledoutmyearring.Inlessthan48hours
aftergivingmyultimatum,Igotmyearringback.I’mahappygirl!”
5.TheDearAbbyPrinciple:YourConnectiontotheFieldProvides
AccurateandUnlimitedGuidance
“Weeithermakeourselvesmiserable,orwemakeourselveshappy.Theamountofworkisthesame.”
—CARLOSCASTANEDA,PERUVIAN -AMERICANANTHROPOLOGIST
This experiment encouraged people to give up their belief in separation and to open to the
possibilitythatanswerstoanyquestionareavailable24-7.
“IlostmydiamondnecklacethatIhavewornalmosteverydayfor33yearsalittleovera
monthago.Weweresmokingsomemeatyesterdayonourgrill.Iwasgoneforacouple
ofhourswalkingourdogsandcamebacktocheckonthemeat,andthereonthegroundin
front of me was the diamond necklace that had been gone for a month. It looked like
someone had just cleaned it in jewelry cleaner. Did it go to another dimension and then
makeitswayback?”
“IhadaskedtheFPacoupleofdaysprior,thatifIwaspregnant,toshowmetwovisibly
pregnantwomenbeforeIgotontheplaneformyconnectingflighttoNYC.AsIexitedthe
firstplanetocatchmyconnection,Iwalkedrightbythefirstone.Ourplanewasdelayed
anhour,soIwenttothebookstore,waslookingatmagazines,andoneofthemliterally
flew off the shelf and landed open on the ground. With guess what? A picture of a very
pregnantJenniferLoveHewitt.
“IaskedGod/theuniversewhichofthreebooksIshouldfocusonandwritefirst.Ilisted
the three I have been working on—a novel, a nonfiction book, and my life story. About
halfway through the 48 hours, I saw a Facebook post from someone who never posts
quotations that said, ‘When writing the story of your life, don’t let anyone else hold the
pen.’Wow!That’sallIcansay!Wow!”
“I asked for something to bring a big smile to my face. I was texting as I entered the
buildingforMastinKipp’sDailyLoveworkshop,notpayingmuchattention,andlooked
upasIheldthedooropenforsomeone—anditwasMastinKipphimself.Bigsmile!”
“I lost a gold ring while gardening over three years ago, so after reading this book, I
askedtheFPtofinditformeasanexperiment.AboutaweeklaterIwascleaningunderthe
stoveandfoundthering—Iwasreallyamazed!Howdiditgetthere?That,tome,really
demonstratedtheprinciple,morethanifIhadfounditinthegarden.Thisstuffworks!”
“Myquestionwas,ShouldIgoaheadwithmyplannedhomerefinance?Iliveinaruralpart
of Missouri with train tracks in front of my home. As a train sped past my house, I was
looking at the graffiti. In bold, large letters was the word nope. Go figure, right? This
morning,IwassittingoutdoorsandIsaidaloud,‘AmIsafetoassumethat“nope”wasmy
neon-signmessage?’Atthatinstant,Iheartheding-ding-dingoftherailroadcrossing,and
herecomesanothertrain.Thetrainwasheavywithcoal,requiringtwoenginestopullit.
Both doors on the second engine were wide-open and swinging in the wind. This is
unheard of. The very next car was labeled with this graffiti: FEEL FREE TO ASK US. I LOVE
YOU .ILOVEYOU .”
6.TheSupermanPrinciple:YourThoughtsandConsciousnessImpact
Matter
“Thelessonbeginswiththreewords.IfyouneverrememberanythingelseIhavetoldyou,remember
thesewordslikeamantra:Thoughtsprecedeeverything.Thoughts.Precede.Everything.”
—PATHELDMAN ,AMERICANAUTHOR
This experiment, which involved growing green-bean seeds in an egg carton, was popular with
moms and their kids. Duplicating an experiment done by Dr. Gary Schwartz at the University of
Arizona,Iaskedreaderstosendlight,love,andintentiontoonerowofseedsandbasicallyignorethe
other.Ihaveawholegalleryofphotosshowingthattheseedsthatwerelovinglyregardedsprouted
andgrewfasterandtallerthantheirignoredcounterparts.
AndI’llalsosharethise-mail:
“Justaquicknoteoffunandfrolic…Icouldn’tbeartojusttossmysproutedbeansafter
the experiment a few months back, so I found the most fertile place I could find in our
prettybarrenapartmentbuildingandtransplantedthem.Thismorning,loandbehold…I
have fresh green beans! This coming from a ‘brown thumb’ in previous attempts to get
anythingtogroworblossom.”
7.TheJennyCraigPrinciple:YourThoughtsandConsciousnessProvide
theScaffoldingforYourPhysicalBody
“Therearenophysicallawsintheuniverse.
They’remorelikesuggestions.”
—SRIAUROBINDO,INDIANSAINT
Thisexperimentprovedthatourthoughtsareinacontinuousdancewithourbodiesandwithour
food.InthelasthourI’vebeenworkingonthischapter,I’vereceivedtwoe-mailsfromreaderswho
saythey’velostmajorpoundagefromdoingtheJennyCraigexperiment.Thatmeansdoingnothing
butblessingyourfoodandthrowingawayoldpatternsofchastisingyourselfbeforeeating.
Thefollowingaresampleresultsinpoundslostbydoingnothingbutchangingthoughts:
3
5
2
2½
Another reader lost 18 pounds by doing one thing: “I gave up guilt. I let myself eat anything I
wanted.”
8.The101DalmatiansPrinciple:YouAreConnectedtoEveryoneand
EverythingElseintheUniverse
“Thosewhodon’tbelieveinmagicwillneverfindit.”
—ROALDDAHL,AUTHOROFCHARLIEANDTHECHOCOLATEFACTORY
Alsoknownasnonlocality,thisexperimentaskedreaderstosendmessagestopeoplewithoutthe
useofe-mail,letters,orloudexplosions.
“IjuststartedExperiment#8today(11/19/13)at8:30 A.M.Idecidedtoaskfortwopeople
tocallme,alifelongfriendI’veknownforalmost40yearsandanoldgirlfriend.Ihaven’t
spokenwitheitherofthemforquiteawhile.Imademyintention.Ievenopenedthefront
doorandsaideachoftheirfullnamesandadded,‘Callme.’Within15minutesIgotacall
fromtheoldgirlfriend.”
“Iwasmissinganoldfriendwhohasn’tcalledintwoyears.IsenttheintentiontotheFP,
andshecalledwithin30minutes.”
“Irecentlyreadyourbookandreadaboutthenailincident.Iamwrestlingwiththiswhole
manifestingconcept,andIwasfascinatedand,yes,enviousaboutit.Isaidtotheuniverse,
‘Boy,IwishIhadamind-blowingexperiencelikethatnailone.’Andnotexpectingtohave
one,Imovedon.WhenIwenttogetdressedthismorning,Iwasstandinginmyclosetand
lookeddownatsomethingonthefloor.Itwasanail!Ihowled.Yes,thefielddoeshavea
senseofhumor.Icouldalmosthearitsay,‘Youwantedanail?’IfIhadn’treadyourbook,
Imayhavefoundthatnailandwouldhavethoughtnomoreaboutitexcepttowonderwhat
theheckitwasdoingthere.Soformethistrulyhasbeenanilluminationofhowweare
connected…crazy.”
“ThemostrecentexperimentIdidwasmind-blowing!It’stheonethatinstructed‘senda
messagetosomeoneyouknowusingtheconceptofnonlocality.’Yousuggestedfocusing
onsomeoneI’dalreadymet,andyoualsomentionedBruceRosenblum’sclaimthatoncea
personhasmetanotherandshakenhis/herhand,‘youareforeverentangled.’Thisgrabbed
my attention, because the person I wanted to focus on was my great-great-aunt Neva,
whom I have never met—she died, single and childless, before I was born. I inherited a
ring that had belonged to her, and since we have both worn this ring, I figured it would
countasa‘handshake.’Andsincewearerelatedbyblood,Ialsofiguredthatcouldcount
as our having ‘met.’ My great-great-aunt’s untimely death left a big gaping hole in my
genealogychart,becauseshehadalwaysbeenafamilymystery,andnooneknewforsure
whenorwhereshe’ddied.So,Itriedyourexperimentwhilecommutingtoworktheother
morning.Ispokemythoughtslikethis:Hithere,Neva,it’syourgreat-grandniecehere.I
wanttoknowwhathappenedtoyou,whereyoudied,andwhen,soyourstorycanbepassed
downtomykidsandtheirdescendants.Willyoupleasehelpmeouthere?Thanks!During
mylunchbreak,IwassurfingaroundontheWebwhenIgotanAncestry.comalertthatI
had a new genealogy fact. What is so weird is that the death record was in California,
where I had searched before—several times—without success. Suddenly the record was
right there: Los Angeles County, California, September 3, 1926. But how did I get the
recordatall—thatveryafternoon?HowdidtherecordjustappeartheverydayI‘talked’
to Neva and asked for her help? … This is amazing! Your experiment even works for
peoplewhohavebeendeadforwellover80years!”
9.TheFishandLoavesPrinciple:TheUniverseIsLimitless,Abundant,
andStrangelyAccommodating
“Letusceasewalkingthroughlifeblindedbydarknessandconfusion,seeingshadowsoneverywall
andcorner.”
—MICHELELONGOO’DONNELL,AMERICANAUTHOR
Toprovethisprinciple,Iaskedreaderstospend48hourstrackinggoodnessandbeauty.Igotthe
ideafrompaleontologistStephenJayGould,whocalleditourduty,ourholyresponsibility,torecord
andhonorthevictoriousweightofalltheinnumerablelittlekindnessesthathesaidwerealltoooften
unnotedandinvisible.
Because these lists were unwieldy (literally hundreds of thousands of good things happen every
day),andimpossibletopublish,Idecidedtodevotethissectiontoafewofthehundredsofhumorous
storiesthatcamein.TheFPdefinitelyappreciatesagoodjoke.
“Iwasrunninglateforafriend’sbirthdaydinner,desperatelylookingforaparkingplace.
Aftermanydrivesaroundthecarpark,Idecidedto‘E-Square’it.Iflippantlysaidtomy
kids, ‘What we need is a movie to finish and then everyone will start leaving.’ With that
command,aparkingspaceopenedrightupoutsidetherestaurant.Aboutthesametime,a
firetruckpulleduprightoutsidethecinemaandhundredsofpeoplefloodedout.Notonly
didonemoviefinish(justasrequested),butalsoafirepromptedthetheatertoclosedown
andevacuateall12theaters.”
“Igotmy‘littlegift’handdeliveredbyaJehovah’sWitnessthismorningat10.Atexactly
21 hours after I started the experiment, a booklet was delivered that stated on the back,
‘Godisatypeofinfinitespirit.’Healsohasagreatsenseofhumor.”
“This morning, while at breakfast at a local restaurant, I asked the universe for an
unexpectedgiftwithinthenext48hours.Afterrunningerrands,Iarrivedhometofindmy
gift: six baby ducklings paddling around in my swimming pool. My husband was
dumbfounded. I have no idea where they came from. Not only is the universe fast, but it
also has a sense of humor! What a delightful gift. My children and I rounded up the
ducklingsandwalkedovertothepondofanearbygolfcourse.”
“One of the most synchronous things I’ve ever witnessed happened to me when I started
readingthisbook.Mywifewasfillingoutsomeonlineformsfromherphone,asshedoes
eachevening.Sometimesthe‘captchas’thatshehastofillouttoprovesheishumanarea
little odd or quite witty, so she reads them out loud. The other night she got ‘The Dude
Abides,’ which she thought was odd, and I kinda thought, Huh, interesting phrase, and
thought no more about it. Thirty minutes later I started reading E-Squared, and the first
experiment is, of course, ‘The Dude Abides.’ The fact that the experiment is to ask for
undeniableproofoftheexistenceof‘God’thatcan’tbeexplainedbycoincidencejustblew
usaway.”
Beforewegetstartedontheexperiments,Ineedtoaskyouafavor.It’sasimplefavor,won’tcost
youapenny,andittakesallofthreesecondtoperform.
Ready?
I’dlikeyoutopleaseripthispageoutofthebook.
Uh…notthatI’mall-seeingoranything,butitappearstomethatthepageIaskedyoutoripoutis
stillattached.
Why?
Coulditbeyou’vebeenconditionedtobelievethat“goodpeople”donotrippagesoutofbooks?
Isitpossibleyou’vebeentaughtthatbooksareforreadingandthatoneofyourresponsibilitiesasa
good,law-abidingcitizenistokeepyourbookscleanandfreeofsmudges?
AllIcancommentisyourmotherwouldbeproud.
ButwhatI’msayingisthepageI’vepolitelyaskedyoutotearoutisofabsolutelynovalue,says
nothingofanyimportance,andistotallyandirrefutablyirrelevanttothecontentsofthisbook.
Exceptforonething:Itdemonstratesaprinciplethisbookisgoingtorepeatoverandoveragain.
You and all humans like you have learned a lot of lessons in life that are getting in your way. You
havepickedupalotofinformationthatdoesn’tserveyou.
You’re educated about a lot of things that aren’t true and, in fact, are actually keeping you from
becomingallyouarecapableofbeing.
It also demonstrates the one thing that makes this book different from any book you have read
before.Themessageisnotintheprintedtypeonthesepages.Themessageisinyou. And the only
way you’re going to get the message is by getting up off your keister and doing the experiments
exactlyasIinstructyou.Now,wouldyoupleasedomeafavorandripthisdamnedpageoutofthe
book?
PARTII
THEEXPERIMENTS
“SoI’mcurious,myfellowcreators.SinceyouandI
areinchargeofmakingaNewEarth—notjustbreaking
downthedyingculture—wheredowebegin?What
storiesdowewantattheheartofourexperiments?
Whatquestionswillbeouroracles?
“Here’swhatIsay:IntheNewEarthwe’recreating,
wewillridiculethecultofdoomandgloom,and
embracethecauseofzoomandboom.Wewill
laughatthestupidityofevilandhate;wewill
summonthebrilliancetopraiseandcreate.
Nomatterhowupsidedownitallmayappear,we
willhavenofear,becauseweknowthisbigsecret:
Allofcreationisconspiringtoshoweruswithblessings.
Lifeiscrazilyinlovewithus—brazenlyand
innocentlyinlovewithus.”
—ROBBREZSNY,FROM PRONOIAISTHEANTIDOTEFORPARANOIA
THEPRELIMINARIES
ImportantGuidelinesforUnlockingtheMagic
“Theoriesmightinspireyou,butexperimentswilladvanceyou.”
—AMITKALANTRI,INDIANAUTHOR
cor·ol·lar·y
1. formingapropositionthatfollowsfromonealreadyproved.
2. adirectornaturalconsequenceorresult.
As you know if you’ve read E-Squared, I believe that spirituality and abstruse concepts such as
thoughtcreatesmattershouldbeproven,nottakenonfaith.Foryears,theseprincipleshavemadefor
stimulatingdinnerconversation,interestingsermonfodder.
Butbecausewe’veonlybeentheorizingaboutthem,notputtingthemintopractice,ourworldhas
notbeenrockedintheradicalwayitneedstobe.Withoutpracticalapplication,theseprinciplesare
little but abstractions and feel-good woo-woo! This book, like its predecessor, emphasizes
applicationandexperience,nottheology.
Thefactthatyouareconnectedtoeveryoneandeverythingintheuniverseisnotjustmind-blowing
news. It’s something you should be using. The fact that your thoughts are energy waves being
broadcast out into this giant field of infinite potentiality is something you should be aware of and
deploying on a moment-by-moment basis. Some might even suggest we’ve squandered 100 years
merelypokingattheseprinciples,discussingthematthewatercoolerratherthanactivelyusingthem
tomakeourworld,ourlives,andourrelationshipsbetter.
EachofthefollowingchapterspresentsacorollarytothespiritualprinciplesfromE-Squaredand
an empirical science experiment to demonstrate its validity. All of them are designed to prove that
youareconnectedtothefieldofinfinitepotentiality,todemonstratethatquantumphysicsisn’tjusta
compellingphilosophybutausefultool.
TheRealWorldIsBetterThanAnyLab
“Beforewarned,applyingtheseteachingsmaybe
damagingtoyourbeliefs,disorientingtoyourmind,and
distressingtoyourego.”
—ADYASHANTI,AMERICANSPIRITUALTEACHER
GuglielmoMarconi,theItalianinventorwhopioneeredlong-distanceradiotransmission,wonthe
NobelPrizein1909forsendingvibratoryradiowaves2,000milesacrosstheAtlanticOcean.
Butwhenhefirstsuggestedthatfrequenciesofenergycouldbetransmittedwithoutwires,people
thoughthewasnuts.WhenhewrotetotheItalianMinistryofPostsandTelegraphsexplainingtheidea
ofwirelesstelegraphy,hewasreferredtoaninsaneasylum.
“Everyone knows that’s impossible,” he was told by detractors, who scoffed at the crazy
experimentsheconductedinhisparents’attic.
So,yes,believingthatourthoughts,dreams,andbeliefsarebeingtransmittedoutintotheuniverse
and shaping our destiny is not for everyone. But it’s certainly better than habitually focusing on
what’snotworking,betterthanconcentratingonwhatcan’thappen.
Remember that as long as your consciousness refuses to embrace a potential new possibility, it
remainsbeyondyourpurview.Who’dhavethought150yearsagothatyoucouldwalkintoaroom,
flipaswitch,andgetlight?Orbendmetalintoamachinethatcouldflyovertheocean?
Feel free to conduct the experiments in chronological order, jump around, or do all nine in one
day.It’sreallyuptoyou.Createyourownrules.Theimportantthingistoplayandhavefun.
I’vefoundithelpfultowritemyexperimentsdown,todocumentmythoughtsandfeelingsbeforeI
startandthenagainafter.Becausewetendto“forget”oreditoutexperiencesthatdon’tjibewithour
preconceived cultural scripts, getting it in writing helps build confidence. Just like we forget our
dreamsifwedon’twritethemdownuponwaking,wetendtoforget“nontraditional”experiencesif
we don’t record them. I love going back over my notebooks and realizing how many amazing
manifestationsIpromptlythrewoutthewindowofmywakingconsciousness.I’veincludedlabreport
sheetsforjustthatpurpose.
I’dalsoliketosuggestthatyoukeepthesethreephrasesinthebackofyourmind.
1. It’seasy.
2. Itdoesn’tmatter.*
3. Anyonecandothis.
PleaseDoDisturb(orWhyYouShouldAlwaysPlaywithYourToys)
“IthinkthatinthediscussionofnaturalproblemsweoughttobeginnotwiththeScriptures,butwith
experiments,anddemonstrations.”
—GALILEOGALILEI,ITALIANASTRONOMER
Thefactthattheuniverseisresponsivetoourthoughtsisvitalinformation.Thefactthatyoucan’t
observeanythingwithoutaffectingitisofparamountimportance.ButwhenIsayparamount,Idon’t
meanitshouldbebuttoneddownandclampedtostructure.Infact,themorefunyouhavewiththese
experiments,thebettertheywork.
Inthecurrentworldview,playandexperimentationareoftenpreemptedbytheneedtogetserious,
to eliminate mistakes. Worldview 1.0 also suggests that important things like God and science and
energy are not to be played with. They’re concepts reserved for experts. Those of us without
credentials?Keepout!
But that’s ridiculous. If I’m connected to everyone (and according to quantum mechanics, I am),
thenwhyshouldn’tIbeadvancingcivilizationalongwithStephenHawking?Ifmyglanceisableto
conveylove,whyshouldn’tIbepursuingthatsuperpowerateveryopportunity?
Sohere’swhatIpropose.
_____________
* These experiments don’t matter because in the end, life always turns out okay. They should be
approachedinalighthearted,funway.Whenwethinkthings MATTERSOMUCH,whenwemakethem
heavyandponderous,weblocktheresults.
Let’s turn these world-changing experiments into a party for all. Let’s get everybody on board.
Let’smakeitsomuchfunthatnobodywillbeabletoresist.
Theexperimentsinthisbook,corollariestotheexperimentsinE-Squared,aredemocratic,easyfor
anyone to try, and set up in the same scientific method used by real scientists in real labs. But to
undertaketheseasseriousendeavorswheremistakesaren’ttoleratedorwherefunisnotallowedis
the wrong attitude. That hoity-toity, let’s-eliminate-any-possibility-of-error MO only subverts the
results and keeps us stuck in the twisted world where defenses reign. I believe everyone should get
intothesandboxandmakeamess.
Myphilosophy?Make.It.Fun.
AlbertEinsteinhimselfsaidthatfunandbrilliantnewdiscoveriesgohandinhand.Hepositedthat
greatmindsignoredrulebooks,valuedcreativity,andwerenotboundbystructure.Thestandardized
testsandsevenrulesforthisoreightstepstothatareveritableguarantorsofmediocrity.Einstein’s
creativitywas,inhisownwords,“playful,muscularandvisual.”
In fact, the more fun you make this, the quicker it will work for you. Being in a playful state
releasesyoufromtheleft-braintrap.Itallowsyoutoletgoofthementalconstructsoflimitedspace
andtime.
WeDon’tNeedMoreBeliefs—WeNeedMorePractice
“Ineveryone’slife,atsometime,ourinnerfiregoesout.
Itisthenburstintoflamebyanencounter
withanotherhumanbeing.”
—ALBERTSCHWEITZER,GERMAN -FRENCHMISSIONARYPHYSICIANANDHUMANITARIAN
I’dliketomentiononelaststrategy.Getagrouptogether.Thereisnothinglikecompadresonthe
pathofenlightenmenttoencourage,celebrate,andchallengeyourpersonalperceptions.WhenIsay
group,itdoesn’thavetobehuge.Two,asfarasI’mconcerned,canbeagroup.
Neuroscientistshavediscoveredthathumansreverberatetotheactionsandemotionsofthepeople
around them. This unspoken but ongoing communication is why someone yawning can make you
yawnevenifyouslepttenhoursthenightbefore.It’swhybouncingaroundinZumbawithagroupor
applaudingwithaconcertaudiencemakesusfeelsohappy.
ThisresonanceiswhyI’mpartoftwopowerposseshereinmyhometownofLawrence,Kansas.
Wegettogetherweekly(oneistwiceamonth)totalkaboutquantumphysics,spirituality,andtheidea
thatconsciousnesscreatesthefoundationofourlives.Iwalkoutofthosegroups—no,IshouldsayI
danceoutofthosegroups—buzzingwithjoyandloveandcreativeideas.Whichcreatesevenmore
joyandlove…andmakesmewonder,Whydoesn’teveryonedothis?
So if you’re not in a group, get in one. Enlist friends to join you in goofing around with these
principles.Iusethephrasegoofingaroundonpurpose.It’svitalnottotakeanyofthistooseriously.
Again, the more you can laugh, the more you can turn it into a game, the better these experiments
work.
TheVitalPortaltotheFP
“Inanexuberantstateofjoy,youareatpeacewith
everythingaboutyou…thereisnothing
unconquerable,nothingunreachable.”
—RAMTHA,SPIRITENTITYCHANNELEDBYJ.Z.KNIGHT
A couple of years ago, a member of one of my power posses made a New Year ’s resolution to
“neversaynotofun.”Thatmeantifanyoneaskedhertogotoaconcertorgooutdancingoroutto
lunch,shewascommittedtosay,“Youbetcha!”
Shehadbeguntonoticethatshewasturningdowninvitationsbecause,well,she’samomandshe
hadabusydayorshewastiredor…yougettheidea.Thereareamillionrationalreasonsadultscan
givefordeclininganoffertoenjoythemselves.Kids,shenoted,neverturneddownfun.Theywere
constantlyinsearchofthenextgoodtime.Teenagers,too,wouldneverspurnaparty,nomatterhow
lateorhowmuchtheyweregoingtopissofftheirparentsbysneakingoutthebedroomwindow.
Whenwasthetippingpoint?Atwhatpointdidwebeginrejectingthechanceforjoyandglee?
What she discovered during her year of “just saying yes” is that the energy she thought she was
goingtoconservebystayinghomeactuallygrew.Thetiredfeelingthathadpreviouslycompelledher
togivetheotheranswercompletelydisappeared.
Andnow,shesays,“Idon’tevenhavetothinkaboutit.Ialwayssayyestofun.”
PowerPosseRules(Which,ofCourse,YouAreFreetoShred)
Commit to discussing only what’s going right. There are 9,387,642,428,000 groups
discussing what is wrong, working to right injustice. But in these groups, be honest, be
real,butfocusontheblessingsandmiraclescomingintoyourlife.
Committohavingfun.
Committobeingoverjoyed.
That’sit.Goforthandprosper.
RAININGCATSANDBLOGS
InthelaunchofE-Squared,HayHousesentmeabookcalledPlatformbyMichaelHyatt.Basically,
it’s a primer for becoming a social-media maven. They FedExed it to me, insisted it was required
reading.Sincemarketingwasnevermyforte,Ifiguredwhattheheck.Usually,I’mtoobusywriting
the next travel article or the next profile for People magazine to get involved in the logistics of
marketing my books. But since my 15 previous books didn’t exactly reach astounding pinnacles of
glory,Idecidedtogiveitatry,todevotesometimetosocial-mediamarketing.
The main theme is to start blogging and do it daily. This didn’t particularly appeal to me. I’m a
professional writer, after all, and I write for pay. But I figured it was a way to conduct my own
experiment with an oft-repeated principle of A Course in Miracles that states: “To give and receive
areoneinTruth.”
IrememberveryclearlythatfirstpostIputup.Iwasquakinginmybootstoputmyselfoutthere
likethat.Ofcourse,atthetime,Ihadalloffivefollowers.(Thanks,Mom!)ButasIbeganwriting
theseblogposts,cementinginthepowerfulideasIproposedinE-Squared,Icametorealizethat(a)I
lovetheseprinciples,(b)Iloveblogging,and(c)Iloveallthepositivefeedback.Ilappedituplikea
kittenlapsupwarmmilk.
SothroughoutPartII,I’mincludingapoststraightfrommyblogthatillustrateseachexperiment,
startingwiththesepreliminaries.Hopeyouenjoy!
LionsandGladiatorsandProblems,OhMy!
“Everythingyouhavetaughtyourselfhasmadeyourpowermoreandmoreobscuretoyou.”
I’m not psychic, but I’m pretty sure that 100 years from now (hopefully sooner), future
generationsaregoingtolookbackonourbeliefinseparationandlimitsandwonder,Whatwere
theythinking?Howcouldtheybesomisinformed?
They’ll scratch their heads at our refusal to use our innate power in much the same way we
lookbackupontheRomancircuses.Areyoukiddingme?wethink.Howcouldthousandsofpeople
sitarounddrinkingwineandbeingentertainedbylionsrippinggladiatorsapart?
They’llconsideritapitiablecuriositythatwetreatedourselvesthisway,thatwechosetosuffer
whenrightontheothersideoftheveiliseverythingwecouldpossiblywant.
MylessoninACourseinMiraclestodayis“Letmerecognizemyproblemshavebeensolved.”
Inanutshell,itencouragesyou,me,andeveryoneelsewhoisfollowingalongwiththeCourseto
freeourselvesofproblemsthatdonotexist.
ACourseinMiraclesadvocatestheideathatconsciousnesscreatesthematerialworld.Itsays
we humans decide in advance how we’re going to experience life, that we choose beforehand
whatwewanttosee.
We weaken ourselves when we put all our energy into trying to solve our problems. By
focusing on a mindless process (identifying problems, studying them, following blogs about
them),insteadofputtingourattentiononwhatwereallywant,westripourselvesofourpower.
Inotherwords,webringtothetablethepartofusthatcameupwiththeerrorinthefirstplace.
We actually buy that the “impostor,” the voice I call my “Inner Salieri,” is where we’ll find
answers. If you saw the 1984 film Amadeus, you know all about Antonio Salieri, the Venetian
composer,conductor,anddirectoroftheHapsburgOperawhowasintenselyjealousofMozart.
Inthefilm,madefromthe1979playofthesamename,Salierirecognizedtheyoungcomposer ’s
artisticgiftanddideverythinghecouldtosabotagehim.Justasmyimpostordelightsinputtinga
roadblockbetweenmeandthehigherforces.
Thesideeffectofthisridiculousnotionoflimitationandseparationiswegothroughlifeat
half-mast. We actually live out the outdated Roman circus–like notion that we are weak and
incapableofcreatingourlives.
Futuregenerationswillalsoconsideritfreakishlyoddthatwefeltsoguiltyanddidn’thavethe
funandjoytowhichweareentitled.Theywon’tunderstandwhywedidn’trevelinourcreative
powers. They’ll puzzle, They had this amazing gift, and they left it sitting in the corner,
unwrapped.
Forwhatit’sworth,futuregenerations,Iforoneamdoingmypartnow(evenaswespeak)to
spendmydayinunadulteratedwondermentatalltheworld’sblessingsandmiracles.
EXPERIMENT#1
THEBOOGIE-WOOGIECOROLLARY(ORTHEIMPORTANCE
OFNOTBEINGEARNEST)
Meme:EventsHappen;Therefore,IFeelBad.(Aka“WipeThatSillyGrinOffYourFace.”)
Worldview20:WithoutCulturalTraining,JoyIsMyNaturalStateInFact,theMoreFunIHave,the
BetterLifeWorks.
“WhenIwenttoschool,theyaskedmewhatIwantedtobewhenIgrewup.Iwrotedown‘happy.’They
toldmeIdidn’tunderstandtheassignment,andItoldthemtheydidn’tunderstandlife.”
—JOHN LENNON ,BRITISHMUSICIANANDFOUNDINGMEMBEROFTHEBEATLES
ThePremise
In 2013, when writing an article about the best new African safaris, I learned a little-known fact
aboutrhinos.Theireyesightsucks.Evenat15feetaway,theycan’ttellahumanfromatree.Soeven
thoughbeingchargedbyarhinoishighonthelistof“thingstofearinAfrica,”it’sactuallytheleast
ofyourworries.
Rhinos,whenstartled,dobeginrunningasfastastheycan.Andthere’snodisputingthatfourtons
ofsnortingrhinobarrelingyourway,mostofitadevilishlylargeandverysharphorn,canappear
rather troubling. But because rhinos are nearsighted, they’re not really charging at you. They’re
simplyrunningasfastastheypossiblycaninwhateverdirectiontheywerepointedatthetimethey
gotspooked.Allyoureallyneedtodoisdiveoutoftheway.Thatrhinowillcontinueonthesame
trajectoryuntilhefinallywearshimselfout.Orrealizeshe’snolongerindanger.
Yourthoughtsarelikespookedrhinos.Oncetheygetsomemomentumgoing,it’sprettyhardto
change their trajectory. Which is why my practice of getting up every morning and proclaiming
“Somethingamazinglyawesomeisgoingtohappentometoday”hasrevolutionizedmylife.
This simple practice takes what, ten seconds, but, if I had to choose, I’d forgo showering before
givingupthisthisall-importantdailyritual.
Inthisexperiment,you’regoingtoprovethatbychangingthemomentumofthefirstfewminutes
ofyourday,youcanrewritethescriptofyourlife.Bycuttingoffthefeedingtubetotheblah-blah
soundtrackofnegativity,youcanbegintoseerealshiftsinyourday-to-dayreality.Byconsciously
startingyourdayfocusedongratitudeandjoy,you’llfindthatyourwholelifewillbegintosparkle.
Whatisthefirstthoughtthatrunsthroughyourmindeachmorning?Isitsomethingalongthelines
ofWoo-hoo!I’mawake!Timetoparty!
Orisitmorelike,Ohshit!Notagain.
Yourfirstthoughtscanbecomeinvincibletools.Especiallyifyouletgoofyesterdayandfeelthe
naturaljoythatcomeswhenyou’renotregurgitatingyournormalscript.
Becauseit’savibrationaluniverseandbecausethoughtsbecomethings,choosinghappythoughts
isoneofthemostvaluablegiftsyoucangiveyourself.Theimportantthingistomilkthosesuckers
(thegoodfeelings)aslongasyoucan.
TurnYourOne-LaneFunChannelintoaSuperhighway
“Weactuallygettodeciderighthere,rightnow,tobemiserable,ortobehappy,nomatterhow
complicated,fuckedupordisagreeableourlifemaybe.”
—CHRISMCCOMBS,AMERICANFITNESSCOACH
FamousHarvardpsychologistWilliamJames(yes,Henry’sbrother)likedtosayhumansarelittle
butbundlesofhabit.Ourhabitsofthoughtaresoautomaticthatwerarelystopandthinkaboutthe
enormous role they play in shaping our expectations, our behavior, and yes, what shows up in our
day-to-daylives.
We like to think we’re composing new thoughts, coming up with new schemes, but most of us
haven’t had a new thought in 20 years. We filter the 400 billion bits of information that our brains
receiveeachsecondthroughthelensofourculture’sdominantparadigm.Weletthroughameasly
2,000bits,thosethatjibewiththeneuralpathwayswesetupaschildren.
Consequently,wemarchthroughlifelikerobots,simplyfollowingprogramsthatwereunwittingly
writtenintoourneuralpathwaysyearsago.Whilesomeofthesehabitsofthoughtserveus,thevast
majorityofthemdon’t.
The good news is that our neural pathways, which scientists used to think were set for life, are
actually malleable and can be changed. Which is why getting up every morning and looking for
amazing awesomeness can radically transform your life. But just like working with any muscle, it
takespractice.
FormulaBroken
“Sometimesyoujusthavetoputonlipglossandpretendtobepsyched.”
—MINDYKALING,INDIAN -AMERICANACTRESSANDAUTHOR
The prevailing wind of thought will tell you that happiness comes when your dreams and goals
cometrue.Butthat’sbackwards.Thispopularparadigmgoessomethinglikethis:
I’llbehappywhenmyincomeincreases.Assoonasmysoncalls.OnceanewPresidenttakesthe
OvalOffice.
WhilenooneexceptEeyoreormaybeWoodyAllenwouldcheckthebox“No”afterthequestion
“Doyouwanttobehappy?”fewofusbelievewegettochoose.Wethinkit’samatteroffate,arollof
thedice.
Ourjudgmentsonwhat’sfunandwhatisn’tarepreprogrammedtapesthatruninanendlessloop.
AndwemarchtothemlikeStalin’sarmy.Itneveroccurstoustoask:“Isthisreallytrue?”
Forexample,isitreallytruethat:
Hangingwithfriendsisfun.Cleaningthecarpetisn’t.
Sleepinginisfun.Goingtoworkisn’t.
Goingtothemoviesisfun.Goingtothedentistisn’t.
You’ll find very few people to disagree with these beliefs. Most of us cling to them like Billy
GrahamclingstoGod.
Butmakingthesekindsofjudgmentcallspreventusfromenjoyinglargeswathsofourlives.It’s
not “The Man” who is sticking it to you. It’s the television evangelist in your head who constantly
spoon-feedsyouopinionsandBS(beliefsystems)aboutwhatdoesanddoesn’tmakeyouhappy.
This slimy used-car salesman … er, I mean your mind … promotes a lot of lies. And in this
experiment, you’ll prove that by simply pulling your focus away from all your dissatisfaction and
looking around at all the gifts you have, life can be simple and gloriously joyful. Yes, this is the
gratitudechapterwhereyouprovethathappinessisaninsidejob.
ThinkValuableThoughts
“Theworldisonlyinthemindofitsmaker.”
Whointheirrightmindwouldwalkintoarestaurant,takealookatthemenu,andthenorderthe
dish they least desire? Likewise, who would go shopping at Nordstrom and opt to carry the rack’s
ugliestoutfituptothesalescounter?
Yet,that’swhatmostofusdoinourthinking,inourconversations.Wefocusonthingswedon’t
wanttohappen.Wefocusonthefear,onthenegative,onthelack.
Andthosedecisionshaveamuchbiggerimpactonyourlifethanoneuglydressoradishyoucan’t
stand.Youliterallydrawoutfromtheuniversewhateveryoufocusupon.Inotherwords,yougetwhat
youorder.It’sanunalterablelaw.
Some make the argument that they can’t help what they think, that they have no control over the
thoughtsthatpopintotheirminds.Ifyouwanttocontinuetobelievethat,it’syourchoice.Butjustso
youknow,thatargumentisamonster-sizebucketofbull.
Ateverymoment,wemakethechoicewherewefocusourenergy.Always.Onehundredpercentof
thetime.
I’mnotdenyingthatourmindshabituallyreturntoworn-outgroovesfromthepastandthatittakes
retraining to start a new habit, but we have the capacity to do it. Once we consciously focus on the
superhighfrequenciesofgratitudeandjoy.
In this experiment, we’ll prove these superpowers not only make us feel good, but they
energeticallyflushoutmentalandemotionalblocks,removeresistance,andallowtheFP’sloveand
lighttoflowfreeandclear.
WaitingforGodot
“Spiritualpracticeisjusttrainingourmindstowardsreverence,likemovingapottedplanttoasunny
spotbythewindow.”
—LANAMAREE,AMERICANMUSICIAN
Tostartthisexperiment,pleasefillintheblanksofthisveryimportantgoal-settingexercise:
When___________happens,Iwillbehappy.
Assoonas__________,Iwillbehappy.
If___________wouldonly__________,Iwillbehappy.
Nowtakesaidpenandmarkoutthefirstclauseineachofthosesentences.
Unlessyourpenranoutofink,yournewsentenceshouldhavethesefourwords.
Iwillbehappy.
Andthat’syourgoalinthisexperiment.Andtheonlythingnecessarytohaveafullandcomplete
life.
Choosing to be happy and saying thank you to whatever circumstances befall you is one of the
most radical things you could ever do. But be forewarned: your life will never be the same. And
you’llquicklycometorealizethere’sverylittleinlifethatrequiresstoicism…unless,ofcourse,the
zombies show up, and then the rest of us can relax because there’s already a whole army of really
serious,reallymiserablepeoplejonesingforafight.
NeverHaveaBad-HairDay
“Beinfinitelyflexibleandconstantlyamazed.”
—JASON KRAVITZ,AMERICANACTOR
Not having a killer game of spades in my family is like not being able to moonwalk in Michael
Jackson’sfamily.
Myfamilyplaysthisinnocuouscardgameeverytimewegettogether.Andeverysingletime,the
samejokescomeup.Mostlydirectedatme.HowI’mnotasuitablespadespartnerbecauseItaketoo
manychances.HowitmakesnosensewhyIwouldblowahugeleadbygoingnilwhenallIneeded
was30measlypoints.
Forme,takingwickedrisksandbettingthewholeshebangisfun.Ireallyenjoysittingontheedge
ofmyseat,wonderingifIcanmakemybid.IfIhappentowin,it’sasidebenefit,butnotatallwhyI
play.
AsmybrotherBoblikestosay,“Pammightnotwin,butnobodyenjoysthegamemore.Nobody
hasmorefun.”
Which is what this experiment is about. Having fun. Turning your life into a party. Celebrating
every gorgeous moment no matter what. Being grateful for it all—the cellulite, the Wal-Mart
shoppers,theteentexters,ParisHilton,thedandelions,thebabywhosmiledatyouwithhertwonew
frontteeth.
NoMatterWhat
“Eachdayshouldbedevotedtomiracles.”
There’s no question that, as a travel writer, I get to do a lot of cool things—meet medicine men
fromtheCookIslands,hangwithwealthypeopleatfive-starresorts,eateverymealbesidetheocean
—but it doesn’t take that for me to have fun. My favorite recent example of this happened in 2012
whentheworldwasscheduledtoend.
Yes,IwasinvitedtogotoBelizetoringinthe“endoftheMayancalendar”atCaracol,aMayan
junglecitystillbeingexcavated.ThenightIwassupposedtopackformy6 A.M.flight,mybackwent
out.Iwasn’tabletogo…atthattime.SoIlayinbedthatfirstdayinwhatsomemightdescribeas
excruciating physical pain. I could barely get up to pee. But because of my commitment to fun and
joy,Iactuallyhadastellarday.Iwassohappy—really!Idecidedtohavefunanyway.Ilookbackat
thatdayasveryimportanttomyspiritualgrowthbecauseIrealizedthis:
Ourthoughtsaretheonlythingsthatseparateusfromnonstophappiness.
C’mon,GetHappy(orThePerksofBrazenGratitude)
“Sometimesyourjoyisthesourceofyoursmile,butsometimesyoursmilecanbethesourceofyour
joy.”
—T HÍCHNHATHANH,VIETNAMESEZEN BUDDHISTMONK
Givingshout-outstoallthegoodinyourlife,morethanjustasoppyexercise,changesyourbrain
andrewiresyourneuraltransmitters.Whensomeoneshowsuponthisplanetwithagratefulheartand
eyesseekingonlythingsforwhichtobethankful,that’sexactlywhatshe’llfind:abundanceaplenty.
Focusingonhowluckyandblessedweareliterallyresculptsourbrain.Itincreasesourenthusiasm
andlowersourstress.Andifthatweren’tenough,thinkofallthegooddrugs(dopamine,serotonin,
oxytocin)youmissoutonwhenyou’rebitching.
WeallshoweduponEarthreadytohaveagoodtime.Toddlers,accordingtooneresearchstudy,
laugh400timesaday.Adultslaughanaverageoffourtimes.Whathappened?
AnecdotalEvidence
“WearingaredrubberclownnoseeverywhereIgohaschangedmylife.”
—PATCHADAMS,AMERICANPHYSICIANANDACTIVIST
PatchAdams,thedoctorwhoselifewasmadeintoa1998moviestarringRobinWilliams,saysjoy
shouldbetheplatformonwhichapersonlauncheshislife.
“Beingunhappy,”hesays,“isprofoundlyunhealthy.Happinessisnotanethicaloramoralthing.
It’sadamnedoldchoice.Itisyourrightandnoonecantakeitaway.”
NotonlyhasPatchturnedthemedicalprofessionupsidedownandsideways,butattheGesundheit
Institute, his innovative medical center in West Virginia, he takes the most expensive service in
America—medicalcare—andgivesitawayfree.
Patch,whocallshimselfastudentoflife,hasspentmostofhisadulthoodformulatingaphilosophy
ofhappiness,aboutitsimportanceandhowitcanbedeveloped.
Butitwasn’talwaysthatway.Infact,itwasonlyafteratwo-weekstintinapsychiatricwardthathe
foundhistruecalling.
HewasbornanArmybrat,movingeveryfewyearstonewschools,newcountries.Whenhewas
16,hisdaddiedsuddenly,sendinghimintoagrief-filledtailspin.Hismommovedthefamilybackto
suburbanVirginia,wherehelatchedontohisuncle,alawyerandanindependentthinkerinasociety
ofconformists.
At school, he turned his grief into rage, writing scathing articles against segregation, war, and
religious hypocrisy. He joined the jazz club, went to coffeehouses, shot pool, wrote long, sappy
poetry.Bytheendofhissenioryear,Patchhadulcers.Thatwasbadenough,butthenextyear,when
he was a freshman in college, the uncle he’d adopted as a surrogate father committed suicide and
Patch’sgirlfrienddumpedhim.
Hedroppedoutofschoolandbeganobsessingaboutsuicide.Everydayhewenttoacliffnearthe
college and wrote epic poetry to the departed girlfriend. He composed heartrending sonnets,
searchingforjusttherightwordsthatwouldconvincehertoseetheerrorinherwaysandtakehim
back.
“IfIhadeverfinishedmyoutpouring,Iwouldhavejumped.Fortunately,Iwastoolong-winded,”
Patchsays.
FinallyafteronelastunsuccessfulpleatoDonna,thegirlfriend,hetrudgedsixmilesinthesnowto
hismother ’sdoorstep.
“I’mtryingtokillmyself,”hetoldhismother.“Ineedhelp.”
His two-week stay at a locked ward in Fairfax, Virginia, was the turning point in his life. But it
wasn’t the doctors who helped him, he says, but his friends and family, and more important, his
roommate,Rudy.
Rudy was a basket case. He’d had three wives and 15 jobs and told Patch long stories about his
unfathomableloneliness.Forthefirsttimeinhislife,Patchempathizedwithanotherperson.Infact,a
lightbulb came on. Patch realized what he calls a great personal truth. Happiness is an intentional
decision.
He devoted himself to learning everything he could about love, happiness, and friendship, and
developing a joy-filled life. He read great works of literature. He devoured everything by Nikos
Kazantzakis, Jean-Paul Sartre, Plato, Nietzsche, Walt Whitman, and many others. But his best
bibliography,hesays,grewoutofhispersonalinteractionswiththepeoplearoundhim.Hesought
out happy families, examining how they nourish joy and happiness. He practiced friendliness by
giving himself challenges—like calling 50 numbers in the phone book, seeing how long he could
keeppeopleonthephone.He’drideelevatorstoseehowmayfloorsittooktogetridersintroduced
andsingingssongs.Once,hewenttoabarandrefusedtoleaveuntilhe’dheardeverypatron’sstory.
Soon after leaving the hospital, he decided to pursue a career in medicine. Because of his
hospitalization,admissionofficialsdelayedhisadmittanceforninemonthssohecould“gethimself
together.”
Whilewaiting,heputhisnewfoundhappinesstheoriestowork.Hegotajobinthefileroomfor
the Navy Federal Credit Union, hardly an upbeat atmosphere. Could he turn his filing job into
something memorable? He and a co-worker decided to turn the joyless, dull job of filing into a
happening. They drove to and from work wearing kids’ aviator helmets with noisemakers. When
peopleaskedforfiles,theysanginahigh-massGregorianchant:“Whichfiledoyouwa-ant?”
“Nurturedbylevityandlove,Iblossomed.IdefeatedallmydemonsandbecamethepersonIam
today,”hesays.“Myself-confidence,loveofwisdom,anddesiretochangetheworldwererootedin
thatbriefperiod,whenIclimbedoutofdespairtorebirth.”
MoreAnecdotalEvidence
“DroptheideathatyouareAtlascarryingtheworldonyourshoulders.Theworldwouldgooneven
withoutyou.Don’ttakeyourselfsoseriously.”
—NORMAN VINCENTPEALE,AUTHOROFTHEPOWEROFPOSITIVETHINKING
Hobart Brown, a metal sculpture artist, was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in 1998. The
reason? He has made happiness his occupation. He explains that by “following my heart, by doing
whatseemstobethemostfunatthetimeandbynotdoingthosethingsthatweren’tfun,IthinkI’ve
livedausefullife.”
Indeed.NotonlyhasthiszanyartistputFerndale,California,hishomeofseveraldecades,onthe
map, but his invention of kinetic sculpture racing has inspired millions of people to take life less
seriously.Ashelikestosay,“Itseemstosolvetheproblemofhowtohavefunasanadult.”
WhenHobartmovedtoFerndalein1962,thislittledairycommunityof2,500wasalmostaghost
town. The glorious Victorian homes were selling for a song, and city fathers were thinking about
tearing them down, replacing them with modern structures. A great dissension reigned between the
farmers, who had been there since the late 1800s, and the artists, who were turning the cheap
Victoriansintofunkystudios.
Hobart’s crazy brainstorm, which eventually turned into the Kinetic Grand Championship and
features a kinetic sculpture race from Arcata to Ferndale, brings a quarter million people to town
everyMemorialDayweekend,pumpsmorethan$2millionintotheeconomy,andhastotallyhealed
theriftbetweenthefarmersandtheartists.
Kinetic sculptures, in a nutshell, are works of art that move. Shaped like everything from giant
bananas to two-ton dinosaurs to floating wheelchairs and 75-foot iguanas, these human-powered
vehicles are pedaled, pushed, paddled, and pumped, Fred Flintstone–style. They’re made from
scroungedbicycleparts,discardedlawn-mowergears,paintedseptictanks,oldbathtubs,andanything
elseinventorscancomeupwith.Eachmachineisatestamentnotonlytochildlikeimaginationand
engineeringgeniusbutalsotoartisticingenuity,camaraderie,and,well…insanity.
Hobartprovesmypoint.Oneofthegreatestwaystoserveyourfellowmanistofigureoutaway
toenjoyyourselfandtoletpeopleknowthatenjoyingyourselfisagoodthing.Whenyoudecideto
practicetheattitudeofhappiness,boredomturnsintoexploration.Canceledflightsturnintoaparty.
Waiting in line becomes a great opportunity to meet new people. Vacuuming the floor is a ballet
performedtoVanMorrison.And,ofcourse,arainydaycallsforanindoorpicnicwithfivekindsof
cheese.
TheMethod
“It’salwaysagoodideatositatthefuntable.”
—ESTHERHICKS,FACILITATOROFTHEENTITYABRAHAM
Ifwereallywanttochangethedefaultsettinginourlittlepeabrains,theblueprintthaterroneously
pointsoutthat“lifeishard,shithappens,andtheglassishalf-empty,”youhavetoforcenewbeliefs
intoyourpsyche.
Without us being consciously aware of it, our brains constantly send memos to our bodies that
trigger our central nervous system, muscles, tendons, and joints. And then, much faster than most
peopleanswerourpressingtexts,ourbodiessendmemosback.
Luckily, your brain, thanks to what scientists call neuroplasticity, has the ability to pave new
pathways. Your brain might look like a lump of protoplasm, but it’s actually a network of
connections. The ones most used become reinforced over time—like freeways. The weaker
connectionsarestillthere,butassmallerbackroads.
UsingthetechniquesIrecommendbelowheadsthoseroteneuralreactionsoffatthepass.These
techniquesprovideanalternativeentrytoyournaturalstateofjoythathasfallenintoa“woeisme”
rut.Theycoaxyournervoussystemintobecomingyourally.
This experiment is a three-parter, designed with the sole intention of raising your fun antenna,
which,ifyou’relikemostadults,hasgottenabitrusty.
Game1:TheRightSideoftheBed(orStartYourDaywithaLaughTrack)
“Whenyouriseinthemorning,givethanksforthelight,foryourlife,foryourstrength.Givethanks
foryourfoodandforthejoyofliving.”
—T ECUMSEH,NATIVEAMERICANLEADER
Okay,sothisgameinvolvesmusicandacoupleofeasymovementsthatIcallcalisthenicsforbigass manifesting. Using the first five minutes of your day to feel good is like programming a
destinationintoyourGPS,likefixingyoureyeonthespotwhereyouwantyourgolfballtoland.
Forthesakeofexperimentation,it’sonlynecessarytodothelittleritualI’mabouttoimpartforthe
nextthreedays.Butmyhopeisyou’lldigitenoughtoincludeitasatreasuredpartofyourmorning
routinealongwithbrushingyourteethandshowering.Here’showitworks:
LMFAO’s“PartyRockAnthem”isnowthethemesongforyourmorning.WatchitonYouTubeif
youhaven’talready.
Forthenextthreedays,foramerefiveminutes(c’mon,howeasyitthat?)you’regoingtothrow
thefollowingfeel-goodpartyinyourbrain:
1. Listen to one or more of these songs, all easily accessible on your phone (maybe it could be
youralarm?)oryourcomputer:
“Happy”byPharrellWilliams
“WhataWonderfulWorld”byLouisArmstrong
“BestDayofMyLife”byAmericanAuthors
“IBelieveICanFly”byR.Kelly
“ThreeLittleBirds”byBobMarley
“Celebration”byKoolandtheGang
“IFeelGood”byJamesBrown
“IGottaFeeling”byBlackEyedPeas
2.Performthefollowingseriesofmovements:
Pumpyourfistintheairwithcompleteglee.Repeatfivetimes.
Pretendyou’reaLatinAmericansoccerplayerwhojustmadeagoal.Inthefinals.Whenthe
scorewastied.
DotheHarlemShuffleonyourwaytothebathroominthemorning.Beforeyoubrushyour
teeth.
Gooutsideandstretchyourarmswidetosalutethesunthatcomesupeverydaywithoutyou
havingtopayforitoraskitto.
DancingtoPharrellWilliams’s“Happy”whilebrushingmyteethhasliterallyresculptedmybrain
andloweredmystresslevel.AsImentionedearlier,dancingandpumpingmyfistsintheairisbetter
thanBreakingBad’sWalterWhiteatfurnishingmewithaconstantsupplyofhappydrugs:dopamine,
serotonin,andoxytocin,tonamejustafew.
Game2:AskforYourOwnPersonalCosmicJoke
PutinanorderwiththeFPforsomethingthatwillamuseyou,somethingthatmakesyoulaughout
loud. Intend to be shown this “inside joke” within the next 72 hours, during the time frame of this
experiment.
Game3:PDAforYourMind
Forthenextthreedays,makeacommitmenttobegratefulforeverythingthathappens.Andnotjust
forthingslike,say,theturkeyhandprintyourdaughterbringshomefromschooloryourneighbor ’s
blooming hydrangeas. If your mayonnaise jar falls out of the fridge while you’re looking for the
leftover chicken fried rice, say “Thank you!” If the po-po notices you’re running late to work and
givesyouacitationtoproveit,saythanks!
Extra-CreditGame
Takesillytothestreets.Inthisgame,you’regoingtobethepersonyourmotheralwayswarned
you about. This one isn’t required for the experiment to work, but once you’ve mastered the first
threegames,youmightagreewithPatchAdams,whosays,“IdoveintotheoceanofgratitudeandI
neverfoundtheshore.”
For overachievers, your mission is to take your joy out into a public space. Create your own
personalflashmob.HereareafewsuggestionsI’vegatheredintomyown“foolbox.”No,that’snota
typo. Instead of a tool box, I have a fool box with costumes, hats, and kazoos. As I’m sure Patch
wouldagree,performingtheseactstricksyouintohavingfun.
Enlistafriendtodressupwithyouinaweirdcostume.Gogetcoffee.
Walkarounddowntownwithagiantstuffedanimal.IsuggestedthisinGodDoesn’tHaveBad
Hair Days, to prove how friendly people are, a discovery I made after bringing back a
monstrousmoosefromatravel-writinggiginMontana.Onereaderofferedtowalktomy
houseallthewayfromNewJersey(IliveinKansas)withafour-footteddybear.
MakeasignthatsaysFreeHuGs!Takeittoashoppingmalldowntownandmakegoodon
youroffer.
Do some reverse panhandling. I learned this trick from Rob Brezsny, the horoscope guy,
who ran for office as the nation’s first Fool Czar. It’s like a drug czar, only instead of
educatingthenationonthehazardsofdrugs,hisCabinetpositionhasthemissionofteaching
ushowdangerousitistotakeeverythingsoseriously.Atleastonceayear,hestandsonan
exit ramp holding $5 bills and a cardboard sign that says: I NEED TO GIVE. PLEASE TAKE MY
MONEY.
Singoutloudinthegrocerystore.
LabReportSheet
TheCorollary:TheBoogie-WoogieCorollary
TheTheory:ThemorefunIhave,thebetterlifeworks.
TheQuestion:Isitpossiblethatjoyismynaturalstate?ThatIcanbehappyevenwithoutthejob,the
relationship,thebankbalanceIwant?
TheHypothesis:IfIcutoffthefeedingtubetomyongoinglitanyofproblemsanddoom,Iwillfeel
morejoyandthusopenchannelsofgoodness.
TimeRequired:72hours
Today’sDate:__________Time:__________
TheApproach:IwillfollowtheeasystepsoutlinedbyPamGroutfirstthingeverymorning.Iwill
listentothesongsandperformthebad-asscalisthenics.IwillrecordhowIfeelatthestartandhowI
feelattheend.
Iwillalso,nomatterwhathappensinthenextthreedays,committosaying,“That’samazing!”AndI
willasktheuniverseformyowninsidecosmicjoke.
How
I
feel
right
now
(at
the
beginning
of
the
experiment):
____________________________________________________________
HowIfeelinthreedays:____________________________________
ResearchNotes:____________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
“Iwantalifethatsizzlesandpopsandmakesmelaughoutloud….IwantmyeverydaytomakeGod
bellylaugh,gladthathegavelifetosomeonewholovesthegift.”
—SHAUNANIEQUIST,AUTHOROFCOLDTANGERINES
RAININGCATSANDBLOGS
UseThisYear’s525,600MinutestoWriteaDifferentStoryonYourEtch-a-Sketch
You’ve heard it a million times: George Santayana’s famous line “Those who cannot
rememberthepastarecondemnedtorepeatit.”
I’d like to take this opportunity to point out that it is only our remembrance of the past that
condemnsustorepeatit.IfwegotupeverymorningwithacompletelycleanEtch-a-Sketch,with
not an iota of an idea of how so-and-so reacts or which dangerous road we think our world is
headingonorevenwhatthestatusofourfinancialsituationis,wewouldbefreetowriteabrandnewstory.
We are the creators of our reality, but instead of using this oh-so-awesome gift, we have the
tendencytocreateourrealitybasedonthepast.Wegetupeachdayandfocusonthesame-ole,
same-olewecreatedyesterday.
What’sevenworseisyesterday’ssame-ole,same-oleisfilteredthroughourfearsandillusions
sothepastwe’re“condemnedtorepeat”isn’tevenaccurate.
Ithinkit’salsoimportanttoremindyouthatyouarethecaptainofyourthoughts,thebossof
your Etch-a-Sketch, and that, at any time, you can throw yesterday’s memories overboard. You
canuseyourwilltocreateabrand-newreality.Imean,startingfromscratch.
Nobody’sforcingyoutofocusonanything.Yougettochoose.
Whywritethesameoldsoapopera?Whyassumetodayisgoingtobejustlikeyesterday?Do
youreallyknowforcertainthatyourbossisana-hole?Thatyourpartnerisgoingtodefyyour
needs? What if they only act like that because that’s what you draw out of them with old
expectations?Whynotdeciderightnowtodrawoutamorepleasingreality.Yougettochoose.
Always!
The main thesis of A Course in Miracles boils down to forgiveness, which doesn’t mean
forgiving someone for yesterday’s wrong. It means letting yesterday go and not making the
assumptionthattheblessednowwillbearerun.
There’snoreasonithastobeexceptyourdecisionto“rememberthepast.”
EXPERIMENT#2
THEREDPILLCOROLLARY(ORAQUICKREFRESHER
COURSE)
Meme:LifeHappenstoMe.
Worldview2.0:LifeEmanatesfromMe.
“Lifedoesn’tcomeatyou.Itcomesfromyou.”
—JASON MRAZ,AMERICANMUSICIAN
ThePremise
InthemovieTheMatrix,theprotagonist,Neo,isgivenachoice.Hecaneither(a)takethebluepill
and remain unaware of his own power or (b) take the red pill and discover reality without the
preprogrammedscripts.
Inthisexperiment,yougetanotherchancetotaketheredpill.
In E-Squared, I offered a whole medicine chest of red pills, most of which were gleefully
swallowed. As the dispenser of such meds, I quickly learned, as I explained in Chapter 3, that you
can’twriteabooklikethiswithoutbeinginundatedwithstories,signs,andsynchronicities.
I’ve been introduced to all sorts of new literature, including a fabulous book by astrophysicist
BernardHaischthatwasliterallydroppedinmylapbyaprosecutingattorneyfromnearbyWichita,
whotreatedmetoalovelytwo-houralfrescolunchandsaid,“Here.Readthis.”Haisch’sbookThe
GodTheoryreinforcesmanyofmyideasandproposesthat“ultimatelyitisconsciousnessthatisthe
originofmatter,energy,andthelawsofnature.”AsHaischsays,“Thepurposeofouruniverseisfor
Godtoexperiencehispotential.”
So in honor of giving God a real bang-up experience, filled with celebration and joy and
magnificentfun,thisexperimentisacorollarytotheVolkswagenJettaPrinciple,wherereadersdraw
specificthingsintotheirawareness.Likeitspredecessor,itisintendedtoprovethatyourthoughts,
feelings,andbeliefsarereproducedintheeventsaroundyou,eventsthatweusedtocallcoincidence
orsynchronicity.
TheUniverseNeverStopsCourtingYou
“Let’sgetonethingclearrightnow,shallwe?…Ideasseemtocomequiteliterallyfromnowhere,
sailingatyourightoutoftheemptysky….Yourjobisn’ttofindtheseideasbuttorecognizethem
whentheyshowup.”
—STEPHEN KING,AMERICANAUTHOR
H&RBlockranabrilliantadcampaignduringthe2014taxseason.Thetagline“Getyourbillion
back,America”showedaconcessionworkerdropping$500oneveryseatinagiantfootballstadium.
The idea was that those of us doing our own taxes were missing out on big breaks and loads of
money.Inotherwords,we’recheatingourselvesoutofwhat’srightfullyours.
That’swhatthisexperimentisabout.
Onlyinsteadofcheatingourselvesoutofbillionsofdollars,wehumansarecheatingourselvesout
ofvaluableinformationandsignsthataretryingtheirdamnedesttogetourattention.We’releaving
onthetablemassiveamountsofintelthatcouldhelpsteerourlives.Bylivinginourone-dimensional
reality,bybelievinginourteardrop-sizeviewfinder,bydoingallourcomputationsbyourselves,we
missoutonthelargesseoftheuniverse.
Useitorloseit.
That oft-repeated adage usually refers to the body (“I’d love to run that 10K next week, but I
haven’tevenputonmytennisshoesintwoyears”)orthemind(“IusedtobefluentinArabic,butmy
friend who I spoke it with moved back to Saudi and now I can’t even remember how to say thank
you”). But “use it or lose it” is just as true of intuition, of accessing the higher realms that are an
important,ifundervalued,partofourinheritance.
We have friends in high places, folks. We are connected to this giant universal love energy, this
fieldthathooksusuptoeverythingwecouldeverneed.Theproblemiswe’renotpayingattention.
Everymoment,weareofferedvaluableinformation,reallyclearsignposts,and24-7guidance,butby
relying instead on our barely conscious minds, we’ve shrunk this mind-blowing, multidimensional
universeintoashoebox.
ClimbingOutIsNoMoreDifficultThanLearningtoPlayChess
“Iamlarger,betterthanIthought;IdidnotknowIheld
somuchgoodness.”
—WALTWHITMAN ,AMERICANPOETANDESSAYIST
Toaccesstheseotherdimensionsthat,asIsaid,areflyingaroundtheethersliketextmessagesisa
simple matter of attention, a simple decision to enlarge what you notice. As you now know, your
brain, specifically the prefrontal cortex, engineers reality. It crunches and tags data, filters and
constructs information according to the default programming you’ve set up. This programming
decideswhattoletin,whattosuppress,andwhattobelieveispossible.Muchfromthehigher,more
subtleenergyrealmsendsupgettingdeleted,whiletheregularlyscheduledprograms—sensationsin
ourbodies,nearbymaterialthings—getenhancedanddirectedtocenterstage.
Beyondthefrequencyrangeofourfivesensesisamagnitudeofinformation,awholespectrumof
energyfrequenciesthat,bytreatinglikedoor-knockingevangelists,wecompletelymiss.Toignore
the nonvisible frequencies just because we can’t tango with them is to miss out on all sorts of
guidanceandcomfort.Wecan’tseemicrowavesorinfraredwaveseither,butwecertainlydon’tsnub
themwhenlastnight’sleftoversneedwarminguporwhentheLifetimemoviewe’rewatchinggets
toomaudlin.Byopeningourmindsandourconsciousness,byout-and-outdemandingguidanceand
expectingsigns,wecantapintoawholenewriverofpossibility.
Bernie Siegel, M.D., the best-selling author of Love, Medicine & Miracles, claims to get regular
anddependableguidancefromtheunseenrealm.Hefindscures,solutions,andinformationthatsome
mightthinkimpossible.Why?Becausehe’sopentoatypicalspacesofconsciousness.Heevenuses
this Divine Broadcast for making decisions in his personal life. A few years ago when trying to
decidewhetherornottorunamarathon,heaskedforasign.Withinaday,hefound26pennies,the
numberofmilesinamarathon.
WhoNeedsaCrystalBall?
“Youoweittoyourselftodosomethingtrulyremarkablewithyourlife.”
—HAND-PRINTEDSIGNSEENONTHEPIANOOFATRAVELINGMUSICIANIN QUEBECCITY
NotonlyistheFPsendingyoupaperairplaneswithmessages,butit’salsoconstantlyinvitingyou
todosomethingremarkablewithyourlife.Theuniversehasbeendroppinghintsforyears.
At last count, the 2002 novel The Secret Life of Bees had sold six million copies; had been
translated into 35 languages; and was made into a movie starring Queen Latifah, Alicia Keys, and
DakotaFanning.Butitwouldneverhavebeenwrittenifitsauthor,SueMonkKidd,hadn’tbeenbold
andrecklessenoughtoaskforwhatshewantedandtofollowthebreadcrumbsthatledthere.
In1993,ataconventinPalianisontheGreekislandofCrete,Kiddbowedbeforeadark-facedicon
of the Virgin Mary. She humbly asked for the courage to become a novelist. She always knew she
wantedtowrite,eventhoughherfearofmakingadecentlivingatitconvincedhertogetanursing
degreeandworkasanRN.Untilthatdaywhenshedaredutterherdreamoutloudtotheiconhanging
fromagnarlytreebranch,shemainlywroteinspirationalnonfiction,documentingstoriesfromher
lifewithherhusband,Sandy,andhertwokids.
She returned from Greece and wrote a first chapter about a girl whose bedroom wall is full of
bees. She took it to a writer ’s conference, where the professor who was teaching there called it
“interesting,butwithsmallpotential.”Eventhoughshewasbeingnudgedtowriteabook,sheturned
thatchapterintoashortstoryandpromptlyforgotaboutit.Exceptnotreally.
Itpercolatedinhermindforsixyears.Sixyearsandacoupleofnonfictionbookslater,shewasin
theMediterraneanagain,thistimeonapostgraduationtripwithherdaughterAnn.Onlynowshewas
approachingmenopauseandherunrequiteddreamofbeinganovelistwasstillbangingaroundinside
her heart, still trying to make its presence known. At Ephesus, in an olive grove outside the little
homewhereMaryoncelived,shedecidedtoaskagain.
As she wondered in her memoir, Traveling with Pomegranates, “When we send prayers into the
universe, are they heard? Can they change anything? Or are our supplications a form of magical
thinking?”
Ithadbeenalongwhilesinceshe’dmadeaconcretepetition,butsheaskedagainaboutthenovel.
Shewantedguidance,aclearsign.
Nosoonerdidsheleavethelittleprayerchapeltorejoinherdaughterthanabeelandedonherleft
shoulder.Annreachedreflexivelytowaveitaway,butSueputoutherhand,shakingherhead,asifto
say,“No.It’sabee.Abee.”
Theywalkeddownthehill,besidethespringwithholywater.Thebeehelditsground,rodebackto
thetourbusonSue’sshoulder.
“What’swiththisbee?”Annsaid,genuinelyaffected.“It’slikeithasadoptedyou.”
“It’stellingmeI’mabouttogohomeandfinishupthatnovelIstartedsixyearsago,”Suesaid.
DowntheRabbitHole
“Onceweshiftourperspective,wecanneverturnback.
Westandpoisedlikeadeersniffingthewind—alive.With
thisnewwayoflookinginwardfordirection,watching
fortinyclues,werealizethatnotonlycanwemakea
difference,butthisistherealreasonwearehere.”
—CAROLADRIENNE,CO-AUTHOROFTHETENTHINSIGHT
Onceyoufindoutaboutthepowerofyourthoughtsandconsciousness,thereisnoturningback.
Youcan’treallyundrinktheKool-Aid.
You can choose not to use this information, you can be like Cypher in The Matrix, who told
Morpheustoshovethatredpillrightuphisass,butyoucanneverforget.And,infact,youcannever
“notuse”it.Youjustdoitunconsciously,creatingyourlifewithsociety’sdefaultsetting,reinforcing
thehistoricaltaleofwoe.
WhereourstorydepartsHollywoodisthatinreallife,yougetunlimitedchancestochoosethered
pill.Opportunities,likewhiskers,keepcomingback.
People mistakenly worry there’s a time limit for their good, a sell-by date. They fret that they
missedtheirchancebackin1986orthattimetheyturneddownso-and-so.Thechancetocreateyour
goodreappearsoverandovereverymoment.Youcan’treallymisstheboat,becausethere’sanother
onerightbehindit.
Synchronicity,Patterns,andBiggerRealities(orARosebyAnyOther
Name)
“Ourabilitytoshapeenergyislikebreathing.
Wedoitallthetimewithoutevenrealizingit.”
—DAMIEN ECHOLS,FORMERINMATE,CURRENTPOET,ANDSPIRITUALTEACHER
InherbookTinyBeautifulThings,CherylStrayed,posingasDearSugar,tellsastoryofhikingin
NewMexico.Shewasaloneandhadbeenforseveralhours.Sheturnedabendandsuddenlyraninto
anothersolohikerwhoatthatexactmomenthadrunintoyetanotherlonehiker.Thethreeofthem
laughed, began talking, and discovered that all three of them had the same birthday, in three
consecutiveyears.
ThebrilliantEuropeanjournalistArthurKoestlertoldthestoryofaFrenchmanwho,whenhewas
a young boy in Orléans, was given a plum pudding by a visitor to his parents’ home. The visitor,
Michael de Fortgibu, made almost as much of an impression on the young Frenchman as the plum
pudding. Several years later, he was dining in Paris and after noticing plum pudding on the menu,
ordered it only to be told by the waiter that he’d just sold the last piece. The waiter pointed to the
gentlemanontheothersideoftherestaurantwhohadorderedit.ItwasnoneotherthanMichaelde
Fortgibu,whomtheyoungFrenchmanhadn’tseensincethatnightathisparents’home.
Manyyearslater,theFrenchmanwasatadinnerpartywhereplumpuddingwasbeingserved.Just
ashewasrecountingtheremarkablestoryoforderingplumpuddingandrunningintodeFortgibuat
theParisrestaurant,therewasaknockatthedoor.Inwalkedaveryold,frail,andfrazzledMichaelde
Fortgibu.Hehadbeeninvitedtoanotherdinnerpartyandhadcometothewrongaddress.
Coincidence, rather than being some weird anomaly spit out by what Dr. John Lilly called “The
CosmicCoincidenceControlCenter,”isactuallyevidenceofthefieldofinfinitepotentialitytowhich
weareallconnected.ItisthescientificreasontheVolkswagenJettaPrinciple(“Youimpactthefield
anddrawfromitaccordingtoyourbeliefsandexpectations”)issoeffective.
Carl Jung, the first to coin the term synchronicity, believed these uncanny coincidences are a
glimpse into the underlying order of the universe. The serendipity of my bumping into another
exchangestudentfromKansasinthelibraryattheUniversityofSydneytheonetimeIwasthere(I
wasstudyingatMacquarieUniversityontheothersideoftown)orrunningintomyauntanduncle
whom I hadn’t seen in five years at a restaurant in Juárez, Mexico, are what Jung described as the
“acausalconnectingprinciple”thatlinksmindandmatter.
His theory was that when a strong need arises in the psyche, the underlying connectedness
manifestsitselftocometoouraid.I’dliketosuggestthateventimeswhenthereisn’tastrongneed,
theunderlyingconnectednessisworking,sendingussignsandmessagesandtryingtogetthrough.
Worldview 2.0 suggests that we live in a world more intricately and holistically organized than we
everpreviouslysupposed.
Themoreweallowourselvestobeawareofthisconnectiontothisalways-flowingfieldofinfinite
potentiality,themorethisdanceofenergyplaysoutinourfavor.Manyofuswouldratherpersistin
“feelingseparate”thanacknowledgethattheuniverseworksnonstoptobestowblessings,topourout
love,toprovideuswithallourneeds.
TakeShelley,areaderwhosentmethisstory.ShewasvacationinginParis,restinghersorefeeton
a bench at Notre Dame. The one pair of shoes she’d packed for her Parisian adventure were not a
goodfitandherthrobbingtootsiesweremakingsuresheknewit.BecauseshewastouringEuropeon
the$20-a-dayplan,shehadnoextramoolaforanewpairofshoes.Suddenly,shegotanintuitivehit
togetup,walkoutofthechurch,andturnleft.Afewmoreturnsledhertoatrashcanuponwhichsat
abrand-newpairofblackboots,unworn,inherexactsize.
Shewasvirtuallyhandedthebootsbytheuniverse.
Mostofussetupaframeworkofbeliefstoexplainthisintricateandholisticallyorganizedfield
thatbrings“coincidences”and“synchronicity”intoourawareness.Forsomeofus,it’sangelswho
providethenodtoturnrightwhengoingstraightwouldendindisaster.Orwecallthebookthatfalls
off the shelf at the library fate or pure dumb luck. Others, as the old saying goes, believe
“coincidenceisGod’swishtoremainanonymous.”
Whatyoucallitdoesn’tmatter.Thatyouuseitmattersmorethananything.
AnecdotalEvidence
“I’vebeenamanifestingsuperfreakforover20years.”
—HONORÉECORDER,AUTHOROFTHE
SUCCESSFULSINGLEMOMSERIES
Dr. Joe Dispenza, a chiropractor with a background in neurology, brain function, and
neuroscience, knows that creating a particular reality is a simple matter of focusing your mind.
Unlike many parents who dissuade their children from believing in fairy tales, who quickly teach
“God” out of them, Dispenza taught his kids about the infinite power of the universe. He told them
theycouldhaveanythingtheywanted.Anythingtheywerewillingtoconvincetheirmindsandbodies
wastrue.
One summer, after his 15-year-old daughter manifested a starring role in a YouTube video that
wentviral,heaskedher,“Sowhat’snext?Whatdoyouwanttocreatenow?”
Shedidn’thavetothinkaboutit.“Iwantanunlimitedshoppingspree.”
Again, most parents would have said something like, “When pigs fly!” but Dispenza nodded and
said,“Okay,here’swhatyoudo.Youhavetogetveryclearinyourmindwhatitwouldlookliketo
have the most amazing shopping spree of your life. You need to practice this every day. And when
yougetupfrommeditatingaboutthisawesomeshoppingspree,youcan’tbethesamepersonwhosat
down.Youhavetogetupfeelingasifyou’vejustshoppedyourbrainsout.”
“No problem, Dad,” she said, completely ignoring his scholarly lecture about changing the
circuitryinherbrain,aboutemotionallyconditioningherbodytobelievethathershoppingspreehad
alreadybeenaccomplished.
Amonthortwolater,Dr.DispenzawasinWashington,D.C.,inataxiheadedtoalecture.Hegota
phonecall.
“Dad,guesswhat?”Hisdaughterwasbreathless.
“Settledown,honey.Tellmewhathappened.”
“Ijustgotmyshoppingspree.”
Turnsout,shewasshoppingwithafriendinSantaMonica,California.Theywererifflingthrough
theracksintheirfavoritestorewhenamanthey’dneverseencameupandaskedherfriendifshewas
SamBarelli’sdaughter.
Herfriendnodded,notquitesurewhattothinkaboutthisover-friendlystranger.
“The reason I’m asking is because Sam did me a huge favor a few months ago and I’ve been
lookingforawaytopayhimback.”
He reached into his pocket and handed them a company credit card. “I’d like to give this to you
girlsfortheafternoon.Takeitandhavefun.”
“Okay,”Dispenzasaid.“Ihavetoask.Howmuch?”
“Seventhousandfivehundredsdollars,”shesaid.“Butthat’snoteventhebestpart.Thebestpartis
howmuchfunitwas,evenmorethanIimagined.AndDad?Icreatedthiswholethingwithmymind.”
“Youplayonthestagecreatedbyyourthoughts.”
—DR.KIRBYSURPRISE,AMERICANPSYCHOLOGIST
During the promotional campaign for E-Squared, I was introduced to a book called The Cosmic
Ordering Service. Dr. Leslie Wells, a chiropractor who interviewed me on her radio show, told me
she’dbeenpracticingtheseprinciplesformanyyears.Infact,sheclaimedtohavemettheloveofher
lifebyputtingina“cosmicorder.”
Intrigued,Ihadtoask(hey,I’majournalist),andsheexplainedthatcosmicorderingisasimple
processwhereyouplaceanorderwiththeuniverseforwhateveryou’dlike—anewjob,anewcar,or
inDr.Leslie’scase,ahusband.It’smuchlikesettinganintention,inE-Squared-speak.
Barbel Mohr, the German author who came up with the process, instructed folks to simply write
downtheirdesire,requestadeliverydate,andlettheuniversedotherest.Shecalleditacosmicmailorder service, similar to ordering the latest bestseller from Amazon. Except there’s no money
involved.Ilikethatinaprocess.
CosmicorderingbecametherageinEnglandafterformerBBCbroadcasterNoelEdmonds(he’s
theLarryKingofLondon)creditedMohr ’sbook,giventohimbyhisreflexologist,withturninghis
careeraround.Hissmashhit,DealorNoDeal,wasthedirectresultofputtinginanorderwiththe
universe,aswereahomeinsouthernFranceandhisnewwife.Infact,itwasquitefashionableatthat
timeformanywinnersonBritishrealityshowstoclaimthey’dputinacosmicorder.
Mohr,whowentontowriteseveralbooksaboutcosmicorderingbeforeherdeathin2010,didn’t
startoutasabeliever.Infact,sheplacedherfirst“order”simplytoshutupafriendwhowouldn’t
stopblatheringonaboutpositivethinking.Mohr,whowassingleatthetime,finallysaid,“Youmean
totellmeIcouldfindaperfectpartnerjustbythinkingpositively?I’lltakethatbet.”
So she wrote down the qualities she wanted in a guy, ceremoniously placed her “order,” set a
deliverydate,andforgotallaboutit.
Ontheverydayofherrequesteddelivery,aguywitheverysinglequalityshe’dorderedaskedher
outonadate.Shewassoflooredthat,afterponyinguptheantetoherfriend,shewentontoorder
(andeventuallyreceive)herdreamjob,allthemoneyshecouldspend,andacastleinwhichtolive
andwork.
As she said, “We’re all ordering all the time anyway—it’s just that most of the time it’s
unconscious.”
TheMethod
“Theseweren’ttheonlyhintsthatIwasabouttoemigratetoanewuniverse.”
—SUEMONKKIDD,AUTHOROFTHESECRETLIFEOFBEES
Thisexperimentisarefreshercourse,awarm-uptogetthosemanifestingmusclesbackinshape,
and a reminder that you get out of life whatever you’re looking for. Physicists call this web of
connectionthezeropointfield(whatIcallthefieldofinfinitepotentiality,ortheFP)andclaimthat,
withinit,everypossibilityexists.
Forthenext72hours,youaregoingtoactivelylookforthefollowingeight“possibilities.”Just
keepyoureyesopenandmaketheintentiontodrawthemintoyourconsciousawareness.Theideais
thatonceyou’ve“orderedthem”fromtheuniverse,they’llshowupexactlyasordered.Andjustlike
youneverdoubtthatAmazonwilldeliverthenewCallofDutyvideogametoyourdoorstep,simply
trustthatthefollowingeightthingsarerushingyourway:
Abellylaugh
Atoyfromyourchildhood
Yourfavoritesongfromhighschool
Thenumber222
Abeachball
Aseniorcitizeninafashionablehat
Asmilefromababy
Abillboardwithamessageforyou
Think of it as a scavenger hunt, which was my favorite childhood game. And since childlike
wonderandplayingaroundaretheelixirofmanifestation,I’mgoingtospicethisupbyofferinga
manifestationprizepackwithcopiesofallthebookslistedonpage220.TheseHayHouseTitlesof
RelatedInterestwillgotothereaderwhosendsthebestphotographsofalleightthingstomywebsite,
www.pamgrout.com.
Andifyoureallywanttomakeitfun,pickupsomeRedHotsorredjellybeans(fortakingthe“red
pill”),asuggestionIgotfromawonderfulreadernamedMarySalyars.Shekeepsredjellybeansina
glass jar on her table, and every time she has one of those “moments,” she pops one as a sweet
remindertochooseadifferentreality.
LabReportSheet
TheCorollary:TheRedPillCorollary
TheTheory:MybeliefsandexpectationsimpactwhatIdrawfromthefieldofpotentiality.
TheQuestion:IsitpossibleIonlyseewhatIexpecttosee?
TheHypothesis:IfIdecidetolookfortheeightthingslistedbelow,Iwillfindthem.
Today’sDate:__________Time:__________
TheApproach:Ifthisexperimentholdswater,itmeansthattheworldouttherereflectswhatIexpect
tosee.Inthenextthreedays,Iamgoingtolookforandcheckoffthefollowingeightthings:
Abellylaugh__________
Atoyfromyourchildhood__________
Yourfavoritesongfromhighschool__________
Thenumber222__________
Abeachball__________
Aseniorcitizeninafashionablehat__________
Asmilefromababy__________
Abillboardwithamessageforyou__________
ResearchNotes:_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
“Themoreyoulookforsynchronicity,themoremagical
yourlifebecomes.Youarethemagician
thatmakesthegrassgreen.”
—ROBERTANTON WILSON ,AMERICANAUTHOR
RAININGCATSANDBLOGS
DoYourBeliefsBlocktheFlowoftheWorld’sLimitlessAbundance?
“Ifyouwanttofindthesecretsoftheuniverse,thinkintermsofenergy,frequencyandvibration.”
—NIKOLAT ESLA,SERBIAN -AMERICANINVENTOR
I’mmoreorlessilliteratewhenitcomestoanythingelectrical.Iknowwhatapluglookslike,
andIknowhowtoattachittoawallsocket.Beyondthat,Idrawablank.
Butthere’sadeviceusedinelectronicsthatprovidesagoodmetaphorforunderstandingwhy
someintentionsaresoeasytomanifestandwhyothersseemdarnednearimpossible.Thedevice
is called a resistor, and basically (all you electricians out there, please forgive my simplistic
explanation) what it does is reduce the amount of electrical current flowing through a circuit.
Resistorslimitthenumberofelectronsthatcanflowpastagivenpointatanyonetime.
Ourbeliefsaboutourselvesandaboutthewaytheworldworksserveasresistors,blockingthe
flowoftheworld’slimitlessabundance.Ourbeliefsarethebrakesthatstopthenatural,alwaysflowingcurrentofgood.
Letmegiveyouanexample.Mostpeoplebelievemoneyislimitedandhardtocomeby.That’s
aresistor.Ontheotherhand,theydon’tbelievehealthorintelligenceislimited.JustbecauseI’m
healthy doesn’t mean you can’t be healthy, too. Stephen Hawking’s brilliant intellect doesn’t
preventMattGroeningandStevenSpielbergfromusingtheirbrainpower.
But when it comes to abundance, the belief there’s only so much to go around is a big fat
resistor,muchbetteratblockingtheflowthantungsten,carbon,andotherpopularresistors.The
otherfamily-sizeresistorisbelievingyouknowhowtobestaccomplishaparticulargoal.Let’s
taketraveling,apopularintentionformany.MostpeopleItalktobelievethebestwaytobecome
aworldtraveleristogetajobsotheycanaccumulateenoughmoneyandvacationtimetovisit,
say,CapeTownorMonteCarloorevenDenver,Colorado.
I,ontheotherhand,hadnoexpectationsonewayoranother.IknewIhadaburningdesireto
travel, but I had nary a clue how to make that happen. What I did have is the wherewithal to
acknowledge I had no clue. It was abundantly clear to me that if I was going to jet around the
world, my only option was to give it up to the universe. I let it go completely, trusting that the
universewasaheckofalotsmarterandmoreabundantthanIwas.
Insteadoffollowingthe“acceptedpath”ofslavingawayandaccumulatingmoneyandvacation
time,Inowtravelforfree.Theuniverseledmeintotravelwriting,anoccupationI’mnoteven
sureIknewexistedwhenIfirstmadethedeclarationthatIwantedtobeaworldtraveler.
Money?Whoneedsmoney?
Intheworldofelectronics,resistorssometimescomeinhandy(theycancreateheatandlight),
but for me, who longs for a life of ease and grace, I prefer to keep the flow as wide-open as I
possiblycan.
EXPERIMENT#3
THESIMONCOWELLCOROLLARY(ORWHYYOU’RENOT
CAPABLEOFJUDGINGANYTHING)
Meme:MyJobIstoJudgeBetweenRightandWrong,BlackandWhite.
Worldview2.0:NothingIsAbsolute;OnlyMyThinkingMakesItSo.
“Manhasalwaysbeenhisownmostvexingproblem.”
—REINHOLDNIEBUHR,AMERICANTHEOLOGIAN
ThePremise
InamedthisexperimentafterthefamousAmericanIdoljudge,whomTVGuidenamedtotheirlist
of“NastiestVillainsofAllTime,”becausewhenwevigilantlycastscoresonrightandwrong,good
andbad,weloseout;westrangleourenergy.
Iknowmakingjudgmentsseemsnecessaryforfullyunderstandinglife.But“understandingthings”
isreallyasynonymfortakingawaytheirpower.Onceyoustartlabeling—Thisisanoaktree.Thatis
ajuveniledelinquent.Thatthingoverthereisacouch—allotherpossibilitiesarecutoffattheknees,
severedliketheheadinThe Godfather. That oak tree might be the home for a squirrel or a hiding
spotinhide-and-seek,thatjuveniledelinquentmightbeabrilliantartist,thatcouchcouldbeabedora
fortforyoursix-year-old.Oncewefigureeverythingout,westoplookingforanythingelse.
Aboveallelse,thisexperimentexaminestheold-schoolbeliefinabsolutereality.Sincewe’veonly
gotthreedays,let’sleavepotentialabsoluteslikethecosmos,higherdeities,andoriginalthoughtto
thegeniuses,andwe’llexaminethe“absolutes”webelieveaboutourselves.
Forexample,isitabsoluterealityyou’renotphotogenicorluckyinlove?Isitabsoluterealityyou
don’tmakeenoughmoneyorcouldneverleaveyourlovelessrelationship?Weallhavethem:beliefs
weclingtoandinvestinnomatterwhattheevidence.
Oneofmy“absolutes”usedtobe“I’mnotaverygoodpublicspeaker.I’mnotcomfortablegetting
uponastageinfrontofanaudience.”Itoldthisstoryoverandoveragain.Itbecameamantratome.
Everyoneofmyfriendshasheardthispoorwoe-is-mestoryathousandtimes.Butit’snotanymore
truethantheflipside,whereI’mamarvelous,confident,inspiringspeaker.
Inthequantumworld,inthefieldofinfinitepotentiality,norealityistruerthananyother.There’s
nosuchthingasabsolutes,nodefinitivetruth.Definingmyselfasaninexperiencedspeakerisjustone
ofmanyprobabilities.AnequallyvalidprobabilityisthatI’matalentedspeaker.It’severybitastrue.
Even if, up until now, I’ve pulled out and nursed another probability I’ve been proclaiming like a
brokenrecord.
If I examined it with the help of Sigmund Freud, I could probably find a lot of reasons for
repeatingmy“I’mnotagoodspeaker”mantra.One,Igotsympathyandpatsontheback.WheneverI
saidit(again,anytimethesubjectcameup),myfriendsdutifullyrepeatedtheirrotelines.
“But Pam,” they’d say, “you’re usually so entertaining. So funny. How could you not be a great
speaker?”
“More.More,”Iwasalwaystemptedtosay.
Somymantrareapedbrowniepoints.AndattentionandagoodexcuseforavoidingsomethingI
actuallylongedtodo.
ButeverytimeIrepeatedtheseboring,roteput-downs,Iaddedbulktothatparticularreality.Ifilled
thebucketofthatprobability,makingitheavierandheaviertocarry.SothequickerIsetdownthat
particular “bucket of facts,” the quicker I began enjoying the reality of being a confident public
speaker.
AbsoluteReality…NotSoMuch
“Youcansuffer,butonlyfromfalsebeliefs.”
—MICHELELONGOO’DONNELL,AMERICANAUTHOR
It’sacommondelusionthattherearegoodguysandbadguys,thosewearingwhitehatsandthose
whodeservetobetiedtotherailroadtracks.Thisgameofright-and-wrong,win-or-lose,me-or-you
has reached pandemic proportions. By dividing and labeling everything, we automatically diminish
ourpossibilitiesbyawhopping50percent.Bybelievingthere’ssuchathingasonerightanswer,we
losehalfouroptions,halfourpersonalfreedom,halfourenergy.
Wealsoendupwithalotmorerules.
Theinvisible,all-powerfulenergyforcegetsslicedanddiced,classifiedandcategorized,untilits
juice,itsunlimitedmojo,getssuckedrightoutofit.Byplayingonthisbattlefield,wesendtheforce
thatshapesandmoldsourlivesouttoscoutforthesmallandthepiteous.Ourconstantjudgmentsand
game-dayanalyseserectathickcurtainbetweenusandthefieldofinfinitepotentiality.
The mental gymnastics it takes to play this either-or game sets up resistance, causes us to blame
others,andtrainsustoseeeverythingasaproblem.Itturnsliterallyeverythinginourlivesintoour
enemy.Evenourownbodies,whichwefullyexpect(althoughwedoeverythingwepossiblycanto
postponeit)toeventuallydecay,getsick,androtaway.
Worldview 1.0 is based on the belief that everything is out to get us: the environment, our
politicians,ourfood,ourbodies(whichweexamineregularlyforbreakdownsinyearlycheckups),
othercountries,evenourlovers,whomwe’vebeenwarnedtoexamineforsignsthathe’sjustnotthat
intous.
Everynewsreport,everycommission,everypoliticalspeech,everyself-helpbookisbasedonour
unending fascination with “what’s wrong.” We take pills, we buy energy drinks, we twist ourselves
intoyogaposes,wechant,wemeditate,wepraytosomenebulousdeityinafruitlesssearchtocorrect
allthewronginourlives.Orthewrongwe’vebeenwarnediscoming.
History books are filled with lurid recountings of war, famine, and political unrest. As Patch
Adams,theAmericandoctorwhowastheinspirationfortheeponymousmovie,oncewiselyasked,
“Where’sthepartychapter?”
WeOnlySeeWhatWe’veBeenTaughttoSee
“Normalisnotsomethingtoaspireto,it’ssomethingto
getawayfrom.”
—JODIEFOSTER,AMERICANACTRESS
Coulditbethatbytreating,analyzing,andworkingsodiligentlytoannihilatealltheseproblems,
wegivethempowertogovernus?Isitpossiblethatexercisingsuchextremeeffortsto“avoid”our
inevitabledemiseactuallyfacilitatestheverydemisewe’rehopingtoavert?
What this experiment suggests is that it is our misplaced fear itself that powers and drives the
hysteria.Andthatour5,000yearsofeducationonthereignoflack,limitation,andgloomhasblinded
ustothesimple,unchanginggoodnessthat’sforeveronourside.
Duringthenext72hours,I’mgoingtoaskyoutoputdownyourdukes,totakeoffyourarmorand
expecttocatchaglimpseofthelife-sustainingenergythatflowsthroughyou,thattakescareofyou,
thatprovidesforeveryoneofyourneeds.
What’sYourStory,MorningGlory?
“MartinLutherKing,Jr.,neversaid,‘Ihaveacomplaint.’”
—MICHAELBERNARDBECKWITH,AMERICANAUTHORANDPASTOR
Weallhavestories.LiketheBrothersGrimm,weretellthesestoriestoanyonewhowilllisten.
“Ihavetroublesleeping.”
“Ihatetoexercise.”
“I’veneverbeenorganized.”
Butthesestoriesarenotanymoretrue(excepttothedegreeyou’verepeatedthemandmadethem
yourpersonalcallingcard)thanaretheiropposites.Thanawholepaletteofotherstories.Someof
ourstoriesserveus.Forexample,anotheroneofmystories(andIchoosetostickwiththisone)is
that I’m a brilliant writer. Adding weight to that story and repeating it to myself has enabled me to
write17books.It’senabledmetohaveacareerdoingwhatIlove.
Byrepeatingastoryoverandoveragain,wecreateneuralpathwaysinthebrainthatreinforcethat
reality.
LifeIsMultipleChoice
“Quantumjunction.Getinbothlanes.”
—STREETSIGN,SHAREDON FACEBOOK
Realityisradicallydifferentdependingonwhomyoutalkto.Somepeoplesmoketheirentirelives
and never get lung cancer. Some people consume endless calories, gobble gluten and every other
“harmfulthing,”andstillhavebodieslikeKateMoss.Somepeoplereadbookslikethisandproduce
noresults.
I learned about the absence of a cut-and-dried reality when I was in journalism school. My
Reporting I teacher, in her zest to provide us with real-life experience, set up “news events” for us
buddingreporterstoreport.Eventhoughthefirstcredoofjournalismisobjectivityandwe’retaught
thatbiasofanykindisanunwelcomeguest,thereportswefiledwereasdifferentastheopinionsof
BarackObamaandVladimirPutin.
I’dthink,DidyoureallyseethesameeventIjustsaw?
There’sNoOneRightAnswer
“Ifrealitydiffersfrompersontoperson,canwespeakof
realitysingular,orshouldn’twereallybetalkingabout
pluralrealities?Andiftherearepluralrealities,
aresomemoretrue…thanothers?”
—PHILIP K.DICK,AMERICANSCIENCE-FICTIONWRITER
Abeliefisonlyathoughtwecontinuetothinkoverandoveragain.Wedecidehowthingsareand
proceedtodoeverythingwecantoprovethatconclusion.Whatif,insteadofsearchingsohardfor
therightanswer,wesimplyadmitthere’snouniversalanything.
Bygivingupthenotionofabsolutereality,wenolongerhavetodefendourpositionsorcastabout
aimlesslyforsomeonetoblame.Oncewequittryingtosquishlifeintoourneatlittleboxofrightand
wrong,wecanusethispotentialtocreatewhateverwewant.
Choosing not to judge often seems uncomfortable. Everything in Worldview 1.0 screams the
importanceoffindingtheone:theonerightpartner,theonerightcareer,theonerightlifestyle.Not
onlydoesthisputtremendouspressureonus(OMG,whatifIgetitwrong?WhatifIpickthewrong
answer?),butit’salsopatentlyfalse.Inthequantumsoup,therearemillionsofrightanswers.
Whenwebelievethere’sbutonerightanswer,webecomeindignantatthosewhohaveobviously
chosen the wrong answer. Once we realize there are different right answers for everyone, we can
back off on the judgment, be more playful, more fluid, more open to the boisterous palette of
possibilities.
AnecdotalEvidence
“Changebutyourmindonwhatyouwanttosee,andall
theworldmustchangeaccordingly.”
At25,MicheleLongoO’Donnell,theauthorofOfMonkeysandDragons,wasanRN,workingat
oneofthefirstpediatricintensivecareunitsinthenation.ShewasmarriedtoaVietnamMarinevet,
hadatwo-year-olddaughter,andwaspregnantwithhersecondchild.Becauseshe’dhadherwithered
left kidney removed when she was younger, docs thought her right kidney was overloaded and
decidedtoinducebirthbygivingheradrugtobeginlabor.
AmistakeinthecalculationofherduedatecausedherdaughterLaratobebornatsevenmonths,
weighingameretwoandahalfpounds.Twenty-fourhoursaftertheIVdripbegan,doctorswhisked
awaythetinypurplebabywhomadenomovement,nosound.Shewasdiagnosedwithwhat’sknown
ashyalinemembranedisease.Shewasunabletotakeinairorkeepherlungsinflated.Duringthefirst
night,shehadfivecardiacarrests.Evenwith100percentoxygenbeingpumpedintoherlungs,she
wasstillnotgettingenoughtosupplyherkidneysandbrain.Backin1970,babiesinthisconditiondid
notsurvive.
But when the senior resident came in the next morning asking permission to stop treatment,
somethinginsideMicheletoldheritwouldallbeokay.Eventhoughsheknew,asasix-yearnurse,
thatseverementalretardationwastheoutcomeofoxygendeprivation,sherefusedtogivepermission
topulltheplug.
“Itwasasifthereweretwopeoplelivinginsideme.Onewasanemotionalwreck,myusualhyperfrightened self. That one smoked myself sick. Called the lab for results on her blood work every
hour.WhenIsnuckdowntoseeher,herarmswereflailingintheairasshestruggledtogetairinto
herlungs,”shesaid.
Yet, there was another self with a deep, underlying conviction in the quantum probability that
“everythingwasgoingtobeallright.”
Herhusbandabandonedhertwodayslater,andfortwolongyears,afterLarawasfinallyreleased
from the ICU, O’Donnell pieced together a life, never once “owning” the probability of mental
retardationorlettinggooftheprobabilitythathealingwasstillpossible.
“IfeltdeepwithinmethatitwascriticalthatInotgivepermissionforthisthingtobepartofour
lives.Itmaybewhatwehadtodealwith,butitwasnotgoingtobeouridentity,”shesaid.
Ofcourse,youmustdealwithproblemsiftheyarise.Butit’sunnecessarytoletthembecomeyour
wholeidentify.Nomatterhowitmaylook,youarestillwholeandcompleteandintact.Tofocuson
theproblemistosubconsciouslyclingtoit,neverallowingforthepossibilityofrelease.Thereisa
differencebetweendealingwithwhatyouhavetodealwithandbuildingashrinetoit.
WhenLarawasnearlytwoyearsold,O’Donnellhadherproppedonherhipandwasgettingready
to put a cracker into her mouth, like she’d done many times before. Lara—who had not shown
awarenessofanykind,hadbasicallylivedlikethevegetabledoctorstoldO’Donnellshewouldbe—
smiled at her mother, reached up to grab the cracker, and put it in her mouth. She made rapid
improvementafterthatandgrewuptobecomealawyerandeventuallyworkfortheattorneygeneral
ofTexas.
AsMichelesaysnow,“Youhavetokeepyourmindoffoflettinganyrealitybecomeyouridentity.”
TheMethod
“Theeternal,blissfulandnaturalstatehasbeen
smotheredbythislifeofignorance.”
—SRIRAMANAMAHARSHI,INDIANGURU
Inthisexperiment,you’regoingtopickanoldstoryandyou’regoingtoflipit.You’regoingto
takearealitythatyouhavebelievedisabsolutefactandyou’regoingtoactivelylookforitsexact
opposite.
Iknowyou’rethinkingofsomething.Ifnot,maybesomeofthesefalsehoodsthatIusedtorepeat
aboutmyself(andhavesincerewritten,thankyouverymuch)mightgiveyousomeideas:
I’mnotthatcomfortableatparties.
I’veneverbeenthatgreatatrelationships.
Isometimessufferfromdepression.
It really doesn’t matter. It simply has to be something you’ve repeatedly said and believed about
yourself.Pickanidentitythatyou’vewornlikeapairofyourfavoritejeans.
Okay,nowyou’regoingtorewriteit.Andduringthis72-hourtimeframe,you’regoingtolook
forevidenceofthisnewreality.You’regoingtoactivelylookforallsigns—anyfragmentorpottery
shard—oftheoppositeofthisstatementthat,upuntilnow,youhavebelieved.
ItWorksLikethe“Hi,Bob”Game
“Abandonyourbeliefindeprivation.”
WhenIwasincollege,“Hi,Bob”wasapopulardrinkinggame.Ofcourse,incollege,prettymuch
everythingwasanexcuseforadrinkinggame.
Thisparticularrenditionwasplayedindorms,sororityhouses,andcollegeapartmentsallacross
AmericaeverynightwhenTheBobNewhartShowcameon.Incaseyouhaven’tseenit,thispopular
sitcomfromthelate1970sstarredthedeadpancomedianaspsychiatristDr.BobHartley.Awidecast
ofpatientswalkedinandoutofhisofficeand,ofcourse,aspeopledo,wouldsay,“Hi,Bob!”Every
timeanyone—beithiswife,hissecretary,oroneofthemanylovablecharactersthatsoughthimout
forcounsel—saidthatall-importantkicker,weparticipantsloudlyrepeateditandtookabigswigof
ourbeers.
Wecouldn’twaittohearyetanother“Hi,Bob!”Wewereontheedgeofourseats,justlikeyou’re
goingtobewhileactivelylookingforevidenceoftheoppositeofyourlong-heldbelief.
LabReportSheet
TheCorollary:TheSimonCowellCorollary
TheTheory:Nothingisabsolute;onlymythinkingmakesitso.
The Question: Is it possible that all the labels I’ve placed on myself, all the beliefs I’ve had about
whoIam,arenothingbutamiragethatI’veerroneouslycementedinfromyearsofbelievingintheir
veracity?
TheHypothesis:IfIflipalong-heldbeliefaboutmyself,Iwillfindjustasmuchevidenceinsupport
ofthatreality.
Today’sDate:__________Time:__________
DeadlineforReceivingAnswer:__________
The Approach: I will choose one of the many stories I’ve long believed about myself and I will
spendthreedaysinvestigatingwhetheritsoppositemightbeeverybitastrue.
ResearchNotes:____________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
“Wakeupexpectingthings.”
—CHRISTINEBARANSKI,AMERICANACTRESS
RAININGCATSANDBLOGS
LackIsaMirage:TheThreeBestStrategiesforGettingtotheHolyLand
“Availyourselfofpossibilities.”
—MIKEDOOLEY,AMERICANAUTHOR
Peter Jackson was paid $20 million for the script of King Kong. You’re not getting paid to
createdrama,somethinksit’stimetowriteadifferentscript.Here’show:
1. GiveyourselfanAcademyAwardfortheamazing“drama”you’vecreatedthusfar.Ina
worldthatbrimswithbeautyandplenitude,thefactthatyouhavebeenabletocreatesuch
aconvincing“story”oflackandstruggleistrulyanaccomplishment.Thespecialeffects
you have employed to overlook the world’s unending largesse are truly mind-bending.
Take a bow and ask yourself, “If I have been this successful at creating separation and
pain(andbelieveme,we’reallworthyofgoldmedals),thenwhatelsemightIcreatewith
alittleimagination?”
2. Usethefeelingforrocketfuel.Onceyougetitthateverythingisyourcreation,youcan
usethatintensefeelingtopropelyouintoadifferentstory.Theonlyreasonyou’restill
starringinthesame,worn-outshow(itshouldhavebeencanceledin1998whenSeinfeld
wentofftheair)isbecauseyou’vepitchedatent.You’vecompletelyforgottenthatthere
arelotsofotherdestinationsonthemap.Becauseyouendlesslyharpaboutwhereyouare
and what’s going wrong, you’ve driven in the stakes. At any time, you can move to a
differentlocation,adifferentstory,adifferentreality.
3. Zip it up. You may not like the site of your present tent, but there is no need to tell the
worldaboutit.Nomatterwhereyou’recamped,thereareblessingsandmiraclesnearby.
Instead of bellyaching about the script, the campsite, the life you’re currently
experiencing,focusinoneverythingthat’sgoingright.Onceyoubegintouseyourlaser
superpowers for possibilities, miracles, and joy, you will suddenly find yourself on a
wholenewstage,acceptingawholenewOscar.
EXPERIMENT#4
THE“I’MLOVINGANDIKNOWIT”COROLLARY(ORTHERE
ISNO“THEM”)
Meme:It’sMeandYou(andI’mNot
SoSureaboutYou)AgainsttheWorld.
Worldview2.0:BeinginLovewith
EveryoneandEverythingBrings
MeintoAlignmentwiththeFP.
“EveryoneisGodspeaking.
Whynotbepoliteandlisten…?”
—HAFIZ,TRANSLATEDBYAMERICANPOETDANIELLADINSKY
ThePremise
Inthisexperiment,you’regoingtoprovethatyouactuallyloveeveryone(youjustdon’tknowit
yet) and that anyone you’re holding out of your heart is nothing but a hologram you created to
showcaseapartofyourselfyou’veabandoned.
Icanheartheboosnow,seethebananapeelswaitingtobethrown.
“Thereisnowayinhell,”you’reprotesting,“thatIlovemyboss.I’dbesurprisedifevenhiswife
canstandhim.”
Or…
“Idonotlovemymother-in-law.ShemakesOsamaBinLadenlooklikeapussycat.”
As we move into Worldview 2.0, we’re going to have to own up to the fact that anytime we’re
scared or in pain or sick or judging one of those holograms out there, we’re not “in tune,” so to
speak,withthefieldofinfinitepotentiality.Becausethat’swhereallthemagichappens,thesoonerwe
cangetonthesamepageastheFP,thesoonerwecangetthispartystarted.
Our Source (the FP, God, whatever danged name you want to call it) loves everyone and
everything.TheFP,infact,islikeateenagegirlwhothinkswe’reJustinBieber.Itlovesusevenwhen
we dance with strippers, play naked beer pong, and crassly show off our wealth, something the
teenybopper Beliebers have a hard time wrapping their minds around. Just like we can’t wrap our
mindsaroundhowmuchwearelovedbySource.Source,infact,seesusexactlyasweare—giant,
blissed-outballsoflove—evenwhenwe’remeanorjudgmentalorperceivingourmothers-in-lawas
BinLadenclones.Whichpromptsmetopointout:There’snothinginherentlywrongwithperceiving
your mother-in-law as Bin Laden. But here’s why you probably don’t want to: When we see others
(thosehologramswethinkareseparatepeople)aslessthanperfect,wemoveoutofalignmentwith
thefieldofinfinitepotentiality.Weclogupthepipesofourowngood.
Everything we “see” out there is produced by the projectors in our own minds. It’s appealing to
believe that your mean and nasty ole mother-in-law is out there, but she lives within your own
consciousness. She’s simply playing an essential part in your melodrama. You cast her in the play
“outthere”soyoudon’thavetoacknowledgethepartofyourselfthatwouldtakehometheOscarfor
bestperformancebyanogre.
The real joke’s on the Bin Ladens of the world because they bought the ego’s story. They invest
ridiculousamountsofenergyinWorldview1.0’sF--kMyLife(FML)story.AccordingtotheFML
story,ourjobistoidentifyaproblemandthentrackdowneverysinglethingthereistoknowabout
it.Findoutwhereitcamefrom,findoutwhyit’shauntingus,andfindoutwho’stoblame.Heck,we
mightaswellstartasupportgroupandablog.Wegetsoactivelyinvolvedineliminatingaparticular
problem that it becomes our identity. But in “hating the problem” and investing our lives in
eliminatingit,wegiveitwaymorepowerthanitactuallyhas.
TearDownThoseWalls
“Somethinghasgottoholdittogether.I’msayingmyprayerstoElmer,theGreekgodofglue.”
—T OM ROBBINS,AMERICANAUTHOR
Ifyou’veeverinstalledanink-jetprintercartridge(andIknowyouhavebecausetheyseemtoneed
replacing every 50 or so pages), you’ve undoubtedly noticed the installation message on your
computerscreen,theonethatasksyoutomatchupthefiveorsixhorizontallines.You’reaskedto
pickwhichofthesehalfdozenorsoexamplesprovidestheverybestalignment.Theideaisthatifthe
printerheadsareproperlyaligned,yougetclearer,crispercopy.
Thesameprincipleworksinourdailylives.Whenwe’reproperlyalignedwiththefieldofinfinite
potentiality, there’s no resistance. There’s nothing to keep the ink (or, in our case, the love and the
joy)away.Whentheinkjetsareproperlyaligned,everythingflowssmoothly,everythingworks.
Sadly,mostofusspendmuchofourlivesoutofalignment.InsteadofsingingLouisArmstrong’s
“It’saWonderfulWorld,”trainingourselvesforloveandpositiveexpectations,wesliceanddicethe
apparent“whatis.”
Ourreasoninggoeslikethis:
“Benicetome.ThenI’llthinkaboutlovingyou.”
“Quitdissingmypoliticalparty.Thenwecantalk.”
“Showmethemoney.ThenI’llfeeljoy.”
Butthat’snothowitworks.That’snothowyoualignwiththeFP.
YoualignwiththeFPbylovingeveryone,byseeingthe“faceofGod”ineverything,byfeeling
happy,bybeingjoyfulnomatterwhat.Insteadoflettingthe“apparentreality”dictateyourfeelings,
youlineupwiththeFP,whichknowsnothingbutlove,peace,andperfectcontentment.
When you continue to bemoan the fact that so-and-so is not behaving, you deprive yourself of
alignment.TheFPisnothingbutpurelove,andwhenyou’rebusydocumentinganddiscussing“what
appears to be,” suffice it to say, you are not fully lined up. In fact, all these intentions you want to
manifest?OnceyoulineupwiththeFP,anythingyoucouldeverneedorwantshowsupimmediately.
There’s absolutely no resistance. In fact, alignment and enlightenment, a popular word in spiritual
circles,aresynonyms.Onceyou’realignedwiththeFP,youhaveeverything.Everything.
SoIrepeat.Thebestwaytolineupyourinkjetsistoloveeveryhologram.Theapparent“whatis”
isoldnews.Ignorewhatdoesn’tpleaseyou.It’spassé.It’shistory.Anditwillceasetobeonceyou
lineupthoseloveandjoyinkjets.
OneMoreReasontoShout“Hallelujah!”
“Gratitudeunlocksthefullnessoflife.Itturnswhat
wehaveintoenough,andmore.Itturnsdenialinto
acceptance,chaostoorder,confusiontoclarity.
Itcanturnamealintoafeast,ahouse
intoahome,astrangerintoafriend.”
—MELODYBEATTIE,AUTHOROFCODEPENDENTNOMORE
It’sprettyeasytobegratefulwhenthesailsoflifeareblowingyourway.Butwhataboutthetimes
whenthings“appear”nottobeworkingout?Mytack?Say“hallelujah!”anyway.
We, in our limited pea brains, don’t always see the big picture. It’s like standing with your nose
againstthepointillistpainting.Itlookslikeabunchofdots.Butwhenyoustepbackandlookagainin
gratitude,itbecomesGeorgesSeurat’sASundayAfternoonontheIslandofLaGrandeJatte.
GailLynneGoodwin,founderofInspiremeToday.com,toldmeastorythatillustratesthisperfectly.
Nottoolongago,sheandacoupleoffriendshadagirlfriends’outingplanned.Oneofthefriends,on
thedayof,wokeuptofindherdaughterrunningafever.ShecalledGail,whimperingaboutherbad
luck.Gailrespondedinthewaysherespondstoeverything:“That’sfabulous!”
“No,youdidn’thearme,”hergirlfriendsaid.“I’mnotgoingtobeabletogotoday.”
Again,Gailsaid,“That’sfabulous!”Sheremindedherthatshe’dbeenneedingsomefreetimeto
siftthroughpaperworkandthatthisso-calledsetbackprovidedtheperfectopportunity.
HerfriendthankedGailforthereminder,andnotonlydidsheenduphavingadelightfuldaywith
herdaughter,butwhilecruisingtheInternet,shealsocameacrosstheveryhouseshe’dbeenlusting
afterforthreeyears.Thisdreamhousewaswaymorethanshefeltshecouldafford,butonthisday,
while dealing with the disappointment of thwarted plans, she saw “her house” had gone into
foreclosureandwassellingforone-quarteroftheinitialprice.
AsGailsaid,“Shenowhasacontractonherdreamhome.”
So,nomatterwhatyourjudgmentsaboutyourlifemaybe,say,“Hallelujah!”
Andbeover-the-moongratefulthateverythingisworkingoutforyourgood.
ThisIstheBestThingtoEverHappentoMe
“Theuniverseiswiderthanourviewsofit.”
—HENRYDAVIDT HOREAU ,AMERICANPHILOSOPHERANDAUTHOR
Onceyoucansay“Thisisthebestthingtohappentome”abouteverythingthathappensinyour
life, you’ll be aligned with the FP. Right now, most of us are heavily invested in the perception of
issues and problems. The current dominant paradigm is built, brick by brick, with limitation,
suffering,andpain.
But limitation, suffering, and pain are nothing but misinterpretations. It’s like the perception is
speakingSwahiliandwe’respeakingEnglish.TheultimateTruthislostinthetranslation.
Here’s just one example. Having your house flooded—not exactly a welcome addition to the old
bucket list. But that’s exactly what happened to a friend of mine who owns a house in Lyons,
Colorado.Duringthesummerof2013,floodswipedouthalfthetown,makingbig,nationalain’t-itawful(AIA)headlines.ButthoseAIAsturnedthewholetownupsidedown,bringingoutthelovethat
wasalwaysthere,butmasqueradingaseverydayreality.
Problems,pain,anddisasterareoftenaRosettaStoneformasteringthelanguageoflove.During
regular reality (Worldview 1.0), we often don’t hear the love. Our Dancing with the Stars judging
mindsareholdingupnumberawful.
Who in their right mind would ask for a flood? Yet, that flood has reunited the community and
broughtloveandgenerosityoutintotheopen.Myfriendhasbeenoverwhelmedandmovedbythe
giant balls of love in Lyons. Even though the flood knocked out her electricity, taking with it most
creaturecomforts,shehaseverythingthat’simportant—adeepsenseofbelonging,appreciationfor
hercommunity,andloveoutwhereitcanbebaskedin.OverThanksgiving,forexample,studentsin
thelocalhighschoolbakedpumpkinpiesforeverybodyintown.
I posit that, on some level, we know exactly what we’re doing and that we create these apparent
“disasters” and “unloving people” to break through the walls we’ve erected. The love—the energy
force—is always there, pulsing, throbbing, wanting to speak up, but often it takes a disaster like a
floodforustorecognizeit.
EveryoneIsYour“GayleKing”
“Ifthedoorsofperceptionwerecleansedeverythingwouldappeartomanasitis,infinite.”
—WILLIAM BLAKE,ENGLISHPOETANDPRINTMAKER
Sean Penn, a brilliant actor, has played a wide range of roles over the years: he played a surfer
stoner in Fast Times at Ridgemont High, almost single-handedly introducing the term dude into the
American lexicon; a racist murderer in Dead Man Walking; a mentally handicapped father in I Am
Sam;andgay-rightsiconHarveyMilk,whowasgunneddownintheprimeofhislife,inMilk.Inreal
life, none of us would choose any of these roles. They’re unappealing and, on the surface anyway,
difficulttolivethrough.
Penn, of course, chose these roles because they helped him expand as an actor. They helped him
grow.Theyhelpedhimbecomehugelysuccessful,winninganAcademyAwardandaGoldenGlobe
forhisHarveyMilkportrayal.
Similarly, I think that’s why we often create holograms of unloving things—for the expansion it
willcreate,forthe“AcademyAward”itwilleventuallyreapinthebigpicture.
Our judging minds are so quick to leap to “OMG. That’s a catastrophe.” We shut down, start
holdinguptheAIAcards.Becomeholier-than-thou.
Take sexual abuse, for example. Who in Worldview 1.0 could withhold judgment in such a
situation,particularlywhentheabuseisperpetratedonachild?Yet,LouiseHay,whoisvirtuallythe
Godmothertoanybodywhoreadsthesekindsofbooksandwhoselifehasblessedmillionsofpeople,
probablywouldn’tbethepersonsheistodayhadshenotgonethroughthatparticularAIA.Through
thisseemingAIA,shewasabletofindherowninnerwisdomandrealizetheballoflovethatsheis.
Manythingsthatatfacevaluelooklikedifficultiesendupbeingmiraclesindisguise.Thecancer
thatwemightbelieveisn’tfaircanbeapathwaytoTruth.Itcanbeadoortopotentopportunities.We
gettodecide.
Soinsteadofaskingthequestion“Whydobadthingshappentogoodpeople?”perhapsthebetter
questionis“Whydogoodpeoplethinkbadthingscanevenhappen?”Badisnothingbutajudgment
call, a judgment call we’re not qualified to make. Just like American Idol hasn’t requested your
servicesnexttoJLoandKeithUrban,youaren’tqualifiedtojudgewhatisgoodandbad.
Oncewewakeupeverymorningandsay,“Thisisthebestthingtoeverhappentome,”wewill
moveintoalignment,wherebeautyandjoyarefreetorise.Theneveryonebecomesourbestfriend—
ourGayleKing.
Ilookforwardtothedaywhenwe’llbeabletorecognizeandcallforththelovewithoutcreating
thedisaster.Butuntilthen,I,likeRandyJackson,amresigningfrombeingajudge.
AnecdotalEvidence
“Relyingonthoughthasbeenourescaperoute.Theonly
instructionweneedtofollowfromthemindis‘restin
presence.’Thisoneinstructionchangeseverything.”
—SCOTTKILOBY,AUTHORANDTEACHER
On April 15, 2013, two pressure-cooker bombs exploded near the finish line at the Boston
Marathon.Theworldwatchedwithhorrorasimagesofscarredandlimblesspeoplerantosafety.
James Costello was there at the finish line, rooting on a grade-school buddy, when the second
bomb detonated right near his feet. Captured minutes later, a photograph of Costello, badly burned
withhisclothesintatters,becameoneofthetragedy’siconicimages.Aftertwoweeksandmultiple
surgeriesatMassachusettsGeneralHospital,oneinvolvingpiggraftstoreplacehisskin,Bim,ashis
friendscallhim,wastransferredtoSpauldingRehabilitationHospitalinBoston,notsomethingmany
ofuswouldeverwillinglychoose.
Butnow,Costellosays,“I’mactuallygladIgotblownup.”Duringhisarduousrehab,hemetKrista
D’Agostino,abeautifuldark-hairednurseontemporaryassignmentatSpaulding,whenshecameto
change his wound dressings. He invited her to a benefit for survivors of the Boston bombing and
they’ve been dating ever since. And in December 2013, on a ten-day cruise through Europe, he
proposedtoherinLyon,France.
“I wish nobody else had to have been blown up, but it ended up being the best thing that ever
happenedtome,”saysCostello,whotothisdayisstillpullingmetalshavingsofbombdebrisfrom
hisrightleg.“InowrealizewhyIwasinvolvedinthetragedy.Itwastomeetmybestfriendandthe
loveofmylife.”
TheMethod
“Inthepracticeoftolerance,one’senemyisthebestteacher.”
—DALAILAMA,T IBETANSPIRITUALLEADER
IfyouthoughtMatch.comoreHarmonywasgoodathook-ups,waituntilyoutrythis.
This experiment, which can be performed without an annoying monthly membership fee, is
designed to prove two things: love isn’t something you have to find (it’s who you are); and when
you’re “in love” (with everything), you’re aligned with Source, which makes all your intentions
comeflowingin.
Here’swhatI’dlikeyoutodo:
1.Bealovebomber.Getapadofstickynotes(theycomeinallsortsofbrilliantcolors)andwrite
lovenotestotheworld.Stickthemupeverywhere.Tuckthemintobooksatthelibrary.Leavethemon
thebacksofdollarbills.Tagpostersonthesubway.
2.Appreciatetheworld’smostannoyingperson.IonceheardspiritualauthorWayneDyersay
thatthere’saphotoofRushLimbaugh,theconservativetalk-showhost,onhisaltar.It’stherealong
withSt.Francis,Lao-tzu,andothermastersbecauselovingRush,whohasbeenknowntopushafew
buttons, offers us a Ph.D. program in loving unconditionally. So pick out someone who trips your
triggers(Iknowyou’rethinkingofsomeone)andbeginlookingforthingstoappreciateabouthim
orher.
Onascaleof1to10,ratehowyoufeelbeforeperformingthesetwoactsandafter.
LabReportSheet
TheCorollary:The“I’mLovingandIKnowIt”Corollary
TheTheory:Thereisno“them.”It’sonly“us.”
TheQuestion:Isitpossiblethatallpeople(andsituationsandeventsandotherintolerablethings)I
can’tstandareblessingmewithopportunitiestogrow?
The Hypothesis: The more love I generate, the more I’ll be in alignment with the field of infinite
potentiality.
TheApproach:Iwillactivelylookforthingstoappreciateabout“myenemy.”Iwilltrytoseehim
orherinadifferentlight.MaybeIcanpicturehimasayoungboy,beingteasedatschool.MaybeI
canappreciateherferocity,howevermisguideditmightseem.Andthen,afterspendingthenextthree
dayssendingoutlovebombstotheworld,IwillgaugehowIfeelbeforeandafter.
HowIfeelbefore:__________________________________________
HowIfeelafter:____________________________________________
ResearchNotes:____________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
“Guardwellourhumanchain.”
—PETESEEGER,AMERICANFOLKSINGERANDACTIVIST
RAININGCATSANDBLOGS
IKnowNothing
“Incrediblethingshappenallthetimewhenyoubuzzattherightlevel.”
—OVERHEARDATSTARBUCKSANDSHAREDBYEITAN T OM AITCH
I’ve been thinking a lot about Hans Schultz. He is the fictional sergeant to Colonel Wilhelm
KlinkintheoldTVseriesHogan’sHeroes.
Even though Schultz knew about the shenanigans of the Allied POWs who were running
SpecialOperationsfromStalag13,hewasfamousforproclaimingtohisineptcolonel,“Iknow
nothing”inaclipped,Germanaccent.
Irepeatthatline(completewiththeaccent)quiteoften.Infact,ithasbecomeanimportantpiece
ofmyspiritualpractice.IhavelearnedthatanytimeIthinkI’vefiguredsomethingout,anytimeI
believeI’vefoundtheroutetothisintentionorthatdream,Ipromptlyproceedtogetinmyown
way.Myunderstandingissorelylimited.Butwhen“Iknownothing,”likeHansSchultz,Ileave
thegateswide-openforblessingstorushin.
For example, I got an incredible response to my first post on The Daily Love. It’s a popular
websiterunbyMastinKipp,ayoungentrepreneurwhorecentlyappearedonOprah’sSuperSoul
Sunday as one of the Next Generation thought leaders. I happened to catch that episode, looked
him up, and discovered that, lo and behold, he grew up in my hometown. I decided I wanted to
writeforTheDailyLove,andIdideverythingIcouldthinkoftointerestMastininmy“brilliant
wisdom.”IevenwroteanarticleabouthiminthelocalLawrenceMagazine. I mean, c’mon, we
talkedinperson.
Thoseinitialpitches?ThatinitialschemeIcameupwithforgettingonTheDailyLove?Futile.
Nada.Didn’twork.
However,whenIletgoofmyplan,repeatedtheHansSchultz“Iknownothing,”andforgotall
aboutit(“Setitandforgetit”isanewmantraofmine),MadelineGiles,theformereditorofThe
DailyLove—ortheLoveCurator,asshewasknown—contactedme.Outoftheblue,shewroteto
me,saidshelikedmynewbook,andwonderedifI’dbeupforcontributingtoTheDailyLove.
So,HansSchultz,thankyouforprovingthatinspirationandimportantspiritualpracticescan
comefromanywhere.
EXPERIMENT#5
YOURNEWB.F.F.COROLLARY(ORMONEY:IT’SNOT
COMPLICATED)
Meme:TooManytoListHereSeeBald-facedLiesBelow.
Worldview20:MoneyIsNothingButEnergyandaReflectionofMyBeliefs.
“Idiscoveredthatmakingmoneywaseasy…[and]IknewthatthiswasnotwhatIwasherefor.”
—PEACEPILGRIM ,AMERICANPACIFISTANDACTIVIST
ThePremise
This experiment will prove that money is nothing but energy and that it is only your baggage
aroundmoneythatkeepsyoufromhavingit,enjoyingit,andrealizingthatitisnotwhatyouarehere
for.Yourcurrentfinancialsituationisareflectionofyourbeliefsandexpectations.Onceyouchange
yourbeliefsandexpectations,yourentirefinancialsituationwillchange.
BeliefsaroundmoneyarecompletelyskewedinWorldview1.0.Weactuallybelievethebiggreen
ismoreimportantthanourbrothersandsisters.Weputthesestripsofpaperandmetalcoins(andnow
plasticcardsetchedwithournames)onapedestalandprostrateourselvesinundividedworship.
It’stimetolookthesebeliefssquarelyintheeyeandcallthemoutasthebigfatliarstheyare.Yes,
thesearethememesthatweretoolengthytolist.
Money,MoneyontheWall
“Ifmoneywasaperson,inthewayIfeltaboutit,itwouldbepracticallylikeanunobtainable
Hollywoodmoviestar,orlikesomekindofGod.”
—GRACEBELL,TEACHEROFBYRON KATIE’S“T HEWORK”
Mostofushaveanangst-riddenrelationshipwithmoney.Wethinkit’slimited,demanding,andas
unpredictableasLindsayLohan.Webelieveit’soutofourcontrol,andthatforceshigherthanuspull
the puppet strings. We have it tied up with jobs—jobs that, for the most part, we hate and resent.
Thoughtslikethese,needlesstosay,donotforahappyrelationshipmake.
Let’stakeanunflinchinglookatthetoptenliesaboutmoney:
Bigfatlie#1:Youhavetohaveittobehappy.Peopleindevelopingcountries,whoarestillin
touch with the natural world (although the developed world is doing everything it can to erase this
knowledge), laugh at the lengths to which we go to accumulate money and some of the ridiculous
thingsitwillbuy.Andoneverysingleindexofhappiness,thereisnorelationshipwhatsoevertoGDP.
Big fat lie #2: If you have it, you’re happier. I have just two words to say: Owen Wilson. He’s
worth$60million,andin2007heslithiswrists.Luckyforus,hewasn’tsuccessful,buthe’sproof
positive that money cannot buy happiness. Another well-known actor, Jim Carrey, is famous for
sayinghewishedeveryonewasrich(andfamous)sotheycouldseeit’snottheanswer.
Bigfatlie#3:Youhavetoworkyourassofftogetit.Riddlemethis:Whoworksharder—the
eight-hour-a-dayfactoryworkerorDonaldTrump?SomeofthepoorestpeopleIknowslaveawayat
minimum-wagejobs,puttinginmoreandmorehourstryingtogetahead.Money,atleastinmylife,
oftenshowsupunannounced.Andallthosee-mailsI’vebeengettingfromE-Squaredreaders?There
werecountlessstoriesfrompeoplewhosuddenlyreceivedunexpectedmoney.
Bigfatlie#4:There’sonlysomuchtogoaround. There’s a $500 billion advertising machine
whosesolejobistoconvinceyouthatyouarelackingandthatthere’sonlysomuchtogoaround.
Once money and resources are defined as limited, every ounce of energy (what you say, what you
think,whatyoudo)revolvesaroundovercomingthislackandprotectingwhatyoualreadyhave.
Bigfatlie#5:Moreofitisbetter.Anaturaldancepartnerto“there’sonlysomuchtogoaround,”
thisbigfatliedistancesusfromenjoyingwhatwealreadyhave.Whenwe’reconstantlyfocusedon
the next big thing, worrying that we need more, more, more to avoid being left out, we don’t
experience joy with what’s already right in front of us. Excess money often creates entitlement and
isolation that diminishes the wealth of human connection. I have often argued that amassing seven
billion,thedollaramountDonaldTrumpclaimstobeworth,isnotthatdifferentfromhoardingold
newspapers,leakybuckets,andalltheotherjunkcollectinginthehomesofthedysfunctionalfolks
wewatchontheA&EshowHoarders.
Big fat lie #6: The economic system is set in stone; there’s nothing we can do to change it.
Eventhoughitoftenseemsunfair(therichkeepgettingricher,andthosewiththemostmoneywield
allthepower),wecontinuetoplaythegame,continuetobuythebigfatliethatit’s“justthewayitis.”
Thatthere’snothingwecandoaboutit.Theseassumptions,traditions,andhabitsnotonlytrapusinto
resignation,buttheyalsoblockamoreaccuratevisionthatprosperityispossibleforall.Asfarback
as the 1970s, the great futurist and humanist Buckminster Fuller recognized that human civilization
hadreachedaturningpointwhereanewparadigmwaspossible,aparadigminwhichallofuscould
haveenoughfood,water,housing,andlandtoleadfulfillingandproductivelives.
Big fat lie #7: Money is bad, and people who have a lot of it are really bad. Remember that
money-and-camelsthingfromtheBible?Idon’tknowwhetherthatwasthegenesisoftherumoror
not, but I do know there’s nothing inherently wrong with money. Money is a shadow of something
muchdeeper.AsKateNorthrupteachesinherbook,Money:ALoveStory,amoreproductivewayto
thinkaboutmoneyistoseeitasanexchangeofvalueforvalue.Or,asmynewfriendFeliciaSpahr
says,“Moneyiseveryone’sB.F.F.andtheydon’tevenknowit.”
Big fat lie #8: Jobs blow. Work is one of those things we have tied to the railroad track with
unhappiness.Whenitcomestoourjobs,everyneuralpathwayinourbodiesscreams“letmeoutof
here.”Webelieveit’stheweekendsandthevacationswewantandthatworkisonlyameanstoanend.
Aslongasweassociatethesetwotogether,wemissoutonmassiveamountsoffunandjoy.
Bigfatlie#9:Theonlywaytogetitistohaveajob.Moneyandworkgotogetherlikepancakes
and syrup, like Russia and vodka, like celebrities and paparazzi. Although money and jobs have
certainly been dating for quite some time, they’re far from married. Or certainly shouldn’t be for
peoplewhowanttoliveanabundantlife.Ihaven’thadajobin20-someyears.
Big fat lie #10: It’s a distant, magical demigod. As you’re starting to realize, the list of big fat
moneyliescouldfilltheGrandCanyon.Sointheinterestofgettingtothegoodstuff,thetruthabout
theworldanditslargesse,I’mlumpingafewmoreintothislie(I’mdifferentfrompeoplewhohave
money; To get it you have to cheat and lie; If you make it, there’s no time for play; and There’s no
possibilityofgettingthingswithoutmoney)andcallingitgood.
Sothat’sprettymuchmoneyinWorldview1.0.ReadytolookatMoney2.0?
UntanglingtheMoneyMorass
“Thereisanaturallawofabundancewhichpervades
theentireuniverse,butitwillnotflowthrougha
doorwayofbeliefinlackandlimitation.”
—PAULZAITER,ABUNDANCETEACHER
Remember those beliefs and expectations that play out in our financial lives? They need to be
changed. Abundance consciousness, which is what creates money in the first place, is equally
availabletoeveryone.Likeair,it’sfree…andanyonewhowantscandevelopit.Thesimplefactof
beinghumanguaranteesyouhavemoreabundancepotentialthanyoucouldpossiblyexperienceina
lifetime. And once you attain abundance consciousness, money will follow you around, chase you
down,andspitinyourface.
Butfirstyouhavetogetthesesixthings,theseparadigmsfromWorldview2.0:
1.Moneyisn’treal.It’saformofexchange.Andallmaterialthingshavenovalueexceptarandom
numberweassigntothem.Thatnumbercanchangeatanytime.Ahousethat’sworth$500,000today
mightsellfortwicethattomorrow.Money-marketfundshavebeenknowntogrowby25percentin
oneweek.Noneofitisrealexceptthevaluewegiveit.
Money, or what we think of as money—bills and coins—is merely a tool that demonstrates a
person’swealthconsciousness.AndaccordingtoprosperityteacherDavidCameronGikandi,only4
percentofmoneyinbanks(dependingonthecountry)existsinphysicalform.
Moneyisalwaysashadowofsomethingelse.Andhowitplaysoutinyourliferevolvesaround
two things: the value you place upon yourself and the ingredients you’ve placed in your money
expectationbeaker.
2.Moneyisanenergythatformsaroundyourthoughts.Ionceinterviewedawomanwhogave
all her money away. Actually, I’ve interviewed several people who gave their fortunes away.
Millionaires sloughing off riches is a hugely popular topic at People magazine. This particular
personcamefrommoney.Hergrandfatherwassomefamousindustrialist.Herparentsownedhouses
all over the world. She didn’t feel right having such excess when others went hungry, so she gave
away her sizable inheritance, the whole dang shooting match. And she began giving workshops on
contributingtothegreatergood.Beforesheknewit,she’damassedanothermillion.
Moralofthestory?Youcantakethemoneyoutofthegirl’swealthconsciousness,butyoucan’t
takethewealthconsciousnessoutofthegirl.
3. The world seen clearly without the lens of lack and limitation is wildly abundant. Bernard
Lietaer,formerseniorofficeroftheBelgianCentralBankandchiefarchitectoftheeurocurrency,
says in his book Of Human Wealth that the idea of scarcity is nothing but misguided cultural
programming. In other words, a meme that has spread across the globe. Even though we consider
scarcityandthegreeditprovokestobeanormal,legitimatereality,neitherexistsinnature.Noteven
inhumannature.
Examineyourbody,thatbodythat’scontinuallyharpingaboutlackandlimitation.Ithasmorethan
50trillioncells.Doyouhaveanyideahowmany50trillionis?
Youreyes,thoseeyesthatchoosetofocussomuchattentiononatinyfour-inchscreen,have100
million receptors, 100 million you could use to enjoy a rising moon, the Big Dipper, four-leaf
clovers.
4. There is no shortage of anything. I remember picking grapes at a vineyard one fall. The
ownersofthisvineyard,inamoverivalingTomSawyer ’sfence-paintingscheme,invitelocalsoutto
thefieldsfortheopportunitytoharvesttheirgrapes.It’ssopopularthatthere’sawaitinglistevery
year.Yes,peopleelboweachotheroutofthewayforthechancetoperformataskthattheowners,
beforehatchingthisgeniusstrategy,oncepaidmigrantworkerstodo.
I am so grateful that I participated because it showed me in living color just how bountiful the
worldreallyis.Thereweresomanygrapesthatwecouldn’tevengetthemall.Manyhadfallentothe
ground before we arrived with our baskets. There was no way anybody could be there and not
recognizethepressed-downandrunning-overreality.
Abundance is forever on display in the natural world. Just look at a tree. It has thousands of
individual leaves, and as for the number of trees on this planet? I couldn’t hazard a guess. Or try
counting the blades of grass in one square foot of your front yard. Mother Nature (aka the natural
worldbeforehumansimposedfearonher)providesforeverysingleneed.
5. Everything you really need is already provided. You are fine right now whether you have
money or not. Although we tend to pair money with such desirables as security, ease, relaxation,
approval,andjoy,wecanhaveeveryoneofthesethingswithoutpilesofmoneyinouraccount.All
of them are included in our inheritance. They’re given to us completely free of charge. Sadly, we
barelyrecognizethembehindtheHalloweenmaskofthebigfatliesfromtheprevioussection.
Hereareafewofyourotherprizedpossessions,ortheywouldbeifyouweren’tsobusythinking
lack.Didyouhavetomakethesuncomeupthismorning?Saythankyou!Doyouhavetoorderyour
heart to pump blood through your body, 36 million beats per year? Do you have to schedule your
lungstodrawinfresh,clearoxygen?
Ifwefocusontheplanet’sunendinglargesse,ratherthanonthemarketers’drumbeatoflimitation,
on the bounteous gifts that spread out before us on every side rather than on TV commercials that
suggest erectile dysfunction, depression, and sleeping problems, then we can rewrite the dominant
paradigm.
6.Itisonlyourillusorybeliefinlimitationthatkeepsourrichesaway.Theonlyrealdifference
betweenmeand,say,DonaldTrumpisthatIchoosenottocarrymyrichesaround.It’scomfortingto
knowthatanythingIcouldeverwantisavailabletome,butwhyflauntitordragaroundabunchof
materialbaggage?
No,myrolemodelisPeacePilgrim,who,whenshewasveryyoung,madeanimportantdiscovery:
“Makingmoneyiseasy.”Whichiswhyshecouldgiveupherearthlypossessionsandwalkaround
theworldwithnothingbuttheclothesonherback.Asshesaidabouther28-yearjourney,“Lifeisfull
andlifeisgood….Thereisafeelingofalwaysbeingsurroundedbyallofthegoodthings,likelove
andpeaceandjoy.Itseemslikeaprotectivesurrounding.”
That’sallanyonereallyneeds.Toknowwithsureconvictionthattheworldislimitless,abundant,
andstrangelyaccommodating.
AnecdotalEvidence
“Istronglyencourageyoutoletgoofthesebeliefs.
Theyareinaccurateandmelodramatic
andtheydonotserveyou.”
—CHERYLSTRAYED,AMERICANAUTHOR
Like everyone else on the planet, I received my engraved invitation to participate in the 2008
recession.Normally,Isendregretstothosekindsofoffers.
Ilearnedagesagothatopportunitiesforpainandsufferingarealwaysgoingtobeavailableand
thatifIwasgoingtolivewithintention,it’sbesttosteerclear.I’dhaveneverbecometheauthorof17
books,areporterforPeoplemagazine,andaworldtravelerifI’dacceptedtheonslaughtof“negative
invitations.”
“That’snotpossible,”naysayersinsistedontellingme.“It’shardtowriteabook.Evenharderto
sellit.You’reanunknownfromKansas.YougotB’sinyourjournalismclasses,forGod’ssake.”
“Talktothehand,”I’dalwayssaytothosevoices.“Thatmaybeyourwayofseeingthings,butI
chooseadifferentreality,ahigherpath.”
But after three years of ever-increasing income, even being in a position to turn down a fourth
project for National Geographic, I took the ego’s bait. By then, a constant stream of bad news
dominatedtheheadlines.Myprofession,journalismandbookpublishing,wasamongthehardesthit
by the global downturn. Publishers were cutting back their lines, lowering their advances. Many of
mycolleaguesinthenewspaperbusinessweresuddenlywithoutwork.
Again, I normally don’t listen to such nonsense. I much prefer a spiritual reality that proclaims
abundance no matter what the circumstances. But by 2009, after little by little letting the dire news
seep in, I plucked the aforementioned recession invitation out of the trash. I decided to take just a
peek.
The party was in full swing. My agent was repeating the “nothing’s selling” mantra over by the
punchbowl.Regularclientswereonthecornersofas,moaningabouttheeconomyandtheirneedto
buyless.
Before I knew what happened, I bunny hopped right into the middle of the celebration. I began
singingthe“ain’titawful”bluesalongwiththeparty’sdeejay.Itoldanybodywho’dlistenaboutmy
hardtimes.Beforelong,IconvincedeveryoneIknowthatmycareerasanindependentauthorwas
over.Ievenfooledthemintobelievingthat,afteralltheseyearsonmyown,Iwasold,washed-up,
andasyesterdayastheHistoryChannel.
Iactuallyreveledinthesympathy.
Thenoneday,Igotoutmybeat-upcopyofThinkandGrowRich.AsIreadNapoleonHill’swords
aboutthoughtsbeing“things,”Isuddenlygotit.Lookhowpowerfulmythoughtsandwordshadbeen.
LookwhatI’ddonetomyself.IfIcouldcreatethisdisasterwithnothingbutmythoughts,thenIcould
justaseasilycreatetheopposite.
WhenIthinkbackaboutitnow,I’mslightlyembarrassed.HowcouldIhavefallensobumpilyoff
thewagonI’dusedsosuccessfullyforsomanyyears?Iknowgoodandwellhowthisstuffworks.I
knowthatIcreatemyownreality.Iknowthatlisteningtodoomsayersisthemostfutileexercisein
theworld.
IwastednotimeusingHill’sfamousadvice.Withinaweek,Ihadtwonewassignments.Thebook
contractforE-Squaredcamenext.Ratherthanlivefrugally,theadvicemyfriendswerefreelypassing
out,Idecidedtospendthesummeroverseas,volunteeringandlettingmynewlyrecoveredfaithpay
thebills.
That decision to affirm “I am prosperous, and of course I can afford to travel overseas to
volunteer”wasthebeginningofamorefruitfullife.
Needless to say, I’ve taken that beautifully engraved invitation and ripped it to shreds. And don’t
bother sending any more. Because from now on, my RSVPs to any negativity will say one thing:
“Haveagoodtime.Butdon’texpecttofindmethere.”
TheMethod
“Ifyoucanseeitinyourmind,
youcanholditinyourhand.”
—BOBPROCTOR,AUTHOROFYOUWEREBORNRICH
Because money is so fraught with fear and antiquated old paradigms, I’m posing two subhypotheses(likeIsaid,theworld—andthischapter—iswildlyabundant)inthisexperimenttoprove
themainhypothesis:IfIchangemybeliefsaboutmoney,myfinancialsituationwillchange.
Eachofthetwoexperimentstakesthreedays.
Experiment#1:
JohnnyMoneyseed(orTheCircleCan’tBeBroken)
“Youdon’thaveto‘create’financial
abundance.It’salreadythere.”
—BOBSCHEINFELD,AUTHOROFBUSTINGLOOSEFROMTHEMONEYGAME
Thesub-hypothesis:IfIgiveawaymoney,Iwillreceiveevenmoremoney.
It’saninalterableprinciple.“Whatyougivecomesbacktoyoumultipliedandrunningover.”
During the three days of this experiment, you are going to seed money. You’re going to leave
smallbills(orlargeonesifthat’smoretoyourliking)withnotesaboutyournewfoundbeliefsabout
thenatureofabundance.You’regoingtodothisfreely,playfully,andopenly.
MydaughterTazandIdidthisrecentlyinChicago.Iwaswritingatravelstoryaboutthemighty
Peninsula.Ifit’snotringinganybells,letmejustsaythatthisiswherealltheA-listersstayedwhen
they came to Chicago to bid Oprah adieu. We could see the Magnificent Mile from our suite. We
shopped,sawTheBookofMormon,and,ofcourse,madeareturnengagementtoSecondCity.Inthe
audience,notonthestage.
WealsoperformedthesecretmissionI’maskingyoutoperform.Wetookastackof$5billsand
leftthematbusstops,tapedtoparkbenches.WepinnedthemintoclothesatthestoresonMagnificent
Mile.Witheachfiver,weleftananonymousnoteabouttheabundanceoftheuniverseandhowthisis
justonesmallsignofhowmuchwhoeverfindsitisloved.
Iknow$5isn’tmuch(oneofthesedays,weplantoleavehundies),butforusit’sabout“being”
whowewanttobe—confident,freelygiving—andknowingthataswegive,soshallwereceive.
Weweredoingwhatyou’llbedoinginthisexperiment—buildingmuscle,practicing“being”what
youwanttobe—unitedwithallthatis,knowingwithcompletesuretyyouareprovidedforinevery
way.
Recordwhatcomesbacktoyouduringthe72hours.
Asforme,E-Squaredsurgedto#1ontheNewYorkTimesbestsellerlistwithinafewweeksofthat
experiment.
Experiment#2:PenniesfromHeaven
“Povertyconsciousnessresultsfromwearing…blinderstotheabundanceoflife.”
—GLENDAGREEN ,AMERICANPAINTERANDAUTHOR
Thesub-hypothesis:Moneyiseasytocomeby.
IlearnedthisexperimentfromGregKuhn,mybuddyandfellowauthorwhowritesaboutthesame
stuff I do. He has penned a whole series of books about applying quantum physics to the law of
attraction.(Checkouthiswebsite,www.whyquantumphysicists.com,andhisacclaimedWhy Quantum
Physicists … series.) I particularly love the game he invented called “Grow a Greater Greg,” only
whenIplayit,Ichangethetitleto“GrowaGreaterPam.”Doesn’thavequitethesamering,butyou
getthepoint.
Greg gave me permission to share this experiment that, as he says, puts you into an abundance
mind-setandformscoherencebetweenthequantumfieldandyourfinancialabundance.
It’sprettysimple.Forthenextthreedays,intendtofindpennies:
Ontheground
Inyourpockets
Inyourcar
Onthesidewalk
Everywhere
ConjurethembydwellingnotonWherearethey? but on How exciting it is to manifest a penny!
Afterall,howchallengingisittofindapenny?Penniesarethefruitcakeofthecurrencyworld.Some
peoplethrowthemawaybecausetheyconsiderthemworthless.
And, if you want to look at it that way, pennies are sort of worthless. So you’ll have no trouble
manifestingthemeveryday,becausetheyaresimplynobigdeal.
TheQuantumFieldDoesn’tCareIfYouPlayTricksonIt
Buthere’swheretheexperimentkicksin.You’reactuallygoingtotrickthequantumfield.Don’t
worry—thequantumfieldwon’tcare;itmakesnojudgments,itjustresponds.
Afterfindingapenny,privatelycelebrateitlikeyoujustwonthelottery.Gowayoverboard.Way
overthetop.Getsillywithit.Privatelyshouthosannastotheuniverse!
Doesn’tsoundrealistictocelebratea“dumb”littleoldpenny?Afterall,apennycertainlydoesnot
representtheabundanceyoutrulydesire,doesit?
Buthere’showyoutrickthequantumfieldwiththisgame.Whatyoucelebrateisnottheamountthe
penny represents; you celebrate the principle it represents. You celebrate the principle that the
universeisinfinitelyabundantandthatmanifestingischild’splay.
Youarecelebratingtheuniverse“goosing”youwiththispenny—gettingyourattentionandsaying,
“Hey,mywonderful,mostspecialchild!Iamatyourservice,andIcanandwillcreateanythingyour
heart desires! And I can create your heart’s desire just as easily as I created this penny! Isn’t that
awesome?!”
TheQuantumFieldWantstoGiveYouMoreofWhatYouCelebrate
And the trick is, the quantum field doesn’t know the difference between your celebrating the
amountversuscelebratingthereminder.Thequantumfieldsimplyformscoherencewithyourenergy
of“thisisawesome”andreadilylinesuptobringyoumoreofit.
And you benefit because you can truly, realistically, and believably celebrate the reminder of
abundanceeachpennyrepresentsinthesuper-grand,Fourth-of-July-fireworksstyleI’msuggesting.
LabReportSheet
TheCorollary:YourNewB.F.F.Corollary
TheTheory:Moneyisnothingbutenergyandareflectionofmybeliefs.
TheQuestion:AmIblockingabundancebyhangingontoabunchofoldideasthatnolongerserve
me?
TheHypothesis:IfIchangemybeliefsaboutmoney,theworld’snaturalabundancewillrushin.
Sub-hypothesis#1:IfIgiveawaymoney,Iwillreceiveevenmoremoney.
Sub-hypothesis#2:Moneyiseasytocomeby.
TimeRequired:72hourseach
DateofFirstExperiment:__________Time:__________
Deadline:__________
Results:____________________________________________________
DateofSecondExperiment:__________Time:__________
Deadline:__________
Results:____________________________________________________
TheApproach:I’mgoingtoputonmyactingheelsandactlikethedivaIwasmeanttobe.I’mgoing
toobservehowtheuniverseresponds.Forthefirst72hours,I’mgoingtogivewhatIwanttoget,
trustingthatitisimpossibletooutgivetheuniverse.Andforthefinal72hours,I’mgoingtoalign
withthequantumfieldbyhuntingforpennies.
ResearchNotes:____________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
“IrealizedthatIneededtodoalittleremixingonhowIfeltaboutmoney.”
—FELICIASPAHR,AUTHOROFSELLINGFORSUCCESS
RAININGCATSANDBLOGS
Monetize,Schmonetize:TheRealJuiceIsintheGiftEconomy
“Whenyourealizethereisnothinglacking,thewholeworldbelongstoyou.”
—LAO-TZU ,CHINESEPHILOSOPHERANDPOET
You don’t need Alex Trebek or “buzzwords for $5,000” to know that the Internet’s top trend
rightnowis“HowdoImonetizemywebsite?Myblog?MyTwitterfeed?”EvenYouTubeoffers
monetizationtoprolificvideouploaders.
SinceI’vebeenaccusedofbeinga“subversivepresenceontheplanet,”Iwanttotalkaboutthe
exactopposite.
Howdoyouun-monetizeyourlife?Howdoyougoagainsttheculture’sdominantparadigmof
wantingto“alwaysget,get,get”andpracticewhat’sknownasthegifteconomy?
Thegifteconomy,aphilosophymorethanafinancialpractice,isoneinwhichpeoplerefuseto
believeinscarcityandfear.Insteadofalwaystryingto“getmore,”agifteconomyisforthose
lookingforwaystheycangive.It’ssoradicalthatmostpeoplecan’tevenunderstandit.
I pitched a story about the gift economy to my editor at People magazine. She loves heroes,
goodnews,andheartwarminghuman-intereststories.ButeventhoughIgaveherthreespecific
examplesofpeopleworkingsolelyinthegifteconomy,shecouldn’tunderstandit.“Buthowdoes
itwork?”shekeptrepeating.
Itworks,althoughIcouldneverexplainthisspiritualbelieftoher,becauseonceyougiveup
your incessant fear and belief that it’s a dog-eat-dog, every-man-for-himself world, abundance
can’thelpbutshowupinyourlife.It’sactuallytherealityofthehumancondition,butaslongas
we’re“monetizing”anderectingwallsoffear,weblockabundance.
Perhaps the best example of the gift economy is Nipun Mehta, the guy I begged my People
editortoletmeprofile.InApril1999,whenhewas25,hegaveuphislucrativepaycheckatSun
Microsystems to become a full-time volunteer. A fan of Gandhi, who said, “Be the change you
wish to see in the world,” Mehta started “giving” as an experiment. He started with money (he
gave to charity), moved on to giving of his time (volunteering at a hospice), and then decided
he’dgofull-time,givingofhimselfunconditionallywithnostringsattached.Thirteenyearslater,
hisexperimenthasbeenahugesuccess.
Hestartedafreerestaurantandafreeinspirationalmagazineandhasgivenawayhundredsof
millions of dollars in free tech services. He’s a Stanford-trained engineer who was raking it in
during the dot-com heyday. But he wasn’t sure that’s where happiness lay. He works with a
networkofmorethan100,000volunteerswhooperateonthreeprinciples:
1. Everythingisstrictlyvolunteer.Moneyisnevercharged.
2. Nooneeverasksformoney.Manycharitiesdogoodwork,buttheyallaskfordonations.
Theydoendlessfund-raising.Hesaysthatforcespeopleintoaneedyspaceandheprefers
comingfromabeliefinabundanceandthegoodnessofhumankind.Andindeed,money
hasshownupinspades(fromthebillionairefounderofSony,asjustoneexample)and
fromanonymousdonorswhosendinchecksfor$10,000ormore.ButMehtaandcrew
neveraskorexpect.
3. Theyfocusonsmallactions.“Youjusttakecareofwhatyoucantouch,givetowhatever
isinfrontofyou,”hesays,andtherippleeffectshaveorganizedintowhathecallstheir
ownmagic.“Icantellyoustoryafterstory.”
TheKarmaKitchenthatheandfellowvolunteersstartedinBerkeley,California(thereareno
pricesonthemenuandthecheckreads$0.00),spawnedKarmaKitchensinWashington,D.C.,and
Chicago.
“We don’t charge for anything, nor do we advertise anything. The project is sustained by
anonymousfriendswhodonatewhattheycan,notasapaymentforwhattheyhavereceivedbutas
apay-it-forwardactforsomeonetheydon’tknow,”Mehtasays.
In place of financial capital, Mehta and his network of volunteers are building social capital,
synergycapital,andatypeofsubtlecapitalbeyonddefinition.
AnotheroneofmyheroesisEthanHughes,whostartedtheSuperheroesAlliance,agroupof
700 living, breathing superheroes. He and his wife, Sarah, give away everything they grow on
their farm at the Possibility Alliance. They’ve given away goats, fruit bushes, seeds, soil, and
compost.They’vedonatedtreestoeverymajorcityinMissouri.Mostimportant,theyhostmore
than 1,500 people a year who come to their farm from around the country to learn about
permaculture.Permacultureclassesnormallystartatabout$1,500,butEthanandSarahgivethem
awayfree.
“Atfirstpeopleareshocked,”Ethanexplains.“SofewmainstreamAmericansbelievesomeone
wouldactuallygivesomethingawayforfreewithnoulteriormotives.We’reinacynicalsociety
thatrarelytrustssomeonewhosays,‘Hey,Ijustwanttohelp.’”
The Hugheses and their network of volunteers have helped build a library, bucked hay for a
fellow farmer, cleaned up city parks, and donated something like 50,000 hours of community
service…allwithnoexpectation.
“It’sreallyimportanttometocreateaccess,andthegifteconomyisaboutaccess,”Ethansays.
“It’saboutsharinganexperienceofgenerositythathasthepotentialtoshiftboththegiverandthe
recipient.”
That’s why I say, “Forget monetizing.” Think about something important, like the gifts you
havetogive.
EXPERIMENT#6
THENATUREVS.NEWSCOROLLARY(ORWHYYOU
SHOULDREALLYGETOUTMORE)
Meme:MyJobIstoRule,Control,andProtectMyselffromNature.
Worldview2.0:TheFieldofInfinitePotentialityOffersaDivine24-7Buzz.
“Theearthhasmusicforthosewholisten.”
—GEORGESANTAYANA,AMERICANPHILOSOPHERANDPOET
ThePremise
Quick.Tellmewhichphasethemoonisin?Today,rightnow.Isitwaxing?Waning?Isitfull?Isit
new?
What?Youhavenoidea?
Yet,IbetyouknowexactlywhichnewdysfunctionhappenedtodayinCongress,whichnewterror
threatit’snownecessarytofear.YoumighthaveevenpostedawarningonFacebook(andfeltnoble
for doing so) about tainted dog food or about some new strain of bacteria recently discovered in
restaurantsaladbars.
WhatI’dliketosuggestinthisthree-dayexperimentisthatalltheimportantstuffyouneedtoknow
ishappeningrightoutsideyourwindow,rightthereinyourneighborhood,rightinyourownheart.
And that what you pick up from the news media has no real relevance to your life. Except for the
blocksiterectsbetweenyouandtheFP.
I realize this is probably a striking departure. From the time your third-grade teacher instructed
youtobringinanewsclippingfromthelocalpaper,you’vebeentaughtthat“news”isabsolutefact,
vitallyimportanttoyourwell-beingandsomethingthatreallysharpandtogetherpeoplefollowwith
zealousabandon.Afterall,itaddstoyourswaggertobeabletotalkcurrenteventsatparties,tobe
abletowhipoutyourcommandofthelatestheadlinesonjobinterviews.
Thisexperimentwillprovethat“news”isjustonecorporation’sopinion,moreorlessirrelevantto
your well-being, and that really sharp and together people couldn’t care less what newscasters are
blatheringonabouttoday.ThepeopleIadmireandhopetoemulateknowtheonlythingthatreally
mattersistheindestructiblejoyandpulseoflifebeingbroadcastfromeverytree,everystar,every
birdontheplanet.Theyknowthatreallife(asopposedtothematerialstuffthenewsmediaplaceson
avauntedpedestal)iscreatedfrombeingintunewiththeuniversalbroadcast,theSacredBuzz.
Thisexperimentwillprovethatthemedia,thatnamelessgroupofoutletsthatdictatereality,haveit
all wrong. And that the most important thing you could ever do for yourself is pay attention to the
collective rhythm and wisdom emanating from the larger whole. By synchronizing yourself with
nature’sbiorhythms,you’lltapintoawholenewveinofconsciousness.You’llconnectwithasentient
universepervadedbyanalways-vibratingdivinebuzz.Iknowitsoundsbigandcosmicandperhaps
evenbeyondyourken,butit’sreallythemostnaturalthingintheworldand,onceyougetthehangof
it,agazilliontimesmoreresourcefulandricherincontentthananythingBillO’Reillymightsay.
By entering into reverent communion with the natural world (and, yes, that’s the world right
outside your window, no need to plan another eco-vacation), you’ll be led on wild adventures into
magicalandinvisiblerealms.
TheThrobbing,PulsingNow
“Eventhoughthetruthisabsolutelyoutthere,it’snot
necessarilywhatpeoplepayattentionto.”
—EVWILLIAMS,CO-FOUNDEROFT WITTER
This experiment will show you that real wisdom is readily available when you turn off the
bombardmentofsensationknownasthenews.Byinvestinginthefakenews,themade-upnews,the
crapwereadontheInternet,wemissthetrulyrelevantnewsthat’shappeningrighthere.Rightnow.
WhatishappeningonthesetofJenniferAniston’slatestflickorwhatJohnBoehnerdidordidn’tsay
hasnorealrelevancetoyourlife.
Ignoringanddiscountingthingslikethestars,theplants,andthesliverofawaxingmoon,whose
cyclesaffecteverythingfromtidestofiddlercrabstooursleephabits,blindsustoamajorforceof
energy that we could and should be using in our favor. Being disconnected from the natural world
wreakshavoconourbodies.Ignoringthingsthataffectusdeeplyandslavishlyfollowingthingsthat
havelittleornoimpactcausesstress,depression,andanxiety.
Ifwewanttocreatemoreenergyandthereforemore“bandwidth”forajoyfullife,wemustbegin
topayattentiontothingsthatmatter.Andletgoofallthethingsthatdon’t.
TrueConfession
“Media.IthinkIhaveheardofher.
Isn’tshetheonewhokilledherchildren?”
—NEILGAIMAN ,BRITISHAUTHOR
Imightaswelljustsayit.
I,PamGrout,amamemberoftheworld’slargestterroristorganization.
As a freelance journalist who writes for People magazine, CNN, The Huffington Post, and other
media outlets, I plead guilty, here and now, for having perpetuated rumors, exaggerations, and
untruths.Inotherwords,promotingterror.
OneofthefirsttenetsIlearnedinthehallowedhallsofKedzieatKansasStateUniversity,whereI
attendedjournalismschool,was“Ifitbleeds,itleads.”Thatwouldn’tbeaproblemifwedidn’tform
somanyofouropinionsfromthealmightynewsmedia.Butweactuallybuythecrazyheadlines.We
actuallybelievethisstuff.
Recently,oneofthetoptrendingstoriesonHuffingtonPost was about the dangers of pathogenic
microbes on restaurant lemon wedges. Even though these microbes are ubiquitous (the researcher
alsofoundthemonketchupbottles,saltandpeppershakers,menus,andtablesurfaces),theheadline
thatconvincedhundredsofthousandstogaspinfearandquicklyclicktothelinkwasthis:“ThisWill
MakeYouNever,EverWanttoPutaLemonWedgeInYourWaterAgain.”
Imean,howcanyouresistaheadlinelikethat?
Which is what the news is all about. Coming up with a sound bite or a news peg that will scare
viewers or readers into paying attention, giving them a click or a like, making their numbers look
goodsoadvertiserswillbuymoreads.
Again, putting our faith in this nonsense wouldn’t be an issue if our thoughts and their resulting
beliefs and consciousness weren’t such powerhouses. But our consciousness and our thoughts are
musclemen, stepping out into the field of potentiality and bringing back the very circumstances,
weather,disease,anddysfunctionweinvestin.Becauseweformsomanyofouropinionsfromthe
almightynewsmedia,weshouldallbehigh-fivingandfist-bumpingeachotherforthemerefactthat
wehaven’tputarazorbladetoourwristsyet.
But here’s what I know. What we see in the news media is a tiny speck of a reality far removed
from true Reality. It’s so limited in dimension and scope of understanding that to pay such close
attention is like unknowingly having one of those “please kick me” signs pinned to your back.
Combined with the lessons we learned from our parents (Money doesn’t grow on trees … It’s
important to grow up, work hard, and put your nose to the grindstone … Johnny, don’t you dare go
outside this house without your pants on …) and our own resulting terrorist thoughts, we’re pretty
muchscrewed.
Exceptwearen’t.
Mass media show the blood, the ambulances, the crying family members. But in my work as a
reporter for People magazine, where, yes, I report on tornadoes and kidnappings and whole towns
beingwashedawaybyfloods,Iwitnessthemostincredibledisplaysofgenerosity,theveryfinestof
thehumanspirit.
It’sAlive!
“Itisonlyhumanarrogance,andthefactthatthelives
ofplantsunfoldinwhatamountstoamuchslower
dimensionoftime,thatkeepusfromappreciatingtheir
intelligenceandconsequentsuccess.”
—MICHAELPOLLAN ,AMERICANAUTHOR
In this experiment, you’re going to tune out the news and tune in nature’s Divine Broadcast that
forever proclaims its love. This Sacred Buzz can be heard in every crocus poking through the
ground.Ineverymockingbirdditty.Ineverycoolbreezecaressingyourcheek.
For the next three days, you’re going to cast your line into the collective knowledge of the
universe.You’regoingtocommunewithnature,getintimatewiththenaturalworld.You’regoingto
take time to listen to the planet and all her creatures, who, despite our constant harassment, still
understandbalanceandthedivineequilibrium.
According to those who have taken time to listen, nature imparts volumes of information. Of
course,youdohavetolayasidealotofpreconceivednotions,dogmas,andpersonalprejudices.
Luther Burbank—the famous botanist who identified more than 800 new plant species, including
theShastadaisy,thefreestonepeach,andtherussetpotato—believedthatgettinginharmonywiththe
universe was the only worthy source of “news.” Tuning in to the glowing, luminous natural world
was how he successfully crossbred the hundreds of new species that he advertised in his wildly
successfulcatalog,NewCreationsinFruitsandFlowers.Hebelievedallofuscanreceivemessages
fromthemagnetic,electrical,andvibrationalforcesoftheuniverse.
Morerecently,MichaelPollan,inanarticleforTheNewYorker,reportedonanewbreedofplant
scientists who are proving that there’s a lot more operating here in the universe than we initially
believedandthatwhatwecan’tseewiththenakedeyeismoreimportantthanwhatwedosee.
TheyLockPeopleUpforThis
“Wewerenevermeanttobe
theonlyplayersonthisstage.”
—DANIELQUINN,AUTHOROFISHMAEL
Yes,inthisexperimentwe’regoingtoplayaroundwithalittleinterspeciescommunication.You’re
goingtotalktoatree.Oraplantorsomethingthatyouhavealwaysbelievedwasincapableoftalking
back.Don’tlaugh.MichaelCrichton,theHarvard-educateddoctorwholeftmedicinetowritebooks
andmoviescreenplays(JurassicPark),aswellascreateTVshows(ER),spentacoupleofweeksin
theCaliforniadeserttalkingtoacactus.Inhismemoir,Travels,hewroteaboutaphone-free,drugfreeworkshopwithJoyBrugh,alsoadoctor,wherehelearnedtomeditate,seeandmoveenergy,and
yes,getguidancefromacactus.
As he explained, he was skeptical and not really sure he wanted to admit to talking to a battered
phalliccactuswiththornsandscars.Orletonthathebrokedownsobbingwhen,onthelastday,the
cactus said to him, “It’s been good having you here with me.” Even after he returned home, he
questionedhissanity,wonderedifhe’dmadeanysignificantpersonalgains.
“Theenergyworkwasreal.Themeditationswerereal,butwhatgoodwasitifyoucouldn’tapply
ittoyourdailylife?”heasked.
Itwasn’tuntillaterwhenhelookedbackandsawthat,withineightmonthsofreturningfromthe
desert,hehadchangedhisrelationships,hisresidence,hiswork,hisdiet,hisinterests,andhisgoals.
“Infact,”hesaid,“Ichangedeverythinginmylifethatcouldbechanged.Thesechangeswereso
sweepingthatIcouldn’tseewhatwashappeningwhileIwasinthemidstofthem.”
Andtherewasoneotherchange,too.
“I’vebecomeveryfondofcacti,andIalwayshavesomearound,whereverIlive.”
AnecdotalEvidence
“Youalreadyhaveinsideyoueverythingyou’veever
wantedorlookedforelsewhere.”
—SARAAVANTSTOVER,AUTHOROFTHEWAYOFTHEHAPPYWOMAN
GeorgeWashingtonCarver—thegreatAmericanscientistandinventorwhocameupwithhundreds
of uses for the lowly legume and practically saved the economy of the South after the boll weevil
devastated the cotton crop—knew all about the Divine Broadcast. Not only was he one of the first
Americans to be inducted into Britain’s Royal Society of Arts, but he was also friends with three
AmericanPresidents.
Andwhile,yes,hehadseveraladvanceddegreesandtaughtatseveralcolleges,hewasthefirstto
admit that all his “scientific” discoveries, the brilliance that made him so famous, came from his
connection to God or what I call the field of potentiality (FP). Every morning, very early, Carver
walked for many miles. He connected with nature, and it was that communion, indeed the plants
themselves,thattoldhimhowtoturnpeanutsandsoybeansandsweetpotatoesintothemorethan100
commercialproductshedeveloped.
Ashesaid,“Ithinkofnatureasanunlimitedbroadcastingstation,throughwhichGodspeakstous
everyhour,ifwewillonlytunein….Readingaboutnatureisfine,butifapersonwalksinthewoods
andlistenscarefully,hecanlearnmorethanwhatisinbooks.”
Carversaidheneverhadtogropeformethods.Anythingheneededtoknowwaseasilyrevealedto
him.“WithoutGodtodrawasidethecurtain,”hesaid,“Iwouldbehelpless.”
Likewise,AlbertEinstein,themanwecreditasbeingtheworld’sforemostgenius,wasconnected
tothishigherenergy.
Call it what you will, but nature/God/the FP has answers to every alleged “problem” and
“devastatedeconomy”thatseemstochallengeus.Onceweletgoofallwethinkwe“know”andmake
itourgoaltoconnecttothisunlimited,all-knowing,all-lovingforce,newdiscoveriesandbrilliance
willrushinfromeveryside.
BecomingaHorse(orPlantorTree)Whisperer
“Anythingwillgiveupitssecretsifyouloveitenough.”
—GEORGEWASHINGTON CARVER,AMERICANSCIENTIST
Soyeah,I’mabouttosuggestthatyouengageinwhatmostpeoplewouldlabel“crazybehavior.”
Dr. Doolittle aside, most civilized Westerners don’t partake of riveting conversation with their
ferrets.Yet,theanimalworld,theplantworld,theworldthatwediscountwithouremphasisonafivesensesreality,hasalottosay.
Manyaboriginalpeopleconsidertheabilitytosendandreceivemessages,tocommunicateandtalk
withallofnature,nobigdeal.Itisn’taspecialgift.It’sapartofeverydaylife,asnaturalandnormal
asusingvocalizedlanguage.Peoplewhocan’taccessthe“humoftheuniverse”seemlikeananomaly
tothem,thewayweviewsomeoneborndeaf.
PsychologistRobertWolff,whospentseveraldecadesworkingwiththeSng’oioftheMalaysian
rainforest,saysitusedtomystifyhimwhenhisfriendAhmeed,withouttheuseoftelephones,clocks,
orcalendars,wouldsomehowknowtheexactdayhewasreturningfromtheWestandwouldbethere
at the drop-off waiting to help with his bags. In stark contrast to today’s industrial societies, the
Sng’oi possessed an acute and uncanny attunement to the energies and emotions of their
surroundings,givingthemwhatWolffcalled“superhuman”powersofknowing.
Intriguedbythetribe’scompletelackoffearandanxiety,Wolffeventuallyapprenticedhimselfto
Ahmeed,eventuallylearnedtostillhisverbal,analyticalmindandexperiencewhathecallsthe“unity
ofalllife.”HesaidtheSng’oiwereintouchwiththatdeepconnectionthattherestofuskeeptrying
to regain through books, tapes, and seminars. Although the Sng’oi and their rain forest were
eventually cleared by Komatsu bulldozers, Wolff, in this book Original Wisdom, says this trusting,
intuitiveconnection,thisoriginalintelligence,canbereclaimed.
According to Anna Breytenbach, a former Silicon Valley IT professional who now works with
veterinarians and conservation officials as an animal communicator, the ability to transfer
informationbetweenminds,beithumanoranimal,ishardwiredintothedesignofourbrains.The
trick,shesays,isbecomingempatheticallyconnectedandopeninguptotheelectromagneticimpulses
generatedbythoughtsandemotions.
NoStruggleWhenYou’reOnewithNature
“Ittakesatouchofgenius—andalotof
courage—tomoveintheoppositedirection.”
—ALBERTEINSTEIN ,GERMAN-BORNPHYSICIST
OnDecember14,2005,theSanFranciscoChronicleranastoryaboutafemalehumpbackwhale,
who,afterbeingfreedfromaspiderwebofcrabtrapsandlines,wentbacktothankthediverswho
spent several hours untangling her. After swimming in joyous circles, she went back to each diver
and, one at a time, nudged them and looked them in the eye, a profound experience that one of the
diverssaid“changed”himforever.
IalsolovethisstoryaboutaherdofAfricanelephantswhocametosalutetheirformertrainerafter
hisdeath.Eventhoughhehadretiredandhadn’tworkedwiththeminseveralyears,theysomehow
knewhehaddied,andwalkedmanymilestoformacircleofrespectaroundhishome.
TheMethod
“AllIknowiswhatIreadinthepapers,
andthat’sanalibiformyignorance.”
—WILLROGERS,AMERICANHUMORIST
Forthenextthreedays,I’dlikeyoutosubstitutethetimeyounormallyspendwatchingthenews,
reading a newspaper, and trawling Facebook with walking around your neighborhood. Don’t even
thinkabouttakingyourphone.ThisisbetweenyouandBigMommaNature.
Observeeverythingandbeopentotheideathattheplants,trees,andanimalsinyourneighborhood
havesomethingimportanttotellyou.Bewillingtoheartheirnonstopvibrationthatoffersallsortsof
valuableinformation.
Anyothernews(like,say,therecentfamineinAfrica)doesn’treallymattertoyouduringthetime
frameofthisexperiment.Butthat’sheartless,Ihearyousaying.
Being in reverent communion with the natural world is actually a path with far more heart. In
reality,there’snotmuchyoucandoaboutthefamineinAfrica(exceptcontributeworryandguiltto
theuniversalenergy),butthere’salotyoucandoaboutyourimmediateneighborhood.Andoncewe
allgetbackintoharmonywiththeuniversalenergy,endingthosefaminesinAfricawillbeasnap.
Taketimetoreallylookatthepeopleinyourlife.Watchthemwithfull-bodiedamazement.Pretend
asifyou’remeetingthemfortheveryfirsttime.
Bepresenttothesunrise.Tothesunset.Andeverypreciousmomentinbetween.Listentothebirds.
Beopentomessagesfromyourpets.
Paycloseattentiontothemoon,andifsomebodyasksyouthequestionIaskedatthebeginningof
thischapter,bepreparedwithananswer.
LabReportSheet
TheCorollary:TheNaturevs.NewsCorollary
TheTheory:Avibrating,pulsingfieldwithmysticalinformationisavailableifIpayattention.
The Question: Is it possible that I’m seeing and believing in features of life that have no real
relevance?AndthatI’mmissinglife-changingwisdomandlessonsbecauseI’mfocusedonthewrong
things?Isitpossiblethatnatureitselfhasamessageforme?
The Hypothesis: The more I’m connected to natural cycles and rhythms, the more energy and
bandwidthofjoyareavailabletome.
Today’sDate:__________Time:__________
TheApproach:Forthenextthreedays,I’mgoingtobanthenewsmedia(andyes,Facebook)from
my awareness. Instead, I will seek the news from the natural world as I go outside and walk in my
neighborhood.Iwillactivelyseekandexpectanimportantmessage.
ResearchNotes:____________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
“Man[shouldspend]lesstimeprovingthat
hecanoutwitNatureandmoretimetastingher
sweetnessandrespectingherseniority.”
—E.B.WHITE,AMERICANAUTHOR
RAININGCATSANDBLOGS
Factsvs.Truth
“Really,weren’tthesefactsjustplaceholdersuntilthelongviewcouldreallyassertitself?”
—DAVIDLEVITHAN ,AMERICANAUTHOR
I’m a journalist, trained, degreed, the whole nine yards. In fact, I started my illustrious
journalismcareerattheKansasCityStar,thesamenewspaperwhereErnestHemingwayandWalt
Disneycommencedtheirroadtofame.
Thelastfewyears,however,I’vebeguntoaltermybeliefsabout“thefacts”I’mswornbymy
professiontoseek.I’mnotsosurethat“justthefacts,ma’am”ishelpfulanymore.Infact,these
so-calledfactscreateanegativeenergeticmomentumthatInolongerwanttoperpetuate.
The “facts” I now choose to report are that happiness is our birthright, that love is the only
reality, and that the only reason “facts” sometimes look otherwise is because that’s what we’ve
spentsomanyyearsfocusingupon.Inowknowthatit’sunproductivetotalkabout,reporton,or
giveattentiontoanythingIdon’twant.AndanytimeIdon’tfeeljoyfulandatpeaceisbecauseI’m
givingattentiontosomethingthatdisagreeswithmySource.Tousetheoldradioanalogy,I’ve
tunedintoan“oldiesstation”thatstillbelievesinpainandsuffering.
I’mnowcommittedtobringingadifferentenergytotheparty.Anenergyoflove,anenergy
thatseesonlybeauty,anenergythatrecognizestheTruth(andthereissuchathingasTruthwitha
capitalT,whichisdifferentfrom“facts”)ineveryperson.
I believe that’s what Jesus meant when he said, “Turn the other cheek.” He wasn’t suggesting
that we should walk around with bruised cheeks and black eyes. He was saying that we should
begin moving in a different direction, turn our cheeks, so to speak, to a higher, brighter, more
pleasingreality.
“Facts”aresimplyhabitsofthoughtwe’vebeenthinkingsolongthattheynowseemnormal.
Whenweinvestinthemoverandoveragain,wevalidatethem.Wecreatemoreofthem.“Facts”
fillinaroundthosebeliefs.
Quantumphysicshasproventhatit’simpossibletoobserveanythingwithoutaffectingit.Sadly,
we’vebeenseeking(andthereforeaffecting)thingsthatnolongerserveus.We’vebeenseeking
“facts”thatwereperpetuatedlongbeforeweevolvedtotheplacewherewerealizedwehavethe
powertochangethem.And,yes,they’vepickedupquiteabitofmomentum.Butatanytime,we
can“turntheothercheek”andlookinadifferentdirection.
Asforme,I’mturningmycheektowardjoy,towardpeaceofmind,towardtheideathatallof
uscanbefreeandabundantandlivinglivesofinsatiablewell-being.
EXPERIMENT#7
THE“IFYOUSAYSO”COROLLARY(ORYOURWORDSARE
WANDSTHATSHAPEYOURLIFE)
Meme:WhatISayDoesn’tMatterBesides,I’mOnlyRespondingtoWhatISee.
Worldview2.0:IWillBringAbundanceandJoyintoMyLifeOnceIStopTalkingSmackaboutIt.
“Words[are]thingsofbeauty,eachlikeamagicalpowderorpotionthatcouldbecombinedwith
otherwordstocreatepowerfulspells.”
—DEAN KOONTZ,AMERICANAUTHOR
ThePremise
Last I checked, the Yellow Pages doesn’t have an entry for “Prophets” like they probably would
havebackinbiblicaldays.Butifyouwantaglimpseintoyourfuture,listentothewordsyouuseto
describe yourself and your life. When you say things like “This is going to be a great day,” or
“Thingsalwaysworkoutforme,”youareusingyourwordstoprophesyapositivefuture.
However, most of us, instead of utilizing the magic potion of our words, throw them around
carelesslylikeconfettiataparty.Asin:
“It’sflu-and-coldseason.I’llprobablygetit.”
“Ihavetriedeverydietoutthere,andIstillcan’tloseweight.”
“I’msuchanidiot.WhatwasIthinking?”
At this point, most of us have little control over the ticker tape of thoughts that run through our
minds,butwecanmonitorthecommentarythatproceedsoutofourmouths.
Will Bowen, a former Unity minister who passed out purple bracelets to his congregation,
challenging them to go 21 days without complaining, said he was shocked by how often he uttered
negativity. During the first week of his challenge to refrain from complaining, gossiping, or
criticizing,hispersonalbestwassixhours.Andheisatrainedminister.
Eventually,Bowencompletedthe21-daychallenge(ittookseveralmonths)andhisstorysweptthe
world, landing him spots in People magazine (compliments of yours truly), on Oprah, and on the
Today show. Hundreds of thousands took the www.acomplaintfreeworld.org challenge, eventually
sharingwithBowenthatreformattingtheirmentalharddriverelievedthemofchronicpain,healed
relationships,improvedcareers,andmadethemoverallhappierpeople.
ButlikeBowen,theyweresurprisedbyhowautomaticandrotetheirconversationsare.Someone
askshowweare,andwithoutevengivingitanythought,werepeat,“Fine,thankyou.Howareyou?”
Someonetellsusabouthergreat-auntEthelgettingpancreaticcancerandwesay,“Oh,I’msosorry.
That’shorrible.”
Andusually,atthesametimeweblurtoutourlearnedresponses,ourbrainsrapidlyleafthrough
the file of information we’ve stored thus far about pancreatic cancer or cancer in general or about
ourfriend,totallyunrelated,whohasbreastcancer.AsIsaid,it’sallautomaticandrote.
WordsCallinVictoryorDefeat
“Youcanchangeyourworldbychangingyourwords.”
—JOELOSTEEN,PASTOROFHOUSTON’SLAKEWOODCHURCH
When my sister was in grade school, she believed each person was given a certain allotment of
words. She was very judicious with what she said, because she thought that once she used up her
allotment,she’deitherdieorbecomemute,neitheranoutcomeshedesired.Luckily,shenowknows
thatwords,liketelemarketers,areprettymuchunlimited,butthatcareinselectingwhichonestouse
isaskillfromwhichwecouldallbenefit.
Every morning, we get the chance to bless our day or curse it. We can use words to describe a
situation, or we can use them to change a situation. For example, you can call all your besties to
complainhowyourhusbandnevercomplimentsyou,oryoucantellthetaleofwhenyoufirstfellin
love.Bothtruestories.Completelydifferentenergy.
Toendlesslytellthetaleofhowheforgotyourbirthdayoraboutyourbosswhodoesn’tappreciate
youislikewatchingSpider-Man3overandover.Itwasn’tverygoodthefirsttimeyousawit,andit
won’tgetbetterifyouwatchitagain.
MostofusaresavvyenoughnottorushtoNetflixwhenourleastfavoritemoviescomeout,so
whydoweinsistonrunningrepeatsoftheleastfavoriteeventsinourlives?Tocontinuerehashing
thingsthatdidn’tpleaseusmakesnosense.Replayingnegativestoriesonlyaddsenergytothemand
emits a frequency that attracts more events with similar frequencies. Especially when we could use
ourallotmentofwordstoinspire,uplift,andencourage.
Justlikeit’simportanttoheadwestifyou’regoingtoCalifornia,it’simportanttosendyourwords
outinthedirectionyou’dlikeyourlifetogo.
IDoDeclare
“Somepeopledailychant,‘Iain’tgotnomoney,’and
wonderwhytheydon’thaveenoughmoney.Others
chant,‘I’mnotworthyorgoodenough,’andwonderwhy
theyarediscouragedandnotabletohavetherelationship,
career,andlifetheydesire.People‘language’themselves
intomanifestationstheyreallydon’twant.”
—REV.DR.T ERRYCOLE-WHITTAKER,AMERICANMINISTERANDNEWT HOUGHTAUTHOR
The universe wants you to prosper and be healthy. It wants to provide for your every need, but
whenyoukeepblatheringonabout“nevergettinganybreaks”orthe“downslidingeconomy,”ithas
nochoicebuttomatchyoufrequencyforfrequency.
Justlikeyoucan’twatchNBCwhenyourremotecontrolentersthesignalforABC,you’llnever
prosperifyoukeepmoaningaboutyourpiteouslife.Youcan’ttalklackandpovertyandexpectan
abundantlife.Youcan’tcontinuetoharpabouthowbadeverythingisandexpectittogetbetter.
The universe is like the order taker at McDonald’s. If can’t give you a Big Mac if you keep
orderinganEggMcMuffin.
Hereareafewselectionsonthemenuoflife:
“I’vegoneasfarasIcango.”
“I’llneverbreakthisaddiction.”
“I’mnotthattalented.”
“I’mnotqualified.”
“I’dbewastingmytimetoaskthatgirlout.”
“Iamblessed.”
“Theuniversesuppliesallmyneeds.”
“Iliveindivinehealth.”
“There’smorewherethatcamefrom.”
“Theuniverseisopeningnewdoorsforme.”
Whenwegetourwordsgoingintherightdirection,obstaclesclearout,thingsturnaround,and
lifestartstowork.
TellItLikeYouWantIttoBe
“WordscanbelikeX-raysifyouusethem
properly—they’llgothroughanything.”
—ALDOUSHUXLEY,AUTHOROFBRAVENEWWORLD
I have a friend who shall not be named that regularly accuses me of being a pie-in-the-sky
Pollyanna.Shethinkstalkingonlyaboutthegoodandthebeautifulisdenyingfacts.
Buthere’smyposition.“Facts”arenotthatinteresting.Imuchpreferdiscussingpossibilities.Sure
those studies, those government reports, those doctors’ prognoses declare what she might call
irrefutable“facts.”Buttome,they’renothingbutacatapultforsomethingbetter.
Ibelievethemostimportantfacultywepossessisourimagination,andthatbyaligningitwiththe
fieldofinfinitepotentiality,wecancreatesomethingsomuchbetterthan“currentfacts.”Harpingon
about“currentfacts”justcallsinmoreofthesame.Towasteourtimeon“appearances”isdenying
thepowerwehavetochangethingsforthebetter.Iwouldmuchratherdeny“facts”thandenymyown
abilitytoimaginesomethingbetter.Mywordsaretheseedsthatplantthepossibilities.
Wecancontinuetofocuson“whatis”or“whatappearstobe,”orwecanfocusonwhatwecan
better imagine. “What is” is simply what we’ve been focusing on. “What could be” is much more
interesting.Atleasttome.
Those“facts”thatmyfriendaccusesmeofdenyingarenothingbuttheharvestofthewordsoflack
andproblemswespokeupuntilnow.
GettingBuckedOfftheHorseYetAgain
“Somepeoplehaveawaywithwords,
andotherpeople…oh,uh,nothaveway.”
—STEVEMARTIN ,AMERICANCOMEDIAN
WhenIturned50,Ithrewmyhandsintheairandbasicallydecidedthatmylifewasover.Mymany
yearsofbeingatall,hotblondewereabouttocomescreechingtoahalt.Oratleastthat’swhatIkept
tellingeveryone.
HavingsupportedafriendwhoisolderthanIamthroughmenopause,Iknewgoodandwellwhat
wascoming.Myskinwasgoingtowrinkleandshrivelup,myovarieswoulddoadisappearingact,
andmyemotionswereabouttocompetewiththeConeyIslandCyclonefornumberofupsanddowns.
I was like Paul Revere, riding my “woe is me” horse through the night, “Menopause is coming.
Menopauseiscoming.”
One day, while rigorously going through yet another book on how to cope with this horrible
affliction, I finally got it. I am prophesying the future with my words and expectations. With my
insistenceonlookingforsignsofimpendingdoom,myrepeatedchantsof“Isitme?Orisithotin
here?”werepavingthewayforadifficulttransitionintoanewphaseoflife.Eventhenameofthis
verynaturalcycleoflife(crone,anyone?)laysastoneintheroadahead.
Isnappedthecoverofthatbookclosed,calledmyfriend,andsaid,“Thanksforloaningmethat
bookonthesymptomsofmenopause,butI’mcomingoverrightnowtoreturnit.”
Fromthatpointon(exceptthosetimes,yes,Taz,whenIdidgetbuckedoutofthesaddle),Ibegan
todeclareandstilldeclaretoanyonewhowilllisten:
“Girl,youarelookingsogoodtoday.”
“Mybestdaysareaheadofme.”
“I’mgettingstrongerandyoungerlookingeveryday.”
“HealthisflowingthroughmeliketheRiverJordan.”
JoelOsteentellsthestoryofahighschoolbuddyofhis.Thisguywasthestarofthefootballteam.
Hehadthick,curlyhair.Hewaswhatwegirlsusedtocall“arealhunk.”EverytimeJoelaskedhim
whathewasupto,he’dsay,“Oh,notmuch.Justgettingoldandfatandbald.”
“Imusthaveheardhimsaythat500times,”Joelrecounts.“Ihadn’tseenhimin15,20yearsand
ranintohimtheotherday.Andyouknowwhat?Heendedupbeingawhizatpredictingthefuture.He
wasoldandfatandbald.”
Ifwecontinuetoproclaimthatwe’retiredandrun-down,thatwedon’thaveanyenergy,wecan
certainlycreatethatparticularreality.
Butinsteadofcomplaining,isn’titwisertoproclaim,“Iamstrong.Iamfullofenergy.Myvitality
is being renewed”? The more we talk about being tired, the more tired we become. The more we
persistintellingeveryonehowdepressedweare,themoredepressedweget.Themorewetalkabout
beingoverweightandoutofshape,themore…well,Idon’tevenwanttosayit.
Don’ttalkaboutthewayyouare.Talkaboutthewayyouwanttobe.
LouiseHay,mymentor,mypublisher,andthemostawesome87-year-oldontheplanet,goessofar
astodeclarevictoryoutloudrightintothemirror.Mirrorwork,incaseyou’veneverheardofit,is
whereratherthanaskingthemirror,mirroronthewallwho’sthefairestofthemall,youlookdeep
into your own eyes and tell the reflection in that bloody mirror that you are beautiful, fabulous,
worthy,talented,creative,andallsortsofothertruthsthatfarout-trumpbeing“fair.”
My friend Rhonda told me she was watching Louise Hay and Cheryl Richardson give a lecture
called“YouCanCreateanExceptionalLife.”Louise,whotoutsmirrorworkonadailybasis,reached
intoherbraatonepoint,pulledoutatinymirror,lookedintoit,andsaid,“Hey,good-looking.How’s
itgoing?”
Now,that’ssomeonewhowalkshertalk.
AnecdotalEvidence
“Thegameoflifeisagameofboomerangs.Ourthoughts,deeds,andwordsreturntoussooneror
laterwithastoundingaccuracy.”
—FLORENCESCOVELSHINN,AUTHOROFTHEGAMEOFLIFEANDHOWTOPLAYIT
Ifyousawthe1976filmThePinkPantherStrikesAgain,youmayrememberthephraserepeated
by Chief Inspector Charles Dreyfus. After getting more and more stressed at Clouseau’s
incompetence, Dreyfus finally seeks out psychiatric advice and is prescribed the repetition of this
phrase:
“Everydayandineveryway,Iamgettingbetterandbetter.”
Although it didn’t work for Dreyfus, this mantra-like autosuggestion was popularized by Émile
Coué(1857–1926),aFrenchpsychologistandpharmacistwhosuccessfullyemployedwhatwenow
call the placebo effect. Coué noticed that when he raved to customers about a medicine’s great
effectiveness,theygotbetter.Whenhesaidnothing,themedicine’seffectswerelessdramatic.
More than the medicine itself, it was the belief in a medicine’s effectiveness that proved so
beneficial. One biography of Coué claimed a success rate of 93 percent, having cured everything
from kidney problems and memory loss to diabetes, migraines, and even a prolapsed uterus. The
other7percentwerereportedlytooskepticaltobelievethatsayingthephrasethatInspectorDreyfus
used (it has been satirized often in popular culture, including in the first episode of Boardwalk
Empire,Season3,whenfugitiveNelsonVanAldenrepeatsitintoamirror)couldcurethem.
AsCouéhimselflikedtosay,“Ihavenevercuredanyoneinmylife.AllIdoisshowpeoplehow
they can cure themselves.” Curing anything, he said, requires a change in subconscious thought,
which happens by repeating words until the subconscious absorbs them. He was way ahead of the
curveinknowingthatanyideaexclusivelyoccupyingthemindeventuallyturnsintoreality.
“Callthethingsthatarenot,asthoughtheywere.”
—ROMANS4:16
In 1999, José Lima, the flamboyant pitcher from the Dominican Republic, had a fabulous season
withtheHoustonAstros.Hewon21gamesandpitchedintheAll-StarGame.Butin2000,whenthe
Astrosdebutedtheirnewballpark,hewalkedontothediamond,tookonelookatthefenceinleftfield
that was a lot closer to home plate than the fence at the Astrodome, and said, “I’ll never be able to
pitchinhere.”
Itendedupbeingaself-fulfillingprophecy.Despitethefans’enthusiasmforthenewstadium,Lima
plummeted from 21 wins to 16 losses. Never in the Astros history had a pitcher suffered such a
profoundnegativeturnaround.
IheardthatstoryfromJoelOsteen,headhonchoatLake-woodMinistryinHouston.WhenOsteen
tookovertheministryafterhisfather ’sdeath,hewasscaredandnervous.Hethought,Ican’tspeakin
public.
Butheknewbetterthantospeakitaloud.Instead,heaffirmedoverandoveragainthatthechurch’s
nationalTVaudiencewouldeatuphiswork.Heevensaidtheseexactwordsaboutthenow-popular
Sundaymorningshow:“Oncepeopleturnmeon,theyjustcan’tturnmeoff.”
Hegotalettertheotherdayfromaguywhosaid,“Youknow,Joel,IhateTVministers.Butmy
wifehasbeenbeggingmetocheckoutyourshow.Ialwaysputheroff,tellher,‘Oh,Iwill.Iwill.’But
usuallyIjustwatchsports.OneSunday,Iwasfiddlingaroundwiththedialsandtheremotecontrol
gotstuckonyourshow.Ikeptpunchingthatbutton,kepttryingtogetbacktothegolftournamentI
was watching. But for some reason, the remote wouldn’t work. I even got up and put in some new
batteries.Stillwouldn’twork.Ifinallyjustsettledinandlistenedtoyouspeak.Andmywifewasright.
Ilikeyourshow.Butthefunniestthing,assoonasyourshowwasover,thatremotestartedworking
justfine.”
TheMethod
“Ifbeatingourselvesupworked,we’dallbethin,rich,andhappy,wouldn’twe?”
—CHERYLRICHARDSON ,AMERICANAUTHOR
Ifyou’vegotscreamingtoddlers,Iknowyou’veusedthisphrase:“Honey,useyourwords.”
Andthat’swhatwe’regoingtodointhisexperiment.
We’regoingtouseourwordstocallinthegood,todeclarefavoroverourlives,toplaceourfaith
intheunseenrealm.
Herearethefivesteps:
1. Acknowledge that what you’re noticing in your life now is only temporary unless you
continuetocementitindayafterdaywithyourwords.
2. For the next three days, for the time it takes to conduct this experiment, refrain from
complaining.AsBobMarleyusedtosay,acomplaintisaninvitationtothedevil.
3. Sayoutloud:“Thankyouforthisfabulousday.Ilove_________andIlove_________.”You
canfillintheblankswithdarnednearanything,becauseloveemitsaspecialfrequencythat
canpiercethedarkestofsituations.
4. Last,you’regoingtopickastatementthatyou’vebeenrepeatingforyears:“Myback’sbeen
hurting,” or “I’m not good on first dates.” Pick something your friends would recognize
immediately,afamiliarstatementfromyourregularrepertoire.Now,playtheoppositegame.
Tellacompletelydifferentstoryforthenextthreedays.Milkitforallyou’reworth.Actlike
you’reMerylStreep.
5. Lookforevidenceduringthenext72hoursofthisoppositereality.
LabReportSheet
TheCorollary:The“IfYouSaySo”Corollary
TheTheory:Thewordsthatspillfrommymouthhaveacertainwattageandenergy,andbyusing
onlywordsandphrasesthatblessanduplift,Iwillempowermyselfandothers.
TheQuestion:Isitpossibletopositivelyaffectmylifebychangingmyconversations?
TheHypothesis:Byactivelymonitoringmywords,Iwillnoticeachangeinwhatshowsupinmy
life.
Today’sDate:__________Time:__________
TheApproach:Forthenext72hours,I’mgoingtorefrainfromrushingtoreactinspeechuntilI’ve
thoughtabouteachcommentImake,ensuringthatitpassestheQualityControlrequirementsI’veset
upformyself.IfduringthesethreedaysIamsuccessfulinissuingnocomplaints,nowisecracksor
unkindwordsaboutmyselforothers,Iwillfeelahigherenergyandnoticeabetter-feelingvibration
emanatingfromme.
ResearchNotes:____________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
“Letuscelebratetheoccasionwithwineandsweetwords.”
—PLAUTUS,ROMANPLAYWRIGHT
RAININGCATSANDBLOGS
WhatTheHangoverPartIIITaughtMeaboutQuantumPhysics
“There’sacertaindelusionalqualitythatallsuccessfulpeoplehavetohave…youhavetobelieve
thatsomethingdifferentcanhappen.”
—WILLSMITH,AMERICANACTOR
Okay, true confession. I didn’t see The Hangover Part III. Didn’t even see the second in the
trilogy.
But what this one-star summer bomb demonstrates is our tendency to repeat ourselves again
and again, day after day. We get stuck in these loops, looking for the same things we saw
yesterday.Todayisabrand-newdaywithaninfinitenumberofnewpossibilities.
WhoevertookoverforEdMcMahoncouldknockonyourdoorwiththewinningcheckinthe
magazine sweepstakes. You could make a new friend or meet a potential S.O. You could get an
ideaforabookorasongoranonprofitthatmightchangethelivesofmillions.
Thethingis,youneverknow.Butbecausewegetupeverymorningexpectingtheexactsame
thing,wegetreruns(HangoverPartIII’s)ofyesterday.Yeah,theremightbealittlevariety.You
couldgetaspeedingticket,forexample,oreatapepperonipizzainsteadofpasta,butadmitit:
Youbasicallyexpectyourworldtolooklikeacloneofyesterday.
Butwhatifyouwokeuptoaworldwhereeverythingwascompletelyunrecognizable?Areyou
willing to allow that possibility? The possibility that the world’s largesse could flow into your
life?ThepossibilitythatwecouldhavepeaceonEarth?Andthatallchildrencouldgotobedwith
afullstomachknowingtheyweredeeplylovedandcherished?
Ifthere’sonethingIknow,it’sthis:Wegetoutoflifeexactlywhatwelookfor…downtothe
preciseshape,size,andcolor.
Amajorconundrumofquantumphysicsisthatwhatevertheobserverexpectstosee,hesees.
Physicalreality,atitsessence,ismadeofhigh-energyphotons.Andwe,youandme,arepatterns
oflightandinformation,patternsoflightandinformationthatwekeeprerunningandrerunning.
So, to my way of thinking, the more open we are to brand-new, completely different
possibilities,thebetterourworldwillbecome.
So,yeah,thefirstHangoverwaskindafun.Butasforme,I’dratherseeBradleyCooper,Zach
Galifianakis,andallthoseotheractorsstarringinawholenewfilm.
EXPERIMENT#8
THEPLACEBOCOROLLARY(ORTHETRUTHABOUT
BENDINGREALITY)
Meme:PoorMe,aSeparate,PitifulHumanBeingJostledAroundbyanUncaringWorld.
Worldview20:RealityIsFluidandConstantlyChanging,ReflectingBackMyInnermostBeliefs.
“Wecanneverperceivewhatisreal.Wecanonlyperceivewhatisrealforus.”
—BARBARADEWEY,AUTHOROFASYOUBELIEVE
ThePremise
Thisexperimentwillprovethatyourbeliefsandexpectationsarepowerfulandprofound.Indeed,
theyaretheanimatingenergyoflifeitself.
Yourbeliefsre-createandreproducethemselvesinphysicalreality.Whichiswhythoughtsbecome
things.Whywhatyoufocusuponexpands.Theexternalworldisthedisplayscreenofyourinnermost
beliefs.Thesebeliefsandexpectationsanimate,sustain,andmotivateallthatyousee.Blaminglifefor
your misfortunes is like accusing your smartphone of running lousy apps. You’re the one who
downloadedthem.Lifesimplyservesastheprojectorofyourbeliefsandexpectations.
Fewofustrulyunderstandthepotencyofourthoughtsandconsciousness.Eachthoughtisaseed,a
unitofmentalenergy.Thosethatcarrysufficientintent,emotionalimpact,andconvictionofbelief
(whethertrueornot)takerootandstimulatematerialization.
Youmightwanttoreadthatlastbitagain.Beliefs(whethertrueornot)stimulatematerialization.So
ifyoubelievethatlifeisanunendingstruggle,thatbodieshavenochoicebuttodeteriorate,orthat
mostguysarejerks,that’sthescriptthatwillplayoutinyourlife.
Lifeitselfisneverpainful.Itisonlyamirrorofyourbeliefs.Andjustlikeyoudon’tlookinthe
mirror,noticeyourmascaraissmudged,andthentryto“fixit”onthemirroritself,youcan’treally
“fix”yourproblemsoutthere.You“fix”yourproblemsbyrecognizingthemasacaseofmistaken
identityandthenchangingtheinnerbelief,theinnercause.
Wherewegetstuckisputtingsomuchfaithinaparticularbelief(Butit’strueIhavenomoney…
It’struethatIhavecancerinmygenetics)thatwecannotconceivethatit’snotfact.We’reconvinced
it’s“God’sowngospeltruth.”Facts,despitewhatscientists,teachers,andCNNtellyou,areopinions,
holdingdownmaterialrealityuntilwecanmovebeyond.
LifeasanOversizeCartoon
“Thefunctionofthemindistocreatecoherencebetweenourbeliefsandtherealityweexperience.”
—BRUCELIPTON ,PH.D.,AUTHOROFTHEBIOLOGYOFBELIEF
Instead of using our thoughts and consciousness to imagine, expand, and create, we use this
luminoussuperpowerofanabilitytorunthedatawedownloadedfromourculture,thedatacovering
up and obscuring the powerful, magical now. Every atom, every molecule, every energy wave of
your being pulses with creative life force. But instead of using this powerful mojo to generate
brilliance,weturnitagainstourselves.
IcallittheBabyHueyprinciple.BabyHuey,apopularcartooncharacterwhenIwasgrowingup,is
anaïve,oversizeducklingindiapers.Becausehehadthementalityofababybutthesizeandstrength
ofasumowrestler,heconstantlycausedproblems,inadvertentlyknockingthingsoveranddamaging
property.Hehadnoideaofhissuperhumanstrength.That’sus,inanutshell.
Ourconsciousnesshasthesizeandstrengthofasumowrestler,butbecausewedon’tknowit,we
squanderthisability,makingamessofthings.Theonlyreasontheworld“stays”thewayitisnowis
becauseweuseourimmenseBabyHueyabilitytostareatthingswedon’tlike.Whenweanalyzeand
attempttoannihilateourseeming“problems,”weclogupthepipes,scrambletheenergyflow.
Theminutewewithdrawourjudgments,wegetanempty,openmomentwherethefieldofinfinite
potentialitycanarise.
EverybodyTranceNow
“Youspendyourwholelifestuckinthelabyrinth,thinkingabouthowyou’llescapeitoneday.Youjust
usethefuturetoescapethepresent.”
—JOHN GREEN,AUTHOROFTHEFAULTINOURSTARS
Our beliefs about the way the world works serve as lightning rods, drawing into our experience
“proof”thatthese“beliefs”areindeedhardandcoldfacts.
Theproblem,asImentioned,isthisanimatingenergycannotdistinguishbetweenwhatisfactand
whatisimaginedtobefact.Beliefs,whethersuppliedbyusorbyourculture’sdominantparadigm,
reproducethemselvesinphysicalform.
Hypnosis provides a good example. A hypnotist can tell his subject that an ice cube is a burning
ember,anditwillraiseblisters.Orhecansayanotebookistooheavytolift,andnomatterhowhard
hishypnotizedsubjecttries,hewillbeunabletolifttheflimsynotebookoffthetable.Ifthehypnotist
informshissubjectthathejustateabagofBigMacs,hisbloodchemistrywillreflectthatstatement.
InMichaelTalbot’sepicworkTheHolographicUniverse,hetellsthestoryofaguynamedTom
who,afterbeinghypnotized,wastoldhisdaughterLaurawouldbeinvisiblewhenhecameoutofthe
trance.EventhoughLaurawasstandingdirectlyinfrontofhimandevengiggledatthegrandtheater
ofitall,Tomcouldnotseeorhearher.Thehypnotistthenpulledawatchoutofhispocket,heldit
againstthesmallofLaura’sback,andaskedTomifhecouldseewhatwasinhishand.Tomleaned
forward,staredrightthroughhisdaughter,andnotonlywasabletoidentifyitasapocketwatchbut
couldalsoreaditsinscription.
Thischallengeseverythingwe“believe”aboutsolidmatter.Italsoindicatesthatwhatweseeand
experiencemaybenothingmorethanacollectivedecision—asortofmasshypnosis.
MoreThanaLittleWhitePill
“Ourthoughtsholdmoremedicinethanmanyofthe
astonishingbreakthroughsofourtime.”
—KRISCARR,AUTHOROFCRAZYSEXYKITCHEN
Ourbeliefsandexpectations,infact,aresopowerfulthatplacebos(faketreatmentslikesugarpills,
salineinjections,andshamsurgery)causebaldmentogrowhair,highbloodpressuretodrop,ulcers
to heal, dopamine levels to increase, and even tumors to shrink. And although pharmaceutical
companies would rather keep this on the down low, placebos relieve symptoms on par with real
medication.
Inotherwords,it’sourbeliefsthatdothehealing.
Perhaps even more mind-stretching is the nocebo effect, the placebo’s nefarious evil twin where
darkexpectationsbreeddarkrealities.
Inoneclinicaldrugtrialafteranother,peoplereportsideeffectstheyarewarnedaboutevenwhen
theirtestdrugisaplacebo.Inonestudyonfibromyalgia,afull11percentofplacebotakersdropped
outduetodebilitatingsideeffects.Theirthoughtscreatedthesymptoms.
After the 1995 nerve-gas attack in Tokyo, hospitals were flooded with patients suffering from
nausea,dizziness,andotherhighlypublicizedsymptomsevenwhenthey’dnotbeenexposed.Aftera
teacherataTennesseehighschoolreportedagasolinesmellanddizziness,theschoolwasevacuated
and around 100 students were rushed to the emergency room, 38 of whom were hospitalized
overnight. An extensive investigation at the school discovered no chemicals, no gasoline, and no
discerniblereasonforthesymptoms—exceptexpectationandbelief.
Placebos,ofcourse,areinert,buttheireffectsaresoreal,creatingevenbiochemicalchangesinthe
body,thatitmakesyouwonder—oritshould—how“factual”factsreallyare.
MindOverMilkShake
“Idon’tthinkwe’vegivenenoughcredittotheroleof
ourbeliefsindeterminingourphysiology,ourreality.”
—ALIACRUM,CLINICALPSYCHOLOGISTATCOLUMBIABUSINESSSCHOOL
NPRranafascinatingstoryinMay2014thatdemonstratedhowpowerfullyourbeliefsaffectour
physiology. Clinical psychologist Alia Crum concocted a supersize batch of French vanilla milk
shakeandputhalfinbottleslabeledasalow-caloriedrink(Sensishake)withzerofat,zerosugar,and
amere140calories.Theotherhalf(Indulgence)hadlabelsindicatingitwashighinsugarandfatand
had620calories.Intruth,thedrinkhadabout300calories.
Beforeandafterdrinkingtheshakes,thetestsubjectsweremeasuredforahormonecalledghrelin.
Doctorscallitthe“hungerhormone”becauseit’ssecretedinthegutandsignalsyourbodywhenit’s
time to eat. It also slows your metabolism, in the event you’re not successful in your quest for
nourishment.Afteryoueat,ghrelinlevelsdrop,whichinturnssignalsthebodythatyou’refulland
it’stimetorevupthemetabolism.
Crum,whohaslongstudiedtheplaceboeffect,foundthatghrelinlevelsdroppedthreetimesmore
forthosewhothoughttheyweredrinkingafattyshakethanforthosewhobelievedtheirshakewas
thepinnacleofhealth.Clearly,shesays,“Ourbeliefsmatterinvirtuallyeverydomain,ineverything
wedo.Labelsarenotjustlabels.Theyevokeasetofbeliefs.Whatwethinkistruebecomestruefor
us.”
And it works for more than your diet. Just thinking you got a great night’s sleep makes you
functionbetter.OnestudyreportedintheJournalofExperimentalPsychologyhooked164studentsto
equipmentthatsupposedlyshowedhowmuchtimetheyspendinREMsleep,thehigh-qualitystuffthat
makes you feel rested. One group was told they’d gotten above-average sleep, the other that they’d
sleptfitfullyandnotgottentheirdailydoseofREM.Thetwogroupsweregivenatest.Regardlessof
how well they slept (and no one really knows, because the machine was a sham and did nothing),
thosewhobelievedtheysleptwelloutperformedthe“tired”group.
Moral of this story? Even if you don’t get enough sleep, you do yourself a grave disservice by
whiningabouthowtiredyouare.
Anotherstudyfoundthatagroupofhotelmaids,inonemonth,lostweight,loweredtheirblood
pressure, and improved their body fat percentages after being told their job provided a complete
physicalworkoutandmetdailyexerciseguidelines.Thecontrolgroupwastoldnothingofthesort
and,alas,lostnoweight,nordroppedinbloodpressureorbodyfat.
AnecdotalEvidence
“Itisnotourphysicalstatethatlimitsus.
Itisourmind-setaboutourownlimits,our
perceptions,thatdrawsthelinesinthesand.”
—DR.ELLEN LANGER,HARVARDPROFESSOROFPSYCHOLOGY
In 1981, Ellen Langer and her Harvard colleagues piled two groups of elderly men into vans,
drove them to a monastery in New Hampshire, and told them to make-believe it was 1959. Her
subjects,allintheir70sand80s,wereaidedintheirpretendgameofbeingyoungagainbymementos
fromthattimeperiod.ScatteredthroughouttheroomswereoldissuesofLifemagazineandSaturday
EveningPost,ablack-and-whitetelevision,avintageradio.ThementalkedaboutMickeyMantle,the
launchofthefirstU.S.satellite,Castro’svictoryrideintoHavana,NikitaKhrushchevandtheneedfor
bombshelters.TheyevenscreenedJimmyStewart’s1959AnatomyofaMurder.
Abatteryofcognitiveandphysicaltestswasgivenbeforeandaftertheweekofpretendyesteryear.
TheresultsweresodramaticthatevenLanger,alreadysuspiciousthatfixedideasaffecthowweage,
wasshockedbytheresults.
Across the board, Langer ’s elderly test subjects showed improvement in height, weight, gait,
posture,hearing,vision,andevenperformanceonintelligencetests.Theirjointsweremoreflexible,
theirshoulderswider,theirfingersmoreagileandlessgnarledbyarthritis.
“Wherever you put the mind, the body will follow,” Langer said. “At the end of the study, I was
playingfootballwiththesemen,someofwhomgaveuptheircanes.”
TheMethod
“Thesubconsciousisnotconcernedwiththe
truthorfalsityofyourfeeling.Italwaysaccepts
astruethatwhichyoufeeltobetrue.”
—NEVILLEGODDARD,BARBADIAN NEWT HOUGHTPIONEER
Inthisexperiment,you’regoingtocreateyourveryownplacebo.
First,thinkofaphysicalissueyou’dliketoalterinsomeway.Maybeyougetheadaches.Oryou
havetroublesleeping.Maybeyourstomachgrowls.Oryou’dliketodropapoundortwo.Orgetrid
ofthebagsunderyoureyes.
For the sake of the experiment, it’s best to pick something physical (because it’s easier to
document),buttheplaceboeffectworksequallywellonemotionalissues.Infact,Iwouldarguethat
physicalissues,ifyoureallybreakitdown,areemotionalissuesindisguise.But,intheinterestof
scientificinquiry,we’relookingforsomethingphysicaltoidentifyanddocument.
Now, pour a glass of water, rub your hands together to generate heat and energy, and hold them
overtheglassfor15seconds.Voilà!Yourcure.
Drinkitslowly,concentratingonitshealingeffects.Pretendyourdoctor(orsomeotherauthority
figure)wroteitoutonaprescriptionpad.
Repeatforthreedays.
AndrememberwhatHarvardresearcherEllenLangerhasprovenincountlessstudies:It’snotthe
placebo that affects recovery; it’s the mind-set you adopt. In her words, “You’re making yourself
better.”
LabReportSheet
TheCorollary:ThePlaceboCorollary
TheTheory:Mythoughtsareinsanelypowerful.SopowerfulIcanfliprealitybywithdrawingmy
attentionandshiftingittoadifferentreality.
TheQuestion:IsitpossibleIcanconcoctmyownplacebo?
TheHypothesis:IfIspendthreedaysdrinkingself-created,energy-infusedwater,Icanimproveor
heal__________.
Today’sDate:__________Time:__________
DateforCheckingResults:__________
TheApproach:Soundscrazy,butIwillcreatemyownplacebo,drinkitforthreedaysstraight,and
seeifIcanaccomplishthephysicalchangeIdesire.
ResearchNotes:____________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
“Thebrainconstructsaworldbased
onhowyouexpectittolook.”
—BARBARAFREDRICKSON ,AMERICANPROFESSOROFPSYCHOLOGY
RAININGCATSANDBLOGS
TheAnatomyofanIllness,
akatheEgo’sSecretWeapon
“Asickthoughtcandevourthe
body’sfleshmorethanfeverorconsumption.”
—GUYDEMAUPASSANT,FRENCHWRITER
YoumighthaveheardthattheAmericanPsychiatricAssociationcameoutwithanewmanual
thisyearfordiagnosingmentalillness.It’scalledtheDiagnosticandStatisticalManualofMental
DisordersV(DSM-V),andyouprobablywon’tbesurprisedtolearnthatthereareanumberof
new “diseases” in this fifth edition. The first DSM, which came out in 1952, listed 26 general
disorders.Today,therearemorethan400.
I’mnotheretodebatewhetherwe’re16timescraziertoday,butIhaveobservedthatillness(of
all kinds) usually starts in the mind and goes from there. Advertisers know this. In fact, Steven
Pressfield,authorofoneofmyfavoritebooks(TheWarofArt),saidthathisbossataMadison
Avenueadagencyinstructedhimtoinventadisease,because“thenwecansellthehelloutofits
cure.”
AccordingtoACourseinMiracles,mymainspiritualpractice,ourphysicalbodiesarepotent
toolsusedbytheegoforobscuringTruth,forhidingthebody’sinherentnaturalhealingpower.
Here’showitworks:
1. Younoticesomething’soff.
2. Youbeginfocusingonit.
3. Youwonderwhat“it”mightbe(asopposedtoknowingthisTruth—thatyouareachildof
themosthighandcannotinheritillness).
4. Youbegininvestinginit.
5. Yougiveitaname.
6. YouGoogleit,youstarttellingyourfriendsaboutit,youjoinasupportgroup.
JillBolteTaylor,aHarvard-trainedneuroanatomistwhostudiesthebrainandbecamefamous
forherTEDTalk,“MyStrokeofInsight,”saysthatanunresistedthoughtpassesthroughthebrain
in90seconds.
Thatis,unlessyoudecidetoapplytheabovesixsteps.
Justsaying…
EXPERIMENT#9
THEYABBA-DABBA-DOOCOROLLARY(OR
TRANSCENDENCE:IT’SJUSTHOWWEROLL)
Meme:LifeSucksandThenYouDie.
Worldview2.0:LifeIsMiraculous,andICan’tReallyDie.
“Thinkingthatthisphysicalworldisallthatmattersislikeshuttingoneselfupinasmallclosetand
imaginingthatthereisnothingelseoutbeyondit.”
—EBEN ALEXANDER,AMERICANNEUROSURGEONANDAUTHOROFPROOFOFHEAVEN
ThePremise
Myfavoritecartoon,asakid,wasTheFlintstones.NomatterhowmanytimesIsawDinooutsmart
Fred,Ialwayschuckledwhenhegotlockedoutofhiscavehouse.Ilovedyelling“Wilmaaa!”right
alongwithhim.
I named this corollary after my favorite barefoot caveman—or rather after his well-known
catchphrase—becauseinthisexperiment,we’regoingtoaskforaglimpseoftheotherside,theinner
sanctum. We’re going to surrender to the Truth that we keep hearing is possible, but so often feel
lockedawayfrom.
Inthenext72hours,you’regoingtoknock,likeFredFlintstone,onthedoor,trustingthatforat
leastamoment,you’llgetanundistractedpeekattheunfathomableTruthofwhoyoureallyareand
whatlifeis.
Most of us experience life as a funhouse mirror, distorted and illusory, unaware of the intensely
aliveenergyfieldthatsurroundsandflowsthroughuslikeagushingriver.Thisfield,thisongoing
DivineBroadcastoflove,isavailable24-7andwantstobeknownandexpressedthroughus.It’sthe
bedrock(pardonthepun)ofwhoweare,ofwhatispossible.
Andhere’sthedeal.Weonlythinkwe’relockedout.We’reoutsideyelling“Wilmaaa!”becausewe
viewlifethroughthelensofourfears,throughthementalconstructswe’veerected.Weactoutofour
compulsivebeliefs,behaviors,andongoingresistancetolifeitself.Ourconsciousnessisrerunning
yesterday’sFlintstonesepisode.
But like Fred, we’re the idiots who locked ourselves out. We’re the ones who cut ourselves off
fromthesustenanceandnever-endinglovethatisasnearastheairwebreathe.
ThisTruth,thisradiantX,candirectus,canhealus,andcanprovideforoureverynecessity.We
onlyneedsurrenderandopenthedoor.
TweakandYeShallFind
“Getyourselfinalignmentwiththe
quantumfieldandyou’llbeamlikethesun.”
—RUSSELLBRAND,RABBLE-ROUSINGBRITISHACTOR
Let’seat,Grandma!
Let’seatGrandma!
There’s but one comma’s difference in the two sentences above, but they’re as different as a
Hallmarkcommercialandacannibal.
Andthat’swhatthissectionisabout:tweakingthelittlethings,movingyourenergeticvibrationjust
atadbitclosertothemajesticfieldofinfinitepotentiality.TheFPhasnolimitsandanswerstonone
ofthephysicallawswedo,sothebesttoolinourBatmanutilitybeltistogetourthoughts,emotions,
andconsciousnessalignedwiththeFP.
When our vibration or energetic frequency is clear, open, and loving, life unfolds effortlessly.
When we operate from a distorted frequency, we encounter snags, snarls, and snafus at every turn.
Although most of us have trained ourselves not to see energy or anything else that’s culturally
impermissible,ifwecouldseeit,we’dquicklyrealizethatwhatwecall“aproblem”—beitaproblem
withourhealth,relationships,orfinances—isnothingbutblockedenergy.
Our energetic vibration acts as a filter, a set of instructions that either green-lights our good or
detersitassomething“outthere.”Oncewetuneintoaclear,happyfrequency,lifebecomesmagical,
miraculouseven.
And despite what Worldview 1.0 teaches, upgrading your frequency is far more effective than
physicaleffortatinfluencingthematerialworld.It’snotsomefeel-goodwoo-wooeither,although
youwillfeelagazilliontimesbetterasyouslideintoalignmenthomeplate.It’sbasedonthetenets—
althoughnotyetquiteunderstood—ofquantumphysics.
Onedegree—onetinydegree—isallittakesforanairlinepilottomisshislandingtarget.Stray
justonedegreefromyourflightpatternforonemeaslymileandyou’llland92feetawayfromyour
target. Keep that one degree going for 60 miles and you’ll land an entire mile from your intended
target.OnaflightbetweenLAXandJFK,thatoneseeminglyinsignificantdegreewouldmeananEPA
(estimatedplaceofarrival)of40milesoutinthefreezing-coldAtlantic.
So when I insisted on changing the wording in the contract for this book from if sales reach a
certain number to when sales reach a certain number, I was tweaking my future. If you listen to
yourselfandothers,eventhosewhoarecompletedisciplesofthelawofattraction,you’llnoticeall
kindsofwordsthataren’tsailinginthedirectionofyourintention.
Call it quibbling, but these small, correctable patterns of thought and speech can quickly get you
backoncourse.Itdoesn’ttakemuch(what’sonesimpleword?),buttheimpactonyourlifeishuge.
M&Ms,orMiracleMind-sets
“Whenwetakeonestep,theuniversetakes10,000.”
—MIKEDOOLEY,CREATOROFNOTESFROMTHEUNIVERSE
T WEAK#1:I“haveto”vs.I“getto.”Insteadofthinkingyouhavetodosomething,it’salways
wisetorealizeyougettheopportunitytodowhateveritis.Thattinytweakinwording(Igettogoto
myjob,Igettohavethisuncomfortableconversationwithmywife,Igettohearmylabresultstoday)
isoftenenoughtoreroutetheflightpatternofyourlife.
I’ve heard this ugly rumor that there are people out there who don’t like their jobs. People who
don’tgetexcitedwhen“TheEnd”rollsonthescreenoftheirweekend.I’veevenheardmoreheart
attackshappenonMonday(againsomethingtodowithwork)thananyotherdayoftheweek.
Since my work today (that word never really cuts it for me, because, as you know, I. Love.
Everything.About.My.Job.)isofferingtweaks,I’dliketosuggestthissentiment:T.G.I.M.
StartMondaywiththis:IamsoexcitedIgettogobacktomakingmoneytoday.
T WEAK#2:“It’sjustthewayitis”vs.“Whatelseispossible?”Onceyouloosentherulesandlet
go of all those “facts” you learned in school, all the patterns you picked up from your family and
culture,youbegintoseeawholedifferentreality.Theonlyreasonyourlifelooksthesametodayas
itdidyesterdayisbecausethat’swhereyou’veinvestedyourenergy.You’restuckinhabitualpatterns
ofperception.Youmissallkindsofmiraclesbecauseyoufocusonlyonwhatis“known.”
Insteadoffocusingonwhat’sthesame,onwhat’sfamiliar,ask,Whatelseisnew? Playing makebelieve,aswedidaschildren,isamuchholiertack.Infact,whatweseeandbelieveas“reality”now
issimplywhatwe’recurrently“makingbelieve”istrue.
Insteadof“tellingitlikeitis,”askquestionslikethese:
“Whatmighthappeninthenextmoment?”
“WhatispossibleifIletgoofeverythingIknow?”
“HowwouldlifebeifIsurrenderedallmybeliefs?”
“Whatifeverythingisabsolutelyperfect?”
As Richard Bartlett, author of Matrix Energetics, says, “When we change our consciousness
around what is possible, rather than being limited by a reality construct dominated by what isn’t
possible,wediscoverthatweareactuallyabletoemployquantumenergiesandprinciplesinourdayto-daylivesinunexpected,fun—andmiraculous—ways.”
T WEAK #3: “Why can’t I do this?” vs. “What if?” When you ask “Why can’t I do this?” you
obtain useless data. When you ask different questions, apply a different reference frame, you get
different—andIwouldsuggestbetter—information.
Cultivatingthehabitofaskingpowerful,open-endedquestionstrainsyourrightbraintolistento
signals from your subconscious. Here are some of my “what-if” questions that you’re welcome to
borrow:
“Whatifcancercouldbehealedinstantly?”
“WhatifIwakeuptomorrowandlookyounger?”
“Whatiflifecankeepgettingbetterandbetter?”
“WhatifIstarteachdaywithacompletelyclearslate?”
It’slikeadeckofcards.Pickareality,anyreality.
T WEAK#4:“There’snotenough”vs.“There’smorewherethatcamefrom.”Mostofushavea
tendencytobelieveinlimits.InsteadofrealizingtheinfinityofourSource,weputthebrakesonand
worrythere’sonlysomuchtogoaround.
WhenmyfriendCarla’sfourkidswereyoung,sheusedtoconstantlythink,There’sneverenough
time.Afterseveralyearsofcreatingthatreality,shegotit.
Shebeganaffirming,“Thereisalwaysplentyoftime.”
“Itwasthefunniestthing,”shesays.“Thedaysstillhadthesame24hours,buteverythingchanged.
IsuddenlyhadexactlywhatIhadcalledin:plentyoftime.”
T WEAK #5: “It’s hard” vs. “It’s a piece of cake.” There’s a four-letter word that, as far as I’m
concerned,isoneofthemostdangerouswordsintheEnglishlanguage.It’sespeciallydamningwhen
combinedwithsomethingyouhopetoaccomplish,suchasloseweight,attractmoney,getahotdate.
The word is hard, as in “It is hard to_______” (pick your poison). Because our beliefs are so
powerful, literally sculpting our lives on a moment-by-moment basis, to believe (and especially to
sayoutloud)thatanythingisdifficultisextremelycounterproductive.Ifweexpectthingstobehard,
wecancertainlycreatelifethatway.Asforme,IprefercreatingalifewhereIsimplyopenthedoors
andwindowsandletSourceandallitsaccompanyingblessingsflowfreelyin.
MybeautifulcolleagueandfriendAnnolaCharitypresentedmewithaStaples“Easy”button.This
three-inchredbutton,whenpressed,repeats,“Thatwaseasy.”It’snowoneofmymantras.Iaffirm
thatthemoreIhandovertotheuniverse(thefieldofinfinitepotentialitythatissomuchsmarterthan
Iam),thebettermylifebecomes.
T WEAK#6:“I’mallalone”vs.“Iamconnectedtoeverything.”Potentially,youareintouchwith
every person, every answer, every material thing you could ever want. Absolutely everything is
available to you. It’s impossible to cut yourself off from this connection. Can you imagine one
Christmas light in a string of lights complaining, “I’m not glowing over here. What’s wrong with
me?WhyamIseparate?WhyamIcutoff?HowdoIfixthisbigproblem?”
Youfixtheproblembygivingupthebeliefyouhaveaproblem.Youarehookedforeverandfor
alltimetotheFPandeverythingelseyoudesire.
Soifyouwantto“manifest”something,simplybegintoputyourattentiononit.Whateveryouput
yourattentiononcomesalive,likethosekids’computergames.Whenyoupointyourcursoron,say,
acupboard,thedooropensandamousestartsdancingoraballstartsbouncing.
Ifyouputyourcursoronalltheopportunitiesandloveinthescenesofyourlife,thatrealitycomes
alive.Butifyoucontinuetoclickonthemonstersunderthebed,they,too,aremorethanhappytoput
in an appearance. The thing is we’re the ones manning the dials. We’re the ones deciding where to
pointourcursors,wheretosendourattention.
AnecdotalEvidence
ContestantNumber43,212
“Wehavenothingtolosebyattemptingtoachievethemiraculous.”
—BERNIESIEGEL,AMERICANPHYSICIANANDAUTHOROFABOOKOFMIRACLES
Ifyou’reoneofthefivepeopleonplanetEarthwhohasn’tyetheardofSusanBoyle,allowmethe
pleasure of introducing you. This Scottish mezzo-soprano, whom comedian Stephen Colbert
describedattheGrammysas“a48-year-oldcatladyinsensibleshoes,”isthequintessentialmodelof
transcendence.
Shewastheyoungestofninekids.Herdadwasaminer.Thefamilygotby,barely.Whenshewas
bornonApril1,1961,therewastroublewithherdelivery,anddoctorstoldherparentsthatbecause
of a sustained absence of oxygen, she was probably going to be a slow learner, lead a second-rate
life.Atschool,shewasbullied,called“SusieSimple.”
Shehadoneshort-livedjobasacook’sapprenticeandlivedathomewithherparentsuntilherdad
and then her mom finally passed in 2007 when Susan was 46. A year later, still grieving, Susan
MagdaleneBoyleshowedupforanauditiononBritain’sGotTalent.Shewasdecadesolderthanmost
ofthecontestants,certainlyalotless“hip.”Shehadathickaccentandlookedaboutasoppositeas
youcangetfrommostsuccessfulsingerstoday.
Until she headed to Glasgow for that now-famous audition, she had never sung for an audience
bigger than her parish church, had never even ridden a bus by herself. In fact, when departing her
hometownofBlackburn,Scotland,sheinitiallyboardedthewrongbus.
When she stepped out onto the stage, barely getting a bored glance from Simon Cowell and the
otherjudges,shelookedliketherestofus:average,scared,anddestinedtobeforgotten.
Butbeforeshecouldevenfinishhercaptivatingperformanceof“IDreamedaDream”fromLes
Misérables, the entire audience was standing, applauding wildly, and Simon Cowell was, for once,
speechless.
Withinninedays,herauditionhadbeenwatchedby100millionYouTubeviewers,andwhenher
albumdebutedafewmonthslater,itwasthebest-sellingalbumacrosstheglobe,knockingoutLeona
Lewis’sSpiritastheU.K.’sbest-sellingdebutalbumofalltime.
SuBo(asthemediabegantocallthisScottishsongstresswiththebigvoice)hassincegoneonto
singfortheQueenofEngland,Oprah,andPopeBenedict.Shehasperformedwithheridols,Donny
OsmondandElainePaige,andlessthanayearafterthattranscendentperformance,wasvotedbyTime
magazineastheseventh-most-influentialpersonintheworld.
Needlesstosay,shenolongerlivesinpoverty.
So no matter how long you’ve been locked out or how average you may feel, it’s completely
irrelevant. It matters not one whit what the doctors said, the names your classmates called you, or
what career you might have had or not had. It doesn’t even matter whether you initially got on the
wrongbus.Orthatyoudon’tfeelashiporasyoungaseverybodyelse.
Yourtranscendenceisinevitable.YourconnectiontotheFPisassureastomorrow’ssunrise.
TheMethod
“Thewayisnothard,butitisverydifferent.”
Ifyoucouldshutdownthetickertapethatcontinuallyrunsontheedgeofyourconsciousness,you
wouldn’tneedthisexperiment.You’dbelivinginandcontinuallyawareoftheSacredBuzz,theTruth
ofyourever-expandinggood.
Mostofus,instead,believewehavetowait.Wehavetofollowthepropersteps.Thestarshaveto
be lined up. The balls with our lottery numbers have to drop. But it’s here now, surrounding us,
bathingusinpeace,love,andjoy.
This experiment is not about getting anything. It’s about letting. Letting Truth be. To do this
experimentproperly,youhavetoletgoofyourfears.Setasidetheerroneousnotionthatrealityis
frightening or not to your liking. More than a seeking of something, this experiment is akin to a
blowtorch,blastingawayeverythingthatisn’treal.
Herearethesteps:
1. Ask the FP, sincerely and fervently, for a transcendent moment. Ask to be clearly shown.
Althoughmanyhavetriedtoexplaintranscendence(Kant,forexample,calledit“thatwhich
goesbeyond”),it’ssobigandsoextraordinarythatwordshavelittleabilitytoillustrateit.
Sufficeittosaythatwhenyougetthere,youwillnotmissit.
2. Everytimeyou’reinfrontofamirrorduringthenextthreedays(waytoooften,formost
ofusintheWesternworld),lookdeepintoyoureyesandrepeattoyourself,“Thisisnot
whoIreallyam.Iamsomuchmorethanthislimitedbody.”Thisleavessomewiggleroom
inyourreality.
3. Allow yourself the luxury of being absorbed in a feeling of being deeply loved, being
taken care of, having the abundance of all you need. Sink down into this infinite care the
wayyou’dsinkintoanoverstuffedcouch.
4. Whenever possible, notice the buzz within your body. As you take your attention off
thought,you’llfeelthisbuzzingofenergyflowingthroughyourbody.Icallit“TheBig
Happy.”
5. Asyoustarttodetachfromyourover-ampedmind,you’llnoticeafluidity,anopening,a
less-solidfeeling,anddropdownintoaneutral,endlessoceanofinfinitepossibilities.
LabReportSheet
TheCorollary:TheYabba-dabba-dooCorollary
TheTheory:Thereisaninvisibleenergyforceorfieldofinfinitepossibilities.
TheQuestion:Iftherereallyisaninvisibleriveroflife,aforcefieldthatprovidestheblueprintfor
mylife,whyamIsooftenunawareofit?AndisitpossiblethatIcanhookintoit?
TheHypothesis:IfIreleasetheresistancetothatwhichistryingtocomeforththroughme,Iwillget
aglimpse,asampling,ofwhatlifereallyis.
Today’sDate:__________Time:__________
The Approach: Okay, FP, this is your moment of glory. I expect to be shown a glimpse of my
connectiontothefieldcompletewiththeaweandthemagnitude.I’veheardthatonceitcomes,there’s
nomistakingit.Forthenext72hours,Iamgoingtobeconsciouslyreceptive,listeningandtrusting
thatIwillcatchaglimpseoftheriveroflife.
ResearchNotes:____________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
“Lifeisnotaproblemtobesolved,buta
realitytobeexperienced.”
—SØREN KIERKEGAARD,DANISHPHILOSOPHER
RAININGCATSANDBLOGS
It’sTGIF,Boos
“Celebratewhatyouwanttoseemoreof.”
—T OM PETERS,AUTHOROFINSEARCHOFEXCELLENCE
Timetogetoutandcelebrate.Timetorememberhowluckyyouare,timetogivepraisetothe
highest of holies. As my mentor Rob Brezsny would say, “Let’s break open the forbidden
happiness.”
Sure,Ihaveato-dolist.Infact,Ihavetwoofthem.
Onmine:
1. Dreamupbetterquestions.
2. Havethebestdayofmylife.
Theotherto-dolistisforSource,God,thefieldofinfinitepotentiality.
Here’swhatitsays:
1. Handleeverythingelse.
AFTERWORD
BonusExperiment#10:
TheMarriageatCanaCorollary
(orIt’sTimetoGetD-O-W-N!)
“Idonotbelieveinmiracles,Irelyonthem.”
—YOGIBHAJAN ,INDIANGURU
Woot-woot!Youmadeitthroughthebook.Whichcanonlymeanonething.It’stimetopartyrock.
It’stimetohootandholler,throwoutconfetti,dance,andgenerallywhoopitup!
Idon’tknowaboutyou,butinmyworld,acelebrationthishugeusuallyincludesadultbeverages.
Andnowthatwe’resooverthoseantiquated,I’m-a-victim,I-have-no-powerattitudes,I’mthinking
it’stimetoturnsomewaterintowine.Yep,thisistheexperimentforoverachievers.
Beforeyougetyourknickersinaknot,letmejustsaythatIamthefirsttoadmitit’spretty“out
there.” But I also know that until my consciousness can embrace a new possibility, it will remain
beyond my purview. Just like the ability to run a four-minute mile was considered ridiculous
nonsense until Roger Bannister finally did it on May 6, 1954 (and this feat has since been repeated
manytimes),it’sridiculousnonsensetodisciplesofWorldview1.0thattheyhaveanysayinmiracles.
SoIherebyinvokethefour-minute-milerule,theonethatsaysthatifonepersondidit,therestof
uscandoit,too.Well,onepersondidit.
InJohn2:11,Mary,beingatypicalJewishmother,asksJCtointervenewhentheweddinghostsrun
outofwine.Althoughhe’sreluctantatfirst,hedoeswhatanygoodJewishsondoeswhenhismom
makeshimfeelguilty.Heasksforsixjugsofwater(easyenoughtogetfromthelocalwell)and,by
hookingintothefieldofinfinitepotentiality,transformsonereality(water)intoadifferentreality.He
changedthewater ’smolecularcompositionintothatofwine.
Had Wine Spectator been around back then, it would have, according to the overseer—who, of
course,hadtosampleit—gottena99.9rating.Thiswinewasgood.
I’veheardrumorstherearesomefundamentalistsouttherewhothinkJCactuallyturnedthosesix
jugsofwaterintograpejuice,but,asformyparty,I’mthinkingonlyaniceglassofCabernetwilldo.
AnecdotalEvidence
“Iprayforthechangeinperceptionthatwillletmeseebiggerandsweeterrealities.”
—ANNELAMOTT,AMERICANNOVELISTANDPROGRESSIVESPIRITUALACTIVIST
QigongmastersinChinaregularlyalterthetasteofbrandy.Usingqienergy,they’reabletopurify
and refine brandy. Robert Peng, an internationally renowned qigong master who now lives in New
YorkCity,claimsevenbeginnerscanperformthissimpletechnique.Heteachesitatworkshopsand
writesaboutitinhisbook,TheMasterKey:QigongSecretsforVitality,Love,andWisdom.
He recommends pouring two glasses to compare—which, he told me, end up tasting startlingly
different. As he says, “If you can transform the taste of alcohol in under a minute using your own
willpower,whatdoyousupposehappenswhenyourecyclehurtfulthoughtsaboutyourself?Andwhat
effectdoyouhaveonothersasaresultofnegativeprojections?Weareincreasinglyconcernedabout
airpollution,waterpollution,electronicpollution,andnoisepollution,buthowmindfulareweabout
the‘pollution’causedbyourownconsciousness?”
He says the line between our private thoughts and the outer world is permeable and that our
negativethoughtsleaveinvisible“bloodyfingerprints.”
TheMethod
“Amiracleiswhenoneplusoneequalsathousand.”
—FREDERICKBUECHNER,AUTHOROFTHEALPHABETOFGRACE
ThesestepsareadaptedfromRobertPeng’sExercise11in“MasteringWillpower”fromhisbook,
TheMasterKey.
1. Pourwaterintoawineglass.Placeitdirectlyinfrontofyou.
2. Rubyourhandstogethervigorouslyfor20seconds,thenholdthemaboutafootaparton
either side of the glass as you create a qi Field between your palms. Feel your energy
penetratetheliquidinsidetheglassfor20seconds.
3. Pick up the glass. Visualize a brilliant light shining down from your hand into the liquid
and beyond. Feel your energy flowing. Visualize the water turning into wine. Continue
sendingyourenergyforonefullminute.
4. Imagine beams of golden energy shooting from your fingertips and use the qi to “stir”
(sorry,Bond,JamesBond)andrefine.Feelyourqiinsidetheglasstransformingthewater.
Smileasyoucontinuedoingthisinasteadyandrelaxedwayforuptooneminute.
5. With your index and middle finger, make what Peng calls “a blade of sword finger” and
sealtheenergyintheglass.
6. Drinkwithunbridledglee!
LabReportSheet
TheCorollary:TheMarriageatCanaCorollary
TheTheory:Ifonepersondidsomething,it’spossibleforall.
TheQuestion:Isitpossibletoturnwaterintowine?IfindeedJesusdidit,thencanIdoit,too?
TheHypothesis:IfIputwaterintoawineglass,Icanuseqigongenergytoturnitintowine.
TimeRequired:3minutes
Today’sDate:__________Time:__________
The Approach: I will follow the steps and visualize the end results of the big honking party I’m
abouttohave.
ResearchNotes:You’llnoticeIfilledinthissectionforyou,becausewhowantstobetakingnotesat
a party? Shout-outs for sticking with me through the experiments, for being open-minded, and for
helping me change the dominant paradigm. Whatever you do, don’t stop now. Keep being
courageous,keepexploring,andkeepusingtheseprinciplesforagenuineexplorationofuntrodden
ways.Now,wouldyougetoutthereanddrinksomewine?!
“Withoutdeviationfromthenorm,progressisnotpossible.”
—FRANKZAPPA,AMERICANMUSICIAN
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thereareatleastsevenbillionpeople*I’dliketothank.Ifeelsogratefultobelivingatthistime
whenitreallyispossiblethatallofuscouldbefedandhousedandlivingtogetherpeacefully.
SinceIbelieveinsaying“thankyou”forwhatImostdesire(doingsomakesitcomealive),Iwant
tothankeverysingleoneofyouforchoosingtodanceinsteadoffight,forchoosingtoloveinstead
ofjudge,forchoosingtoopenyourheartinsteadofrunningawayfromwhatisnowtrulypossible.
AfewspecificmembersofthesevenbillionmeritalotmorethanIcouldeverwriteonthispage.
ButI’lltry.
Shout-outsto:
ReidTracy,formakingallthishappen
LouiseandWayne,fortellingtheworld
AlexFreemon,forbeinganeditormostextraordinaire
JimDick,forbeingpatientandbeingatypeFpersonality
ThewholeSheridanclan,who,addedtogether,makeupasizablepercentageofthoseseven
billion
DonnaAbate,DianeRay,PamHoman,StaceySmith,PerryCrowe,andallmyothernewHay
Housefriends
MyVortexgroup
My power posse (Linda Gwaltney, Carla Mumma, Annola Charity, Elizabeth Stiers, and
DianeSilver),forfaithfullyjoiningmeindailyawesomeness
Spiritualentrepreneurs(youknowwhoyouare)
JoyceBarrett,whohasbeenmeetingmeforcoffeeandconversationforatleastfiveyears
RhondaBurgess,whoalwaysseemstoknowtheperfecttimetoinvitemeformartinis
WendyDruenandKittyShea,whohavealwaysbeenmymostfaithfulreaders
BettyShaffer,mybestCourseinMiraclescomrade
AllthereadersofE-Squared,whomade2013thebestyearofmylife…sofar!
Andmybestbuddyandpal,TasmanMcKayGrout
______________
*TheUnitedNation’slastestimateofworldpopulation.
ABOUTTHEAUTHOR
PamGroutisthe#1NewYorkTimesbest-sellingauthorof17books,threeplays,atelevisionseries,
and two iPhone apps. She writes for People magazine, CNN Travel, The Huffington Post, Men’s
Journal, and her luxury travel blog, www.georgeclooneyslepthere.com. She’s also a devoted mom,
pickleballplayer,andcrossword-puzzlejunkie.
Find out more about Pam and her out-of-the-box take on life on her sometimes-updated website:
www.pamgrout.com.
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