A Spark to Ignite Your Joy

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Thank you for your interest in this ebook, and being a part of our community of faith.

This book as a continuation of my mission to bring peace to the world, through the increase in wisdom and knowledge. We believe that peace will only come when each of us has peace in our own minds and hearts and when each of us is living a life of love and compassion within our own family and community on a daily basis.

Cultures are comprised of the collective thoughts of the individuals within a particular group of people. Groups of like-minded people form mini-cultures within families, cities, regions and countries around the world. Although our unique cultures are good and provide us with wonderful richness and diversity, we sometimes lose track of our commonality as humans as we focus on our differences instead of all that we have in common.

Peace will come as we spread the message of our spiritual connection to each human in the world. If each person is truly a spiritual brother and sister, it makes no sense whatsoever to continue practices, which cause us to hate, hurt and kill one another.

My primary strategy for bringing peace is to do it one mind at a time by increasing the knowledge of the principles of peace, love and compassion that are found within the world of faith. I believe that it is usually our ignorance on a particular subject that causes us to fear or hate another person or group of people.  Wisdom, which comes as a result of education, typically resides in the area of our minds that used to be taken up by fear and ignorance.

This foundation brings the best practices and wisdom from the worlds of faith and psychology into easily understood and simple practices that can be implemented on a daily basis.  Practices include reading, prayer, meditation, community service and the recitation of affirmations to slowly fill our minds and souls with loving and peaceful thoughts. If our thoughts are loving and peaceful, our actions will also be loving and peaceful.

Please accept this e-book as a small gesture of thanks for the role that you’ve played in communicating this message so far. I invite you to forward this book to every person in your family, company or school and entire network who will either benefit from its contents or assist us in spreading its message.

Peace and love,
Bob

You can download the free e-book here.

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Beliefs are amazingly powerful. They cause us to fail or succeed.  They cause us to be healed. They cause us to stay sick. They cause us to endure. They cause us to give up. They can make us Royalty.

We’ve all read stories about individuals whose health improves as the result of their belief that they were taking a new wonder drug.  Just believing that we’ll get better as a result of inserting this magic pill into our mouths and swallowing it will cause us to get better. Frequently, the same number of people taking the placebo will experience the same levels of healing as those taking the pills with actual medicine in them.

The best way to heal each of life’s wounds is by adopting newer, more powerful beliefs.

How is this possible?  Just the thought of consuming food that you believe to be spoiled or poisoned will cause you to become physically sick.  If I drink 2 tablespoons of  a thick green substance that I believe to be Nyquil, I’ll magically become drowsy because I know that Nyquil makes me sleepy.

In every aspect of our life, we receive based upon the beliefs and expectations that we hold in our minds about what we’re worthy or capable of receiving.

Whoever cannot receive surely will be unable to give. What does this mean? It means that we must be capable of receiving money if we want to be able to give some away.  We must be willing to receive love, if we desire to love others. We must be capable of being forgiven if we want to forgive others.  We must be accepting of wisdom if we desire to give it others. We must be willing to receive the gift of faith if we’d like to pass it on to others.

Are you willing to receive so that you will be able to give?  Who will become your source of love, wisdom and optimism?

Outside influences can  frequently cause  undesirable feelings on our insides. Despair, fear, insecurity, guilt and powerlessness are just a few of the emotions that can result from real life situations such as the sickness or death of a loved one, loss of a job, worry about bills and debt or a separation or divorce.

James Allen said something that has caused me to give serious thought to my self-identity. Allen said, “We do not attract that which we want but that which we are.” I translated that to mean that we must change our beliefs about ourselves so that we’ll be worthy of receiving what we truly desire.  Our beliefs must change in order for us to be willing and worthy of receiving. We must become open and aware of new possibilities.

What is your real identity?  Who are you? Are the beliefs that you have about yourself consistent with your real value?

Children of royalty are treated royally by their families and by everyone else. They learned early on in life that they should expect to be treated royally because of who they are, which is why their famously known for using the “Don’t you know who I am?” tactic to get by in the world.

Remembering that we get what we expect, how do you expect to be treated?  How do you treat yourself?

I am the son of a Yellow Pages (AT&T) advertising salesperson and a stay-at-home Mom. Should I expect to be treated like the son of a salesperson and housewife forever?  I hope not because we all know how most people treat salespeople.

Have you been told lately that you’re a child of God?  Have you been told that you were created in the image and likeness of God? Are you aware that the spirit of God has been inside of you since your birth and is like a big, beautiful candle that is just waiting to be lit?  Once lit, that candle will proclaim your true identity.

Do you know that because of your very high status as a unique child of God, you should be treating yourself as the offspring of the King of Kings? How are you feeling my fellow Princes and Princesses?  I’m assuming that you’re experiencing feelings of joy, love, happiness and optimism.  Get used to these feelings.  They’re granted as a result of your acknowledgment of your prince/princess status and are guaranteed to last forever.

Are there additional benefits that come along with your royal status as a child of God?  Yes.

Your faith and belief in God the Father entitles you to the following:

You receive unconditional love on a daily basis from your spiritual Father in heaven.

You always have someone who will listen to you for as long as you’d like to speak who promises to never interrupt.

You receive the gift of hope on a daily basis because you trust that God is always watching over you and has a plan for you.

You receive faith in one who speaks the truth and who has given us the keys to His estate. We know that upon our retirement from earth, we have a heavenly place to live in peace forever.

You receive your share in His trust fund. The gift of life everlasting is granted as a result of living and serving based upon His words and welcoming His spirit to be your daily guardian.

You’ve been granted the power to perform miracles. Nothing is impossible when done with your Father’s assistance and blessing. He is THE GodFather! He has connections everywhere.

You were born into a large, loving family that currently includes 6.7 billion brothers and sisters. Each one of your siblings expects to receive your gift of love and prayer on a regular basis. This is a requirement to maintain your princely status.

You are granted a Fun Trust within your trust fund. You are granted the ability to laugh at all of the silly things that used to cause you fear, despair and insecurity. Concern over bills, jobs, property, cars, fashion and all other worldly concerns have been replaced with love, faith and trust in your Father. You are conscious of the fact that all that is truly important – your spirit – is always in good hands.

These entitlements take effect immediately upon confirmation of your new beliefs and faith in your Father.

Daily communication with your Father is expected. Because of your enrollment in The Royal Family Plan, you’re entitled to 1440 minutes of communication with Him on a daily basis.

Be sure to use your minutes.  You always feel better when calling home.

Welcome to the family, my brothers and sisters.

Please repeat after me:  “Don’t you know who I am.  I am part of a royal family.  I am a child of God!”

Have you lost your wisdom teaching?

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Many people have completely thrown away the teachings of the most important knowledge in the world because of alienation with the institutions associated with the teachings.

At this time of year, many parents of high school juniors and seniors and their children are traveling around the world looking at colleges and universities to receive higher education. If scholarships are not involved, many families consider spending 20, 30, 40 or $50,000+ per year for this education.

What type of education and degrees are we willing to spend this kind of money on?  Law, Engineering, Pre-med, Business, Liberal Arts, Art, Music, Psychology, etc.

Will you please answer these questions?

If you wanted to eliminate war from the face of the earth and instruct people how to peacefully co-exist, what type of education would you give to people?

If you wanted to eliminate hunger and homelessness forever, what would be the types of courses you’d make mandatory?

If you wanted to educate individuals on their power to cause the changes that they desire for themselves, their families and the world, what would you teach?

If you wanted drug and alcohol abuse to become a thing of the past, what would we teach people?

If you wanted each person in the world to have equally high self-esteem, what would we teach?

If you wanted to reduce or eliminate our dependance upon counselors, psychiatrists and psychologists, what would we have people learn?

What did you come up with?

I came-up with a self-study program that would either be free or cost less than $100. The education that I’m talking about which would solve each of these problems is available in a book or two for free at any library or for less than $100 at a bookstore.

Most of us had parents who raised us by bringing us to a religious service on a weekly or very frequent basis.  Are you aware that today 17% of people go to religious services on a regular basis (more than 3 times per year)?

One of the reasons that our parents or grandparents attended services on a regular basis is that this service was the primary form of education within many faiths.

Did the education and knowledge that people found to be the foundation of their values for the last 2000+ years suddenly become irrelevant with my generation and by default for our children?

Do we really think that sports practice, dance lessons and Xbox 360 and Nintendo are really better uses of our time than developing our spiritual health?

I understand that many people have become alienated with the institutions themselves and/or with the fighting going on in the world which frequently seems to have religious ties.

If you’re unhappy with your particular house of worship, I’ll encourage you to do one of the following:

• Ask yourself if you’re letting the messenger get in the way of the message. The message is always good.
• If you can’t get past the messenger, search for a new house of worship whose messenger is more consistent with your personality.
• If that doesn’t work, create a home-study program for yourself and your family that allows you to spend time weekly (or daily) studying your faith and/or multiple faiths. In addition, meditation and prayer are habits that can be conducted anywhere at any time.

I don’t know of any God or any faith that promotes war.  Do you?  Any person that is using God as an excuse for war has corrupted the message that Allah, Jesus, Buddha and all of the spiritual teachings that I’m aware of.

The education that I believe each of us should receive, which would serve as the foundation for the education that we’ll need for our vocation, is an education on how to live with God-like qualities.

• Unconditional Love
• Integrity
• Service to others
• Kindness

Yesterday’s topic on BlogTalkRadio was God.  Greg Stewart and I talked about some definitions of, perceptions of and reasons for believing in God.

A lot of people fight against the idea of God being real because they’ve never shaken God’s hand or been able to pull up any of God’s clips on YouTube.

I admit that going from a position of “I don’t believe in God” to “God is the center of my life and basis for each of my thoughts and actions” is a drastic jump. What I’ve recommended to many people who are interested in understanding and developing a relationship with God or living with God-like qualities on a daily basis is the following two-step process.

Here’s the first step.  Read the teachings of  people like Jesus and Buddha like you were reading any other book that you had to read while in high school or college. While reading the teachings, ask yourself the following types of questions:

• Do I agree with this principle?
• Do I incorporate this teaching into how I run my life today?
  • If I agree with it and am not living it, why not?
• Would I be a better person if I practiced what this teacher taught?
• What type of person would I be if I began thinking, believing and behaving in this manner?
  • Do I like what I’m capable of becoming?
• What would my community (or the world) be like if others lived their lives in this fashion?
• Could we eliminate each of the problems listed above if others were educated and lived with this knowledge?

This first step allows us to come to know how the world’s greatest teachers of truth have advised us to proceed towards enlightenment.

The second step is for you to decide how you want to proceed based upon 3 possible outcomes.

The first possible outcome (I don’t believe in these teachings)

After reading these teachings, you might decide that you absolutely disagree with these concepts.  I doubt it but, it’s a possibility. If you do, you’ve made an educated decision.

The second possible outcome (I believe in these teachings and commit to living them but, I still don’t believe in God)

A second possible outcome would be that you’ve decided that this teacher or these teachers were very wise and that you and I would have happier lives and live in a peaceful world if each of us truly implemented the teachings.

I’ve thought about what the world would be like if each of us were educated in these principles and implemented them – even if we still didn’t believe in God.

We’d have a world without weapons -assault weapons, tanks, fighter jets – because there would be no need for them.

We’d have a world where people were better at listening to and understanding each other than ordering around and giving ultimatums.  If we had disagreements – and we would – we would engage in conversation with the expectation of coming to peaceful outcomes.

We would have a world that treats every person on the planet with dignity and respect.

We would allocate our tax dollars toward education and solving the hunger and homeless issues instead of funding war with and security from our family members.

The third possible outcome (I believe in God)

A third possible outcome would be that you would come to believe that these teachings could have only come from someone with much higher thoughts about love, peace and compassion than any human you’ve ever met. That these thoughts were designed to have us works toward perfect love.

You might come to believe that there is tremendous causative, creative power that exists within you that manifests itself when aligned with the teachings that you’ve learned and implemented. You might come to believe that you have the ability to co-create solutions to every problem that exists when you combine your consciousness with that of God.

You might come to believe that the life that exists within you was created by and comes from the spirit of God that is dwelling within you and I and within every person in the world.

You might come to develop faith in a spiritual power that created the world and everything in it that you’ve never physically seen or touched.

We can’t ask others to do what we’re not willing to do ourselves.

Are you willing to make an educated decision for yourself?

Are you willing to discover  whether or not you believe in and are willing to implement what the teachers of truth have taught us?

A WORD of CAUTION: These principles when acted upon will cause you to change and could possibly result in Sainthood and Enlightenment.

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What happens when we determine that the truths upon which we base our life are false?  Sometimes it’s a very good thing.

Sometimes we find out that a belief that we hold dearly in our minds is wrong.  When this happens, it can sometimes cause us to question other beliefs that we’ve been using to set the limits of how much we give and how much we’re able to receive.

Each of us runs our daily life consistent with the beliefs that we hold in our mind.  If I believe that I’m good at something, I’m correct. If I believe that I’m not good at something, I’m correct again.  The brain is a literal mechanism. It doesn’t argue with us either way. That’s why it’s crucial that we speak positively about ourselves and others.

Here is the good news/bad news portion of this message.  We’d rather prove ourselves correct than improve.  If I tell myself that “there is no way that I can get all of this done today”, I’ll be sure to subconsciously waste just enough time so that I don’t complete everything. We’re always trying to prove that we’re correct for thinking the way that we do.  “See, I told you that I couldn’t do it!” We’re proud of ourselves for setting and keeping low expectations.

Here are examples of two different beliefs from two separate individuals:

Positive Penny: I enjoy owning my own business because it provides me with the ability to create the ideal lifestyle for my family.

Negative Nadine: I could never start my own business. Even if I did, it probably wouldn’t make any money.

If each of us receives in our life consistent with the beliefs that we hold in our mind- and we do – consider the drastically different lives that will result from the opposite beliefs above.

A few weeks ago, someone told me that we can never have peace on earth because people enjoy the high received from engaging in wars. If one person has this belief, that is how he will run his life – based upon this expectation.  If thousands or millions of people have this belief, that is how our world will continue to function.

The same person also provided me a list of the wars that have been held because of religious people who start these battles. “See, religious people can’t practice what they preach. They can’t help themselves. They all have to fight to prove that they’re right.”

Each of us is trying to justify our reasons for believing the things that we believe. I want to prove to you that I’m not crazy for thinking, believing and acting the way that I do so, I have to show you others who behave similarly.

The problem gets worse.  Once we develop a belief about something, our senses will only allow us to receive information consistent with that belief.

If I think that a vegetarian diet is the best way to eat, I will only allow the articles that show the positive effects of this lifestyle on cholesterol and blood pressure to get past my internal filter. I’ll filter out all of the concerns related to the vegetarian lifestyle (possible vitamin B12 deficiency). If I’m a carnivore, I’ll allow the articles that express concern for too little protein in vegetarian diets to enter my mind and screen-out the ones that talk about cholesterol.  We’re blind to the information that is inconsistent with our beliefs.

For these reasons, today is a great day to assess each of the beliefs that you’re using to create your reality.

Are you aware that about 80% of the beliefs that we hold in our minds are not actually true?  Most of our beliefs have been cemented into our minds from listening to other people share their beliefs with us – friends, co-workers, family, etc.  When we hear or read information often enough and give sanction to it, that information gets planted into our minds and we translate those beliefs as fact (even when they’re not true!).  We then run our lives consistent with those frequently false beliefs.

That’s not good enough for you!  There’s a much better way for you and I to control the beliefs that we allow to enter our minds.  I’m asking you to install a 2009 security system for your senses.   Starting this instant, I’m asking you to install the “Who Said So?” security system.

Here’s how it works.  Each time you read information or hear words spoken with authority by someone, think to yourself or politely say to the individual, “Who Said So? or Where did this information come from?”.  You can then follow-up with additional questions such as, “How do you know?  How did you find out?  Are you certain?  Have you done it yourself?”.

Another step in the process is to determine the credentials of the source of the data.  Is the source credible?  Is the person an expert?  Has the person successfully done this himself/herself?   Has the person ever helped others implement these concepts?

I am asking you to treat the thoughts that enter your head the way passengers are treated entering a foreign country.  Screen each piece of information as if it’s most likely false.  Become a skeptical receiver of the information that is coming into your life from all sources – conversation, the web, books, magazines, the radio and television, etc.  Assume that the information is false unless it 100% passes your security system.

Even then, just because the information was true when it entered, it doesn’t mean that it has to be true forever.  The limits that we place in our minds have been set and created by us or people that we’ve ordained to be credible others.  You get to decide when it’s time for you to improve your performance in every area of your life.

As we develop stronger beliefs in ourselves, we’ll need to seek out additional sources of  new truths the way that you took yourself from kindergarten to grammar school and then  to high school.  We outgrew a certain level of knowledge and craved higher sources of information.  This will happen in every area of your life. We’re constantly seeking higher levels of thought.

My initial source of information related to my health – diet and exercise – came from my parents.  Since then, I’ve progressed from several various diets, to ad-hoc exercise routines, to a current support system that includes health magazines, a personal trainer, and physicians.  As my knowledge and desire to improve increased, I needed newer and higher sources of truth.

My initial source of knowledge relating to money and income came from my parents. It then progressed to peers, then managers, then company owners and CEO’s of major companies. It progressed to a point where my beliefs about my potential had outgrown those of most of the people that were surrounding me at that time.

Like my health and knowledge of finances, my parents were my primary source of information about God and faith. From there it went to nuns, priests and religious education teachers. What I realized is that almost 100% of my information was related to Catholicism. I was an adult who didn’t know much about the faiths of people that I was living with outside of my small faith circle. That hunger to learn brought me to the bookstore, the web and to people of differing faiths.

The ultimate source of truth for you will not be found on-line or in a bookstore. That source of truth lies inside of you.  The truth comes from an internal dialogue between you and God.  That dialogue, like every other skill that we’re looking to master, requires time and patience on a daily basis.

Like any dialogue, it will require that questions be asked, time for silence after the question is asked and time to receive the answers.  The answers are always found in the silence that exists between the question and the answer. In the silence is where all creativity comes from. In that silence is where God dwells.

Make silent time with God a part of your daily routine.

Trust that the combination of you and God put you on the planet for a reason.

That same team knows what your potential is in every area of your life – health, compassion, impact on your community, etc.

That team will be the one that eliminates every one of the false truths that have been deceiving you and co-creates the new truths and beliefs that will serve you going forward.

The creation that results from your daily internal dialogue will cause you to search for additional knowledge that you will find in strong mentors, at bookstores and on-line.

The consciousness that you have and share with God is connected to the consciousness that exists in all other humans.  When you and I start thinking, believing and acting at higher levels of consciousness, awareness and truth, we start relating to others at higher levels of love, compassion, patience, understanding and peace.

You and I can create whatever we choose that’s in alignment with our source of truth – God.

Peace is possible | Health is possible | Prosperity is possible

Do you believe?

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Today, Bob and Greg explore the ideas of Unity Consciousness, what it is, why its relevant, and how to understand it in our day to day lives.

We record live at 10:30am PST / 1:30pm EST. If you have questions for Bob, or would like to join the conversation, you can phone in with your questions at 646-378-0660

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The relationship between the material (our bodies), the mind (our brains) and the spirit (our souls) is intertwined. Some of us are very focused on the material world and on our own personal physical world – our bodies.  Others are focused on the psychological world which is limited to the grey matter in our skulls – the brain.  Finally, some of us are fascinated with the search for God that is found in the spirit that resides within each of us.  It’s not like we have to pick one and ignore the others. We are at our best when we are aware of all three and consciously nurture and develop each one.

If you only got to choose one of the three which would you choose?

I’ve come to believe that those are the levels of maturation that we can pass through almost like Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.  At the foundation of this 3 layered pyramid is care for our physical bodies. The ideal goal would be perfect health. The middle layer would consist of care and attention to our thoughts that are contained in the mind.  When we control our thoughts through positive self-talk, the body responds accordingly through improved health and performance. The goal at this level would be 100% positive self-talk (the thoughts that we think inside our heads about ourselves and others).  At the top of this pyramid is our spiritual development. This layer would consist of our thoughts about our spiritual selves (the divinity within us) and our thoughts about and relationship with God and other humans.

The top level might actually be our self-actualization where we realize our relationship to God and the development of what we’ve come to know as spiritual traits and characteristics – unconditional love, desire for peace within ourselves and for all beings and compassion for all.  Our relationship with God allows us to develop the traits in ourselves that we believe God possesses naturally.  We have this potential.

I am convinced that part of the maturation process for us in each of these areas is related to the education that we receive in each of the areas.  I believe that it’s an awareness issue.

For example, I was brought-up in a home that was aware of the relationship between calories consumed (how much we take-in) and exercise (how many calories we burn). I was given this knowledge when I was about 12 because I was much fatter than my parents or doctor thought that I should be.  After going through tests for glandular problems, my doctor and Dad gave me strong medical advice, “you’ve got to put out more than you take-in”.

Although my Dad didn’t have me counting calories or have my body fat measured, he knew at a very basic level that I needed to eat less and exercise more.  I was given that gift by my parents and I’ve been able to maintain a very healthy body throughout my entire adult life.  They gave me the gift of awareness as it related to my control over the health of my body.

What would’ve happened to me if my parents and doctor hadn’t taken the time to assist me with eating food in moderation and the habit of regular exercise? Would my weight have gotten so out of control that I’d be among the morbidly obese? Would I have given up hope or resigned myself to the fact that I was born big-boned and I was supposed to be overweight?  It’s very possible had I not received the gift of education while my problem was still easily manageable.

I didn’t receive much education at home or school related to how our minds work. It was not until I was about 38 years hold that I became thoroughly educated on the relationship between our self talk and the results that we receive in our lives. Once I was educated on how our self-esteem is created, and the value of maintaining 100% positive self-talk, I was able to change every aspect of my life in which I had more potential to develop.  That included every area!

What would have happened had I received that information in grammar school?  Would my life have been different if I had known in my teens that the thoughts that we’re thinking today will end-up producing what we realize and receive in the future? YES. Do I blame my parents?  No. They had never received this type of knowledge so they could not pass it on to me. Now that I have this knowledge I’ve passed it on to my wife and two children.  They now get to choose whether or not to use the knowledge.

Because I was brought up Catholic and because Christianity was a part of our lives at every meal (prayer), at bed-time (prayer) and on every Saturday or Sunday (church), I was exposed to the belief that God exists and He’s here to love me and help me with every aspect of my life whenever I choose to involve Him. I knew at a very young age that I was never alone.  I knew with all my being that there was a piece of divinity – the Holy Spirit – that dwelled inside of me. My spiritual spark was lit at a very early age and I’ve chosen to pursue God and a strong relationship with Him.

Because of the religious/spiritual education (including 8 years of Catholic grammar school), I was very open to the idea that God exists and that I can have any type of relationship that I choose with Him.  It’s up to me.  That gift resulted in spiritual knowledge that has given me unwavering faith.

What would’ve happened had I not received the gift of Faith and belief in God when I was young?  I don’t know.  Would I be walking around wondering what the whole point of life is?  Would I not see each person on the planet as a spiritual brother and sister?  Would I not know that the reason that I crave silence so much in my life is because God is found in silence? Would I not know that it’s within my potential to live a Christ-like life or even know what that is?  I was given an unfair spiritual advantage by my parents.

If you or anyone you know did not receive the gift of education in any of these areas, please believe me when I tell you that progress in each of these areas can happen very quickly. I know that significant improvement to our bodies, minds and spirits can be instantaneous.  As soon as our minds lock-on to our new idea, the creative process begins and tremendous energy is created.

I was with a friend at dinner last night who six weeks ago decided that at 50 years old, it was time to improve his health.  He lost 25 pounds in six weeks without any exercise.  He modified his eating habits.

I train people every month in the science of controlling the thoughts that go on in our minds – self-talk. Many of them call me or send me e-mails thanking me for helping them to understand how to turn their lives around and start seeing themselves, their families and the world as positive.  The changes begin happening overnight – literally.

From a spiritual perspective, I know that God is always waiting for you to say “hello” and He’s always ready to listen to you.  God is waiting for us to invite Him into our lives. He will not make us wait.  There are numerous books to assist you in the process of pursuit of God and the development of the spirit that resides inside of you. If you used to attend worship services, why not attend one in the near future. Your faith community will be very happy to have you with them.

Ask and you will receive.  Knock and the door shall be opened.

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In February 2008, I was asked to give a 60-minute keynote on the topic of Success to a group of about 300 experts in the field of sales and management. During the talk, I spoke about my favorite topic – healthy, happy, vibrant humans. We know that our health (our being) is really just one thing that we try to break down into 3 separate components: mental health, physical health and spiritual health.

In order to keep myself healthy, one of ways that I do it is by reading uplifting books. The author that was most instrumental in inspiring me in the 80’s and 90’s was Og Mandino. His words have infiltrated my mind, my body and my soul and will be there for ever. Og had the gift of being able to take Christian concepts (he was named after St. Augustine) and build them into stories that were so good that I didn’t want to put the book down. Although I enjoyed every word ever written by him, I was always sad when I had completed the book because I wanted it to go on forever!

Since Og’s death, I’ve been eagerly seeking an author to fill the void that was created. During my keynote, I asked the audience to give me recommendations of books and authors that they liked and have found to be inspirational with the hope that at least one of them would resonate with me. I didn’t receive too many responses. I think that I got one or two partially hand-written on a scrap piece of paper with a title but no author or vice versa.

About two weeks after I gave the talk, I received a delivery at my office via FedEx. When ever FedEx shows up with a box that I’m not expecting, I’m like a little child on Christmas morning. I can’t wait to pull the rip-cord on the side of the box and open it to find out what treasure awaits inside. I was thinking to myself that whatever was on the inside “must be something very special that someone wanted me to receive very quickly”.

When I tipped the box on its side, out popped a book with a man’s picture on the front. The man was smiling and looking at a butterfly that he was holding in his right hand. The title of the book was Inspiration: Your Ultimate Calling by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer. On the inside cover of the book was a hand-written note: Dear Bob, Based on your February talk, I feel these pages can be of more support. Best wishes, John & Julie Moore.

The only thing better than receiving a book that has touched the life of another person is receiving one with a meaningful, heartfelt inscription!

At the time that I asked for and received the book, I was juggling two full-time roles at work and considered myself too busy to read the book. So, I put the gift on the shelf to enjoy at a later time.

I had asked for a gift. I had received the gift. I deliberately ignored the gift. How often do we receive gifts, knowledge, wisdom or advice that can help us today that we choose NOT to utilize at the present moment? How could I possibly ignore a book that had been sent via FedEx?

What would have happened had I chosen to read the book as soon as I received it? What would happen if we used all of the gifts that we received at birth?

After working frantically for the next 13 months, I made a major decision to transition out of the field that I’d been working in since getting out of college in 1983 and to pursue a passion that was first inspired during the reading of the works of Og Mandino.

On March 31, 2008 I was overwhelmed with 2 jobs. On April 1, 2008 (April Fool’s Day- What a great day to start a new career!)- my first day after resigning – I had all of the time in the world. One of my first priorities prior to diving into my new career was to “get my head on straight”.

For some reason, the book that I had put on the bookshelf in my library 13 months prior seemed to fly off the shelf and into my hands. Maybe it was the butterfly on the cover who magically delivered the book into my lap?

I cracked open the book and began reading and turning page after page. The author’s style and words were inspiring and soothing. His words were fueling the fire that already burned within me to manifest all of my God-given gifts to the fullest. One of the highlighted sections in the book that was very pertinent to me at this stage of my life was “Don’t die wondering!”

Towards the end of the book, Dr. Dyer writes about a friend of his named “Jack” who was a minister in Detroit. Jack was very fond of monarch butterflies so, Wayne gave him a beautiful paperweight as a gift which contained a monarch butterfly that he had found in perfect condition.

On the day Dr. Dyer completed a chapter in the book that he was working on at the time, he found out that his friend Jack had passed away. One of the many lessons that Jack had taught Dr. Dyer was to always “be in a state of gratitude”. Jack always ended every sermon with a message to God: “Thank You, thank You, thank You.”

After finishing writing chapter 17 of the book, Dr. Dyer repeated the words of his friend Jack: “Thank You, thank You, thank You.” At that moment a monarch butterfly landed on Wayne and stayed with him for two and half hours! Jack had arrived to visit his good friend Wayne and let him know that everything is okay.

During the one to two week period that I read Inspiration, there was a beautiful yellow butterfly that graced my back yard and deck area that I could see from my kitchen as I enjoyed each meal of the day. Was it Wayne’s minister friend Jack letting me know that he was keeping an eye on me from heaven? Was it Jack reminding me to always “be in a state of gratitude”? Was it Wayne and Jack sending me a message to be certain that I Don’t die wondering? Was it God working through Wayne, Jack and the butterfly?

I know that I’m exceptionally grateful to John and Julie Moore for passing on the gift of Dr. Wayne W. Dyer to me. I completed his latest book Excuses Begone last Friday and felt the way that I used to when completing an Og Mandino book. I enjoyed Excuses Begone every bit as much as I did Inspiration.

Ask and you shall receive (via Fed-ex). Thank you, thank You, thank You!

Listen to the Post
 

Are you ready to think about a politically sensitive topic?

“Should Public Schools Teach Religion?” That thought provoking question is on The Washington Post’s “On Faith” column.

What do you think?  Most of us have a gut response to that one.  What is a gut response?  One that we don’t “think about”.  We just blurt it out without thought. That’s usually not a good idea.

Some of us will say that we should absolutely not allow religion to be taught in schools because of separation of church and state.  There are other comments to that question on the Washington Post’s website such as several “hell no!” responses.  Other more thoughtful people responded with “yes, along with the ‘stork theory’ and ‘denial of gravity’ concepts.”  I learned from my friend Lou Tice that sarcasm is “hostility safely delivered.”

Before we get too emotionally involved in this one, how about answering a few more questions?

Why do we send our children to school?  To give our children a broad education on topics that we think will help them to prosper in today’s world.

Would an understanding about Christianity, Islam and Judaism help our soldiers who have been in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001?  Yes.

Would it help our federal  politicians who are negotiating around the world with people of different faiths? Yes.

Might it help our local public servants – politicians, firemen, policemen and EMT’s who are serving people of all faiths in their communities?  Yes.

Might it help us to prevent future wars?  Yes.

Does an education in religion get properly taught at home by most families?  No. Not only is it not effectively taught in our primary faith but, any mention of other faiths doesn’t typically occur.

Take a deep breath.  Are you okay now?

Try to envision a curriculum within the public schools whereby the students would receive an education on the major religions of the world.  The top five religions according to the number of adherents are: Christianity – 2.1 billion, Islam – 1.5 billion, Hinduism – 900  million, Chinese traditional religion – 394 million and Buddhism 376 million.  The top 5 represent about 5.3 billion of the world’s 6.7 billion people – 79%.

The definition of religion is a “belief in and reverence for a supernatural power accepted as the creator and governor of the universe.”  The definition of its’ synonym “creed” is “ a formal statement or system of belief, principles or opinions.”

I wonder why my parents thought that it made sense to send me to a Catholic school (tuition in addition to local, state and federal taxes) for 8 years and bring me to church 52+ times per year (church tax = tithing)?  It would have been much cheaper to do neither. My Dad absolutely would have preferred to sleep-in on Sunday mornings!

There are two answers to those questions. The first answer is that they both were raised Catholic and it was a strong part of their faith and who they are as people.

The second answer is that when you proclaim to be a Christian, you’re supposed to do many things and serve in many ways in addition to believing in Jesus Christ, God and the Holy Spirit.  These are what I would consider to be some of the “Christ-like” behaviors:

• Love your neighbor
• Love yourself
• Do unto others as you would have them do unto you
• Honor and respect your parents and elders
• Respect the gift of life
• Be a person of honesty and integrity
• Feed the hungry and thirsty
• Clothe the naked
• Welcome strangers
• Visit the sick and imprisoned
• Bury the dead
• Counsel the doubtful
• Instruct the ignorant
• Comfort the sorrowful
• Bear wrongs patiently
• Pray for the living and the dead
• Serve others with our gifts

Based upon my knowledge of Judaism, Islam and Buddhism, each of those bullets would be considered part of their faiths too.

These are the values that my parents wanted to instill in their children and taught us at home.  They thought it was important to reinforce our education at home with the Catholic school and church.  A reason for adults to attend worship on a weekly basis is to keep these concepts front and center in our minds. God consciousness.

My wife and I thought that these same values made sense for our children too. We chose to send our children to Catholic grammar school (and high school and college for my son).

Can you envision having each person within our education system thinking that this is how civilized humans are supposed to treat each other?

Do you think that most parents are teaching these concepts at home whether or not they believe in God?

I think that for many people of faith, when they pray, they’re asking God for assistance developing and nurturing the above qualities. They believe that having a sense of God’s grace and wisdom living inside them (God’s light or spirit) will allow them to be people who display these values on a daily basis.

I’ve let both of my children know that it’s much more important to me that they are people who live the above values and enjoy a deep, loving relationship with God than it is to be rich, get a 4.0 GPA or drive a fancy car.

Rich is good.  Smart is good. Nice cars are good.  Being a loving, compassionate, considerate, respectful, tolerant person of faith is the priority.

The above values and skills are ones that will cause them to be successful in this life (and the next one) regardless of their vocation.

These are the traits that all religions try to develop within us because they are what we perceive to be “God-like” characteristics.

If you don’t believe in God, do you believe in the above values?

If you still don’t want religion taught in public schools, will you commit to teaching these values at home?

Listen to this post:
 

I have a great general practitioner named Mark whom I visit once per year for my annual physical.  Each year I go to the hospital prior to my visit with him and have tests run on my heart, blood and urine.  My very proactive and well-read doctor usually suggests that I “add-on” to my diet with something that he thinks will help me prevent disease.

Because I expect to be healthy, I’m actively searching for information that will allow me to stay healthy and avoid disease. I’m eager to accept the information that comes from experts like my doctor, Men’s Health and Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

Over the last few years, Dr. Mark has prescribed pomegranate juice, bran buds, brazil nuts, red wine and glucosamine/chondroitin on top of my already healthy diet. After each visit, I go to the supermarket or health food store and purchase whatever he recommends and proceed home to watch my wife laugh at me as I incorporate the new foods into my diet.

Nicholas Bakalar published an article on 8/31/09 on NYTimes.com called “Aging: Moderate Drinking May Help the Brain” In the article he says that “People over 60 who consume moderate amounts of alcohol have a reduced risk for Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.” The studies variously defined light to moderate drinking as 1 to 28 drinks per week. How’s that for a definition of “light to moderate” drinking. That’s a difference of 4050 calories or 1.157 pounds of weight per week!

Because my doctor “prescribed” red wine for my health and because dementia and Alzheimer’s appear to be creeping into my family, this article seemed to jump off my computer screen today.  Even though I’m only 47 years old, I’ll assume that if moderate amounts of alcohol are good for people over 60, then it must be really good for people under 60!  We only hear (and read) what we want to hear and read!

In cognitive science, there is a concept called Selective Perception. Selective perception is “a procedure by which people let in, or screen out, information they have an opportunity to see or hear.”

Human beings perceive and seek-out information that is consistent with their own thoughts, attitudes and beliefs on a topic.  Humans are “blind” to information that contradicts their beliefs about a topic. We literally block out all of that information – even though it may be true!

I chose the article on drinking because people tend to have a strong feeling about this topic one way or another.  If you’re looking for reasons to justify consuming alcohol, your brain will seek-out articles like this one.  If you believe that alcohol is not good for you for any reason,  you’ll most likely not even see this article on the nytimes.com website and only notice articles where alcohol is bad such as “cirrhosis of the liver” articles.

Humans are always looking for information to back-up their beliefs so that they can “prove that they’re right and not crazy” for thinking and believing what they believe.

So what’s the point.  I’m going to encourage you to pay attention to your self-talk and your speech because it will give you a great idea as to what your beliefs are.  When you hear yourself thinking or speaking words like “I can” or “ I can’t” do something, or “I like him” or “I hate her” or “Muslims are good people” or  “Christians are arrogant”, understand that your brain is now only allowing information through your brain’s filter that is consistent with your beliefs.  We’re always looking for information that will support our beliefs.

Selective Perception is what occurs when you hear someone saying good things about someone you love.  You smile, nod and let that thought sink deeply into your brain because it’s consistent with your belief.  But, when someone is saying something bad or negative about someone you care about, what do you do?  You deny that it’s true and choose not to give that thought sanction.  You will literally fight (verbally) that person to prove that you’re right and they’re wrong.

Question of the day: What beliefs are you currently holding onto in the following categories (or others) that no longer serve you? Would now be a good time to update them?

• House of Worship -Old  “It’s a waste of time.”  “I get nothing out of it.”
  • New “I learn something new each week and am a valuable contributor within my community.”
• Exercise – Old “No matter what I do, it doesn’t work.”  “My schedule is too busy.”
  • New “I easily allocate 30 minutes per day to exercise my body and feel refreshed and alive.”
• Weight loss – Old “I’m big boned. I’ve tried before but, I always put it back on.”   “It’s impossible for me to lose weight.”
  • New “I enjoy eating healthy foods in the proper quantities to maintain my ideal, healthy weight.”
• Faith - Old “Anyone who doesn’t share my beliefs is wrong.”
  • New “I seek out people of different faiths so that I can learn new ways to strengthen my own faith.”
• Torah, Bible or Qur’an – Old “I don’t have time to read it.”   “There’s nothing in there that applies to me.”
  • New “I allocate 20 minutes per day to reading God’s word and feel confident knowing that our relationship is strengthening each day.”
• Work – Old “I’ll never get promoted because I don’t play the political games.” “If I work harder they’ll just give me more to do.” “No one is hiring.”
  • New “I perform at 100% of my capability in each task that I perform throughout the day and feel serene knowing that I always do my best.”
• Money – Old “I never seem to have enough.”  “I’m not good at saving money.”
  • New “There is plenty of money in the world.  It’s easy for me to attract the appropriate amount into my life to provide for my family and to generously give to the poor.”

If you were to deliberately change your beliefs on those topics, or any others, you would immediately begin to perceive new, positive information that will help you to achieve your new beliefs (goals).

No one controls your beliefs except for you!

You can choose to selectively perceive whatever you desire!