Kim Corbin at New World Library asked me to answer the following question for the New World News online newsletter. It was such a good question, I found myself writing far more than they wanted, and thought it was perfect for a blog:

What spiritual practice or technique have you found most effective in getting you through these difficult times?

I use a variety of practices and techniques, and really don’t know which is the most effective. Maybe it’s just one simple thing, or maybe it’s the combination of all of them that is the most effective. I really don’t know. The important thing is to find something that works for you, whatever it may be.

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The New Year is a time of new beginnings. The Earth is quiet and dormant, but underneath the surface, under the soil, seeds of great change are in motion, preparing to burst forth in full bloom.

In the bookstores, they call this season “New Year, New You.” It’s a time when people make resolutions, and attempt to improve their lives. Many resolutions fail, and many become cynical about their attempts. There are many people, however, who make life-changing decisions and new habits in this month of January. It’s up to you.

We can start by asking ourselves some questions: Are you happy with your life? What would you want to change? How can you go about making those changes?

These are questions worth asking! I remember very clearly when I was a frustrated poverty case, and I wanted more emotional stability, more peace in my life, and I wanted more income, more financial security as well. The two seemed intertwined; my financial situation caused so much struggle and frustration.

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This book, written in 1904, took me from poverty to abundance. For about twenty years, I said it was the best book I’ve ever read (now it’s number two; The Power of Now is number one). I put several phrases from the book, including the opening poem and the other poem in it, in big letters on my wall. These phrases, repeated hundreds of times, became imprinted in my mind, and to this day they spring to mind on occasion. They are powerful, life changing phrases — the most powerful one, for me, is this:

James Allen writes with a power and authority that affects some deep place within, and those two sentences of his have been life changing.

That and the two poems — they sum up everything I learned from As You Think. It opens with a short poem. There’s a tradition in some Buddhist books where the wisdom of the book is contained in the title. If you understand the title, you don’t need to read the book. Then there is a short opening poem; if you understand the poem, you don’t need to read the book either, for it contains all the wisdom of the book. Here’s the opening poem in As You Think:

“Content” in the second line, of course means “contentment”. And he uses “environment” in line three, and later “circumstance” very broadly — he means everything in our world, inner and outer, that we can possibly use as an excuse, as a reason we can’t “hew our way to any goal”.

Be not impatient in delay, he tells us, but wait and understand: When our spirit rises and dares to dream, and dares even to command ourselves to take the steps we can take toward that dream, then the whole universe rushes in to support us in realizing our dreams.

Here’s what I learned from this great little book:

You are far greater, far more powerful, than you may think. You are part of a limitless field of creative possibilities.

As Eckhart puts it, in the frontispiece of The Power of Now:

I took a weekend workshop in my late twenties, and one simple little exercise from it had — and continues to have — a remarkable impact on my life. The workshop was led by Ken Keyes Jr., who wrote Handbook to Higher Consciousness, and the little exercise is called “the core belief process.” It’s something I’ve done hundreds of times, and continue to do at times.

All it involves is asking ourselves eight questions, and answering them honestly. When we do it, we become far more aware of the deep beliefs we have, many of them unconscious.

Once we see what these beliefs are, they can be changed. There are countless different ways to change our beliefs, including therapy, prayer, meditation, walks in nature, talking things through with a friend, twelve-step programs, and a zillion other things. The best tools I have found over the years are prayer and affirmation — simply repeating some simple words that directly contradict and counteract the limiting beliefs I have.

Because what are these beliefs? They are thoughts we have in our mind, a neural pathway. And what are these affirmations? Other thoughts we have in our mind, through other neural pathways that can lead us to a far more wonderful life experience.

The rest of this is excerpted from The Greatest Secret of All:

The Core Belief Process

This little activity can help you deal with any difficult situation or problem in your life. All it requires is answering these questions  as honestly as you can, in your head or on paper or screen:

1. What is the problem? Just describe the situation, for a minute or two.

2. What emotions are you feeling? Just name them, in a word or two. Is there fear, frustration, anger, guilt, sadness? Sometimes just the act of naming the emotions will be enough for you to let at least some of those emotions go. At other times, you have to go through all the steps of the process before your emotions shift.

3. What physical sensations are you feeling? Take a minute to tune in to your body. Briefly describe what you feel happening physically.

4. What are you thinking about? Take a few minutes and say out loud or write down  what has been going through your mind. Is there a repetitive stream of thoughts you’ve been having lately? What are those recurrent thoughts? 

5. What is the worst thing that could happen in this situation? What is the worst-case scenario that you can imagine? If that happened, what would be the very worst thing that could happen to you? It is good to shed some light on your deepest fears, because you come to realize that the chances of those deep fears actually being realized are very slim indeed.

6. What is the best thing that could happen? What would you like to have happen ideally? What is your ideal scene for this area of your life?

7. What fear or limiting belief is keeping you from creating what you want? Now we’re getting to the core of the problem: What fear or limiting belief can you identify? State it as simply as you can — the simpler, the better. I’m a fool with money…. I don’t have what it takes…. It’s so hard to succeed…. It’s all so stressful and unhealthy….

8. What affirmation can you come up with that counteracts that negative or limiting belief? Put it in directly opposite words, if you can. Play with it until you find an affirmation that feels good to you and speaks to you in your own unique way. I am sensible and in control of my finances…. I am creating total financial success…. I am now creating abundance in my life…. I am living the life of my dreams, in an easy and relaxed manner, in a healthy and positive way.

9. Say or write your affirmation repeatedly, over the next days, weeks, and months. Write it down and put it in places where you see it often. Repeat it — or repeat them, if you have several — in the mornings and throughout the day whenever you remember, especially when doubts and fears arise, as they almost surely will. When you repeat it enough, it will become more powerful than your doubts and fears.

When I went through this simple process, startling changes started to happen almost immediately. I didn’t have to believe the process worked because I saw it working in my life, in an easy and relaxed manner, in a healthy and positive way.

This secret is told simply and clearly in the Bible, in the book of Job:

We have heard so many of these things over and over. Now these ancient truths are beginning to be realized in the lives of a large portion of humanity. Once we see the power we have to affect our own beliefs, we see that we can change our lives — and change the world as well. We see, in fact, that we have everything we need in this moment to realize our greatest dreams. We find that we have within us the ability to dream a lofty dream, affirm that it is coming true, and take the steps necessary to realize it.

I’m reading a memoir (not yet published; still being written) called Gurus Behaving Badly. In it, a young woman gets swept up into something very much like EST (though she says it wasn’t based on EST), called The Course.

She gives us a balanced view of it all. In the beginning, she says, she learned something worthwhile and powerful — self-responsibility and self-empowerment. She learned that it is useless to blame the outside world and other people for her problems; she came to understand the empowering fact that she is the sole cause of her problems.

As it said in the old Pogo cartoon, “I have met the enemy, and it is us.”

“We are the cause of our problems.
The outside world isn’t doing it to us, in any way.”

Knowing this simplifies our lives. We have only to deal with our own mind — nothing else, nothing out there — to create the kind of lives we want for ourselves.

Along with all the empowering teachings she found in this organization, though, there was something about it that she realized only much later didn’t serve her well at all:

There was an unspoken message under it all, constantly reinforced, that said, “You need this Course. You need to put your money in it, and take all the programs, because there’s something wrong with you that The Course can fix.”

It took her many years, but she finally realized something important: There is nothing wrong with her. She’s okay. Every moment of her life has been perfect, in fact, leading her to where she is now. She has found her peace in her own way, no longer involving gurus and courses.

It’s true for all of us — in spite of our minds, and excuses, and dysfunctional families, and all the rest of our “stinking thinking”, as they so eloquently put it in AA:

“There is nothing wrong with you.
You’re okay.
Every moment of your life has been perfect,
leading up to this moment,
which is perfect.”

Once we understand the perfection of this moment, all our problems dissolve, like grains of sand thru our fingers.

Eckhart Tolle asks us a good question: In this moment, right now, what’s the problem?

Good question! And almost every one of us who is asked this question can’t help but answer that right now there’s no problem. In this moment, right now, there’s very rarely a problem confronting us. And when there is, we’ll deal with it.

To use Eckhart’s words, we no longer mistake our life situation — our life story — for our life. We no longer identify completely with our past, our situation, and the fascinating story of our lives, for we realize who we really are: we are life itself.

Eckhart uses a wonderful image: He sees his physical body as a window frame, with light shining thru the window. That light is who and what we really are. Our bodies are temporary frames that let the light of our true nature shine thru.

It’s a good image to bring to mind when you’re relaxing, and when you’re active as well, walking around, talking to people:

Your body is the frame that lets the light
of your Being shine thru.

Keep bringing that image to mind, and see what happens.

This is a challenge to all you skeptics out there, and a great opportunity for open-minded people:

Even if you don’t believe in any of this New Age mumbo-jumbo — even if you think “positive thinking” is hopelessly naïve and prayer has no power at all and affirmations have no effect whatsoever — try this experiment: For even a short time, act as if there might be a possibility that some of this kind of thinking is true, and see what happens.

For just a short time, try an experiment — what have you got to lose? Choose among the following possibilities — or make up your own — and see what the results there are:

Imagine you have a quiet inner place you can retreat to in your imagination, in your “mind’s eye”. Take a few breaths, relax, close your eyes, and imagine you’re in a place of beauty and serenity — your inner sanctuary. Within it, you can summon your inner guide, a person or animal or spirit who comes when you call. This wise being within you can answer any question with ease and lightness.

Or you could put it in a different way: Imagine you have an intuitive voice within you that you can access simply by asking questions. Ask your question, take a deep breath, become still for a moment, and just listen to the quiet answer you receive.

Act as if you can have a conversation with a wiser part of yourself.

Or imagine you are talking to God — or if that word doesn’t work for you, imagine you are talking to the Universe, or having a discussion with the quantum field, and somehow it is capable of whispering in your ear, quietly, even soundlessly….

It doesn’t matter how you choose to imagine it; there are countless ways we can tune into our intuition, and most of them are very simple. Act as if you’re intuitive — and you become intuitive.

In this simple way, you can get all the guidance you ever need — all from within. And it’s the perfect guidance for you, because it comes from within you.

Act As If

Act as if you have an intuitive voice whispering in your ear. Act as if one of any number of images and meditations work wonders for you:

Act as if you have an ocean of serenity within; you are a small part of a vast and deep inner ocean of peace, calmness, and shimmering light.

Act as if you’re a powerful tree, with roots going deep into the earth, and you’re growing and expanding magnificently as you dance in the wind and the rain.

Act as if you’re a radiant star — we’re all made of star stuff, after all, the simple elements blown out of a star, so let that star shine!

A Great Secret

We’ve all heard the great secrets that show us how to have lives that are peaceful and fulfilling, happy and worthwhile. We’ve all heard these secrets over and over, yet we forget them, over and over, until we find them in our own words and remember them throughout our active days.

We’ve all heard this great secret: We have a clear, intuitive voice within us — and we can access it simply by asking for it.

Don’t forget this powerful truth: You’re an intuitive being. Ask for guidance and you will receive it. (Jesus said something like that, as I recall.)

Remember to tune into your intuition more often, and to do some big picture thinking occasionally. Ask your intuitive mind some big questions, some important questions, and listen quietly for the answers you get.

What am I here to do? Do I have a mission, or vocation, or calling?

How do I do it?

Is there a greater purpose to it all? What’s my role in it?

We all have a different path up the mountain. It wanders and winds in its own unique way. I can give you the answers that have helped me up my particular path, but they may not be the right words for you, because you’re on a different path, at least at the moment.

You find the great secrets of a life well-lived, a life of inner peace and fulfillment, only once you’re able to put them in your own words, and remember them throughout your day — especially when you’re frustrated, upset, angry, or sad. We all know the secrets, but we tend to forget them, over and over, especially during those times when we need them the most.

I have a great quote from Huston Smith in big letters on my wall in front of me as I write this, and his words sum up a great secret beautifully:

“Our opportunity as human beings
is to transform flashes of illumination
into abiding light.”

— Huston Smith

We’ve all heard so many of these vital, life-giving secrets so many times, but we forget, over and over, until we find them in our own words and finally remember them, every moment of the day.

So be it. So it is!

A woman came up to me after a talk I gave a while ago and asked a very good question: “Bottom line,” she said, “Are you saying anyone can succeed?” I knew exactly what she was thinking as she asked it: Even me? With all my problems?

I thought it over for a moment. No one had ever asked me that question before; I hadn’t asked myself that question before. It’s a good question. Can anybody succeed?

I thought about it for a little while, and then told her, “Yes, anybody can succeed — if they make a plan, and keep taking whatever steps they can toward the fulfillment of that plan.”

Anybody can succeed. Just yesterday someone asked me, “Even handicapped people — people with challenges?” And I said, “Look at Helen Keller!” Born blind and deaf — and she became one of the most cherished and inspiring writers and speakers of the last century.

Whatever problems you may have — (in my mind I hear that word the way Lisa Kudrow said it in the movie Analyze This) — no matter what problems or obstacles you may face, there have been people with far worse problems who have succeeded brilliantly. If they can do it, you can do it too!

There are no valid excuses. People have plenty of excuses they think are valid, but every one of them is lame. Whatever excuses you think you have, there have been many people in far worse situations than you who have gone on to great success.

Eckhart Tolle was nearly suicidal throughout his twenties. Ken Keyes Jr. (who wrote Handbook to Higher Consciousness) was a quadriplegic. Everyone who has succeeded has had huge obstacles to overcome. Look at Oprah Winfrey! If all those people can do it, you can do it too.

It’s that simple. Get to it. As one great teacher said to me, “Cut the BS and do the thing.” Make a plan, and take whatever steps you can take during the next few months on that plan — and watch what happens.

Sometimes people ask this question:

I’ve answered that question with a question of my own: Of all the people in the world, how many of them dare to dream their greatest dreams? And of those who do, how many actually sit down and make a plan in writing to reach those dreams? And how many of them take action, and keep taking the steps they need to take?

Very, very few. Until now.

Dare to dream. Then sit down and make a plan to achieve that dream. Start taking whatever steps you can take now, and keep taking the next obvious steps in front of you. Then — as a reviewer of one of our books said — “Prepare yourself for some truly marvelous results!”

I recently met Alex Mendossian, a website wizard and money magician. I gave him a copy of my book, The Millioniare Course, and he sent me a note saying that the third paragraph on page 155 was worth 100 times the price of the book.

What a great comment! I immediately flipped to that page to see what he was talking about — and I’ll share it with here (with a few added comments). So here you are: $1500 worth of advice, absolutely free:

“I continued nearly every day to affirm my goals. (Well, maybe three times a week on the average.) Changes started to happen quickly, various plans came to mind, opportunities appeared — and best of all, I found my inner critic was totally wrong and my intuition was right. I found I could create success without becoming a slave to my work. I could always find a way to choose to do things in an easy and relaxed manner, in a healthy and positive way, in its own perfect time, for the highest good of all. (Those are the words I added to each of my affirmations.) In fact, I found it is the simplest and best way to do things in general, both short-term and long-term.”

I’m glad Alex found so much of value in that paragraph. Maybe you can too. I developed a very simple little system the day I turned 30 that changed my life. It’s so simple, even a child can you it. (Even you and me!)

I wrote down my Ideal Scene on a single sheet of paper, imagining five years had passed and everything had gone as well as I could imagine. Then I took another piece of paper and listed all the goals that were there in my Ideal Scene. (There were 12 of them.)

Then I rewrote each goal as an affirmation, as if it was in the process of coming true, and I added those powerful words in italic in the quote above: One of them was “In an easy and relaxed manner, in a healthy and positive way, in its own perfect time, for the highest good of all, I am now creating total financial success.”

Over time, as I continued affirming my goals, simple plans emerged for each goal, plans I could summarize in one page.

That’s my entire system. That sets your course. Then all you need is ongoing course correction, because almost all of us tend to get off course repeatedly. A powerful way to get back on course is to go back to your goals, back to your affirmations, back to your plans. Keep repeating them, keep revising them, and you will start seeing results.

We live in a workaholic, Type-A culture that highly values being busy and working hard. Most people think that’s the only route to success: Work, work, work.

But I had a problem with that, because I’m basically lazy. I’ve never been a “morning person.” I’m lazy, laid-back, unorganized (my desk is a mess), and forgetful (don’t expect me to remember your name!) — and yet I’ve become highly successful, by my own standards and by almost everyone else’s standards as well.

Most people in our culture don’t think it’s even possible to be successful and laid-back (much less lazy!). Most people think that being lazy is a bad thing. It’s associated with all kinds of other bad things, like not paying attention, not being motivated, not being focused on a goal. Laziness is the route to poverty and frustration. An idle mind is the Devil’s playground, after all. You’ve got to work really hard to succeed. The early bird gets the worm.

Yeah, but the late bird might get a whole discarded Happy Meal!

I’ve found that you can be laid-back, even lazy,
and still be persistent.
You can still be focused on a dream or goal
and keep moving toward that dream or goal.

For years I doubted that was true. I thought I needed to work harder to create any kind of success. High energy is a virtue, after all; laziness a vice. My job, and my life, were very stressful, but that was part of it, wasn’t it? Stress is part of working hard, isn’t it? Stress is part of being alive and functioning in this world.

Then, somewhere in my thirties, I discovered something: In the long run, it’s far better to be relaxed than stressed. It’s better for your health, and you do much better work. (That’s what we really admire in great artists, isn’t it? They do it in such an easy and effortless way.) In the long run, you can have much greater fulfillment and even much greater success in the world if you’re a Type Z more often than a Type A.

Type Z is the polar opposite of a Type A. The Taoists have it exactly right: All the world is a play of opposites, of yin and yang, of night and day, male and female, activity and stillness.

Type-A behavior is active. Now, it’s excellent to learn to be active and skillful and effective, but we shouldn’t spend all our time in that half of the polarity. So many people seem to fear the opposite of active. They’re afraid to have time on their hands with nothing to do.

Yet the opposite of activity, of Type-A focus and drive, is not stagnation or death, it’s stillness — wonderful, relaxing, rejuvenating stillness. And when you’re still for a while, then the energy for all kinds of activity naturally arises, but it doesn’t have to be a driven kind of activity. It’s Type-Z activity:

• Laid back
• Relaxed
• Easy going, going with the flow
• Enjoying life
• In the moment
• Sleeping a lot

M0st people don’t equate these things with success, yet they actually contribute to true success in life, don’t they?

My dream has always been to have a life of ease. Not to work too hard (30 hours a week is stretching it for me). To spend a lot of time just idly wandering around my home and yard, with nothing to do for the rest of the day. That’s my ideal scene.

I’ve managed to create it, and you can too if that’s part of your dream, your ideal scene. If you enjoy being a Type A, great! Just be sure to find plenty of time in your busy schedule for relaxation and rejuvenation. But if you’re like me, I’m here to tell you, as loud and clear as I can:

You can be laid back, even lazy, and still be successful.
It’s not that hard to do.
Just make clear goals, keep focused on them,
and keep moving toward them,
in your own laid-back, lazy way.

My life and my work consists of an ongoing discussion of exactly how to succeed in the world, doing what you love to do, and yet still be relaxed, laid back, even lazy at times. I know it’s possible. I’ve proven it. So have many others. It’s all a matter of dealing with your deep beliefs. Henry Ford summed it all up brilliantly:

If you believe you can, or if you believe you can’t,
you’re right.