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A few weeks ago I met a tiny dog. She’s a Chiweenie, a cross between a Chihuahua and a Dachshund, and maybe one month old. If you follow me on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/drjoevitale), you saw the photo of her there. She’s in the picture with me here:

Meet a Chiweenie puppy

We already have a dog, an elderly girl named Wolfie who has a lot of pain and needs a shot every Friday to help relieve it. We also have a senior citizen cat, Nona, who has been on Animal Planet TV, and who likes to be the only feline in the house. After all, she’s a star.

Still, I was drawn to this little puppy in the photo. Turns out, she has a brother.

I asked about the brother and learned he needed a home. His mom was a stray who was rescued and then had a litter. The pups from it were being adopted. The sister was adopted. The brother was still available. Despite the circumstances in our home, I was drawn to him. The owner sent me a photo of him and I took it with us on a trip to Canada. Here’s the pic she sent to me:

Meet the little brother

I looked at him every day. I used to enlarge his picture so I could look into his eyes. Something told me to meet him.

When we returned from our international trip, we called and arranged to meet the little guy. We did and it was love at first sight. We brought him home and introduced him to the family. We called him Taco. I fell in love.

Lonely No More

Not everyone was happy.

Our TV star kitty ran upstairs and moved up there. She wouldn’t come back down.

Our elderly dog didn’t like a little Tasmanian Devil snipping at her face and wanting to play.

Wolfie meets Taco

After three days of this, we realized it would be a mistake to keep him. Even our vet told us not to have a puppy. It would hurt our great-great-grandmother of a dog. It didn’t help our cat. The writing was on the wall.

With tears in our eyes, we made some calls. As it turned out, the friend who introduced me to the little girl puppy told me that her friend visiting from Dallas was interested in the little brother. Within thirty minutes, they came over, met Taco, and fell in love. Taco now lives in Dallas, has a home that adores him, and is happy. His new name is Bugsy.

Taco is now Bugsy

But here’s the rub:

Why did we take Taco to begin with?

Why was he led to us?

And why did we have to give him up?

This bothered me for a day or so. I look for the signs and signals in life that tell me where the flow is. I then usually follow that flow, and all is well. I felt in the flow to hear of Taco, meet him, adopt him and love him.

But letting him go hurt.

Why did it all happen?

I finally realized that our home was simply the stop over in an unseen chain to get Taco to Dallas. Had we not adopted him, we may never have been in a position to find the Dallas home for him. In a way, we were a delivery system. Our job was to get him for a weekend and pass him to the woman visiting from out of town that very same weekend.

Wow. There’s the flow. We just didn’t know it.

Some Divine current was directing me to do something, and directing the woman in Dallas to do something. It all worked out in Taco’s favor. It all ended up being good. Even great.

But during the weekend we had Taco, we didn’t know that. There was a script being acted out, written by an unseen hand, and we were playing our parts. We just couldn’t see the end result. We were caught in the moment and thought the moment was permanent.

The lesson, at least for me, is to trust the flow and the process.

It all leads to happiness, and is happiness, even when you think or want otherwise.

Just ask Taco.

Ao Akua,

joe

PS — Stay tuned for a blog post revealing the secret stories behind The Healing Song, my fourth music album.

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You may remember that Daniel Barrett and I are coming out with a book tilted The Remembering Process (Hay House, Feb. 2013).  It’s the first ever description of a breakthrough new creativity method for stretching your mind and altering time. It’s an advanced Law of Attraction technique. Recently I gave my first presentation ever on the subject, to my peers in the Transformational Leadership Council. You can watch the entire 45 minute talk right here. (It ends with a track from my new music album, The Healing Song.) I remember you loved it… 🙂

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Filmed years ago for television and just put online in its entirety, you can watch it right here:

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How do you attract more of what you want?

What do you do when it feels like nothing is working out for you?

Recently I interviewed Patricia Ryan Madson*, author of the book, Improv Wisdom. You might recall that I wrote about Patricia’s book on this blog on May 1st, exploring the question, “Without you, what would not get done?”

In my interview, Patricia said something that jarred me into a new reality.

She said, “In every moment, we are always receiving far more than we ever give.”

I had to reflect on her statement to truly get it:

In every moment, we are always receiving far more than we ever give.

Patricia went on to explain that right now you are receiving air, blood flow, support from a chair, technology from your computer or other device, light from the sun or your room lights, these words from me, and more.

But we take all of that for granted. All we stop and say thank you for is when someone gives you something or does something specifically for you. But what about everything else? The amount you are receiving right now is almost overwhelming.

Are you aware of it?

Are you grateful for it?

I had dinner one night with Paul Zane Pilzer*, author of The Next Millionaires. He explained over 300 people were involved in preparing our meal. He was referring to the farmers and pickers and distributors and carriers and restaurant owner and cooks and servers and more.

Imagine that. Over 300 people were working to deliver a meal!

I’ve been traveling a great deal again, for TV shows, movies, events, speaking gigs, music production and more. When I stop and think about all the “unseen helpers” who make sure me and my luggage get there on time, or all the “behind the scenes” people who do their jobs sight unseen so my face gets projected over the air to millions of televisions in homes nationwide, it is incredible.

New album "The Healing Song"

In order to complete my fourth music album, more people were involved than just my band. I traveled to L.A. and Nashville so Grammy winners could mix and master the music. This is a lot to be grateful for, and can even feel overwhelming when you become aware of it all.

“Wake Up to the Gifts” is the ninth maxim in Patricia’s wonderful and wise little book, Improv Wisdom. She asks us to look for the “unseen” gifts, like the screen and processor allowing you to read these words, or the planet giving you all you need to live and breathe right now.

She also asks us to understand the interdependence of all things.

I can’t write these words without you. You can’t read these words without me writing them.

But it goes further than that. We need the folks who made the computers you and I are using, the Internet providers, the electric company, the people making or delivering our food, handling our flights and our mail, and more. We also need the elements of life itself, that provide both you and me with all we need to stay alive.

You don’t achieve or attract anything by yourself.

Are you aware of that?

Are you grateful for that?

In Improv Wisdom, Patricia suggests you make “Thank you” your mantra.

Of course, in the book I coauthored with Dr. Hew Len, Zero Limits, we suggest you make the four phrases of ho’oponopono your mantra: “I’m sorry, please forgive me, thank you, I love you.”

Either way, these methods are tools to help you see what you are receiving is a miracle.

It also is your opportunity to give back.

Since you are receiving so much, what can you do to give more?

You’ll never be able to give in a way that balances all you receive. That’s the miraculous imbalance of life: it’s stacked in your favor.

Think about this. You are receiving so much right now — most of which you were unaware of and took for granted — that you can never give enough to tip the scales. You can never give more than you receive. You are simply receiving way too much.

Think about it this way…

Every time you turn on your TV and flip through the hundreds of channels, remember that those shows were written, produced, directed and performed just for YOU.

Every time you go to the theatre and see a movie or a play, remember that it was made just for YOU.

Every time you turn on the radio and hear your favorite music, commentators, DJs, guest speakers, etc., for your listening enjoyment, again it was all created just for YOU.

When you think about the world honing its craft for YOUR daily entertainment, that’s powerful.

Can you appreciate how much there is to be grateful for?

It might make you think twice before complaining about having to pay $10 for a movie ticket nowadays. After all, the movie you are about to see probably had a budget of millions of dollars. Your investment is very small compared to what it costs to create a multimillion dollar motion picture…JUST FOR YOU!

The “miraculous imbalance” is also a gift to you.

But you probably never thought about it before today.

And here’s where you can begin to attract more of what you want.

Back to our opening questions…

• How do you attract more of what you want?
• What do you do when it feels like nothing is working out for you?

It begins by noticing everything you have already attracted.

The thing is, most people focus on what they got that they don’t want, or on want they want that they haven’t attracted yet.

That’s hardly a practical approach to success.

And if you know anything about the Law of Attraction, you know that’s the wrong place to put your attention.

When you notice and acknowledge what you are being given right now, you morph your energy and your mood into something far more magnetic, compelling and loving.

Noticing the good you are already receiving tunes your being into a “good magnet.” You can start attracting even more good because you’ve awakened to the good you have and are continuing to receive. This opens your eyes to the magnitude of life; the magic and miracles all around you.

So the next time you hear anyone say, “I’m not attracting what I want,” realize they are declaring their blindness and deafness to all they have been given and are still receiving. Your job isn’t to correct them. It’s to smile, look around, acknowledge the gifts, and find a way to give back.

That said, what can you do right now to give more?

Well?

Ao Akua,

joe

* I interviewed Patricia Ryan Madson (as well as Paul Zane Pilzer) for members of Hypnotic Gold. These are member-only interviews that I’ve been doing for more than seven years now, amounting to well over 80 interviews. For more information, and to find out how to become a member of this select group, just click right here.

PS – One more story of gratitude: When I was growing up, Clint Walker was the cowboy television star I admired. I never stopped to consider how his famous TV series, Cheyenne, entertained me weekly, for years, and yet I paid nothing. It was broadcast right into my parent’s home. Free. Today I realize how grateful I am for Clint and his show. (And my TV set.) He later appeared in many movies, such as The Dirty Dozen and Night of the Grizzly. You might imagine my surprise when I learned Clint Walker is still with us, alive at 85, writing his autobiography, working on a second novel, and selling signed photos and more off his website at www.clintwalker.com.  I wrote to Clint, to thank him for all he did to give me a positive role model all those childhood years. I haven’t heard from him yet, and may never. Still, I’m grateful. I’m pretty sure he is grateful for the “miraculous imbalance” in life, too. In the spirit of giving back, here’s Clint Walker from a few years ago sharing life and death stories about listening to your inner voice:

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Before a recent massage session, my massage therapist (Mary Rose Lam) told me how she made a horrible mess that morning.

She accidentally spilled her blueberry smoothie all over her gray carpet.  That left a big green stain. She was frustrated but told the story with a smile. I hadn’t been feeling well and the story made me laugh out loud. It shifted my mood.

“I’m really glad you spilled that smoothie,” I told her.

“Why?” she asked, looking surprised.

“Because you just brought a lot of joy to my morning.”

She laughed, knowing her sharing the story — even though it was a disappointment to her when the event happened — was pure entertainment to both of us when she related it to me after the fact.

I then told her I had somehow caught a bug and became sick earlier in the week. I rarely get ill, but this was alarming enough to cause me to cancel appointments and consider going to the hospital.

She looked concerned until I told her the rest of the story.

“On Wednesday — which would normally have been my time in the studio — I felt the urge to play the guitar. But when I picked it up, I didn’t have any strength for it. I was too weak. I put it down. But then I noticed my Dean Martin songbook. I flipped through it and saw the song called Smile. I put it on my music stand and sang it. To my amazement, it sounded great. I then pulled out my iPhone and recorded myself singing it. I emailed the song to Daniel Barrett, my music producer, and he said we should record it.”

I went on and explained that my new album, The Healing Song, is essentially done. We had just recorded ten songs and felt it was complete. Adding this new song would get it in under the wire, but that’s cutting it close. Yet I suspected and felt that I got sick to slow me down, so I could allow this new song to be noticed, and then added to my album. It would add something mystical and very different to the tracks. I felt the song was being pushed into my awareness by something greater than me.

What was pushing it into my awareness? We’ll look at that in a moment. Meanwhile…

My massage therapist was in awe.

“Every little thing is a miracle to you,” she said. “Even when you’re sick, you are led to a song that is going to transform your new album. You’re just so in the flow.”

She got me thinking.

Her spilling her blueberry smoothie seemed like it was “bad” to her, but the story an hour later made me laugh so hard I almost cried.

And my getting sick earlier in the week seemed “bad” to me, but it led to my discovering a song I am adding to my new album.

Well, what’s really bad then?

I’m sure you can come up with a list of things that most people would agree is bad, but what about these little snags and stumbles in your life?

Is getting sick bad?

Is spilling a smoothie bad?

Perhaps they’re all just miracles.

(Or am I “bad” in suggesting so?)

While you’re thinking, let me continue the story…

That Wednesday when I was ill and led to the song, Guy Monroe’s name kept coming to my mind. He had helped me with his vocal coaching for my album, Strut! His name was occurring to me again as I felt he could help me smooth out my singing for the song, Smile. I’m used to writing and singing songs that “holler and rock.” Smile is slow, relaxed, soft and meaningful. I felt I needed help with it. But I resisted the idea. (I was sick, remember.) It was easy to dismiss calling him.

But then something happened.

Guy sent me a text message.

He never texts me.

But he sent me a text message, just to say he was grateful for me being in his life.

That’s how the universe works. You get the messages internally first. But if you don’t listen, the messages start coming from the outside.

I’ll repeat that:

That’s how the universe works. You get the messages internally first. But if you don’t listen, the messages start coming from the outside.

I finally listened.

I called Guy. I told him about the Smile song. He instantly agreed to see me. We worked on Smile for three hours. And when I went into Daniel Barrett’s studio to record it, Guy met me there for support.

We recorded four versions of the song. The last seemed to be the best, and we left the studio that day feeling it was “in the bag.”

But something kept nagging at me.

Back home, I kept singing the song. I love the words and message and melody. But I don’t usually keep singing the same song over and over and over again. The only other time was with the acoustic version of the Rob Thomas hit song, “Lonely No More.”

Why was this song still haunting me?

When I went back into the studio with Daniel, and we listened to the version we thought was it, we both realized it wasn’t quite right. There was a word or two “off” in the song. Daniel is dedicated and persistent, so he kept trying hi-tech ways to correct that one word. Nothing was working. Neither he or I were going to settle for second best, either. We wanted this to be perfect. After all, three Grammy winners are involved with this album. I didn’t want anything less than the best.

So I did something new for me as a musician, especially at the point where the album was essentially done.

I offered to re-sing that song.

But wait.

Did that mean my sessions with Guy were bad?

Did that mean the previous four takes of the song were bad?

No. If nothing else, the sessions and takes were rehearsals. They prepared me for the best and final take.

Daniel was instantly agreeable to my recording the song one more time. He’s a joy to work with and goes with the flow. He set up the equipment and turned on the mike. I sang Smile.

One take.

When I was done, Daniel looked at me truly moved, totally quiet, with a tear in his eye.

“That was some of the best singing I’ve ever heard from you,” he said.

I’m usually critical of my own music the first time I hear it, but I had to admit, singing Smile that time around felt right even to me.

Now stop and think about this:

It appears that “something” was directing me to this song, and “something” was urging me to continue rehearsing it, even after I thought it was recorded and done. That “something” kept with me until I re-recorded the song and got the take we all agree is stellar.

So here’s my question for you:

What is that “something”?

When you get a “feeling” or a hunch or an inner nudge, where is it coming from?

When you have an intuition, what sent it to you?

Who sent it?

For me, it’s the Divine directing your life. As Dr. Hew Len (coauthor of Zero Limits) has often said, we aren’t in control. Either unconscious programs are or the Divine is.

We have to keep cleaning and clearing as most of what operates us is our programming. We’re run by our beliefs. What we want is to be so clear that all we hear is the Divine whispering direction to us.

I followed the whispered signs and signals and ended up with a masterful version of a famous hit song.

The end result is a song that will send chills up your spine when you hear it on my new album: The Healing Song. (Available in August.)

Back to my massage therapist.

I told her all of this and she again smiled and said, “Joe, every little thing is a miracle for you, isn’t it?”

Hmmmmm.

It’s a miracle for all of us — including you — we simply don’t acknowledge it.

We judge it as “bad” or “out of flow.”

But is it?

So if you get sick, or spill a smoothie, or get a nudge from within to sing a song or call a friend, note they are important signals.

Divine signals.

They are the miracles.

And it’s all good.

Smile.

Ao Akua,

Joe

PS – Lots of stars have recorded the song Smile since it was written in 1954 by John Turner and Geoffrey Parsons, which they based on an instrumental in the Charlie Chaplin 1934 movie, Modern Times. Here’s Dean Martin singing it on his TV show in 1974:

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