Tag: Books

“Ay lat wrds?” asked the frog of the flea on his tongue.

“Let me go!”

“I canot,” slurred the frog, his tongue still out.

“I can’t say last words when I can’t believe this is really my last moment alive!”

“Beive et.”

“Then my last words are you are a fiend to eat me when you are talking to me or at least trying to!”

“Bt I m a frog n mst do wt a frog ds.”

“Then I will be a flea and hop away!”

“Gd luk!”

And the flea did muster all his strength, and courage, and will, and 0– behold!– sprung off the frog’s tongue, went high into the air, laughing a tiny little flea laugh as he did so, surprising even himself.

“Well, I’ll be,” said the frog, able to speak clearly with his tongue back in his mouth. “I didn’t know that was possible.”

“Anything is possible when your life’s on the line!” explained the flea, more to himself than to the frog, exited to still be alive, as he disappeared into the weeds, exhilarated by his newly awakened powers.

The frog was left to wonder what else is possible.

The flea knew anything is possible.

And you?

Ao Akua,

Joe

PS – You know what this means.

Newest book!

You’ve heard that it pays to give, haven’t you?

You’ve heard about tithing as a way to give thanks for what you have and to begin to attract more of what you want, correct?

You’ve heard the stories of famous millionaires and billionaires who give away staggering amounts of money, right?

Well, do YOU give?

Do you give ten percent of your income to the people and places that inspire you, nurture you, and keep you balanced?

Probably not.

I know because I was just like you.

I heard all the stories about giving as a way to receive.

I heard all the teachers and preachers tell me to give more and give often.

But I was “too smart” for that.

I “knew” it was all a scam to get my money.

But one day I awakened to a harsh insight:

The longer I stubbornly refused to give, the longer I remained in struggle.

“No one has ever become poor by giving.” ― Anne Frank

When I finally realized that if I can’t give a dollar out of my last ten bucks today, then I won’t be able to give a hundred thousand dollars out of my first million tomorrow.

It’s a form of self-sabotage to think otherwise.

People who convince themselves that they’ll give later, when they have more money and can “afford it,” are deceiving and deluding themselves.

It all begins now.

Today.

Today I give away everything from books to guitars to cars to cash.

You might think I do it because I’m wealthy.

The secret is giving now

But I started doing it when I was working a job I didn’t like, getting paid just above minimum wage, and had stacks of bills just like you.

I started giving with what I could give.

As I gave, and prospered, I let my giving reflect my receiving.

And the more I gave, the more I received.

Today wealthy people – and not so wealthy people – are giving.

The big mistake most people make in giving is waiting.

The second big mistake they make is in where to give.

Here’s my thought on the matter:

Give now.

You have some money.

Take ten percent of it and give it away.

Don’t wait till you have more, as you are missing the prosperity of right now.

Where?

Give it to whoever or whatever gave you spiritual nourishment this past week.

That could be anyone or anything, from an Uber driver to a neighbor to a complete stranger who smiled and turned your day around.

But you have to start today and you have to give where you receive inspiration.

Why is this so important?

According to Edward Kramer, in his 1955 book, Pathways to Power:

“Clarence Howard, late head of Commonwealth Steel, used to say, ‘The hole you give through is the hole you receive through.'”

Dan Kennedy, marketing legend, often says it this way:

“The window you receive through is made bigger by how much you give.”

In other words, psychologically and metaphysically, the more you give, the more you open yourself to receive.

And don’t trick yourself into thinking because you helped a neighbor move a couch that you gave.

You gave muscle, but not money.

And don’t think because you took friends out to eat that you gave.

You bought dinner but you didn’t dish out money.

The law is specific: give ten percent or more of what you receive financially to where you received spiritual nourishment.

When you’re honest with yourself, you know who to give it to.

Do it.

Now.

One final thought:

Don’t worry about what the receiver does with what you give.

It doesn’t matter if they burn it, spend it, invest it, give it away, or anything else.

Your duty – if you want to attract more money – is to give now and give often and give where you received inspiration.

Why not do it right now?

Ao Akua,

Joe

PS – A decade or so ago I wrote a little book on this subject, titled The Greatest Money-Making Secret in History. I also explain this concept in my free book, Attract Money Now.

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“How many grains of salt are there in a mustard seed?” the bird asked.

It was strange enough that a bird was talking. The question was also halting.

“I don’t know.”

“Take a guess,” urged the bird.

“I’d say none.”

“Ah, but you would be wrong,” sang the bird.

“Explain, please.”

“Within the mustard seed are universes of possibility,” explained the bird. “They each await your water and sunshine, which you deliver as attention.”

“I don’t understand.”

“One day you will or won’t,” fluttered the bird.

“But what are you trying to tell me?”

“If you have faith…”

“Like a mustard seed?”

“…then you can move mountains with your word and deed.”

“And one day see birds that talk?”

“Now you’re getting it.”

Are you?

Ao Akua,

Joe

PS – You know what this means.

Do what you love!

Being a student of psychology for decades, I’m still reading anything I can find, old or new, to help me better understand myself and others.

Most recently I devoured Sanity, Insanity, and Common Sense, a 1987 book by Rick Suarez, Roger Mills, and Darlene Stewart.

The book describes a “Psychology of Mind” that I love.

Today you can easily find books echoing the principles in Sanity, Insanity, and Common Sense but I love the original for more or less introducing the ideas to the mental health community back in the 1980s.

In short, the four key points in the book (in my own words) are these:

1. Thought shapes reality.

2. Each person lives in a separate reality.

3. There are levels of consciousness.

4. Feelings and emotions reveal the level of consciousness.

By themselves, standing stark naked on the page, they may not seem like much.

I love old books

You may have even heard of them before.

But let’s go deeper:

1. Thought shapes reality.

You know this one. You’ve heard it from me and other authors. But to bring it alive, you have to realize that your thoughts are creating your reality right now. No matter what your explanation is for your life, it is being created mostly by thought. Yes, you have behaviors and actions, but they are first triggered by thoughts. Thought comes first. Thought shapes reality. Thought is where you change reality.

2. Each person lives in a separate reality.

This was a major a-ha insight for me. The authors prove that each person lives in a perceived reality created by their unique set of thoughts. Their perception creates their version of reality. You do it. I do it. We all do it. But virtually no one is aware that they do it. Understanding that the people you deal with aren’t thinking like you, and they in fact view the world differently than you do, explains the challenge we have in communicating with and understanding each other. You are from one planet; I am from another. Now, let’s talk. See the problem?

3. There are levels of consciousness.

More recent authors, such as the late David Hawkins, have explained that there are levels of awareness or consciousness. Lower levels are where you’ll find revenge, greed, depression. Higher levels are where you experience love, compassion, understanding. Just knowing there are levels can help you understand your life in any moment. If you are feeling down, you need to think-do-be something up the ladder of consciousness. It may be as simple as taking a nap. It may be a need for a new mental frame for what you are experiencing. The idea, of course, is to live from higher states of consciousness. You’ll be happier there. And so will everyone around you.

4. Feelings and emotions reveal the level of consciousness.

I loved this insight, as well. It makes it easier to spot your own level of consciousness. If you are in a bad mood, or feeling angry or insecure, you have dropped to a lower level. If you feel happy, loving, friendly, then you went higher. In other words, your very feelings are the indicators of your current spot on the levels of consciousness. Your thought created those feelings, but you can use the feelings/emotions to hone in on the originating thought that you might now need to change.

As Sanity, Insanity, and Common Sense explained, awareness alone is a profound tool for awakening and understanding, and for greater motivation and productivity.

Because the 1987 book was written for mental health professionals, the authors used examples from management, therapy, hospitals and other organizations to show that old ways of trying to change will always fail because they usually don’t take into account the Psychology of Mind.

Sending you love

What’s needed at home and at work is awareness of how thought works, how it creates separate realities in different people, how our emotions reveal our place in consciousness, and more.

One thing to keep in mind is that when you (or anyone) drops into a lower level of consciousness, the key feeling you experience is insecurity.

And when you (or anyone) feel insecure, you won’t think or act clearly.

At that point, you will be unhappy (though you may call it sad, mad, or any other word to describe it).

And this is why the book is subtitled “The Groundbreaking New Approach to Happiness.”

It’s a guide to mental health, and mental health is described as a higher consciousness state of happiness.

A few gems from the book to chew on:

“The fact is that in separate realities, everyone is right and everyone is telling the truth as they see it.”

“Stress is a byproduct of thinking; it is not inherent in situations or circumstances.”

“A reality is an apparency. It is how something appears to be.”

So, your reality is different because your thoughts are different.

And you can use your feelings to reveal your thoughts.

In other words, if you feel “low” or “off,” it simply tips your place in thought.

You’ve heard the answer before: change your thinking.

Or if you are frustrated by someone performing poorly at work or school or home, your understanding of their thought and their reality, can bring you more compassion and understanding in dealing with them.

And ultimately, throughout all this dance of partners in separate realities, we have to remind ourselves that the one who needs to change is YOU.

And me.

This is very similar to the theory explained in my bestselling book with Dr. Hew Len, Zero Limits, as well as the eye-opening sequel, AT Zero.

You are entirely responsible for what you perceive.

Why?

Because what you perceive is through your mindset.

You filter objective reality through your mindset/paradigm/beliefs and what you actually see is your own version of reality.

The thing is, your neighbor is doing the same thing.

And so is your boss.

And your spouse.

It takes understanding and compassion to guide ourselves through this maze, but the authors point out that when you lift your own mindset to higher consciousness, then you will more clearly see where others are, and you will more naturally influence them lovingly and organically.

I loved the book but am not asking you to go read it. (The book is now out of print, but you can find used copies on eBay and Amazon.)

Instead, absorb the four principles of the Psychology of Mind and note how you feel throughout the day.

Just stop and take stock.

What are you feeling?

Your feeling is an indicator of your state of consciousness, and your consciousness can be changed with a thought.

What do you think?

Ao Akua,

Joe

PS – I’ve written about these concepts in numerous places. You might want to check out The Awakening Course.

My latest book!

For once there lived a young man who felt lost in the world.

He did not know what he wanted.

He felt alone and uncertain.

He had energy and good health, but his mind darted around like a puppy chasing leaves.

And then one day the young man saw a cloud that spoke.

“I know you,” said the cloud.

The boy, not used to clouds speaking, stared in silence.

“I know you,” the cloud repeated.

“I-I can’t possibly see how,” the young man replied, feeling idiotic and confused.

“I know you,” again said the cloud.

“What do you know?” the boy asked.

“I know you will follow your path, though for now you feel you have none, and I know your path will lead to greatness, happiness, satisfaction and great accomplishment.”

“I don’t know what any of that means,” said the boy.

“You will, one day,” said the cloud.

“But today? What do I do today?”

“In each life there is a path already planned,” the cloud explained. “You have free will to struggle with it and resist it, but once you give in to it and surrender to your path, all will be smooth – like clouds floating in the sky.”

“But how do I know my path?”

“It’s revealed in bite sized clues, given in each moment. Quiet your mind, relax, and tune within to the next clue.”

“Then what?”

“Then follow it.”

And before the boy knew it, the cloud began to break apart and slowly disappear.

“I know you,” said the cloud as it merged with the sky.

The young man, not sure what to make of all this, went to sleep.

It would be years before he would awaken.

And even upon awakening, he wondered if it were all a dream.

Or maybe it still is?

Ao Akua,

Joe

PS – You know what this means.