Why is this funny?
“I asked God for a bike, but I know God doesn’t work that way. So I stole a bike and asked for forgiveness.”
Every time I relate that line to someone, they smile and laugh.
Why?
It’s a great example of a paraprosdokian. A paraprosdokian is a sentence where the ending comes as an unexpected surprise. Another example is this –
“Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.”
I love how you can structure writing to make an impact. That’s why I wrote the book, Hypnotic Writing. But that isn’t the point of this blog post. Instead, I want to explore why the first paraprosdokian is funny, as it helps explain the Law of Attraction.
Most people believe God (or Divine, Tao, Nature, Allah, etc.) won’t grant wishes. That’s the underlying reason the above line triggers a smile. You can ask God for a healing, but you can’t ask God for stuff. God isn’t Santa Claus. Not according to popular belief, anyway.
Deeper than that belief is the one that says while God won’t grant wishes, He/She will take away sins. God’s loving and understanding, so of course He can release you of your oops.
As a result of this thinking, it’s easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for what you want. At least, that’s how some people think.
That’s pretty messed up, isn’t it?
This is why I keep writing books, such as The Awakening Course and The Attractor Factor, to explore the programming behind what we think, feel, and do. Most of us are running on autopilot. We have no idea we are led by the nose by our mental programming or mindset. Our beliefs – mostly unconscious – filter reality.
I was reading the new book, Redirect by Timothy Wilson, and loving the idea of story editing the meaning we give events, until I realized the author was victim to programming he didn’t even see.
In his book, he blows the whistle on different causes or processes that he says don’t actually work. Early on, he takes aim at the movie The Secret.
He quotes me as saying the reason you have what you have is due to your thoughts. He apparently missed the part where I said you have what you have due to your actions. Thoughts are only part of the equation.
Glossing over facts because they don’t support your underlying message is a common way to communicate.
But it’s not real. Or accurate.
Again, it’s not the author’s fault. He’s as unconscious as the rest of us.
In the same book, the author suggests that self-help books don’t actually work, else there would be a stand out title in the field. That’s strange logic, but let’s run with it. In the same chapter, he mentions one of the all-time greatest self-help books, Norman Vincent Peale’s 1952 The Power of Positive Thinking.
How’d he miss that?
He also fails to mention such historic self-help treasures as Think and Grow Rich (been around since the 1930s), and The Magic of Believing (came out in the 1950s, still a classic today).
How’d he miss those?
On top of all that, he overlooks the fact that new cookbooks are published every week, and there are thousands of those in print, yet no one suggests “they don’t work.”
How’d he overlook that?
I’m not kicking the author’s shins, as I enjoyed his book and urge you to read it. But I am reminding us that we all have unconscious blind spots – even authors who try to help us see them. We don’t see them because they are unconscious.
The point of life is to awaken.
But how?
Paying attention to the results we get and then reverse engineering them to discover the thoughts, beliefs, feelings, and actions that created them, will help.
My forthcoming new book, Instant Manifestation, explores all this. It reveals that what you attracted right now is based on what you thought and did a few days ago.
When you understand that process, you can redirect your thoughts and actions right now, to attract a different reality in the near future.
What are you thinking right now?
What are you going to do next?
Your answers will attract what’s just around the corner.
Finally, to swing back to our opening example:
“I asked God for a bike, but I know God doesn’t work that way. So I stole a bike and asked for forgiveness.”
Forgiveness is a powerful tool for transformation. But you don’t need God/Divinity to forgive you. You need to forgive yourself.
Manifesting what you want is a God given birthright, though you may not have known it until recently. You don’t need to ask God/Divinity to deliver anything to you. You need to ask yourself and your connection to All That Is for what is in your highest good to receive.
Now go forth and make your life miraculous.
Ao Akua,
PS — Remember that an effective personal service to help you become more aware and attract more of what you want is Miracles Coaching. There are audio interviews and brief videos on the site to explain how it can help you, and you can register for a free consultation there, too. Go see http://www.miraclescoaching.com
Feel you already think big?
Try THIS on for size…
WANTED: 22 Daring Big Thinkers Willing to Leap Across All Boundaries to Achieve Historic Record-Breaking Success on an Island of Love. Apply below…
You’re about to discover how abundant and prosperous you can imagine your life to be right now. This is an invitation for a small number of people, and you’ll see why in a minute. But just reading this could change your mindset forever.
As you may know, Sir Richard Branson’s Necker Island is an exclusive retreat enjoyed by celebrities like Oprah. Yet most people don’t know that Branson’s private family retreat is on an island North of Australia that has not been open to guests — until now.
When I heard about it, I called it “Spiritual Treasure Island.”
It’s a pristine 25-acre island that’s shaped like a heart. It recently opened up for guests to experience an unforgettable luxury retreat just a quick boat ride off Australia’s “Sunshine Coast.”
Imagine this…really step into the experience…
Makepeace Island comes complete with its own riverboat, a full size tennis court and pavilion, enchanting spa facilities, a theater, and an open air Balinese Wantilan to relax and enjoy, and mingle with other guests. There’s an expansive lagoon pool, office facilities and an elegant indoor bar for festivities and entertaining.
Imagine being there for a few days with me, and some other big thinkers, to brainstorm and share.
Just one connection, one inspired idea, could blossom into a whole new direction for your life, your business, or your heart.
Imagine the possibilities…It’s an inspired treasure hunt.
Imagining such an experience vividly, and feeling deserving of it, can change what you attract from now on, and actually being there would offer memories to treasure for a lifetime.
But let’s paint the picture even more vividly…
Lodging for just 22 guests are fit for royalty.
Gardens and indoor decor include giant sculptures, teak, granite and stone finishes, volcanic boulder bathtubs, ornamental lighting and antiquities and furniture commissioned and acquired in Bali, Java and elsewhere throughout Indonesia.
When I learned about this Spiritual Treasure Island I experienced a thrill, and at the same time knew that this would be a perfect example of prosperous purchasing that would stretch my comfort zone.
You probably have heard me talk about prosperous purchasing before. (It’s a step in Attract Money Now.) That’s when you buy something you really want when you have the money to celebrate and anchor your success. You have to be able to afford it, of course; I’m not suggesting you go into debt.
If the time isn’t right now, then this is a perfect addition to your vision board, and write it down on your ‘if it fell out of the clear blue sky’ list. (Or as in my most recent “wouldn’t it be cool if…” blog post http://blog.mrfire.com/cool-law-of-attraction-short-cut/)
But if you have the money and you really want something, make the purchase because if you don’t, the unconscious message you send to yourself is of scarcity.
Taking an adventure trip to Spiritual Treasure Island is an inspired prosperous purchasing EXPERIENCE of a lifetime!
As I was reading about Makepeace Island, I had an epiphany… 30 years ago I would not have imagined that I’d be considering an adventure trip to an island because I was living in poverty and had even been homeless for a time.
And that is my point.
How you feel about the IDEA of going to this luxurious island is the mirror for your level of deserving more prosperity right now.
I dare you to allow yourself to imagine joining me there on this spiritual retreat.
If I decide to go, I’ll invite a small group to join me for an unforgettable experience.
The island only has capacity for 22 people and several are already spoken for.
The cost would be $50,000 for the Spiritual Treasure Island weekend experience, and you would be responsible for any expenses to get to the Island.
This is like a Rolls-Royce Phantom Mastermind but on an island, and instead of an evening, it’s an exclusive weekend retreat.
Consider this: Just going on a trip with big thinkers can expand your mind, open you to new ideas, and lead to breakthroughs that are impossible to predict right now.
For example, when Pat O’Bryan and I took a day trip to San Antonio to look at guitars, on the way there, we came up with an idea that has brought us tens of thousands of dollars.
And that idea came from a day trip to a near-by city! (The idea we received became http://onlinewealthsecretcode.com)
Imagine what could happen going to an island off the coast of Australia!!!
I haven’t decided when or if I will do this but I wanted to dare you to stretch your sense of deserving today. If you are inspired to accept this invitation, contact Suzanne at mrfire.com and/or just leave a comment below.
More soon…
Ao Akua,
PS — Imagine joining me and a small group on a heart shaped Spiritual Treasure Island for an unforgettable adventure in abundance. You’ll know if this is perfect for you. There is time, so if this inspires you then write it down on your ‘blue sky’ list and let it go or put this on your vision board. It’s an inspiring prosperous purchase to anchor your success full of possibilities. This is an experience that I believe will forever expand your possibilities and inspire those you know now and for years to come. Whether this is for you at this time or not, notice how you feel about the level of abundance involved. This may inspire you, challenge you, and if it’s right for you, it could forever change whats possible for you. I believe you deserve experiences like this. The question is, do you?
Sir Richard Branson’s paradise island for rent
http://www.luxuo.com/luxury-locations/sir-richard-branson-makepeace-island-for-rent.html
Rates and Bookings
http://makepeaceisland.com/RATESANDBOOKINGS.aspx
Call it the Law of Attraction or Hypnotic Marketing, but the #1 easiest way to attract money online is by selling an information product — either yours or another’s — through the online service called Clickbank.
But that simple statement raises a lot of good questions, doesn’t it?
Obviously, these are key questions that need answered before you can “easily attract money online.”
What are the answers?
That’s where I have good news. The answers are at — http://onlinewealthsecretcode.com
Here’s the story:
I just completed my long-awaited secret online wealth generating system — my own proven formula that is guaranteed to work for anyone who uses it – even if you’re so new you don’t even have a product yet or know where your computer’s on/off switch is at.
This is the exact 7-step system I have been using for decades to be one of the most powerful and successful forces on the Internet.
This system is the first one to combine both sides of success — the inner and the outer — or the spiritual and the material — or mindset and marketing — or love and leverage.
Most courses teach you one OR the other method. Yet you need both to succeed.
My system gives you both — the Law of Attraction/Mindset side and the Hypnotic Marketing/Systems side, broken down into seven easy steps you can follow.
In other words, a system for making money online won’t work if you aren’t internally in alignment to receive success; you’ll most likely sabotage your own progress and blame it on the system. By the same token, you can be clear of limiting beliefs and in alignment for success , but won’t attract much money if you also don’t have the right system to implement.
That’s why I am finally revealing my complete system: it handles both sides of the equation.
http://onlinewealthsecretcode.com
This is the most powerful, practical, inspiring and complete formula for online success I’ve ever created or you’ve ever seen. It’s a paint-by-the-numbers approach to doing well online.
It answers all of the above questions, and more.
It’s taken me weeks to put it together and streamline it so you can use it right after you download it. It’s based on my own marketing techniques, copy writing secrets, list building methods, as well as the way I teach how to manifest what you want via intention, inspiration, clearing, and more. This guaranteed system goes way beyond my books and audio programs and reveals an actual tested formula for online success.
And I’ve kept in mind people’s beliefs about the current economy and priced this where you can easily afford it.
The list of bonuses that come along with this are staggering and worth thousands.
Rather than keep talking here, I’ll just urge you to go review the site at — http://onlinewealthsecretcode.com
Why not go look at it right now, while it’s on your mind?
Ao Akua,
PS — As you probably know, most people don’t take action. I want you to break the mold and race ahead of the pack. I want you to succeed. I believe in you. But you’ve got to at least meet me part way. Please go see — http://onlinewealthsecretcode.com
PPS – I revealed the essence of this seven-step strategy at Pat O’Bryan’s recent Unseminar #9 and got a standing ovation. Why? Because this blend of Law of Attraction and Hypnotic Marketing — all based in total LOVE — actually works. But find out for yourself. Please go see — http://onlinewealthsecretcode.com
Chuck Pennington created the beautiful website for my free e-book, Attract Money Now. I invited him over recently to have a tour of my guitars, books, Catarium, Steve Reeves collection, and more. But what he really wanted to see was my Alien Guitar.
Before I showed it to him, we talked for a long time about the Law of Attraction, manifestation secrets, and my book, The Attractor Factor.
Chuck has been able to use a short-cut formula to attract a lot of things recently, including moving near me, in the beautiful Hill Country of Texas. His family is happy. He is happy. Wonderful things are happening. To explain it all, he said something interesting:
“I just ask, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool if…’, and then I fill in the blank,” he explained. “Then I let go. More often than not, the thing I mentioned comes into my life.”
I saw this as a nifty formula for attracting what you love. Expressed in my own words, it looks like this:
There it is:
1. Request.
2. Release.
3. Respond.
Chuck will be the first to tell you this amazing short-cut formula works. I’ll be the second. Why not prove it to yourself and run through the three steps right now for something you’d like to have, do, or be?
I’ll walk you through the process.
1. Ask yourself, “Wouldn’t it be cool if…” and complete the sentence with something you’d like to have, do, or be.
Here’s what I would say for myself: “Wouldn’t it be cool if another Gibson harp guitar showed up in my life?* Wouldn’t it be cool to discover an environmentally friendly muscle car that I love? Wouldn’t it be cool if I found a way to quickly end homelessness? Wouldn’t it be cool if I found a way to help heal my mother?” Play with the question and answer it in whatever way feels right to you. Have fun. This is play. Enjoy.
2. Let go.
Letting go is an internal experience. In my book The Attractor Factor, I said this was Step Five. It’s often the hardest for people, as they sometimes feel an urgency to attract what they want. But letting go involves appreciating this moment and everything in it, as well as trusting the future moments with faith and positivity. If there are any internal snags where you feel a sense of desperation or impatience, those can be looked at, questioned, and released. (That’s why The Attractor Factor contains a five-step formula and not a three-step one; you may need a clearing step.) You want to maintain the spirit of playfulness. Again, enjoy.
3. Take action.
This should be obvious: when you get an idea, act. When you get an impulse to do something, act. When you feel inspired to make a call, or visit a friend, or buy a book, or attend an event, or hire a coach, or whatever it happens to be, ACT. You often don’t logically know where an action will take you, but by taking the action, the next steps are revealed. You may not know how to attract the end result you want, but you can start now, with some action that you are nudged to take, and the path will unfold. Take what I call inspired action.
Here’s a quick personal example of how this works:
Step 1. I’m a collector of Mark Twain materials. I have a hand signed photo of him which I love. So it’s easy for me to playfully request, “Wouldn’t it be cool if I discovered more Mark Twain goodies?” I don’t need any more Twain material, but I’d certainly welcome more. Note the difference: need is attachment while welcoming is detachment.
Step 2. Recently I heard of a 1902 engraved caricature of Twain, by Twain. He sketched it himself, of himself, on copperplate. I wanted it. I called to order it (notice I’m taking action) but discovered that it sold as I was dialing the phone. Oh well. I was momentarily disappointed but I let go. I just figured it wasn’t for me, and something even better would probably show up one day. No problem. No worries. Onwards.
Step 3. The next day the seller of the Twain self-caricature called me to say something unusual happened. The original deal fell through and the Twain piece was up for sale again. Did I still want it? I took action and pulled out my credit card. I now own the Mark Twain engraving. And I love it.
That’s how this short-cut works. Just three steps.
It’s that easy, too.
Again, the only time you may need an extra step is when you are attached to a specific outcome or caught up in a need or desperation for something.
Had I become fixated on the Twain piece, or obsessed or impatient with trying to own it, I would have been unhappy, stressed, and bound up with entangled energy. I would have had to “get clear.” My stuckness would have blocked the flow. And the whole point is to be in the flow. That’s where magic and miracles happen.
So use the amazing short-cut for whatever you can imagine. If you feel any internal “need” or “urgency,” at that point you can use any one of many clearing tools, with the most powerful of course being coaching.
Meanwhile, have fun with this. The more you play, the more you feel great and attract unexpected good fortune.
Why not try it right now, and then report what occurs for you?
Wouldn’t it be cool if…
Ao Akua,
PS — Yes, I showed Chuck the Alien Guitar. He’ll never be the same again. You can view him meeting it here: http://www.youtube.com/joemrfire
* News Flash: I actually did find another rare Gibson harp guitar, this one from 1915, exactly like the 1915 one on the cover of my music CD, Blue Healer. I didn’t try to locate it, either. A person I had already bought a collectible guitar from sent me a note asking me “out of the blue” if I might be interested in an old harp guitar he had. Would I?!! Obviously, I said yes. This short-cut Law of Attraction formula truly works. Wouldn’t it be cool if….
Recently I met a fellow who once worked for a modern day enlightened sage. I won’t trigger any comments by mentioning names. There’s a greater lesson here.
The enlightened one lived in bliss.
Nothing perturbed him.
Nothing disturbed him.
Nothing upset him.
His bliss disturbed the people around him, though.
They wanted him to react to their drama. They wanted him to respond to their pleas, their emotions, and their stories.
But the enlightened one stayed happy.
And here’s the rub:
The awakened one was unable to run his business. He didn’t make decisions quickly. He seemed to wait for things to happen. Often they did. Sometimes they did not. Eventually, the enlightened one went bankrupt. Of course, that meant nothing to him. He was still in bliss. But the people around him were, shall we say, miffed.
This raises an interesting question.
Just because someone achieves a state of awakening doesn’t mean they are bestowed new skills. If they couldn’t run a business before enlightenment, they probably can’t run it after enlightenment.
I remember meeting a young guitar wizard who was making all the news. As a guitar slinger, he was jaw-dropping and inspiring. But when I met him, he could barely say hello. His great guitar playing skills didn’t automatically mean he also had great social skills.
So what about bliss?
I joked with the person telling me about the sage that maybe all enlightened ones need unenlightened ones to run their business. And once they get enlightened, they should step down and let an unenlightened one continue.
But I was corrected.
My friend told me of another awakened sage who successfully ran a business. He was in bliss, unperturbed by others or circumstances; yet he continued to expand, grow, and build his business to colossal proportions. He was a Buddha in the Marketplace, so to speak.
I know another friend who had a teacher that said if you want to learn meditation, learn computer programming. Apparently programming takes focus, intention and discipline. Most of his students went on to become millionaires, as they were also taught to be marketplace meditators.
It appears you need both: meditation for the soul and marketing for the earth.
In my new online course, I cover both. Go see http://onlinewealthsecretcode.com
Of course, it’s fine with me if you don’t check it out right now. My point is this: wanting spirituality is fine, but you also have to live in this world, which means you need to be a practical metaphysician, or a spiritual materialist. Giving up one for the other is the problem.
Just food for thought.
Ao Akua,
PS — If you’re wanting to attract money online, using the Law of Attraction and Clickbank, while still welcoming spiritual development, then you might want to look at http://onlinewealthsecretcode.com