Introduction

I find myself asking lots of questions, both of myself and others.  It helps clarify my ideas and beliefs, and helps me focus on what is important.  In this book, you will notice my habit of asking questions, and I hope you are the type of person who finds this stimulating and useful.

Here are some questions that I have found useful:

Do you believe that work must be a struggle, that it needs to be ‘hard work’?

Do you believe that work and play must be separated?

Do you believe that people who enjoy their work probably don’t earn much money?

Do you believe that ‘dreamers’ are not successful in making money or implementing anything? 

Do you wish you could do what you love and be rich?

What would your life be like if you were able to ‘have it all’, to have everything that was valuable and important, to you? 

What does prosperity mean to you -- money, harmonious relationships, security, a lovely home, freedom to travel?

Have you discovered your passion and purpose in life? 

What are you committed to? 

I asked myself these questions, and over time the answers changed.  For instance, I used to believe that work was a struggle, and if I was doing something I really enjoyed it seemed wrong to be paid for it.  I used to believe that people who really follow their passion and joy don’t make much money.  I chose to shift some of my beliefs.  I still have some old beliefs that I think no longer serve me, and I am working on shifting them to beliefs that will serve me better.

I believe each of us is unique, and that we can be very creative in all areas of our lives.  We created what we have and what we will have.  Our thoughts create the results in our lives.  Our actions make things happen, and yet we must believe something is possible before we are willing to take action. 

Are you aware of your thoughts?  Do you notice how you talk to yourself internally?  Are your thoughts bringing you satisfying results or things you want to change?

Our beliefs, attitudes, and thoughts shape the reality we create and perceive.  There is a lot of research to demonstrate this.  If you want to read more about this subject, I suggest books like Ask and It Is Given or The Law of Attraction by Esther and Jerry Hicks, or Wayne Dyer’s You’ll See it When You Believe It or
The Sky’s the Limit.  Other good books are The Passion Test by Janet Bray Attwood and Chris Attwood, and Change Your Conversations…Change Your Life by John D. Knight. I think the reason we see so many books now on this topic is that the timing is right for people to accelerate their effort in this area.  There is much dissatisfaction in the world.  I think what used to work no longer works for most people.  A few years ago my friend suggested I read Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki. 
I listened to one of his tapes, and was interested in Robert’s comment about believing that we should get a good education, then a good job, work hard and retire.  This was good advice years ago.  Today this strategy no longer seems to be effective. 

How many people do you know who are being laid off?  I was a teacher in the 70’s and 80’s and they closed my school because of loss of enrollment.  They laid off many qualified and well educated teachers.  I got a job at Pacific Bell as a computer programmer, analyst and manager.  In the 80’s Pacific Bell had several waves of incentive programs to reduce staff, and eventually they laid off people.  I decided to take early retirement in 1987 to start my own business.  I’m glad I did, because it no longer seems realistic to have a job with one company or organization for twenty-five years and then comfortably retire.  I think times are changing, and I’m glad I had a head start in shifting my attitudes and finding ways to earn money without depending on an organization to give me a job.

Do you know how your beliefs developed? 

Have you heard the messages:

“Money doesn’t grow on trees.”

“Another day, another dollar.”

“I owe, I owe, so off to work I go.”

“Life is a struggle and then you die.”

“You can’t win for losing.”

We need to take time to go within to search for what we believe, and to find better ways to think and do things.  And we need to test our new ways in the world to get feedback.  I have experimented and made changes in my life.  I want to share my discoveries, and support you in discovering important things in your life. 

Would you like to create a different life than you have today?  Can you see the possibilities for being more satisfied, more passionate about work and life in general?  Do you say or think, “I’ve made efforts and it doesn’t seem to work”? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then this book is for you.