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Money CAN Make You Happy

Seems like every time I turn around, someone is tweeting or blasting out a message to the world that says "money can't make you happy" or "money won't make you happy" but I'm not so sure that's true.

Have you ever seen the look on a teenager's face when they open a birthday or Christmas card and there's money or a check inside?

What about a lottery winner's face when they find out they've won.....even a small amount, like $1000 or $5000.

Ever been to a casino and seen someone hit the jackpot?

What about an employee's face when they find out they just got a big raise or a bonus?

No, I actually think money CAN make you happy.



The trouble is, it doesn't last. When you get some money, it really does make you happy -- but only for a little while. And it's not the sole source of happiness (because, yes, there are at least a few very wealthy people who are unhappy much of the time).

Pursuing money because you're really wanting happiness is like chasing a chicken because you want a steak for dinner. It makes no sense.

But let's take a look at what's REALLY happening when we keep telling ourselves that "money doesn't make you happy."

1. You want money.

2. You like to be happy.

But there's a part of you rationalizing thus: if money doesn't make you happy, then why actually attract it? Maybe it will really just make me UNhappy if I get too much, so I'd better not.

3. Then you're unhappy AND have no money.

See why this doesn't work?

So MAYBE -- just MAYBE -- instead of going around thinking, reading, talking, and believing "money can't make you happy" you could just FOCUS your energy and attention on what really DOES make you happy.

And just let MONEY be MONEY. Stop making it mean happiness or unhappiness. Just let it be what it is: money.

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The Trouble with Delayed Decisiveness

What are you postponing?

I had an interesting encounter the other day.

I received an email from someone who, well, kind of sounded desperate.

The email basically said, "Please - I will do anything to be successful."

But yet, when we contacted this person, they didn't want to speak just then, because they were leaving (later that day) for a 3-week trip.

Even though the purpose of the phone call was a 5-minute interview to see if they've got what it takes to be successful with our systems and methods.

In fact, the person seemed rather exasperated that we would call on a day when they were leaving for a long trip. (Seriously, you ask?!?! Yes. Like I was supposed to know that.)

So they asked if they could call us in 3 weeks when they get back.

Now let me ask you -- do you think this person is REALLY serious and would actually do ANYTHING it takes to be successful?

Nah, I doubt it. Someone who truly meant what they said would have taken the 5 minute phone call, even if it meant paying $4.50 a minute to talk ON the plane to wherever they were going.

But this is not an uncommon scenario. Many people are using something I like to call "delayed decisiveness" and then they wonder why things in their life don't shift fast enough.

I define "delayed decisiveness" as postponing any decision that wants to be made RIGHT NOW.

When people ask me what 1 thing I attribute my success to thus far, my answer is quick: "I take immediate action."

The Universe loves SPEED and when we postpone a decision that COULD move us forward, we are in no uncertain terms telling the Universe "this whole thing can wait."

So while that person was clearly sending a message to the Universe that said "My success can wait. I don't need it right now. It's not a priority," I am wondering what messages YOU are sending to the Universe about what YOU want.

What are you putting off, postponing or procrastinating over? What decision are you delaying? What is asking for your attention, yet you are dismissing it for later?

NOW is the time to take action. Don't fall prey to delayed decisiveness -- make that decision NOW. Get started NOW. Take some sort of action RIGHT NOW.

Otherwise, you'll just find yourself at some point down the road, in the SAME situation, wondering why nothing ever changes.

If you're ready RIGHT NOW to change careers, find your passion, empower people, make truckloads of money, and take control of YOUR time and YOUR life, then click here (right now!)

2-For-1: Get Your Goals Set & Support A Good Cause

My friend Kathleen Gage has the most brilliant idea, and I just had to share it with you.

She's running (possibly walking) a full marathon to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) -- but I'm not writing today to ask you for a donation. At least, not a donation just for the sake of donating. Wait till you see what you'll get for just a teeny-tiny donation to a powerfully good cause....



Kathleen is a brilliant teacher (possibly one of the best I've personally had) and she is putting together a kick-ass teleclass TOMORROW with 2 other brilliant women.

The class is about one of my favorite topics: GOALS: How to set 'em and get 'em (that's not the title, I just made that up. Wait, I'm calling dibs...dibs!!! I'll send you to this website for more info about the actual class).

And what's it gonna cost you to participate in this extraordinary teleclass?

Just a small donation -- $10 or more will do the trick -- to Kathleen's noble cause.

You can just click here for the full scoop + to make your qualifying donation. (Did I mention that's tax-deductible?)

Or, if you like details -- here's the whole email she sent me:

Dear Amy,

I've been working from home for 15 years and I love it.

However, something I noticed, not only for me, but for lots
of people who find it very "convenient" to pop their head in
the fridge whenever they want is the unwanted weight gain
that comes with the luxury of working from home.
Truth be told, unwanted weight can creep up little by
little until one day we say, "Enough is enough."

Or maybe we find that by having access to outside
distractions such as television (for some), working in the
yard, playing with the kids, grandchildren or pets, or
whatever, we let precious time in our day slip by.
Frustrated that we are off track with the life we choose to
create, we are ready for massive change. Or so we say.

The solution seems so simple. We set goals to get back on
track. The trouble is, many of us soon get off track and
promise ourselves we will make the much needed changes
someday.

Well, someday may never happen. The secret to setting and
attaining goals, whether personally or professionally is to
aim for things that will literally transform our thinking,
beliefs and actions.

Here's a "someday" for me that finally became a "today". I
have been talking about participating in a marathon for
years. I also wanted to give back more to those who may
need help. It's not that I don't give back; I simply want
to do more.

The opportunity to do both was presented to me about one
month ago. I heard a commercial on the radio about a
marathon taking place in October in Portland. Anyone who
joined the marathon through what is called Team in Training
would receive ongoing training by certified coaches.

And, we would be doing something really good for the
Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) by committing to raise
funds in order to participate.
Upon going to an information meeting I made the commitment
to both the marathon and raising money for LLS.

I knew I wasn't going to go from never having been in a
marathon before to going the distance of 26.2 miles in one
step. It would take commitment, focus and reminders of why
I chose to do this in the first place.

The decision to participate in the marathon was the
catalyst for setting some very transformational goals.
Goals that are impacting me personally and professionally.

Personally, I am training 6 days a week by power walking,
bicycling and weight training; dropping unwanted (and
unhealthy) weight, eating very healthy and feeling great.

Professionally I am more focused, able to accomplish more
in less time, and feeling a very high level of passion for
what I do.

Will I stick to every goal I have set down? I will if I use
the tools I have learned over the years on how to set truly
transformational goals. Tools that have created some
amazing outcomes over the years.

Would you like to learn about setting and achieving
transformational goals? If so, please join me and two of my
good friends, Lorraine Cohen and Denise Wakeman, on
Thursday, June 18th at 3 p.m. PST for an insightful
teleseminar.

This teleseminar is open to the public and all we ask is
for a donation as little as $10 (ten dollars) to join in.
Your donation is tax deductible.

Even if you can't be there, don't worry. We will record
it and if you are registered you will receive a link to the
recording.

This is a one time call. We will not be offering this topic again.

Check it out
http://www.streetsmartsmarketing.com/Fundraiser.htm

Will you join the three of us and do something really good
for those who are impacted by blood cancers? 100% of ALL money raised from this call is deductible and goes directly to LLS. None of us are taking anything for our time. All of us have had family members and/or friends who have had (or currently have) blood cancer.

In success,
Kathleen

How to Send Cookies to Soldiers

My mother-in-law's son has been sent overseas to join the troops there, and we recently got an email from her with the address to send him letters, care packages, etc.

She found some excellent info about how to bake/pack/ship cookies to send overseas, and it looks so very helpful, I thought I would include it here.

The part in italics was written by my mother-in-law, and the rest is from The Cookie Lady (I'm honestly not sure whether the very last line is a joke, or not).

If you feel motivated to bake, below are tips from The Cookie Lady, who has sent 1.6 million cookies to service personnel in the Middle East. She has “crumbs” who help with the baking. (Brett’s personal favorite is choco chip.) During summer, M&Ms should be used instead of chips – and avoid sending other choco products, as they won’t survive the 115 degree daytime temps.

Baking:

I use the recipes off the packages of chocolate chips and oats. If you do not have time to bake from scratch, "extra moist" or cake mix that contains pudding makes a very good cookie. The basic recipe is 1/2 cup vegetable oil and 2 large eggs per box. You can be creative by adding Rice Krispies, raisins, white chocolate chips, M&M's, etc. Bake at 350 degrees for 9-10 minutes (but underbake at least one minute).
If you send peanut butter cookies or any cookies that contain nuts, please label each bag "contains nuts."

Underbake the cookies about one minute to preserve the freshness.

In humid environments, add 1/2-1 tsp. of baking powder per batch.

Chocolate chip (substitute with M&M's May-October), oatmeal-raisin, peanut butter and snickerdoodles are the most popular cookies.

Freeze the cookies until you are ready to ship them.

Avoid sending moist breads (such as banana bread) during humid summer months--they mold quickly.

Packing:

I use regular fold-top sandwich bags, no zip-locks. Put 6 cookies front to back in the bags and twist-tie them. It will look something like a "tube." (see photo). Be generous with your packing material which can be Styrofoam peanuts, bubble wrap, plastic grocery bags, or shredded paper. Nest the cookies in the packing material. With careful packing, you can get 5 dozen cookies, individual packets of drink mix, i.e., cocoa, tea bags, Kool-Aid, etc., hard candy and your letter in each box.
Any toiletries should be packed in separate boxes from the cookies.

Include notes to the soldiers thanking them for their service to the country. Ask them for names and addresses of other soldiers, especially those who get little/no mail.

Due to the large number of boxes we send and the increase in postage, for individual requests we are using the new Flat Rate Box #1 which measures 12x12x5 1/2. Effective January 18, 2009,shipping costs for the Large Flat Rate boxes for Military are $11.95. The Small Flat Rate boxes are $10.35. These "Priority Mail" boxes, the customs forms (I use 2976-A) and pre-printed return address labels come in units of 25 and are available at no charge. Simply go to the USPS website or call 1-800-222-1811. These supplies will be delivered to you at no charge. For only a few boxes and customs forms, visit your local Post Office.

Once the box is full, shake it to ensure that nothing is moving. Add more packing if necessary, especially in the corners.

Make sure that all boxes are securely taped. Seal all edges of the box.

Shipping:


You must have the name and address of a specific soldier.

A customs form is required. On form 2976-A there is a space asking what you want to happen to the box if your soldier is not available. I check "abandon." Also write in, "Do not return." Your postal employees will assist you in filling out the form if necessary. I suggest you have your box ready for shipment before you get to the Post Office. It is not necessary to leave the box unsealed for inspection by the postal employees.

Some restrictions: No alcohol, no pornographic or suggestive materials, no pork, no bulk shipments of religious material. If in doubt, check with your Post Office.

If the cookies are too hard by the time of arrival overseas, the soldiers can use them as weapons.

UPDATE ON THIS STORY from my mother-in-law:

One caution -- folks in general should NOT send homemade treats to
soldiers they don't know. Soldiers have been instructed to throw away
homemade items from strangers. For their own safety, I guess. It helps
prevent food-related allergic reactions, illness from unsanitary
preparations, and outright tampering with the food. Store-bought goodies
only -- and NO choco at this time of year. The Girl Scout cookies will
remain in the freezer until winter!

My Care Kit arrived on my doorstep yesterday. Six boxes: 2 med, 2
medium-document shape (like a shirt box) and 2 large boxes, special
packing tape, mailing labels and customs forms. Very nice for the P.O.
to do that for our service personnel.

Yes, it IS supposed to be easy

Am I always telling you this, or what?

Look what I got in the (e)mail today from tut.com (totally unique thoughts -- they put out "Thoughts from the Universe"):


Amy, it's supposed to be easy. Everything is supposed to be easy. Everything is easy. You live in a dream world. You're surrounded by illusions. And the illusions change when you change your thinking!

Tell yourself it's easy. Tell yourself often. Make it a mantra. Eat, sleep, and breathe it. And your life shall be transformed.

It's supposed to be easy,
---The Universe

Thoughts become things... choose the good ones! ®
© www.tut.com ®

Success Story: Top Chef Hosea Rosenberg

Last night, I had the distinct pleasure of meeting Top Chef Hosea Rosenberg (Top Chef Winner, Season 5). And you might say it was quite timely, since tonight is the premiere of the new series "Top Chef Masters" on Bravo.

The restaurant where Hosea is the Executive Chef is called Jax Fish House in Boulder, Colorado.

Yes, I really did drive > 1.5 hours each way just for dinner last night.

But oh! What a dinner it was!

Some Houston friends of ours are in Denver on business this week, and they mentioned how much they'd like to eat at Hosea's restaurant. Why not? We made reservations with high hopes that Hosea would be there, and so he was.

OK, you probably know why I wanted to go --- I'm a HUGE fan of food and eating is most definitely one of my favorite things to do (it's right up there with "talking").

But why were our friends so gung-ho about it? Because their son Daniel is finishing up culinary school -- and watching Top Chef was a huge inspiration for him to even start culinary school in the first place. So his mom was hell-bent on getting a good pic of Hosea for her son.


We arrived at the restaurant right on time (at 10 till 6, they cancel out ALL reservations and the place becomes standing room only, with a line around the block -- and keep in mind, this is on a Tuesday night in Boulder, CO!)

But when we got there, our friends told us sadly that Hosea wasn't here -- he was flying out the next morning for a Top Chef tour in honor of the start of the Top Chef Masters show.

Wah. I was bummed. Did I really put makeup on for nothing? What about my brilliant idea to have him out on my radio show? This wasn't what I had envisioned. Ah well, I figured I would leave him some kind of note and could still convince him to appear as a guest on the show. Might as well see if his food was worth the drive plus the $40 we'd spend on babysitting for the evening.

The restaurant was tiny -- even smaller than I expected and very crowded. Decor reminded me a bit of Jacque-Imo's in New Orleans, that kind of colorful artsy hodge-podge theme that you see in the some of the best dive restaurants in the Big Easy.

Our waitress greeted us promptly and informed us that since the menu had just changed tonight, there were no specials.

Interesting, I thought. Hosea would bug out of work on a night when a new menu was being introduced? That doesn't seem like the die-hard dedicated chef we saw on TV.

Anne and I hit the drinks with enthusiasm -- they had some interesting flavors of house infused vodkas (horseradish was the most intriguing, but I was afraid it would kill my palate for what was sure to be a delectable evening, so I settled on an orange mango martini instead). I forgot what Anne ordered, but it musta been good because she was sucking down a 2nd one before I knew it.

This is the quote on their menu:

"Fish is held out to be one of the greatest luxuries of the table and not only necessary, but even indispensable at all dinners where there is any pretence of excellence or fashion."

--Isabella Beeton (1836-1865)

As we placed our drink & first course, we told our waitress we were bummed over missing Hosea.

"Oh no, he's here," she said matter-of-factly.

Our whole table brightened. "Really? The hostess station told us he wasn't."


"Oh yes. He's been in and out all day, you know, picking up his dry cleaning and the like, but he'll be back tonight. And when he does come back, I'll make sure he comes over to say 'hello.'"

Ah! the excitement! We were seated close to the kitchen (the place is kind of shotgun-style, so you're either close to the kitchen, or close to the front door, and the bar is sort of in the middle) so I kept a watchful eye.

And just as our first course arrived, I spied him.

Yep, I know it sounds trite but I was totally thinking: "He looks just like he did on TV!" Don't worry, I refrained from saying that out loud. Whew.

I started with the Local Organic Greens (almonds & green apple slices over manchego and elderflower...the oddest looking greens I've personally consumed, but quite tasty. Some even looked like clover.) I admit, I was a little giddy...I kept asking Andy if I had anything in my teeth, lest Chef Hosea should come by while I was mid-chew.

Anne and Duncan split the Maryland Blue Crab Cakes...I didn't taste them, but they said they were amazing. Andy started with a bowl of black mussel steamers -- a healthy portion indeed, and the broth was absolutely mystifying. Lemongrass, ginger, chiffonade of basil and lord only knows what else. Andy ordered extra bread for dippin and it was out of this world good.

More drinks and conversation as our hubbies pretended to be embarrassed when Anne kept taking pix of the back of Hosea's head in the kitchen. He was helping expedite, since there was a new menu being introduced that night.

I think Anne and I both had to pee, but we didn't dare leave the table and potentially miss out on meeting this extraordinary Top Chef.

Our waitress must have sensed our anticipation, because she came over a couple of times to let us know that Hosea would DEFINITELY come by before we left, she just wasn't sure when as he was very busy (which we could well see). At that news, we relaxed just a tad.

Then, the main courses were delivered.

All I can say is, HOLY CRAP.

And if you know me, I think you know that is probably the HIGHEST compliment I can bestow on anything, meals included.

Holy crap.

Anne got the Cedar Wrapped Alaskan King Salmon -- what's cedar wrapped? Well, instead of cooking the cedar on a plank, apparently, Hosea had discovered some cedar paper, so they wrapped up the salmon in the paper and grilled it that way. With warm farro salad, hazel dell mushrooms, pine nuts & basil.

Anne gave me a taste and I don't even like cooked salmon (just the sushi for me) but I would definitely order that on a future visit.

Duncan ordered the Mississippi catfish (fried, not blackened) and we were all kind of like, seriously? You're from New Orleans and you're ordering the Mississippi catfish? But O.M.G. You cannot believe this catfish. First off, it was HUGE -- the single biggest piece of catfish I've ever seen (and growing up in the Crescent City, I've had my share of catfish). Deep fried to a nut brown color and ridiculously light crispness, this fish was perfectly cooked and topped with pepper jelly (a divine combination in my opinion) and served with butter bean puree, fresh garbanzos, and andouille sausage chunks.

We were all kind of grateful Duncan couldn't finish his...because that way, we each got 2 or 3 tastes of his melt-in-your-mouth meal.

Andy ordered the New Bedford Sea Scallops, served over black rice, with two purees -- not sure what was in which but one was sage green in color and the other was a mellow yellow and the menu said "fennel, sweet corn, edamame and bacon." These scallops were HUGE and I don't know where you get black rice (not wild rice -- like regular rice, but black) but I'm thinkin' I gotta get some for my pantry. Absolutely extraordinary.

But the best dish of all (in my opinion) was what I ordered. Spicy Colossal Shrimp. Oh. Mah. Gawd. Yes, they were spicy. Yes, they were colossal (really bordering on "prawns" and not so much "shrimp") but spicy and colossal were least interesting qualities of my dish.

First off, the plate is dressed in this "seaweed butter sauce" which I cannot describe adequately except to say if it had been on the drink menu, I would have ordered one. Let's just say, this sauce would be a GREAT way to get Paula Deen to eat some veggies from time to time. It was, quite simply, "Like buttah."

And that's just the garnish on the plate. These 3 ginormous shrimp were resting on a bed of "sesame sticky rice" which was topped with some kind of heavenly creation of sweet/sticky/spicy julienned stuff that according to the menu included hearts of palm. (Oh, THAT'S what that was...I've only ever eaten those on a salad, out of a can.) I also recall seeing julienned red pepper and fresh snap pea pods, all glazed in this fabulous sauce that the shrimp had also been glazed in.

I am NOT kidding...this was the best meal I've eaten since I moved away from New Orleans. Every bite was worth savoring. Every mouthful was like a symphony for my taste buds. Oh, seriously, so so good.

Hosea arrived at our table just as dessert was being served and nobody even picked up a spoon until our chat was over. I'd say we monopolized his time for about 10-15 minutes, and we enjoyed every minute.

Yes, he seems to be JUST like he was on the show. Very focused, very personable, very straightforward. Just a great all-around guy. We didn't ask him anything cheesy or personal (like "so, you talk to Leah anymore?" or "What'd you spend the $100k on?").

We found out from the waitress that he's mad about New Orleans, so we all played up that topic. How he liked New Orleans, how the people there LIVE for their food, how there are so many great restaurants there, how he wants to go back there again.

He was very friendly, very gracious, he happily posed for our pictures and listened to Anne's story about Daniel and was quick with a "sure! sounds great" when I talked to him about being on our radio show (I had my business card all ready to go with "radio show -- I'll be contacting you to appear as our special guest" handwritten on the back) and gave me his personal business card in exchange.

He talked about his favorite New Orleans chefs and his upcoming trip and it was positively delightful. It doesn't appear to me that his outrageous success has gone to his head at all. Which is really, really great to see. I'm sure he gets lots of compliments on his food all the time, and yet he seemed to clearly understand how HUGE our compliments truly were, since we were all from New Orleans where we are oh-so-serious about our food!

We finally let Chef Hosea go so he could chat up other patrons, and we dug into a sumptuous array of desserts. Andy ordered vanilla bean cheesecake (of course), Duncan got key lime pie, and Anne and I split some chocolate trio of sorts...a tiny molten lava cake, chocolate caramel ice cream and...what was the other thing? Who cares!!! We got to meet Chef Hosea! lol. I seriously don't remember. The molten lava cake was my favorite on that trio anyway.

I do believe Andy and I will be back to visit Jax Fish House again.

And I'll keep you posted as to when Chef Hosea Rosenberg will be appearing as a special guest on my LightWorks radio show.

*****FUNNY FOOTNOTE*******
When the check arrived along with a pen, Andy was the only one at the table who noticed what was written on the pen. Ready for this? www.PaulaDeen.com

Yep, that one came home with me, allright. What a hoot!

Would you like to know why we haven't had a female U.S. President yet?

I got some REALLY interesting information the other day during a client call, and I'd like to share it with you.

(And as always remember -- you don't need to take MY word for anything -- use your own Truth Testing method to find out what's true for YOU. And if you don't know what I'm talking about, get thee over to my YouTube channel to find out what's what.) Sorry about the "thee" there -- just gearing up for the Colorado Renaissance Fest later this month.

Apparently, MOST of us are harboring some pretty nasty limiting beliefs about women in power.




Check these out (you can check for yourself whether or not you believe this -- remember, it may be at the subconscious level and you may have resistance to acknowledging that you believe any or all of these):

- Women don't belong in business
- A woman in power is a dangerous beast
- Women buckle under pressure
- Women can't be trusted
- Women can't handle pressure
- Never send a woman to do a man's job
- A woman's place is in the home

Yes, I know that most of these sound extremely antiquated (as in, 1950's and earlier) and some are downright horrifying -- but do you really think that the women's liberation movement could just reverse deeply ingrained limiting beliefs that have been around for centuries -- for generations and generations since our early time as humans?

I think not. There is PLENTY more shifting work to be done.

Perhaps this explains much more than why we haven't yet had a female U.S. president. (Maybe we're getting closer, but we're still not there yet.)

I think it also explains why:

- women are STILL paid less than men
- women are expected to do it ALL -- work, make money, take care of the home AND raise a family
- women have so many remaining self-love and self-nurturing issue
- many women have a hard time earning what they are truly worth
- many women have a hard time asking for what they want and need (and getting it)
- so many of my clients are women

So what is there for YOU to do?

Well, you could start by checking to see if you are currently holding any of these beliefs in your field, and then CLEAR them.

Then watch what happens...

And remember, don't shoot the messenger....I'm here to raise awareness, not to bristle feathers. Check for yourself! And let's shift whatever needs to be shifted!

The Antidote for Paranoia

The following is an excerpt from the book “PRONOIA Is the Antidote for Paranoia: How the Whole World Is Conspiring to Shower You with Blessings” by Rob Brezsny


Thousands of things go right for you every day, beginning the moment you wake up. Through some magic you don’t fully understand, you’re still breathing and your heart is beating, even though you’ve been unconscious for many hours. The air is a mix of gases that’s just right for your body’s needs, as it was before you fell asleep.

You can see! Light of many colors floods into your eyes, registered by nerves that took God or evolution or some process millions of years to perfect. The interesting gift of these vivid hues comes to you courtesy of an unimaginably immense globe of fire, the sun, which continually detonates nuclear reactions in order to convert its body into light and heat and energy for your personal use.

On this day, like almost every other, you have awoken inside a temperature-controlled shelter. You have a home! Your bed and pillow are soft and you’re covered by comfortable blankets. The electricity is turned on, as usual. Somehow, in ways you’re barely aware of, a massive power plant at an unknown distance from your home is transforming fuel into currents of electricity that reach you through mostly hidden conduits in the exact amounts you need, and all you have to do to control the flow is flick small switches with your fingers.

You can walk! Your legs work wonderfully well. Your heart circulates your blood all the way down to replenish the energy of the muscles in your feet and calves and thighs, and when the blood is depleted it finds its way back to your heart to be refreshed. This blessing recurs over and over again without stopping every hour of your life.

Your home is perhaps not a million-dollar palace, but it’s sturdy and gigantic compared to the typical domicile in every culture that has preceded you. The floors aren’t crumbling, and the walls and ceilings are holding up well, too. Doors open and close without trouble, and so do the windows. What skillful geniuses built this sanctuary for you? How and where did they learn their craft?

In your bathroom, the toilet is functioning perfectly, as are several other convenient devices. You have at your disposal soaps, creams, razors, clippers, tooth-cleaning accessories: a host of products that enhance your hygiene and appearance. You trust that unidentified scientists somewhere tested them to be sure they’re safe for you to use.

Amazingly, the water you need so much of comes out of your faucets in an even flow, with the volume you want, and either cold or hot as you desire. It’s pure and clean; you’re confident no parasites are lurking in it. There is someone somewhere making sure these boons will continue to arrive for you without interruption for as long as you require them.

In your closet are many clothes you like to wear. Who gathered the materials to make the fabrics they’re made of? Who imbued them with colors, and how did they do it? Who sewed them for you?

In your kitchen, appetizing food in secure packaging is waiting for you. Many people you’ve never met worked hard to grow it, process it, and get it to the store where you bought it. The bounty of tasty nourishment you get to choose from is unprecedented in the history of the world.

Your many appliances are working flawlessly. Despite the fact that they feed on electricity, which could kill you instantly if you touched it directly, you feel no fear that you’re in danger. Why? Your faith in the people who invented, designed, and produced these machines is impressive.



It’s as if there’s a benevolent conspiracy of unknown people that is tirelessly creating hundreds of useful things you like and need.

By some improbable series of coincidences or long-term divine plan, language has come into existence. Millions of people have collaborated for many centuries to cultivate a system for communication that you understand well. Speaking and reading give you great pleasure and a tremendous sense of power.

Do you want to go someplace that’s at a distance? You have a number of choices about what machines to use in order to get there. Whatever you decide—car, plane, bus, train, subway, ship, helicopter, or bike—you have confidence that it will work efficiently. Multitudes of people who are now dead devoted themselves to perfecting these modes of travel. Multitudes who are still alive devote themselves to ensuring that these benefits keep serving you.

Maybe you’re one of the hundreds of millions of people in the world who has the extraordinary privilege of owning a car. It’s a brilliant invention made by highly competent workers. Other skilled laborers put in long hours to extract oil from the ground or sea and turn it into fuel so you can use your car conveniently. The roads are drivable. Who paved them for you? The bridges you cross are potent feats of engineering. Do you realize how hard it was to fabricate them from scratch?

Let’s say its 9:30 a.m. You’ve been awake for two hours, and a hundred things have already gone right for you. If three of those hundred things had not gone right—your toaster was broken, the hot water wasn’t hot enough, there was a stain on the pants you wanted to wear—you might feel that today the universe is against you, that your luck is bad, that nothing’s going right. And yet the fact is that the vast majority of everything is working with breathtaking efficiency and consistency. You would clearly be deluded to imagine that life is primarily an ordeal.



The Experiment:

DEFINITION: Pronoia is the antidote for paranoia. It’s the understanding that the universe is fundamentally friendly. It’s a mode of training your senses and intellect so you’re able to perceive the fact that life always gives you exactly what you need, exactly when you need it.

HYPOTHESES: Evil is boring. Cynicism is idiotic. Fear is a bad habit. Despair is lazy. Joy is fascinating. Love is an act of heroic genius. Pleasure is our birthright.

PROCEDURE: Act as if the universe is a prodigious miracle created for your amusement and illumination. Assume that secret helpers are working behind the scenes to assist you in turning into the gorgeous masterpiece you were born to be. Join the conspiracy to shower all of creation with blessings.

DISCLAIMER: The material in PRONOIA may be too intense and controversial for some readers. It contains graphic scenes of peace, love, joy, passion, reverence, splendor, and understanding. You should therefore proceed with caution if you are a jaded hipster who is suspicious of feeling healthy and happy. Ask yourself: “Am I ready to stop equating cynicism with insight? Do I dare take the risk that exposing myself to uplifting entertainment might dull my intelligence?” If you doubt your ability to handle relaxing breakthroughs, you should stop reading now.