Personal and Spiritual Growth for Fun People

The Secret Guide to Joy and Prosperity

Robert Dean

2012, 2014 Robert Dean - All Rights Reserved

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ContentsRead This First!

HEY, YOU!

Lesson 1: Oh, Thats Perfect

Lesson 2: A Few Words (829 Words, to Be Exact) About Abundance

Lesson 3: What Are You Thinking?

Lesson 4: The Big, Bad Bang and a Not-So-Brief History of Everything

Lesson 5: Why Your Cousin Got a Free Upgrade

Lesson 6: Taming the Monster and Knowing Whos Boss

Lesson 7: The Whack on the Back of Your Head!

About the Author

Disclaimer

Read This First!A number of good books have been written over the years by people who claim they have channeledthe word of God, or in essence, took dictation from a Supreme Being.

Conversations with God and A Course in Miracles are in this category. Of course, The Bible is themost prominent example.

There are also many books and recordings by people who feel they have received messages fromspiritual entities of some sort or another. The Abraham-Hicks material, Jane Roberts and the Sethbooks, and the Kryon series are good examples here.

Theres a lot of great wisdom in all of these sources. But, have you ever wondered

What would it be like if the Almighty didnt use a go-between to interpret His words? What if God(or some similar all-knowing entity) actually wrote a book Himself?

What if He (or She) made it fun to read and accessible to everyday people?

And, most important, what if this spiritual guide had a playful attitude and a great sense of humor?

If all of these things came to pass, what kind of book might the Omnipresent One write?

Keeping reading to find out

HEY, YOU!Yes, Im talking to you. In case you didnt know it, this book was written for you.

Thats right, YOU!

Sure, someone else could easily come along and read this, too. But dont fool yourself. My words areundeniably directed to you.

Why?

Because I knew that sooner or later youd be drawn to this book.

Youve been searching for answers and striving to improve your life for years now. And youve madesome great progress, even though youve run into some obstacles along the way.

Like that creative dream project that fell through. Or the degree or certification you havent had timeto earn yet. Or the fact that you still cant make toast without burning it.

These things and more have created feelings of frustration and doubt within you. Right?

Sometimes you lack direction. Other times you worry because you dont have easy answers to thereally important questions, such as, What is the meaning of life? or Where can I find a decentpastrami sandwich in this town?

My first piece of advice to you: Dont worry so much. Theres nothing wrong with you.

One of the reasons I created this book was to let you know that youre just fine a little disorientedat times, a little sensitive and defensive on occasion, and I question your judgment concerning the lastpair of shoes you bought.

But overall, youre doing great.

So dont beat yourself up. Its not the end of the world just because you encounter obstacles, feelingsof frustration, and colors that clash.

Why Are We Doing This?

The main reason I slapped together er, I mean, lovingly and painstakingly crafted this guide was togive you some fresh ideas.

I wanted to give you some mental, physical and spiritual guidance to jolt you out of your routines something that would compel you to think and act in ways that will empower you and enrich theworld.

That is, after all, what youve been striving for. Right?

How do I know these things?

Well, Ive been observing you for a while now. Dont worry, I dont watch when you do dumb thingslike pick your nose. (Frankly, I have better things to observe. Like Seinfeld reruns.)

Trust me, I keep an eye only on the Big Picture stuff the way you process the world, the way youconnect (and disconnect) with the energy that flows all around you, the way you unknowingly createyour attitudes and beliefs.

Most of the time, I applaud your efforts. Other times, I want to reach out, gently slap you and shout,What are you thinking?

Consider this book to be my personal gift of applause and whacks about the head to you.

Pondering the Big Stuff

By now, youre asking one of two questions either Who is this guy? or Did I leave the iron onwhen I left the house?

Heres the answer to the second question: No. I can tell by looking at you that you didnt use an irontoday.

Heres the answer to the first: Im not a hypnotist or psychic. Im not a clairvoyant or tarot cardreader.

Im Bob.

Or Mary or Steve or Jane.

Feel free to call me any of these names. However, I must admit I do like the name Bob. Its down toearth and unassuming. Someone named Bob could be a dad, a best friend, or a game show host.(Thats why I picked a guy named Bob to help me publish this book.)

But I could just as easily call myself Fred, Ethel, Ricky or Lucy. Call me whatever you want(although Im not too thrilled with Bubba or Toots).

A Spiritual Gender Bender

Another thing: While Bob, Joe, Mary and Steve are traditionally either male names or female names,please dont assume Im a particular gender. Im actually gender-neutral.

Dont laugh. Theres no genetic, social or political reason for this. Its just that Im not actually aperson in the usual sense.

I know what youre thinking: I finally discover someone who understands me and he (or she) doesnteven exist. Thanks a lot, Bob.

Have no fear. I exist all right. Its just that I prefer to hang out with you more as a presence than as aphysical entity although, in a very tangible way, I exist in your world at all times.

Confused yet? I dont blame you. Even Im starting to get a headache and I dont even have a head.

If youre beginning to think this is all a bit too freaky, let me ask you a couple of questions: When wasthe last time you experienced a great feeling of joy or ecstasy? When was the last time you felt deeplysatisfied?

Yes, Im thinking of the same event as you (and we should both be blushing right now).

So tell me: Could you touch that feeling? Im not talking about the person or thing that inspired thefeeling, but the actual feeling itself. Could you pick up and hold the attitude you had about life at thatmoment?

Of course not. But did that make your joy and satisfaction any less real?

Think of me in the same way. I may not be flesh and bones, but Im very real nonetheless. And thethoughts I bring to you through this book will have a tangible, positive and long-lasting effect on yourwell-being and future success.

The Cosmic Name Game

Refer to me any way you want Guardian Angel, the Source, Mega Mentor, Spirit Guide, SuperCoach, the Big Enchilada in the Sky, Universal Energy, Omnipresent One, God-Force, Mother Nature,Father Time, or Uncle Guido.

The words you use to describe me are not important, but I hope youll find my personal message toyou to be very important.

Im not affiliated with any one religion, yet Im related to all religions. (Geez, I sound like apolitician now. And thats scary.) Truth be told, I reside within you, yet Im all around you at thesame time.

Yeah, I know it sounds like hocus pocus, but its true (at least it was the last time I updated myresume).

Okay, Im starting to ramble here, so Ill get to the point.

Since I took the time to produce (or should I say manifest?) this book for you, I want you to read it.Dont just tuck it away and forget about it, like you did with that Dr. Phil bestseller.

I want you to put down the remote every now and then and soak this thing up. Got it?

Whats In It for You?

This book contains a series of short lessons written especially for you. Each one addresses a specifictopic or idea Id like you to think about and put into practice.

Each one reveals some aspect of the way things really work in the universe and timeless truths youvebeen missing or overlooking in recent years.

Many of these truths will be revealed to you for the very first time; others will be fundamentalprinciples you have heard before (and ignored) and need to be reminded of again.

Based on my observations of your habits and the way youve been living your life, these are the secretwords of wisdom you most need to hear to gain clarity, joy and prosperity.

Theres no right or wrong way to read this (although I imagine up-side-down might be a challenge).

Devour one lesson a day or the whole thing in one marathon session. It doesnt matter, as long as youfocus on each lesson and understand how you can apply it to your life.

Ready? I hope so. Even if youre not, get off your buns and dive into these life-changing nuggets ofreality. Youll be glad you did.

After all, I wrote this book for you.

And you wouldnt want to ignore the Word of Bob, now would you?

Lesson 1

Oh, Thats PerfectReady for the first lesson? Great.

Sit back and relax. No, come to think of it, maybe you should sit up straight. It would be much betterfor your posture.

In any event, get ready to digest this first lesson

The entire universe, including the world you live in, is perfect. You read that right: Its perfect justthe way it is.

Oh, I can hear you now:

What kind of cosmic crack are you on, Bob? Even though there is good stuff to be thankful for, theworld is filled with anxiety, frustration and anger, in addition to lots of really weird people like thecable guy. Its far from perfect.

Thats the common belief. But its dead wrong.

The universe and the abundant energy that flows through it are perfect just as they are. They alwayshave been and always will be.

There is no anxiety in the world; there are only people thinking and acting in anxious ways. There isno frustration in the universe; there are only people thinking frustrating thoughts and engaging infrustrating actions.

Like the last time you switched lanes during rush hour only to get into an even slower lane. Youcaused that situation. It wasnt the traffic. It wasnt the old lady in the 92 Impala going 27 miles anhour on the freeway.

And it wasnt the universal conspiracy to keep you from getting to Starbucks on time (as if you reallyneed more caffeine).

You decided to get upset about it, and you followed through on that promise. Congratulations onkeeping your word!

The same goes for anger, guilt, worry, resentment you name it. You bring most of that negative stuffupon yourself.

Trust me on this one. The world was created perfectly.

I should know. I hung out with the original designer. (And you think computer nerds today are geeks.You aint seen nothin. This guy was a real Poindexter. A major dork-o-rama. You should have seenthe pocket protector on this guy. But I digress.)

Damaged Goods or Damn Good?

Millions of people, including you, make the sad mistake of internalizing this misguided belief ofimperfection that the world they live in is flawed or tainted. That the odds are stacked against themfrom the get-go.

Too many humans think about their lives and the world they live in as if its a broken toaster theypicked up at a garage sale. And now theyre stuck with it until the next fool comes along and takesit off their hands.

This might be a tough concept to grasp, Sparky, but you have to understand this if you ever want tostart living a happy and prosperous life: The universe is perfect.

The stars, planets, molecules, atoms and even the birds, bees, flowers and trees all operate perfectlyby the laws of nature (which yours truly helped enact).

There are no angry electrons, no paranoid Eucalyptus trees, no pissed-off cumulus cloud formations.If you feel negative emotions in your world, they only exist because of the mental perceptions createdby you and your fellow humans.

Sure, it may seem like a simplistic, la-di-da view. You probably think Ive been brainwashed bylistening to too much Kenny G music. Or even better, Yanni. But the fact remains: The natural worldyou live in is perfect.

And when you start from a realistic foundation of perfection, youre in a much better position toprocess the events of your life in a way that will allow you to live with serenity, harmony andabundance.

Put that in your pipe and smoke it.

Lesson 2

A Few Words (829 Words, to Be Exact) About AbundanceSo lets talk about abundance. Its a topic that a lot of people have a hard time wrapping theirminds around. And thats too bad, because abundance is one of the key features that was originallyprogrammed into the operating system of life.

And no, Bill Gates and Steve Jobs had nothing to do with this operating system. A lot of people liketo think of them as Gods, but thats not the case.

However, one thing that ole Bill and Steve seemed to understand was the concept of abundance. Intheir cases, a LOT of abundance. Billions and billions of times over.

But the abundance Im talking about isnt all about money. It includes money, but its also about joy,fulfillment, contribution, peace, happiness, serenity and that most misunderstood of four-letter words love.

(Sorry if it feels like Im about to break into a song and dance number here. Dont worry, Ill spareyou this time. But I must warn you: I do a pretty mean Somewhere Over the Rainbow.)

As I was saying, abundance is a natural part of the very fabric of your existence. Its your birthright togive and get as much as your heart desires. The world you live in and the energy that flows throughoutit are teeming with opportunities and possibilities.

Houston, We Have a Blockage

The problem is, you and many of your fellow humans have cut yourself off from this abundant flow ofwealth in all of its many forms. You dont tap into it because you tell yourself all kinds of crazythings. Like

Im never going to get that job. Why even bother applying for it?

Or I cant afford it. I live paycheck to paycheck.

Or He would never go out with me. Ill just spare myself the pain of rejection.

Sound familiar?

This is one of those you need a good whack upside the head moments. Why do you do this toyourself?

As Ive already explained, the universe is perfect just as it is. Its also infinitely abundant. If youdont believe me, try painting Jupiter sometime.

Dont laugh. I did it once, and I had to make 14 million trips to Sears to get paint. Why do you thinkthat planet looks so darn pretty these days? Talk about your extreme makeover!

The Wide and Wacky World of Abundance

Look at the world around you. This place is huge and growing all the time. Have you been to the malllately? Go there. Youll see what I mean. Its gigantic!

Also, read up on astronomy sometime. Youll learn that the galaxies are expanding. The entireuniverse is spreading out. This thing is so big, nobody knows where it ends.

Well, actually, I know where it ends. Of course, I know. But Im not telling.

The point is, the world you live in is abundant. Its always growing, evolving, expanding, seeking outthe best way to thrive.

Therefore, since the world operates this way, and since you are of this world, it only makes sense torealize that you are naturally wired to operate in the same way.

To believe otherwise means you think the rules of the universe dont apply to you. Somehow, yourespecial. You must have been born into some kind of hermetically sealed vacuum where the laws thatgovern every atom, molecule and living thing in the universe dont affect you. You exist in your ownlittle its all about me vortex.

(If it seems like youve heard this speech before, I did not steal it from an old episode of Star Trek.Actually, I think it was X-Files.)

Flipping Out Over Your On and Off Switch

I know this abundance thing can be tough to grasp. Life is complicated. At times, it can seem likenothing is going your way.

For instance, take relationships. When youre single, everyone youre interested in treats you like aused Kleenex. The moment you have a partner, everyone wants to get into your um, business.

Actually, theres a lesson in this relationship example. When you operate from scarcity, theabundance pipeline shuts down. When youre in a receiving mode, the floodgates open. Then all sortsof opportunities present themselves.

Sometimes you have a direct connection to the free-flowing abundance. Other times the signal getslost.

But you cant blame this bad connection on the weather or the satellite dish or your brother-in-law. Inthis sense, it is all about you and how you choose to open up your soul and tap into the natural flowof energy, prosperity, love and relationships into your life.

You are abundant because you live in an abundant world.

Everything has the potential to expand and is filled with infinite possibilities. And that includeseverything from bank accounts and job openings to TV channels and checkout lines. Oh yeah, andwaistlines. And lets not forget bustlines.

Are you feeling abundant now? I sure hope so.

Lesson 3

What Are You Thinking?Put on your thinking cap. Its time for a quick pop quiz. But this test will be easy. It has only onesimple question. Here it is

What is the ancestor of every action?

Before you answer, heres a clue: This thing is also the seed of every emotion, belief, attitude, andexpectation youve ever had. Heres another clue: The answer is revealed in a cool quote by RalphWaldo Emerson.

(Hot tip from the Almighty: If you want to be taken seriously as a poet, novelist or philosopher, besure to use a middle name. Think about it. Ralph Emerson sounds like a guy you go bowling with onTuesday nights. But Ralph Waldo Emerson now thats the name of a deep thinker.)

Speaking of thinking, thats your answer. (See, I told you this quiz would be easy.)

Here is Ralphs quote

The ancestor of every action is a thought.

Mr. Emerson was on to something with that idea. And it makes perfect sense.

For instance, the last time you ran up to the Piggly Wiggly to grab a sandwich or a six-pack, thataction was preceded by a thought. Probably something like, Man, its 3 oclock in the afternoon andthe only thing Ive eaten so far today is a stale Pop-Tart.

Or I better pick up some beer for the big Glee marathon this weekend.

Based on that thought no matter how elegant or nonsensical the thought was you decided to takeaction. Hence, Ralph Waldos brilliant realization that humans often think about things before they dothings.

(Hey, I didnt say these principles had to be revolutionary to be profound, did I?)

Come On, Think About It!

You always have a mental notion of some kind before you take action to wash your car, walk the dog,mow the yard, read a book, or jump up to do the Hokey Pokey.

And, knowing what I do about you, the same thing can be said of running from the Hokey Pokey. Ofcourse, the thought that precedes that action is, Oh no, I wont be caught dead putting my right foot in,or any other appendage, for that matter.

Hopefully, youre getting the point here. Thoughts lead to actions. Now let me take it a step further.More specifically, specific thoughts lead to specific actions.

For instance, a general thought such as Why dont we ever have anything good to eat around here?leads to you rummaging around the kitchen for something that resembles food. You may end up withan apple, a plate of leftover lasagna, or a half-eaten Ho Ho.

A fuzzy thought leads to a fuzzy action that may or may not lead to you truly satisfying your desire.

However, if you have a more specific and affirmative thought, such as I sure would like to try myhand at that new eggplant parmesan recipe the actions that follow will be more focused and morelikely to result in a meal you will enjoy.

Bottom line: The quality and content of your thoughts have a direct effect on the actions you take andthe results you get.

Which begs the question What are you thinking?

There Is No Off Button!

Heres another key insight from your new Omnipresent Pal (which would be me) ...

This whole thoughts become things principle is at work at all times. Its not activated only whenyoure trying to decide what to eat, what to cook, or how to run from the Hokey Pokey.

Your dominant thoughts color, influence and profoundly determine everything you feel, say and do.The way you think about everything directly feeds who you are and how you show up in the world.

In a very real way, you are what you think!

In fact, many of your fellow homo sapiens have echoed this same sentiment over the centuries. Suchas:

All that you accomplish or fail to accomplish with your life is the direct result of your thoughts.James Allen

We become what we think about. Earl Nightingale

You can build radiant health, success and happiness by the thoughts you think in the hiddenstudio of your mind. Joseph Murphy, Ph.D

There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so. William Shakespeare, fromHamlet

A simple man believes anything, but a prudent man gives thought to his steps. Proverbs 14:15

If at first you dont succeed, give up! Homer Simpson

Okay, that last quote may have seemed out of place (which is why it might have made you laugh). ButI placed it there for a reason.

Why? Because Im extremely clever, of course ... AND because that last quote represents one way tothink about life.

And this is a vitally important thing to understand

Choose Your Illusion

There are many ways to think about any topic imaginable. You can be optimistic, pessimistic orsomewhere in between. You can be giddy with delight or filled with fear.

Your thoughts can emanate from the bright side, the dark side, or from an infinite palette of grayshades. You can be a little bit country or a little bit rock & roll.

How you choose to think your thoughts have way more power over your life than you probably evenknow. More power than your significant other or your favorite talk show host or your dog. Morepower than even your mother has over you (youll just have to trust me on this one).

Like Ralph Waldo said, The ancestor of every action is a thought.

Question: If all of your ancestral thoughts got together for a family reunion, what kind of party wouldit be?

Joyous and harmonious? Or drunk and dysfunctional?

So What are you thinking?

Lesson 4

The Big, Bad Bang and a Not-So-Brief History of EverythingIn the beginning (that has such a commanding ring to it, doesnt it?) ... we made everythingawesome.

At least two questions are running through your mind right now: Who is this we I refer to, and howexactly did we make everything awesome?

You may have a third question, but Im going to ignore Why am I reading this book again? (Deepdown inside, you know.)

But, one thing you may not know is I was one of the original co-founders of the Universe. Yup.About 14 billion years ago, a small group of us big shot, metaphysical entrepreneurs got together andformed Universe, Inc.

After some spirited debate, we decided to create a new dimension that was built upon elements oftime and space. It would be the perfect environment to create sprawling galaxies, stunning solarsystems, amazing ecosystems, and breathtaking monster truck shows.

We launched in beta mode with a Big Bang. Yes, that Big Bang. It was one heck of a grand opening!

The Primordial Soup Comes Alive!

For several billion years we watched as our blueprint played out beautifully. Basic elements mixedand matched into an amazing diversity of chemical combinations.

Matter formed and solidified, and gravity (which you guys still havent completely figured out)shaped the physical aspects of stars, planets, galaxies, and more.

That would have been cool enough (and quite a massive undertaking to boot). But the blueprint hadmuch more in store. Namely, the creation of life. More specifically, the slow but steady evolution oflife.

And that was the whole point of Universe, Inc. We knew that this thing would be best served withslow and steady growth.

And that was a key theme written into our big shot, metaphysical bylaws: This vast and amazing newdimension would primarily be a breeding ground for Life with a capital L.

Therefore, as you probably learned in your science or biology classes (which only scratch the surfaceof the how all these things really came to be), single-cell organisms led to early water-based plantlife and fish-like creatures, which led to amphibians, reptiles, mammals, birds, dinosaurs, and awhole lot more. Not too shabby for a little universal startup.

If you fast forward millions of years, you may realize that this whole process also led to the creationof your grandfather, your best friend, your favorite teacher, and the kid who used to steal your lunch inFourth Grade.

Oh yeah, it also led to you!

But long before we got to you, we had to make a few adjustments to the original blueprint. A fewbugs came to our attention that required some tweaks to correct.

Gettin Down with SDC

You see, the thing we most looked forward to with all of this creation and evolution business was drum roll, please Self-Directed Consciousness!

We knew that eventually at least one of the many species that came to be on your planet would makemajor advancements. And that development would involve living beyond mere instincts and basicstuff like eating, sleeping and procreating.

(Not that theres anything wrong with eating, sleeping and procreating. In fact, those three thingscontinue to be major sources of pleasure and fulfillment for you and your fellow humans. And youhave me and my cohorts to thank for that. Youre welcome.)

What we really looked forward to celebrating was a species that became aware of itself to the pointthat it could understand its own life, realize its potential, plan for a brighter future, build cool things,make smart choices, create beautiful languages, make exquisite art, and eventually produce soapoperas and reality TV shows.

And guess what? Homo sapiens won out. That means you (assuming you are Homo sapien) are awinner!

The Awkward Toddler Years

But your achievement of SDC (Self-Directed Consciousness) was not a slam dunk early on. In fact,your journey from Homo erectus to Neanderthal and beyond was fraught with uncertainty.

To put it bluntly, your early ancestors were kinda wimpy and no match for the threats and predatorsthat existed all around them. They were a bit slow when it came to reacting to the dangers that werepresent back in those days (and you think your neighborhood is scary at night).

Lets face it, youre not going to last long when you face a saber-toothed tiger and your first thoughtis, Oh, what a cute kitty. But thats how some of your early humans were wired.

(And if youve paid any attention to your sister or your Aunt Betty, you know this cute kitty trait isstill going strong.)

But we saw your potential way back then and didnt want you to flame out before you ever had achance to shine. So we made some adjustments to your operating system. Think of it as Neanderthal2.0, if that helps.

And it worked! Your species survived and thrived.

So, what was included in that all-important upgrade about 400,000 years ago?

Youll just have to go to the next lesson to find out

Lesson 5

Why Your Cousin Got a Free UpgradeLike I said before, as we watched the Universe majestically unfold with so many amazing life forms,we had our eye on your distant cousins, the early humanoids.

Your brains were expanding, and your mental and physical capabilities were evolving nicely. Therewas only one problem: You were on the verge of extinction.

And, as you may know, you dont go down in history based on your potential. They dont hand outawards for what could have been.

We wanted you to thrive, but first you had to survive long enough to get there. So we held a fewmeetings and ran a couple things by the Universe, Inc., IT guys.

Some of the founders were against it, but in the end, enough of the forward thinkers among us (yourstruly included) pushed it through.

We updated your human operating system. And that upgrade included something you didnt haveenough of before. What did we give you?

FEAR!

Thats right, fear. You werent paying enough attention to the threats and the predators and the rivaltribes who wanted to take your stuff. And you were dropping like flies at a pesticide party.

What you needed was a boost of something that would make you keenly aware of threats, and fearwas the perfect ingredient.

A Tale of Two More F-Words

But it didnt end there. When fear helped you recognize a threat, we also programmed in a cool newfeature that instantly forced you to make a choice between two specific options:

Fight or Flight.

Thats right. Sounds familiar and quite old-school now, doesnt it? But the ole fight or flight responsewas the cool, new gizmo back in the Cenozoic era. And it worked beautifully for many centuries.

The strongest of your species would more quickly sense danger, assess the threat, and instinctivelydetermine a course of action: Either stand up like a man and fight off the threat or run like afrightened school girl to safety.

It didnt matter to us which one you chose, as long as you survived. And, thank God (aka the foundersof Universe, Inc.), enough of you did!

It worked even better than we had hoped. The most fearful among you lived long enough to createeven more fear-filled, hairy babies.

It was not just survival of the fittest. It was survival of the fearfulest. (I know, thats not a word. Butcome on, I pretty much helped create all language, so Im allowed some artistic license. Okay?)

In fact, the more fearful you were, and the better you could fight or the faster you could run, the betteryour chances of living a long and healthy life. This created a growing population of fearful, fightinand runnin people that spread across the globe.

Our Fear upgrade worked exceedingly well, and the most self-directedly conscious species on theplanet survived and thrived.

You learned to harness fire and created the wheel (man, did we throw a party for that one). Youtamed the land and ushered in the Agricultural Revolution, which led to cities and science andgovernments.

You founded religions and libraries and great works of art. We were doing the universal happydance!

But There Was One Little Problem

The much-needed features that helped you overcome the harsh environment of your youth ended upbeing a big drawback as you grew up and matured. That little fear thing we installed all those yearsago became part of your permanent wiring and DNA.

Oops!

In case you didnt notice, you no longer have saber-toothed tigers or hairy goons with clubs chasingyou (most of the time anyway). And you are rarely without food to eat or shelter to protect you.

Yet, you are still filled with fear as if there were threats all around you.

And the most nonsensical thing about it is the stuff that scares you and makes you want to fight orflee these days is hardly life threatening at all. Consider these statements youve made to yourself andothers:

Did you see the way she looked at me? Whats her problem?

If he keeps flirtin with my woman, Ill kick his butt!

If I dont make a sale this week, Ill be living on the street!

She never eats my peanut butter lasagna. Im outta here!

He never returned my Super Mario Brothers Donkey Kong Disco game 12 years ago. Ill nevertrust him again!

I rest my case.

I Hate to Break the News to You, But ...

Theres a little flaw in your operating system. Its that once helpful trait called Fear that doesntreally serve you any more, except in the rarest of cases. Unfortunately for you, a rare case seems tohappen about every 45 minutes.

I know what youre thinking: Why not just install another update a Homo sapien bug fix, if you will.Well, we held some meetings about that too a few thousand years ago, and a good point was broughtup

If your species is so advanced with Self-Directed Consciousness and all if youre smart enough toinvent fire and the pyramids and rocket ships and Play-Doh you should be sharp enough tocomprehend this little obstacle and come up with simple solutions to overcome it.

Many of your fellow humans have figured it out. But, sadly, most have not. Or they read a book aboutthe solution, or attend a seminar that gives them instructions on how to fix it, then they fall right backinto fear-based patterns.

But not you. Thats right, YOU.

Remember, I wrote these lessons for you, and soon youll have some nifty tools to rewire your systemyourself so you can focus more on whats right in your world, instead of whats about to pounce onyou.

Look! Whats that behind you?

Just kidding.

Youre doing great!

Lesson 6

Taming the Monster and Knowing Whos BossHopefully youre starting to catch a glimpse of what Im trying to convey. You live in an abundantuniverse. You and the world you exist within are perfect just as they are. And you have a powerfulmind that can direct the path of your life in magnificent ways.

Cue the band ... were about to hold hands and sing a sugary, feel-good campfire song.

Hold on!

Keep your dress on, missy. Button that shirt back up, big guy. Theres a big but heading your way!

But ... you have this Fear thing that activates an ugly fight-or-flight response. And that keeps you fromfully and truly enjoying your life.

Youre doomed, right?

Not so fast. First off, that old Fear program thats installed in your noggin actually does serve apurpose from time to time. Not nearly as often as you activate it, but it does help you at times.

For instance, when you walk by an unruly gang of Hells Angels bikers, you may think to yourself,Wow, those are some really stupid looking tattoos. But (hopefully) your Fear mechanism inspiresyou to not verbalize said sentiment out loud, thus keeping your bones intact.

Thats putting Fear to good use!

Other Ways It Keeps You From Stepping in It

The same can be said for those times when you say something like, No honey, that dress doesntmake you look pudgy at all. Or Baby, those shoulder pads make you look so sexy, I can barelycontrol myself. Or Boss, I love your idea for the flying monkeys ad campaign!

In these precarious situations, Fear keeps you from saying the first thing that pops into your mind. Andthats a good thing.

So the idea isnt to shun your Fear response, like you do that one uncle on your fathers side. Youmust acknowledge and accept it. Let Fear help you when and where it serves best. Just dont let it getall bossy and rule your life!

(In case you havent noticed, I am now making all references to Fear with a capital F to demonstrateits power. A lower-case fear isnt intimidating enough. But an upper-case Fear, now thats downrightscary. As it should be.)

Back to the lesson ...

When Fear raises its head, rattles the cage, and gets your attention in a big way, just realize that itsdoing its job. But also know that YOU, the non-Fear higher part of you (more on this later), is incharge. And while Fear may be doing its job, you are the one who creates the job description.

And Fears official duties should NOT include terrorizing you and keeping you in fight-or-flightmode.

So Heres My Advice ...

The next time your Fear mechanism gets overstimulated for the wrong reasons (which is 99.9% of thetime), look it in the eye and say, Youre not the boss of me! So there!

I know, it sounds a little whiny and brat-like. But believe me, in this case, it will be good for you. Sosay it with me one more time, with feeling ...

Youre not the boss of me, Fear! So there!

If you really wanna stick it to Fear, add this ...

But if you were the boss, Id tell you that your idea for the flying monkeys ad campaign sucks!

And if you really want to slay the Fear monster, also throw in ...

And, your shoulder pads make you look fat!

Now youve just put fear in its rightful, lower-case place.

Lesson 7

The Whack on the Back of Your Head!Theres a pretty good chance that, when I first revealed the enhanced fear mechanism that wasinstalled in your ancestors brains all those thousands of years ago, you were a bit bummed.

You felt jilted. Broken. Defective. Like the lousy deck was stacked against you. Kinda like the wayyou feel when you eat your way to the bottom of the cereal box, only to find that the free prize insideis a cheap decoder ring that breaks the first time you try it on. Ouch!

But then things changed. In the last lesson I gave you a new way to look at it, so that you didnt haveto mope around in that oh-so-attractive victim state you like to wallow in. (I told you Ive beenkeeping an eye on you. But in a heavenly supportive way; not a creepy stalker way. I promise.)

What happened was, I made you aware of the fear, and then I gave you another perspective and a newway of working with it that made you feel better.

And thats what we need to cover in this lesson: this whole business of ...

Awareness!

Continuing with the topic of fear, theres a good chance that for most of your life, you thought fearwas just something that happened to you. Like rain or snow. Or teenage acne. Or lustful thoughts aboutthe UPS delivery person. (What can Brown do for you indeed!)

You used to think that fear snuck up on you, and you had no choice but to go along for the ride - andquite often step on the gas pedal and made fears engine rev even hotter.

Now you know that fearing this fear thing is malarkey (which is a technical term that means crapola).

The reason you have a new outlook on fear is that you now have a new awareness of what it is andhow to tame it. But prior to the awareness, it seemed like something you just had to put up with.

To make my point even clearer, allow me to use a highly sophisticated example.

Lets say that every time you leave the house, as you walk from your front door to your car, threehyperactive elementary-school-age boys run up behind you and smack you on the back of the headwith wiffle ball bats.

Lets also make the assumption that you are a total lug head and, therefore, unaware that there arethree small children up to mischief behind you. (This assumption is purely hypothetical, of course.Isnt it?)

Under these totally plausible circumstances, you might come up with the following idea: Every timeI walk from my front door to the car, I get this odd sensation, followed immediately by a mildheadache.

After a while, youll start to associate the door or the walkway or the car itself as the culprit. Orsomething else entirely. Stupid breakfast cereal! Now that junk is giving me a headache, and I donteven have a cool decoder ring to show for it. My life sucks!

Whats the Problem Here?

(Or as your overly optimistic friends like to say, Whats the opportunity for growth here? Betweenyou and me, I think this headache thing is a bit of a problem.)

The issue isnt the breakfast cereal, the door, the walkway, or the car. Nor is it your discount storeshoes or the price of tea in China. Your opportunity for growth has everything to do with yourawareness of whats really going on.

Lets say one day, as you walk to the car, you drop your keys. When you turn around to pick them up,you notice three little boys with malarkey-eating grins on their faces ... and wiffle ball bats in theirhands.

You resume walking and feel that familiar annoying tap on your head. You spin around, and the boysare right behind you - bats in hand, with even bigger grins. A scenario begins to form in your lug-headed mind.

Later that day, you speak with a neighbor who asks, Why are those three little hooligans alwayswhacking you on the back of the head with bats every time you walk to the car?

You immediately exclaim, I knew it!

Well, now you know it. Because now you are aware of it. But before you had no clue. You thoughtthats just the way things were and you couldnt change it. But now you have the benefit of ... youguessed it ...

Awareness!

Now heres the thing. Simply having an awareness of something rarely leads to an immediatesolution. But awareness is the important bridge to self-improvement, change, and personal growth.

For a while you may continue to walk to your car and feel the dinging of wiffle ball bats on yourmelon. But you wont be blaming the concrete walkway or the sugar-frosted cereal or the sexy UPSdriver. Youll be quite aware that those three boys are right behind you taking batting practice withyour cranium.

Eventually youll try to find a solution: Tell them to stop, complain to their parents, call the cops, orpay them to hit the cranky old guy down the street.

Bottom line: there is often a delay between the onset of awareness and the embodiment of a newbehavior.

Before You Go ...Please go to the end of this Kindle book to the Before You Go section. There you can rate andreview this book, share it on Facebook and Twitter, and see other books written by me and otherauthors.

As an independent author, even the Omnipresent One relies on your reviews and ratings to increasevisibility on Amazon. If you want other people to benefit from what you learned in this ebook, pleaseleave an honest review and rating now.

About the AuthorRobert Dean is a pen name, since this book is much different than other titles by the author, whosereal name is Bob Baker. Here is Bobs official bio:

Bob Baker is on a mission to help musicians, authors and creative entrepreneurs of all kinds use theirtalents and know-how to make a living and make a difference in the world!

He is the author of the highly acclaimed Guerrilla Music Marketing Handbook and several otherbooks, including 55 Ways to Promote & Sell Your Book on the Internet and Unleash the ArtistWithin. He also developed the Music Marketing 101 course at Berkleemusic, the online continuingeducation division of Berklee College of Music.

Bob is an active musician, workshop leader, visual artist and former music magazine editor whoteaches creative people how to get exposure, connect with fans, and increase their incomes throughtheir artistic passions.

Since 1995 Bob has published The Buzz Factor ezine, one of the first music tips email newslettersin existence. He was one of the early proponents of musicians taking their careers into their ownhands and not relying on major record labels or industry gatekeepers to save them.

Visit www.TheBuzzFactor.com, www.FullTimeAuthor.com, www.DIYcareerManifesto.com andwww.Bob-Baker.com for more details.

http://www.TheBuzzFactor.comhttp://www.FullTimeAuthor.comhttp://www.DIYcareerManifesto.comhttp://www.Bob-Baker.com

DisclaimerThis book is designed to provide information and entertainment on positive thinking and personalgrowth. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher and author are not engaged in renderinglegal, psychological, or any other professional services. If expert assistance is required, the servicesof a competent professional should be sought.

It is not the purpose of this book to cover the full range of information that is otherwise available onthis topic, but instead to complement, amplify, and supplement other texts. You are urged to read allavailable material and tailor the information to your individual needs.

Therefore, this text should be used only as a general guide and not as the ultimate source ofinformation on the topic.

But go ahead, admit it ... this book is pretty damn good :)