One of the things that I have difficulty with is when people do not believe in dreams coming true or worse, they don’t believe in themselves. I come across so many people who have these wonderful dreams and goals – they tell me their desires with such passion.
I am a big believer in living life with passion so I join in their enthusiasm and the conversation gets all wonderful. Then the person ultimately always says; “well, it probably won’t work out or happen. I have to be realistic”. When that happens, I feel like the conversation went from bliss to being hit by a big brick. Not very pleasant.
I would like to share a passage from one of my all time favorite books; A Return To Love by Marianne Williamson, who has been a very successful spiritual writer for almost two decades. She also has a regular program on Oprah Radio. I hope the following excerpt will give you some inspiration as you go about your day:
“‘I don’t want to do it because I can’t make a living doing it,’ is a very weak beam to send into the universe. I lectured on A Course in Miracles for at least two years before it became the source of my income. When I started lecturing, I had no idea it would become my profession. Some things you do for no other reason than because they’re the right thing to do. ‘I’ll do this because it serves, even if I’m not paid,’ is a very high beam. It says to the universe that you must be very serious. And when you get serious about the universe, the universe gets serious about you.
I never felt the need to advertise much for my lectures. I figured if they were of genuine interest to people, then people would hear about them. That’s not to say that advertising is bad, as long as the motivation for advertising is to inform people as opposed to manipulating them. Arnold Patent wrote that if you genuinely have something to say, there is someone who genuinely needs to hear it. We don’t have to invent an audience so much as we have to hone the message we plan to give them once they get here. Serving three people is as important as serving three hundred. Once we’re clear about how to deal with a small following, a large following will develop automatically, if that would serve the world. Our power lies in our clarity about the role our work can play in the creation of a more beautiful world. The miracle is to think of our career as our contribution, however small, to the healing of the universe.
The ego’s world is based on infinite resources, but God’s world is not. In God’s world, which is the real world, the more we give, the more we have. Our having a piece of the world’s pie doesn’t mean there’s less for anyone else, and someone else having a piece of the pie doesn’t mean there’s less for us. So we needn’t compete, in business or anywhere else. Our generosity towards others is key to our positive experience of the world. There’s enough room for everyone to be beautiful. There’s enough room for everyone to be successful. There’s enough room for everyone to be rich. It is only our thinking that blocks that possibility from happening.”
{ 29 comments }
Nadia,
“Our generosity towards others is key to our positive experience of the world. ” So true. We would all be happier if we behaved with this idea in mind.
Roger – A Content Life’s most recent blog post..What’s Your Favorite Charity?
I like the idea that we need to hone our message to best serve a few people.
In my case, I started my blog to help my sister, who is going through a divorce in Costa Rica and I can’t be there for her every day. In addition, I wanted to help my other sister in California, who is going through a whole different set of tough circumstances, as well as a dear friend in Austin, who gets through her days by reading my blog. In this way, even though I am in Georgia, I can help all three at the same time.
As it turns out, they aren’t the only ones facing their variety of tough stuff, and so… a few other readers have come along for the ride. If I can help heal them, however few, then I feel I have helped to make the universe a little better.
Thanks for this beautiful post!
Lisis | Quest For Balance’s most recent blog post..The ONLY Way to Get Out of Debt
Believe in your goals and dreams — such an important message! Thanks for posting the passage. Very interesting.
Positively Present’s most recent blog post..this IS it
What a lovely passage! The part the stuck with me was that we don’t need to compete there’s room enough for everyone. I know for me, I get so much MORE in return when I build others up and help them succeed somehow. It’s not done out of greed or in the expectation that I’ll get something back but rather I take joy in the happiness and success of others.
I also liked the quote regarding advertising “…motivation for advertising is to inform people as opposed to manipulating them.” That is very important to keep in mind!
Sherri (Serene Journey)’s most recent blog post..When Life Gives You Lemons…Use Them!
I totally agree with this. There is a common ‘scarcity’ mindset (IMO just another relic of primitive human cultures) that there is not enough to go around, especially in business. Napoleon Hill and Dale Carnegie turned that idea on its head for a lot of people, but scarcity is still probably the most common philosophy.
David Cain’s most recent blog post..9 Thoughts Worthy of Immortality
Thanks for this wonderful post, Nadia. It’s good to revisit old favourites, the oldies but goodies. As a coach, I completely understand what you’re saying about that pivotal moment when people blame ‘having to be realistic’ for not following their hearts. My problem is that I have to be very careful not to start doing unsolicited coaching with them. It’s like an invitation for me to be a breeze under their wings when they say “It probably won’t happen.” I long to ask them what’s really holding them back.
It won’t surprise you to know that the above quote is in one of my quotebooks, only when it says ‘career’, I see ‘writing’! I write because I can’t not write. I’m not inspired by the idea of making money; I’m inspired by life and by the writing process itself. I will make money from it someday because the concept of right livelihood resonates with me, but in the meantime I’m happy to be living a life I want to write about and connecting with the new inspiring, positive people I’ve met since I started blogging, people like you, people the universe had lined up for me for a reason. My muse goes quiet if she thinks my ego’s running the show. I can still write, still arrange the words, but the spirit of a piece disappears.
I also love Marianne Williamson’s book The Age of Miracles. I think I’m more of her target demographic age group for that one than you are, Nadia, but it’s maybe worth adding to your mile-long list of books to check out!
janice’s most recent blog post..Fleet Foxes
@ Roger – I agree. The more we give of ourselves the happier we will be and we will also make the other person(s) happier. We are all connected!
@ Lisis – Thank you so much for sharing your experience with your blog. It is important to hone our message and whoever is meant to hear it, will hear it. We all can do something to help add beauty to the world. We all have something to offer.
@ P.P – Glad you enjoyed the passage. Yes, it is important to believe in your goals and dreams. The energy with which you go about achieveing those goals and dreams is also important.
@ Sherri – I am so happy that you enjoyed the passage. There is a enough room for everyone to be happy and successful. I know what you mean about the joy of helping others. It is one of the best feelings in the world, especially when you do not care if the gesture is returned.
@ David – I totally agree about how the scarcity mindset is primitive. I always tell people there is enough room for everyone to be happy, to be financially okay and be successful. I think people make it a self-fulfilling reality by not going after what they want. It is easy to play small when you believe that there is such a thing as scarcity.
@ Janice – Thank you so much for all that you wrote and I am not surprised that you have that quote in one of your quote books.
I love how you mentioned the muse that helps you to write. I have found in my life that anytime I listened to my ego, I ended up either getting in trouble or writing really bad stuff. It took me a long time to learn to not try to force things to happen. Anytime I try too hard to do anything, I can feel it in my body because I start to feel scared and tense. The pleasure of doing the task evaporates and I am left feeling miserable. So to surrender to the moment and let yourself be guided by the inner voice is the way to go. Reading Marianne Williamson is what helped me to recognize that quality.
And yes, I did read “Age of Miracles” and loved her approach. She is such a great writer. I have a few of her lectures which are also very good! It is obvious that she is passionate about her work.
This is a great post, Nadia. I like the idea that there is enough for everyone. Just because {you} are having great success, it doesn’t mean that there is less success for me to achieve. I also particularly liked the quote, “And when you get serious about the universe, the universe gets serious about you.”
Kirwin’s most recent blog post..5 vegan recipes an omnivore will love
It’s hard dealing with the tension created by the necessity of money and your heart’s desire.
freelance writing queen’s most recent blog post..The Words We Speak
@ Kirwin – I am happy that you enjoyed the post and yes, there is enough success for all of us!!!!
Whenever I read that passage, I am always inspired and reminded that so much of what I want out of life depends on how I look at things. So when I take my life seriously, the universe reflects that back. Kind of neat! 
@ Freelance Queen – Welcome to Happy Lotus! It is hard to go after your dreams when you have bills to pay. However, there are 24 hours in a day. Writing and running this blog is my passion. Words cannot describe the joy that I feel when I am doing anything related to my blog but I do have a day job that enables me to pay my bills. It is a balancing act but if you love something, you just find a way.
I fully believe that everyone has a Divine Plan to fulfill here on earth. If we take time to quiet ourselves from time to time and tune in to our Inner Voice, that Plan will surely be revealed to us. I am also convinced that everyone’s Divine Plan is always in line with what our strengths and talents are…in other words; if we love and are good at medicine, for example – then our true purpose in life is most likely something within that field and not in engineering.
When we do our best to follow what we believe our true purpose is, the Universe will find a way to supply us financially – but we have to give it our all, even if things are not seemingly working out as quickly as we would like them to. It takes a lot of faith or determination and perseverance to keep going towards what we believe we are meant to do but in the long run it is always worth it
And yes, it is ok to have a day job going while you’re working on your true passion in life 
One of my favorite statements is: “Do what you love and the money will follow!” Don’t recall the author but Nadia might…
I could keep going but maybe I’ll save it for a guest post…hmmm…good thing I live with the author of this blog
Have a Miracle Day all!
Hi Jacob,
So is this your way of telling me you want to do a guest post????
I don’t remember who said that quote that you put in your comment. Maybe it was Marianne Williamson.
“Serving three people is as important as serving three hundred” — that’s something I kept in mind when I did my first few talks. The first one was in a 500-seat auditorium with 10 people there, and they were not sitting together, and the mic wouldn’t turn on so I was shouting to the near-empty room. Ah, it seems funny now.
Hi Chris,
Thank you so much for sharing your experience. It reminds me of the well-known saying “quality not quantity”. It is important to act the same whether the audience is three people or three thousand. I truly feel people can tell the difference, too. Congratulations on the size of the audience increasing from that first talk!
Hi Nadia
There are a lot of peal of wisdom here, my favorite is the end part. “There’s enough room for everyone to be successful. … It is only our thinking that blocks that possibility from happening.” Well said. Such a wonderful inspirtation for a Wednesday.
Thank you,
Giovanna Garcia
Imperfect Action is better than No Action
Giovanna Garcia’s most recent blog post..Chinglish Lesson.
I never felt the need to advertise much for my lectures. I figured if they were of genuine interest to people, then people would hear about them. That’s not to say that advertising is bad, as long as the motivation for advertising is to inform people as opposed to manipulating them.
I swear I’m going to print this out and hang it on the wall. There are many “internet entrepenuers” who need to read it IMHO. But it is also a good reminder to myself. I refuse to play a lot of those promotion and advertising games, and have suffered financially for it, but I can still live with myself. I may have a minimum wage job to pay the bills, but I also have my self respect. I’d rather be a wage slave and like myself.
Again – love your blog.
Summer Foovay’s most recent blog post..Wheee – a day off – catching up
“Serving three people is as important as serving three hundred. Once we’re clear about how to deal with a small following, a large following will develop automatically, if that would serve the world.”
Hmmm … a theme I’ve been reflecting on this week after a prompt from one of my angels of inspiration – I think you might even know who she is
I’m detecting a shift today and more focus on quality and trust – less on quantity and push. So this article fits perfectly for me. Thank you Nadia!
Reminds me of the story of the starfish on the beach – do you know the one I mean?
Ian | Quantum Learning’s most recent blog post..Do my words improve silence?
“…the more we give, the more we have.”
This is so profound, and so true. I think the best way for people to get out of the scarcity mindset is to give away as much as they possibly can. I have found that the more I give away (either money or goods), the more comes my way. Sometimes I give a bit too much, and then there are a couple of nervous days until the next windfall, but I always seem to have enough.
It’s important to understand what “enough” means, though. You might not have all you want, but you have all you truly need. That’s “enough”.
Jay Schryer’s most recent blog post..My (Fleeting) Moment of Zen
@ Giovanna – I am so happy that you enjoyed the post. You are right…there are so many great points that Marianne Williamson makes in that passage. The only person who limits us is ourselves and this passage is a great reminder that anything in life is possible.
@ Summer – It is really important to have a clear conscience and to do what is right for you. I think many people are so afraid that if they don’t do something, then they will not achieve what they want. The irony is that when you are so frenzied with things, you get in your own way. Yes, you have to do what is needed in any given task but the intention and the energy with which you do things is as important, if not more so.
@ Ian – You are so sweet. Thank you with all my heart. You have helped me too, my friend. As for the story of the starfish on the beach, I have not heard of it. Do you mind sharing it?
@ Jay – You are absolutely right. You will always have what you need. It is amazing how much fear pervades our lives and yet it is deemed normal to be so scared. Yet if you have the assurance that all will be okay or provided for, you are considered weird or naive. Very strange, if you ask me.
Hey Nadia,
Am at a strange crossroads as a writer. I wanted to write for 2 publications but they don’t pay at all. Spiritual magazines that are a labour of love. Made me wonder if I want to work for them or what the message for me in this is. But love has to given without expectation..
Lovely post. Thanks
Hi Uzma,
I am glad that you liked the post. If it is of any help, I have not made any money from my site to date. Blogging takes a lot of my time and I do have a day job as well as being a wife, a daughter and a friend to many. Some things you just do because you love it. What comes from those projects, only time will tell. So I know how you feel.
Lots of great words of wisdom in that passage, Nadia. There IS enough for everyone, and I think it’s very important to be happy for others’ successes, rather than wonder, “Why didn’t I get that recognition/prize/opportunity, etc.?”
And of the many great lines, this one stood out for me: “And when you get serious about the universe, the universe gets serious about you.” I have a similar-ish saying, “Rock the kasbah or it will rock you,” meaning we should embrace life and actively live it, don’t let it just happen to us.
adam | iHappy.me’s most recent blog post..happy haiku wednesday
Hi Adam!
Glad you liked that passage, Adam. You are absolutely right about embracing life. It is so important to make the most out of every moment. What you give, you get back. And btw, I love the song reference, that is awesome!
I’m heading to the library this weekend to get A Return To Love by Marianne Williamson. So many of my favorite quotes come from the book…I think it is time I read it end-to-end. My high beam to success is on over drive these days.
Stacey / Create a Balance’s most recent blog post..Authentic Happiness Series – Part Three (Community)
I’m guessing you may know it by a different name, as there are many versions of the Starfish story. It was originally written by Loren Eisley in ”The Star Thrower’ and then adapted by Joel Barker to make it more positive! Others such as Jack Canfield picked it up and made their own adaptations too.
Here’s the of Barker’s positive adaptation and for those who don’t want to follow the link, here’s a much abbreviated version:
*************************************************************
I woke early to walk by the ocean’s edge and greet the new day. I saw a youth, bending and reaching and flailing his arms, dancing on the beach, no doubt in celebration of the day soon to begin. As I approached, I realized the youth was not dancing, but bending to pick up a starfish, then standing to heave it into the sea.
I asked the youth the purpose of the effort.
“The tide washed these starfish onto the beach and they cannot return to the sea by themselves,” the youth replied. “When the sun rises they’ll die, unless I throw them back to the sea.”
I surveyed the vast beach, stretching in both directions beyond my sight. Starfish littered the shore in numbers beyond calculation. The youth’s plan was hopeless and I said, “But there are too many starfish on this beach. You cannot save more than a few before the sun is up. You are wasting your time as you cannot possibly make a difference.”
The youth paused briefly to consider my words, bent to pick up a starfish and threw it as far as possible. Turning to me he simply said,
“I made a difference to that one.”
************************************************************************
Ian | Quantum Learning’s most recent blog post..Do my words improve silence?
@ Stacey – That is awesome! All of Marianne Williamson’s books are great. I have read them all and I have read “A Return to Love” so many times, I lost count. Each time I read it, I am reminded of something that I need to work on in my life. And keep being a high beam, the world is waiting for you (and everyone else too)!
@ Ian – Thank you so much for providing the link and for writing a shorter version in your comment. I love the story and the message! The amount helped is not as important as the ability to actually help.
“In God’s world, which is the real world, the more we give, the more we have.” I love this quote and am so glad you shared Marianne’s words with us. I’ve also learned in my life that we can also live the opposite of this truth (frequently do, without knowing it): we operate from a place of where we hoard what we do have (out of fear) and thereby impoverish ourselves.
Chania Girl’s most recent blog post..Where Your Treasure Is …
Hi Chania!
Excellent point! I have come to realize the same thing too. The more we hoard back, the less life gives us. The more we give to others, the more we get back.
BTW, I tried to leave a comment on your blog a few days ago but it would not allow me. I just wanted you to know. Hope all is well! 
Hi, Nadia. Thank you for the comment. I heard from a few people who had the same trouble (leaving comments), but I think I’ve got it sorted now, and everything’s working fine. Would love to see you again.
Meanwhile, I love what you’re doing here and will continue to check back regularly. Have a marvelous day.
Chania Girl’s most recent blog post..Who Is Chania Girl?
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