Why I Pray In The Shower

The whole time I was writing my book, I would dream of it becoming an instant success after it was published, and of going out and speaking at places and helping millions of people find greater happiness in life. Almost three years have passed since my book was published, and although I’ve done book signings, continued writing on my blog, and have helped quite a few people over that time, I obviously haven’t made near the progress I had dreamed about. I did, however, speak to alcoholics and addicts over that time, and I have had the fortune to talk to teenagers at detention homes on several occasions. It made me feel good to do this, and I like to believe that in some small way, I reached many of the people I talked to. I was just winging it though as the phrase goes, and I knew without a plan for what I wanted to say I wasn’t ready to speak at the level of some of the more prominent speakers I’ve seen. However, I still kept my dream alive, as well as another dream I will share with you now. One that I’m sure almost every author has had, which is being on the Oprah Winfrey show. Now I know this may seem like a childish dream to some, but this helped me to keep believing I was on the right path with what I wanted to do in life, and comforted me in times when I worried about my future plans. I mentioned in the last chapter of my book how I wanted to be a voice for the thousands of people I’ve talked since I began writing it who have told me that due to all the changes that have taken place in our world over the years, they feel more fearful and less hopeful in their lives, and for the millions of other people that I know feel the same way. However, had Oprah actually called me to be on her show back then, I wouldn’t have been ready. Much has happened in my life since my book was published in June of 2009, and although Oprah ended her show last year, the experiences I’ve gone through since my book came out have filled me with more confidence in myself. As far as what I want to say in life, you can read about it in my book and on my blog. Something I need to say here though, is that my experience over the years, especially the last three, shows me that true happiness comes from loving ourselves enough to be happy with who we are, and from helping others. I will add that it helps to try and believe in more than just this world too. If there is a god, and I personally believe there is a creator of some kind, then it must be possible to create greater happiness in both our own lives and other people’s too. When we focus less on ourselves and attempt to help other people, something magical happens. We worry less about what we don’t have, feel good about ourselves, and feel a greater sense of happiness. Maybe Oprah still hasn’t called, but I have achieved a lot in my life so far, including writing what has turned out to be a very good book. Because of this, as I continue pursuing my dream I have to keep believing the right people will come into my life at the right time, and that things will work out the way I dreamed they would. I began believing years ago that our thoughts and beliefs help create our lives, and although I show no great financial reward for this belief, I do show an emotional one, which is happiness.  No matter how much money my book makes, or other ones I write, it will never replace the fulfillment I get from helping others. People like me at one time who need help believing everything will be all right even when it’s not, because we have the ability to be all right even when we’re not.