CHAPTER 1

REMEMBER THAT THE JOURNEY OF A THOUSAND MILES BEGINS WITH A SINGLE STEP

I can vividly remember the first sentence I ever wrote in my very first book! Itseems like a long time ago. Yet had I not written that first sentence, Iwouldn't have finished that first book, or the second, and so on. And so itgoes. Every journey, however long it may be, begins with a single step. But youmust take that first step. Once you do, each step takes you closer andcloser to your goal.

Sometimes, when you consider taking on a new venture—whether it's raisinga child, writing a book, starting a new business, beginning a savings plan, oranything else—the task can seem overwhelming. It's as though you'll neverbe able to arrive at your final destination, as if the first step isn't going tohelp. When you look too far out toward the horizon, it can seem too difficult.You might even wonder where to begin.

The trick to success sounds very simplistic, because it is very simple:Just begin. Take a single step, followed by another, and then another. Don'tlook too far out into the future, and don't look too far back either. Staycentered in the present moment as best you can. If you follow this simple plan,you'll be amazed at what you can accomplish over time.

When I graduated from my Ph.D. program, my dear friend Marvin gave me, as agift, the complete works of Carl Jung. That's twenty-six long volumes ofmaterial. In volume one was a note from Marvin worth sharing here. He wrote:"Becoming educated doesn't happen overnight! Education is a lifelong processthat happens in short intervals. If you were to read only eight pages a day, forthe next seven years, you would be one of the world's most knowledgeable expertson the work of Carl Jung, and you would get through every page!" Despitenot being a huge fan of Jung, I have always appreciated my friend's message.

The same, of course, is true with all ventures. A wealthy friend of mine, worthmany millions of dollars, remembers opening his first savings account with hiswife over forty years ago with $10. They both laugh when they say, "It's amazingwhat a little time will do." Had they not decided to start somewhere, theirincredible success would never have manifested itself.

Over and over again I hear people telling me about the book they aregoing to write, the savings account they are about to open, thebusiness they are going to start, or the charity they areplanning to help. But, in many instances, these plans and dreams keepgetting put off until "the conditions are right." One of the most powerfulmessages I can share with you, one that I'm absolutely certain of, is this: Inalmost all cases, the conditions you are waiting for will not besignificantly different next week or next year. Don't worry that the conditionshave to be perfect. The truth is, you are still going to have to takethat first step! If you take it now, instead of later, you'll be many stepscloser to your dreams by this time next year. Congratulations, you've just takenthe first step in the completion of this book!

CHAPTER 2

GIVE, GIVE, GIVE

Many of us have heard the expression "Giving is its own reward." And while thisis certainly true, and more than reason enough to give, there's another aspectof giving that many fail to recognize. Giving is an energy that not only helpsothers but creates even more for the person who is doing the giving. This is anatural law that is true regardless of whether the person who is giving wants oreven realizes what is occurring.

Money is "circulation." It needs to flow. When you are frightened, selfish, orwhen you hoard everything for yourself, you literally stop the circulation. Youcreate "clogged pipes," making it difficult to keep money flowing back in yourdirection. Any success you have is despite your lack of giving, not because ofit. The way to get the flow going again is to start giving. Be generous. Payothers well, tip your waitress that extra dollar. Support several charities.Give back. Watch what happens! Things will start popping up out of nowhere.

The same dynamic is true if you want to fill your life with love or anythingelse worthwhile. Giving and receiving are two sides of the same coin. If youwant more love, or fun, or respect, or success, or anything else, the way to getit is simple: give it away. Don't worry about a thing. The universe knows whatit's doing. Everything you give away will return, with interest!

CHAPTER 3

LEARN THE MAGIC OF NONATTACHMENT

Without realizing it, many of us confuse nonattachment with not caring. Inactuality, the two are completely different. Not caring suggests apathy: "Icouldn't care less. It doesn't matter to me." Nonattachment, on the other hand,means: "I'll do everything possible, I'll put the odds in my favor, I'll workhard and concentrate. I'll do my best to succeed. But, if I don't,that's okay, too."

Being attached to an outcome, holding on, takes an enormous amount of energy,not only during an effort but often after an effort is complete, after you'vefailed, or been let down, or were dealt a bad hand.

Being nonattached, however, creates emotional freedom. It means holding ontightly but letting go lightly. It suggests trying hard, really caring, but atthe same time being completely willing to let go of the outcome.

Attachment creates fear that gets in your way: What if I lose? What if the dealdoesn't go through? What if I'm rejected? What if, what if, what if ... Yourbelief that everything must work out exactly as you want it to with no glitchescreates enormous pressure. Everything rides on your success.

Nonattachment, on the other hand, works like magic. It allows you to have fun inyour efforts, to enjoy the process. It helps you succeed at whatever you aredoing by giving you the confidence you need. It takes the pressure off. You winregardless of the outcome. The act of not worrying helps you focus andstay on purpose. It helps you stay out of your own way. You know in your heartthat, even if things don't work out the way you hope they will, everything willbe all right. You'll be okay. You'll learn from the experience. You'll do betternext time. This attitude of acceptance helps you move on to the next step inyour path. Rather than being lost or immobilized in disappointment or regret,you simply move on—with confidence and joy.

CHAPTER 4

EXPERIENCE RELAXED PASSION

Most people would agree that having passion for one's work is a helpful, if notnecessary, ingredient for success. Many of these same people, however, confuseuseful passion with hyper or frenetic behavior.

Passion takes different forms. It can be the feeling of being driven to success,of rolling up your sleeves, or working long, hard hours. This "hyper" passioncan be very exciting, even addicting. The problem with it, though, is that itdrains your energy and can be very exhausting. It's generated from externalsources, from tight deadlines and big deals. Because of the external nature ofthis type of passion, a tint of fear always goes along with it: "I love this aslong as everything works out well." This type of passion also lends itself toboredom. The only time you're having fun is when there's something on the line,when something exciting is happening. The rest of the...