part0005

My primary intention for writing this book is to help my readers become part of the “hidden rich.” Reading over a hundred books consistently over the past few years and teaching these manifestation principles to many people has allowed me to observe human nature firsthand. I have observed that with the advent of the Internet and with the development of human consciousness, the prosperity consciousness of our society has been elevated greatly. While indeed there may still be pockets of lack, I would say that mankind as a whole has benefited greatly from technological advancements and new ways of thinking.

What does it mean to be part of the hidden rich? The first signs I have observed is that these people do not ostentatiously flaunt their wealth. They do not go after the usual trappings of luxury, such as branded goods or expensive, shiny things. Sure, they may still consume and use some of those luxury items, but their consumption of those items are driven more by their utility (for example, their belief that those products are of better quality) rather than a need to show off. Their consumption is driven by a sense of value and worthiness, rather than a sense of need to “prove” that they can afford these expensive things to others. Therefore, individuals who belong to the “hidden rich” usually dress and live tastefully but conservatively, always within their means. They recognize quality and are willing to pay for it, but not to the point of excess.

The second sign I have observed about the hidden rich is that they do not come from any particular vocation or occupation. They may be engaged in any trade or livelihood, as it is their “mindset” which brings them the riches. They often have “hidden” sources of income, which are not readily obvious to outside individuals or those observing them. For example, they may have rental properties generating a comfortable monthly rental income, or they may have a sideline business that brings in a tidy sum every month. Some of it may be passive income, while others may not. Whatever it is, these alternative sources of income are not readily observable to outsiders.

The third point is that the hidden rich greatly enjoy what they are doing. They may be holding a day job (or several) which pays modestly, and yet they are fully immersed and passionate about what they do. They never complain about their jobs. At the same time, they have several hidden sources of income going on for them that allow them to pursue what they like on the sidelines and not have to worry about finances. In general, they lead a better life than the majority of the population!

My intention in writing this book is to help YOU become one of the hidden rich. If you are reading this book with the intention of getting on the Fortune or Forbes list of the world’s wealthiest individuals… then this is the wrong book for you. This book is not about earning millions. This book is about creating inner abundance and prosperity, and from there create outer abundance and prosperity. I must confess that at one point in my life (when I was a youthful teenager), I was obsessed with getting myself on the Forbes list of the world’s richest people! I voraciously read books in the library, studying their “mindsets” and wanting to know how they became rich. I attempted to learn NLP, so I could “model” their behavioral patterns. After all, that is what they promise in NLP — that if you model patterns of excellence, you will achieve the same results for yourself.

A few caveats here: A lot of the success programs which you see on the market today are about modeling “outer” behaviors and methods, but very little is devoted to modeling “inner” states. This is because inner states are inherently difficult to observe, and therefore almost impossible to model. In fact, inner states are impossible to observe with our five senses! I have taught time and time again that you can never guess a person’s inner state just by looking at him or her. This is something life has taught me over and over again. A very calm looking person may have a very rocky inner state. Conversely, a person who appears to be very jumpy and nervous may have a very calm and conducive inner state. An individual’s inner state does not correlate to any of the traditional measures we use to quantify success in our society, such as their social status, education level, income level, age and so on, although some of these factors may in turn be affected by one’s inner state.

The only way to “observe” one’s inner state is to look at the results in a person’s life. And even that may be difficult, since we often do not follow a person around long enough or know their state of affairs well enough to know what results they are really getting in their life. But there are some clues. For example, is a person always focused upon and talking about negative issues and problems? That hints at a persistently negative inner state. Is a person always focused upon and talking about positive issues? This suggests that their inner state could be quite positive, although I have found exceptions to this, especially when individuals “try” to be positive and force themselves to say positive words in order to “appear” positive.

I am quite a sensitive individual, and what I’ve found is that I have the ability to discern a person’s inner states by talking to them. For example, I may receive feelings and emotions that are contrary to the words which they are speaking to me during a conversation. You can develop this same awareness too if you work on the tips and techniques in this book. We all have the ability to perceive energy, and as you learn how to tune into and read your own inner states, you will develop an ability to do the same for others. This ability has allowed me to help others pinpoint their blocks rather quickly and easily. For example, if an individual is stuck on a manifestation issue, he usually describes the issue to me. At the same time, I am picking up his not-so-obvious beliefs on the issue, which when combined with the actual information he is offering me, allows me to usually offer some suggestions about the issue. However, this ability is not without its downsides, as I tend to be bogged down by negative individuals when I meet them! I am not only picking up their negative words but also their negative feelings!

I’m describing this to show you that there is often a difference between a person’s inner state and his / her outer actions, words and appearances. Very often, they are linked but the inner state precedes everything else. This is why you have to cultivate your inner state very carefully, and be aware of what is going on in your inner world.

One common thread I have observed for all of the hidden rich is their carefree and light attitude towards money. In other words, no matter how or where they make their money, they adopt an extremely easy and peaceful attitude towards money. This may be difficult for you to adopt at the beginning due to past mental conditioning but it is a good place to strive towards. Once you can bring yourself to a place where you genuinely feel light and carefree about money… then the money will truly begin to flow to you. This is why many of the hidden rich are willing to work in their day jobs that pay comparatively modestly. They see their jobs not as a means where their money comes from , but where their money comes through . This is more than just a play on words, for it reflects profound differences in understanding. If you see money as coming “from” your job, then the job becomes indispensable to you and you must have it or do it, even if you do not like it. If money comes through your job for you, then it can come through many other channels as well at the same time, and whether you do this job or that job… it does not matter.

In the beginning when I was trying to apply manifestation techniques to money, I was only focused and obsessed with “money-getting”. Thankfully I realized that was the wrong direction and gently refocused my priorities! I understand today that “money-getting” is not the aim, but rather, your objective should always be to maintain a light and cheery attitude about money. That should be your first and foremost priority when you start the journey. Whatever you do, you should aim to feel free and easy about money, such that the thought of money does not restrict you but rather empowers you.

I would like to share an example of this from my own life. Many people who know me personally today do not really know the details of how I make my money, not even my close friends and family. To them, I hold a teaching day job that appears to be what I do, which pays fairly well and is greatly rewarding. I also run a few related businesses. I hold the job not for the pay alone, but for the immense personal satisfaction and rewards I get from the job, from interacting with my students. I feel that it has always been what I was meant to do, and my job fills me with a great sense of joy and satisfaction. Therefore to me, this “job” is one of the many ways in which money flows through to me in my life. At the same time, I take up several other seemingly unrelated projects through my businesses, which are also ways in which money flows through to me. Because I maintain such a light and cheery attitude about money, I do not really care whether my job pays well or not. I do it because I enjoy it, and that is the most important attitude to adopt. I have seen my co-workers bicker over the workload, over what is in their contract and job scope, over what they are supposed to do. Of course they would think this way, since they are trading their hours for money! But since I see my current “job” as a calling and as one of the many ways in which money flows through to me, I gladly take on whatever is required of me. I am not petty about pay, or the hours. I’ll do whatever is asked because I enjoy it so much!

I can’t tell you how much adopting this inner state has paid off for me. First, I don’t feel like I’m accountable to anyone at all. I am free from the expectations of everything and everyone. My job or businesses do not hold me hostage because I know I can always change tracks if I want to, and money will flow through another channels to me. A simple shift in perception is all it takes. You can adopt this simple shift in perception no matter what primary job or business you are engaged in. If you see money coming into your life only from your current job or business, I encourage you to start seeing it instead as flowing through your current job. If you can get yourself to see how it flows through your current job, you’ll be able to see how it can flow through many other channels as well, not just through your current job. Finally, once you can see how money can flow through other channels as well, you’ll be able to take it up a notch and see how money can flow through all these other channels all at once! What a wonderful feeling that is! Now imagine several channels of money flowing to you all at once… You get the idea. It is all about choosing alternative views of money that empower us when we think about them rather than thoughts that stifle us.

Many years ago, I would have guarded my business from competitors, vendors and customers whom I perceived as threatening my earnings. Closing my businesses was never an option even if they were not doing well, because I associated my income and livelihood with them so strongly. I had built my identity around one of a business owner! Yet that is just a story about money we tell ourselves. Learning about these spiritual principles has allowed me to take an alternative view, that when it is time to change tracks and move into something even better, that we just trust the Universe and make the transitions needed.

One of the most common mistakes is falling into the mindset of money-getting. The money-getting mindset dictates that you have to engage in external actions, and external steps to make things happen. The much easier way is to change your inner state, and make changes to your inner state. I have done both and the latter (changing your inner state) is way “easier”. It flows much better for me. There have been times in which I have been desperate to “get” money, and hence I thought up some half-hearted business idea which seemed to make that money fast and went to do it. The problem was, half of myself was disagreeing with the other half most of the time! My heart wasn’t in the venture, and the larger part of me really didn’t feel that it was the best or most appropriate way. Still, I went ahead because I was focused only on getting money. The end result of all those forceful ventures was always the same: Lots of mental anguish, regret, guilt, and very little physical money from the effort. I always felt like I was shortchanged.

This is why I don’t do that anymore. I sit quietly and work on myself first. I clear up any issues that need to be cleared up on the inside. For example, if I feel restricted by my job, then I ask myself what is causing those restrictive feelings. In particular, what do I feel tied down to? Once I make the necessary shifts in perception on the inside, the outer circumstances and reality arrange themselves accordingly. In fact, I never take any outer-directed action nowadays as the first step. I always sit down and look at what needs to be done on the inside first.

I would like to encourage you right now to set an intention to become part of the hidden rich, if that feels right for you. Money flows easily and effortlessly for the hidden rich, and there is the immense satisfaction of knowing that money flows so abundantly to you from all sources… that you do not have to depend on anything or anyone to get it! Even if it is just a meditation, get yourself closer to that inner state starting today. Sit down quietly and first tell yourself, “Whatever I am doing, money flows to me through my current job.” Then tell and feel for yourself, “Money can flow to me through other means.” Finally, feel the feelings of money flowing through many pipelines to you all at once. How does that feeling feel like? Do you feel happy, secure and at ease? You can substitute money for the word “abundance” or “prosperity”. What we are looking for here are the feelings of deep ease and peace. If you can do this, you are on your way to becoming part of the hidden rich.