This month marks the 30th anniversary of my teaching Mind Power. It was thirty years ago, April 1978, that I stood in front of an audience of about a hundred people at the Empress Hotel in Victoria, Canada, and made my first public presentation of Mind Power. I had no previous public speaking experience and didn’t know how it would be received, but I knew I had an important message to deliver. I remember clearly my nervousness and discomfort, but I made it through the evening. Fortunately my discomfort at being in front of an audience passed quickly, and these days I am as comfortable in front of a thousand people as I am in my living room with a few friends. The astounding discovery that I wanted passionately to share was: “Our Thoughts Create our Reality.”

Mind Power LogoIts funny to think about how revolutionary that concept was back in 1978. Now of course, thanks to the mass media, Oprah, The Secret, and numerous books on the subject, many people know that our thoughts do indeed have an effect in our life. However, even though many people understand the concept, there are still very few that have a working system which allows them to harness this power. That is why the Mind Power training system is so important and relevant, and why I never tire of spreading the word. But back in 1978, no one even knew of the concept, so there I was, an early pioneer sharing this revolutionary information.

I spent three years in the woods, prior to teaching, developing this system. Everyone (friends, associates and family) thought I was crazy to waste my time in a pursuit that showed no hope or promise of success. But I was passionate about what I was doing. Now I want to share my first of three pieces of advice that I will give in this article: Always follow your passion. Let it lead you. It will always lead you to a successful and interesting life.

In that first eighteen months of teaching, I taught numerous courses in both Victoria and Vancouver. I watched people cure themselves of illnesses, attract relationships, achieve goals and gain tremendous financial success. The system worked. It wasn’t just motivation or positive thinking; I had tapped into something incredibly powerful and had put together a system that people could understand, follow and gain results with. You can imagine how that made me feel.

In 1980, I did my first Canadian tour, traveling coast to coast, speaking in ten different cities. At that point I was attracting large audiences of around a thousand people per talk. The buzz was incredible both from media and the general public. I was getting a lot of attention. But not only was I helping to change lives, I was making more money than I ever dreamed of. It was pouring in faster than I knew what to do with it. I insisted on being successful and practicing what I preached. I was also very generous, and many individuals and charities saw the benefit of this success, both then and today. That is the beauty and wonder of success; it has the potential of helping so many people.

Now my second piece of advice: Be successful in whatever you do. I have a saying, “Your success helps many people. Your failure helps no one.” You can’t argue with that statement. We are called to be successful and fulfill our unique destinies. I love success. I love everything about it. It is our duty and responsibility to be successful and fulfill our potential. It is through our success that our gifts are shared. Now in case someone thinks I am speaking only of financial success, I am not. One needs to be successful in relationships, with family, in spirituality, in finding our calling and becoming one hundred percent authentic. Each of us determines what success means to us and defines it in our own way. Never allow others, whether it be peers, society or family, to tell you what you should strive for. Follow your heart and what resonates as truth for you. Our life is an adventure of such vast possibilities, and each of us decides for ourselves what direction our life will take.

In 1981, I did my first world tour, starting in Sydney, Australia, on Valentine’s Day. I wasn’t sure how many people would come out to this first international talk, but the ballroom of the Sydney Hilton couldn’t hold all the people who tried to get in. We had to quickly hook up speakers in the lobby so those who couldn’t get in could still hear my words. It was the beginning of many successful world tours. I have now toured the world over twenty times and travelled to over a hundred countries. What an incredible experience it has been.

In 1987 I began writing and completed my first book, Mind Power. It became a publishing phenomena, selling in excess of two million copies and topping bestseller lists around the world. In 1990 I wrote Money, Success and You, another bestseller, followed by A Vision of Power and Glory (1993). In 1997 Mind Power was updated and re-released with four extra chapters as Mind Power into the 21st Century. In 2000 I wrote The Practice of Happiness and in 2002 I co-wrote Mind Power for Children.

Then in 2002 I clearly heard my inner voice telling me, “Close this chapter of your life; there is something more for you.” I trust my inner voice, and though I loved teaching and touring, I decided to take a two-year sabbatical, which turned into a three-year sabbatical because of a dream I had that told me to take an extra year.

Now for my third piece of advice: Always trust the inner voice. It knows more than we can understand. It is there for a reason. When you follow it, it leads you in directions you would never venture on your own.
I handed the teaching of Mind Power over to a then unknown but dedicated speaker, Robin Banks. Fate had drawn us together. Not surprisingly, Robin is now an inspiring international speaker and teaches Mind Power to large groups both in South Africa and around the world.

And so I began my “listening sabbatical.” I called it a listening sabbatical because intuitively I knew this is what I was to do. Interestingly enough, on the first day of my listening sabbatical I met a unique woman, a gifted and dedicated listener who was to become my “listening mentor,” while I in turn mentored her on manifesting. We co-mentored each other in our specialties. Once a month we met for three to five days over a two-year period. We listened. We manifested. We did vision quests, ritual, prayer, deep processes, and were guided by our dedication to spirit and each other. Some day I will write a book about this extraordinary adventure we had together.

At different stages of our lives each of us is called to reassess, regroup and re-evaluate every aspect of our life. This was my second sabbatical. My first, also three years in duration, was in my late twenties. That sabbatical birthed the Mind Power course. This second sabbatical began when I was fifty-five. What I “heard” and realized during this period changed my life. Let me say simply that it opened my heart and led me into the deep mysteries of the subconscious and the soul. Not surprisingly that is what I now teach and where my passion presently lies. As I said earlier: Always trust your passion. Let it lead you. You will never go astray following it.

I did a lot of reflecting on turning sixty last year, looking back at my life and the remarkable and unusual choices I had made. Now, one year later, I find myself reflecting once again, only this time on teaching Mind Power for thirty years. And you know what conclusion I’ve come to? I am overwhelmed with both the simplicity and effectiveness of this Mind Power system. Not only has it helped me to find my calling and be successful, but it has done so for millions of others as well. The road map to success, spiritual enlightenment, and personal destiny is there for anyone to use and practice. We possess the power to do or become anything using our thoughts, and that is such a gift to know.

This month I wanted to share these thoughts with those of you who have shared this journey with me, whether it is through my books, CDs, DVDs, live seminars, Home Study courses, or simply this website. There is an old saying which says that the teacher needs the student as much as the student needs the teacher, and it is true. I can’t imagine my life without teaching and writing. I can’t imagine it without you. I am turned on by helping people discover and utilize their potential. Teaching is my passion, and as long as I continue to be passionate about it I will do it. While my touring is greatly reduced and my live events now few and far between, the media of film, books and electronic formats are exploding in popularity, and the ability to touch and reach people has never been greater. So my work continues. What will the future bring? Only time will tell, but I feel that my sixties will be my most productive and prolific period yet, and that my deepest and best work is yet to come. That’s exciting to imagine. But then again what would you expect from the master of Mind Power who follows his passion and practices what he preaches. Stay tuned…