Following are notes from my presentation at the ListenU Speakers Series on June 7, 2018.

Providence Moves, Too

During a period when my husband and I endured more than a decade of financial struggle, I became obsessed with understanding why two people doing the same things could get such drastically different results. Everything that seemed to work for others would fail for us, and we just couldn’t get ahead.

It took seven years and over 100 seminars before the lights finally went on—but once they did, we tripled our income in less than three months.

I could literally speak on this topic for hundreds of hours and never run out of things to say. Tonight, my challenge is to give you truly useful information in less than an hour.

The good news? If we don’t cover it all tonight, I’ll point you to my blog, where you can continue your study for free. Remind me to do that.

The Plan

I’ll share stories that I hope will inspire and intrigue you, then we’ll explore the common thread running through each of them—so you can intentionally initiate a success story of your own, as soon as this week.

The Temple Tax

“…They that received tribute money came to Peter, and said, Does not your master pay tribute? He said, Yes. And … Jesus said … lest we should offend them, go you to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first comes up; and when you have opened his mouth, you shall find a piece of money: that take, and give to them for me and you.” (Matthew 17:24-27)

I believe part of the message in this story is that money can come from unexpected places. We don’t need to fear just because we can’t see it where we think it should be.

Modern-Day Example: Monopoly Money (Tina Bonelli)

When you sent out the podcast entitled Belief Breakthrough, I swear you put my name on it personally. I’ve listened to it four times. Belief in financial improvement—and a few other areas of my life—has always been a challenge for me.

After listening, whenever I started to stress—even the tiniest bit—about anything I tend to worry about, I would say:
“I choose to believe that all is being gathered so that _______.”
Financial concerns, health, relationships—I applied it to everything.

I divorced after 30 years of marriage and had been a stay-at-home mom for most of that time. I had some residual income from my business, though a mass exodus from my team had drastically reduced it. I received no spousal support, and it took me two and a half years to find employment.

At age 60, I was making $15 an hour, had zero savings, no retirement, no property, and a huge IRS debt. As of Saturday, I had about $100 to last until my next paycheck—nine days away. That Sunday, an $18 overdraft notice arrived—an annual emergency road service renewal had gone through my account.

For much of the day, I was understandably grouchy, though later I began repeating the “I choose to believe” statements. That night, as I knelt in prayer, I wept—but I expressed gratitude for all I could possibly think of.

Then came the miracle: at Christmas, a kind person had left a surprise gift at my door—a Monopoly game. I’d propped it upright against my bookcase to vacuum, and the lid was slightly ajar, revealing the contents inside.

When my daughter’s family arrived for a birthday party, my grandson spotted the box and asked to play. My daughter glanced down and remarked, “Wow. They are really making Monopoly money look so realistic these days.” Then she looked closer: “Uh…Mom? This is real money.”

I stopped, gasped, and immediately began sobbing. There were twenties, tens, fives… I tried counting, but tears overwhelmed me. I handed it all to her, and she counted: $300.

Blessing in Disguise (Car Accident) – $3,000

It was December when I realized that our upcoming bills exceeded our income for the month by $3,000—before even thinking about Christmas expenses. I reminded myself that money can come from anywhere and decided not to worry—but to expect a miracle. Can you guess where it came from?

[Shortly after] my husband called to tell me he had been hit by a pickup truck that lost control at a freeway exit. He was okay, but worried the car might be totaled—which it was. By Wednesday, we had money to cover our bills, a down payment for a new truck, and even a little extra for Christmas, just two days later.

After Husband’s Stroke (Diana Johnson)

Back in 2006, I gave my sister my share of the profits from our parents’ home—about $10,000—because she was in dire need. We needed it too, but I felt her need was greater.

Ten years later, my husband suffered a massive stroke and could no longer work. Miraculously, it happened when his bus run was canceled due to college students leaving for Christmas—otherwise it would have occurred while he was driving a bus full of students!

And when our need was greatest, the amount I had given my sister returned to me in a miraculous, unexpected way:

I received a certified letter in the mail, which at first I ignored, thinking it was just another IRS notice. When I picked it up, I learned that a previously unknown retirement account was waiting for me at the university where I had taught part-time for 15 years. I had been told that part-time and adjunct instructors receive no retirement—yet here was a lump sum I didn’t know existed, growing quietly for years.

That unexpected retirement totaled nearly $24,000—equivalent to a full year’s salary my husband had earned at a part-time job before his stroke. And it lasted much longer than a year, thanks to other financial miracles: donations, an unexpected Social Security deposit, and a letter explaining they had not properly credited my husband’s military service.

While he was still in intensive care, I ordered home medical equipment, unsure how I would pay for it. Then I received a call from my retirement account: another $5,000 plus had been discovered, exactly the extra amount I needed.

$80 in Tips (Jane on Forum)

I tried my first experiment on May 19th. I’m a waitress, and weeknights can be slow. Normally, I bring home $30–$45 for the night. That night, I wrote down my gratitude for going home with more than $80, and how good the night had felt.

My section was busy, but tips seemed low, and by the end of the night I was about $20 short of my goal. Then I opened the booklet with my last tip: $20 on a $52 dinner ticket. After tipping out the bartender and busser, I went home with $85 in my pocket.

Other miracles shared by my students include:

• Kayli’s bookmark and one of her physicians

• Santa doorstep – $100

• Trevan’s job-loss severance

• Trevan – $1,700 bonus instead of $700

• PTG restaurant – over $40K in one month

As one student, Carol Colvin, noted:

"I knew that my thoughts, positive or negative, had an effect on what happened to me, but I thought the universe was much more whimsical in its workings. [Learning how it works] has made my trust in the principles of right thinking much more solid. This is scientific. It can be tested."

To achieve a big goal, two things must happen:

1. Resources and other people must align, and

2. You must know what to do and when.

Two things are required—but it only takes doing one thing to set both in motion:

See it. Feel it. (Lemon exercise)

Many people do this—see it, feel it—but why doesn’t it always work?

Because fear gets in the way.

If you don’t fear, things WILL work out.

If I can help you stop being afraid, I know everything will be okay. THAT is my work. It’s not about teaching you how to hit goals or earn money—it’s about showing you why you can be at peace.

When you’re at peace, you achieve goals and receive what you need. Ironically, most of us cling to fear as if it provides comfort. Instead, we must have the courage to NOT FEAR.

"But what if it doesn't work? What if I have to feel disappointed?"

Fear not. Dare to believe.

Rare Faith (Boyd K. Packer)

There are two kinds of faith. One of them functions ordinarily in the life of every soul. It is the kind of faith born by experience; it gives us certainty that a new day will dawn, that spring will come, that growth will take place. It is the kind of faith that relates us with confidence to that which is scheduled to happen. …

There is another kind of faith, rare indeed. This is the kind of faith that causes things to happen. It is the kind of faith that is worthy and prepared and unyielding, and it calls forth things that otherwise would not be. It is the kind of faith that moves people. It is the kind of faith that sometimes moves things. …

It comes by gradual growth. It is a marvelous, even a transcendent, power, a power as real and as invisible as electricity. Directed and channeled, it has great effect.

It’s Scalable! (Stephanie Lee)

I owed a $300 bill and had no idea where the money would come from. … I worked to promote my art courses, but as the due date approached, no sales had come in, and anxiety built. Every time I felt that flutter of worry, I took a deep breath and imagined paying the bill and feeling REALLY good—giddy even—about having done it on time.

The night before it was due, I prayed in gratitude for all the past times God had provided exactly what we needed, exactly when we needed it. I imagined He would continue to do so, and even if I couldn’t pay the bill on time, He would provide a way for it to be okay.

The next morning, while visualizing the bill being paid and feeling great about it, I checked PayPal. Overnight, I had made $325 in sales—enough to pay the bill, cover fees, and have a little extra.

That was for $300. But now for the bigger test:

After a long, difficult year, we filed taxes to discover our usual <$1,500 bill had ballooned to $15,000. How would I solve this?

I experienced my first panic attack in my husband’s truck. We were frozen, unsure how even to pay half of it on time.

But having just completed your Genius Bootcamp, I knew my mind was my most powerful tool. … I adopted the mantra: "Just keep your mind right," keeping thoughts aligned with universal laws.

A few months earlier, I had chatted with my friend Erica, the dentist’s wife. She shyly asked if I’d consider creating a painting for their office reception. I didn’t think much of it—it was only one painting, far from solving a $15,000 bill.

… About three weeks before the tax bill was due, Erica called:

"Can we meet you at the gallery to talk about the painting?"

I rushed to the gallery, and we all stood there, looking at my pieces and chatting about my process. … [I submitted a proposal with the prices for each, allowing her to choose a painting for their office.]

A few days later, I received an email: they wanted over 20 paintings … at my proposal price, totaling $15,000.

[Long story short: a snafu with their funding meant they could only give me $13,000—but they offered to cover some expensive dental work we needed for the difference, which ended up being an even better deal for us. And when the final math was done, the $15,000 tax bill was actually less than $10,000.]

Providence Moves, Too (William Hutchison Murray)

Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth, … that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too.
All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favour all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way.

I’ve also learned to deeply respect one of Goethe’s (“ger-ta’s”) couplets:

Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it!

Learn more at:

JackrabbitFactor.com or RareFaith.org

(These were notes from my presentation at the ListenU Speakers Series on June 7, 2018.)