Abundance, hoarders and why I’m a whole lot richer than #realDonaldTrump.

As many of you may have seen on Facebook, I’ve been celebrating my daughter’s college graduation. Here’s a picture of the two of us in Bermuda long ago. I was there writing an travel article for Tennis magazine and she was my trusty research assistant.

At the same time (thanks to the magic of the internet), I’ve been “speaking” at the Hay House World Summit.

In my bio, I love that they called me a “Happy Life Scientist.”  I also got a kick out of one listener’s comments: “Love your Kansas accent, Pam Grout, it makes me happy. Like Captain Kangaroo, Mr. GreenJeans and Banana Man.”

There’s one more day to listen for free. If you’re so inclined, there’s a link at the bottom of this post.

So with all that said, I decided to re-run a blog post from a few years ago.

“I wanna be on the cover of Forbes magazine
Smiling next to Oprah and the Queen.”—Travie McCoy and Bruno Mars

I didn’t make Forbes’ list of billionaires in 2015. Unlikely, I’ll make it this year either. But I do know a secret that makes me deserving of the list.

I know with complete certainty that the world is limitless, abundant and strangely-accommodating. I also know that anything I could ever need or want is as easy to manifest as plugging in the toaster.

Take today, for example, I’m making limoncello for my daughter’s party, enjoying mochas and breakfast out. And in a few months, I’m flying to Barcelona to visit her in her new post.

Those billionaires? I doubt they could spare the time.

In fact, the only difference between me and “The Donald” is I choose not to carry my riches around. It’s comforting to know that anything I could ever want to do is available to me, but why flaunt it or drag around a bunch of material baggage?

In fact, I’d like to argue that amassing $10 billion, the dollar amount Trump claims to be worth, is not that different than hoarding old newspapers, leaky buckets and all the other junk collecting in the homes of the dysfunctional folks we watch on the A&E show, “Hoarders.”

No, my role model is Peace Pilgrim who, when she was very young, made an important discovery: “Making money is easy.”

Which is why she could give up her earthly possessions and walk around the world with nothing but the clothes on her back. As she said about her 28-year-old journey, “Life is full. Life is good. I have a feeling of always being surrounded by all of the good things, like love and peace and joy. It’s like a protective surrounding.”

That’s all anyone really needs. To know with sure conviction that “the world is limitless, abundant and strangely accommodating.”

It’s not the “stuff” you want. Jesus could never have brought Lazarus back to life and multiplied all those fishes and loaves if he’d been preoccupied by the desire for a beachside residence.

That said, I do not want to make you feel guilty for wanting a big home in Malibu. There is not one thing wrong with a big home in Malibu. Or anything else you want. Want it. Walk toward it with all your heart and might. Just know that there are higher rungs. And know that most people hoard material things out of fear. And fear, after all, is what we’re attempting to move away from.

Here’s the link to the World Summit interview:

And here’s a fun video you might have seen.

Pam Grout is the author of 18 books including E-Squared: 9 Do-it-Yourself Energy Experiments that Prove Your Thoughts Create Your Reality and the about to be released, Thank and Grow Rich: a 30-day Experiment in Shameless Gratitude and Unabashed Joy