“Goodness is the truth. Our lives are eternal, perfect, complete, harmonious and always in balance. Dwell on that truth, that unchangeable presence.”—Michele Longo-O’Donnell 
I get interviewed a lot. One of the common questions is “What kind of goals do you set for yourself?” And sometimes my interviewers scratch their head with my answer. It usually goes something like this: “I don’t. Rather, I trust the universe so much that I let it set the agenda. It’s so much wiser and sees so many more possibilities than I ever could.”
Last week’s trip to Italy is the perfect example. I hadn’t set the intention to return to Italy. I love Italy. Who doesn’t, right? But I hadn’t consciously put “trip to Italy” on a vision board or made that intention.
Nonetheless, I got invited on an all-expense-paid trip to Italy to meet Giovanni Rana and get to know his family, his company, his pasta that, just writing the word, makes me drool. You might have seen the picture on Facebook of me doing the Wonder Woman pose at Castelvecchio.
Not only that, but I got to dine at a 500-year-old lakeside estate that also hosted Winston Churchill and Princess Di. I visited a wine cellar that had a bottle of cognac from 1840. I got to be a food stylist, meet Romeo (er, rather the actor who played him in the interactive play we saw at the Capulet’s home), stay in a five-star hotel and drink all the cappuccinos and wine I desired.
Oh yes, and Federico Fellini’s long-time assistant, who evidently follows my blog, noticed I was in Italy and invited me to Rome to have a cappuccino. Sadly, I didn’t have time, but you can bet I’ll take her up on the offer next time the universe sends me to Italy.
But the best part is I got to witness a very successful business that practices what I preach. Pour your heart into what you love. Follow the thing that makes you feel alive. Give everything you can to everybody you can.
I’ll be writing about Giovanni Rana in the next few weeks, writing a travel story about my exquisite visit to the medieval cobbletoned streets of Verona. But, since you guys are part of MY heart, I thought I’d start here on the blog by not-so-subtly mentioning that the most important thing anyone could ever do to improve their life is to get it deep down in their bones that they are so incredibly loved so by the universe. And to know and trust that it constantly tries to send blessings just like this. All they must do is give up their grievances and move towards their joy.
I’ll close now with this Italian toast. Cin Cin. Which means “all good things to you.”
Ciao, bella, my amazingly awesome friends.
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 recently released, Thank and Grow Rich: a 30-day Experiment in Shameless Gratitude and Unabashed Joy.
36 Responses
Great for you Pam. What a ride!
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I love the ride.
I love you!
Oh Pam! Thank you for sharing this. Needed to hear every word… Thank you for speaking truth 💗
Joy is strength ❤️ Erin Kelly Licensed Massage Therapist & Yoga Instructor (773) 569-1015
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YES!!! Joy is strength. And may we all speak truth.
Love this! You just keep on going!
Just one question, Re: the photo: Do all Italian men wear the almost full body white coat and beard nets whilst in close proximity to pasta?
Molly
P.S. I was inspired by you to play Pickleball. I frickin love it almost as much as the UNI loves me! Thanks!
So happy to hear you’re now a pickleball junkie. It’s so fun. And, yes, every Italian man wears the full white body coat. JK!!!
You started my week with a BLESSING/BANG/FIREWORKS/AMAZING VIBRATION/ Thank You!!! I’ve Skype with you! So I’ve met you before! But I can’t wait for the Day the Universe gives me the opportunity to give you a Hug in person! Eternally Grateful! Oscar
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I look forward to the day!
I love you, Pam!!!
My daughter,Carter and I are just moments away from our Amtrak to San Diego adventure. So excited for an amazingly awesome adventure!
xox
Pam
As do I love you! Have a blast in San Diego!
Thank you for teaching me the Italian toast ! Cin Cin 💚🍀 Debra
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You’re welcome!
And Cin Cin to you, Pam, from Cin Cin nati!!
Thank you, Pam, for believing that the Universe WILL provide these kinds of gifts, and for sharing them with those of us who are working on believing!
So that’s where Cincinnati comes from. Who knew?
Love it and love you! Needed this today!
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We all need those reminders. All of us!
Wonderful! You are such an inspiration, Pam. Have a beautiful week!
Love & Light from Munich, Ann-Kristin*
I will. You have a beautiful week, too!
Awesome!!! Will you pack me in your suitcase next trip??!?!?!?!?😁
Sure, you can ride in there with Wonder Woman, who I usually pack inside a shoe.
Pam, I just adore you. When I left the corporate world to retire I had no idea how much I was going to learn about restructuring my life from the inside. I actually decided I needed a personal mission statement, which reflects exactly what you said in your blog about trusting the Universe so much you let it set your agenda. That is sooooo absolutely perfect. Mine came out….”“Life creates my usefulness while I playfully participate or gracefully decline.” Mucho Amouree, dear one!
Beautiful mission statement, my friend!
Wow!! SUCH inspiration…. thanks Pam… I am learning to trust as you do and let the Universe send the blessings! x
Love this post. Was just what i needed to read today, thank you 🙂 <3
Awesome post, Pam! Though I’m not starting my day in Italy (yet), your possibilities are my possibilities and I feel your joy and know it to be mine as well. Con chin!
I try so hard to be upbeat seeing the positive in everything feeling grateful, lucky, abundant and im doing great and then im triggered. my son has body dysmorphia syndrome. And when he starts and a self criticism rant of negativity about how he looks its unbearable and i end up so sad and crying. How do i get us through this? He is only 19 yrs old !! Much love Amanda adam
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Dear sweet Amanda–This is a situation where you can’t look at appearances in the material world. Most of us believe what we see, think it’s fact, but what we see is only the product of our thinking, just as your son’s body dysmorphia is not real, but only what he thinks he sees. Be vigilant in looking for the light. It’s there. It’s the only truth. In this light, this will all look different. I promise. I send you a big burst of light.
Oh WOW!!! Love it!!!
Thank you for another fantastic and mega-inspiring example of how the universe loves us!!! I love how it’s a no-holds-barred multifaceted positive explosion!!!
I adore you, Pam! You add so much OOMPH to this planet! Love this, especially: “Pour your heart into what you love. Follow the thing that makes you feel alive. Give everything you can to everybody you can.” 💥💓💥
Thanks Pam. You’re writing is always awesome and inspires me to be more trusting of the universe and to listen more intently and try make things happen less.
Thank you for cheering me up and reminding me how lucky I am 😀😀😀 sometimes we tend to forget it, and I needed this reminder now 😀
We say Csin-csin in Hungary 😉😉😀😀
Dear Pam,
This is one of the biggest question for me! I have been so torn apart with these two conflicting principles!
As much as I agree with your stance of not planning and letting the universe bring it to you, there are many successful people who have also proved themselves by claiming exactly what they had wanted, and thus strongly encourage to do that same. Some books/authors say that the more specific, the better, right?
In my little life experience, there were numerous amazing occasions and synchronicity that occurred to me that I had never planned. And the most of the things that I had wished to achieve have not come to fruition yet. (especially I am in the toughest music business and there are so many elements and reasons for this and I am totally fine with it though)
On the other hand, there are things that manifested exactly as I had wrote, but the things that I did not write also happened in a way beyond my imagination, and it made me to believe that I should have written down even with more details!
Yet since our mind is limited, it could limit and hinder even more amazing situations that the universe could have offered otherwise, so should we just go with the feelings only, and not with details or not…??????????????????? I am completely torn and confused!!! Would you totally go with not planning at all from your experiences??? Tomoko
All this is really stimulating to face the difficulties of every day, that beautiful Italy … thank you
‘Chin chin’? Are you sure that’s not Bertie Wooster?
‘Pour your heart into what you love. Follow the thing that makes you feel alive. Give everything you can to everybody you can.’ This is truly lovely.