Grace Bell – Pam Grout

Are you willing to allow the possibility of an unrecognizable new world?

April 18, 2017 9 Comments

“I signed up for the Olympics of internal freedom and happiness.”—Grace Bell

Will Smith once said that all successful people have the delusional quality of believing something different can happen.

Most of us, instead, get stuck in expectation loops. We continue looking for and expecting the same things as yesterday.

But here’s the thing. Today is a brand-new day with an infinite number of new possibilities.

Whoever took over for Ed McMahon could knock on your door with the winning check in the magazine sweepstakes. You could make a new friend or meet a potential S.O. You could get an idea for a book or a song or a nonprofit that might change the lives of millions.

The thing is, you never know. But because we get up every morning expecting the exact same thing, we get reruns of yesterday.

But what if you woke up to a world where everything was completely unrecognizable? Are you willing to allow that possibility? The possibility that the world’s largesse could flow into your life? The possibility that we could have peace on Earth? And that all children could go to bed with a full stomach knowing they were deeply loved and cherished?

In the interest of unrecognizable new possibilities, thought I’d share some cool stories that have recently proven to me that whatever happened in the past has no bearing on today.

1. Rihanna’s people called.. “Last month, a friend shared your book Thank & Grow Rich on Instagram. I’m not much for reading books that don’t involve beauty or makeup (I have a comprehension problem and it takes me a long time to read a book versus others). But without much thought, I immediately subscribed to Audible and decided to “listen” your book.

“Your book has been such an eye opener for me, you have no idea! I can’t thank you enough!! I got a call back for a second round of interviews for Global Makeup Artist position for Rihanna’s new makeup line! I made it to the top 50 and beat out over 1500 other artists that applied for the job.”

2. Fresh coconuts in Belgium in the middle of winter. “Reading E-Squared, I thought of challenging the Universe by ordering a coconut in the middle of winter. Before this, I’d never seen coconuts at our local grocery store. Hannah, my nanny, and I went for our weekly grocery shopping tour while the kids were in school. And I couldn’t believe it! There, in between the fresh fruits was an entire BOX full of coconuts!!! In the middle of winter in Belgium. Hannah had to slap me as I was speechless and couldn’t move. That’s how surreal it felt to me! And after that I just keep on ordering and without fault, each order has come in the most hilarious ways.”

3. A lottery win. “I just wanted to say that reading your book has provided me with much appreciated positive reciprocation, and universal confirmation. I read your book recently and after asking for the “sign” or for divine communion(FP), I won the lottery. It was in the thousands, nothing to retire on but certainly a sign. Also a way to tie up any or all looming debts. I had lucid dreaming and other profound experiences since this and just wanted to say… You were meant to write this book. You wrote it, in such a way that it was perfectly, timed, simple and encapsuled our fundamental rights as beings on this planet.”

4. Universe giving clear signs. “This is the best 222 story you will ever hear!!

“So ….. I asked the universe to provide me with some 222’s along with the other things requested for that experiment – I had manifested the other things so the next morning I was a little bit impolite really and demanded some 222’s. Well needless to say I was swamped – I found them everywhere.

“That night after work I received a package addressed to my husband and on enquiring with him they were apparently some number plates he had had on hold for 35 years. So I opened them and you guessed it – BMW 222. How did my husband know that 35 years ago his wife (which he hadn’t even meet) would be looking for proof of her manifestion skills in the form of three numbers??? I don’t really know or even care how it works Those numbers have become a way that I can ‘talk’ to the universe. Thanks for your books – I just love them and you for writing them. Love, Sally.”

Thank you, Sally, and everyone else who has written to share their miracle story.

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.

Who said life wasn’t meant to be magical?

March 5, 2015 9 Comments

“I could use my very own mind to imagine other ways of seeing the world, like putting on a new pair of glasses. Everything in a new color entirely.”—Grace Bell

Photo by Anne Chalfant, one of the amazing journalists with me in Norway.

I just returned from Norway where, once again, I fell in love. As a travel writer, I’m often asked “Where’s your favorite place?” I often respond to this impossible question with “wherever I last was.”

I’m like Stephen Stills. “Loving the one I’m with.” Of course, being with or in Norway is a no-brainer. The country’s insanely beautiful, the people are humble and kind and the seafood upon which I daily dined was minutes earlier swimming in the vast Norwegian fjords. In fact, that picture up there is me with last Sunday’s dinner.

But this isn’t a travel blog. Rather, it’s a blog about beliefs and expectations and letting go of all notions that life isn’t meant to be magical.

As I frequently say here on the blog, I get emails every day that start with something like this: “You’re never going to believe this!!!” Here’s a story that came in this morning from a beautiful reader originally from Iran who read E-Squared and found her dream job in New York. Read on:

“I am Persian, but grew up in Germany. My biggest desire was to live and work in the United States where my relatives are since I knew couldn’t go back to Iran. I started working for L’Oreal in Germany. From 2011 to Spring of 2014, I focused every single day on my dream, but inside I was afraid of failing, afraid they’d never give me a visa.

“A friend gave me E2 to read and it was the beginning of a transformation. All my fears just disappeared.

“Believe it or not, but L’Oreal USA called me September 2014 and gave me the best work visa ever. Since November 2014, I have worked as as manager for the company in NYC and the miracles have not finished yet. They just offered me a higher position within the company. Now, I E-Square my life daily and have given your book to 6 other colleagues. When I look back in my life, I have always E-squared my life. I just didn’t know it.”

You can check out Poopak’s site here:

Stay tuned. Prizes for the E-Cubed Selfie Challenge will be announced early next week.

Pam Grout is the author of 17 books including E-Squared: 9 Do-it-Yourself Energy Experiments that Prove Your Thoughts Create Your Reality and the just-released sequel, E-Cubed, 9 More Experiments that Prove Mirth, Magic

The world is your dance floor or why this weekend is destined to be the best weekend of your life

January 30, 2015 19 Comments

“I am abundant, proud, generous, unafraid, willing, welcoming, just as I am.”—Grace Bell

I LOVE all the E-Cubed selfies that are coming in. It’s so exciting to see everyone’s vision for a new 2015.
The one featured here is photoshopped from Marcella from Italy who wants to meet Jon Kabat-Zinn.

As I’ve mentioned before, I’m incredibly blessed, so spectacularly lucky because I get reminders every single day about how bountiful the universe is. I get emails from readers who tell me their amazing stories.

Here are just a couple that have come in over the past few days:

From Fleur:

“My girlfriend told me about your first book but my local bookstore only had your new book so I google E2 vs E3 and watched only one video which was a minute long of an American man saying in the first book you do experiments where you for example say you’re going to see red Cadillacs and I had a fleeting thought of “well you wouldn’t say that here in Australia because we don’t have Cadillacs” then went on with my day.

“The next day I sat down and asked the universe to send me a sign that my visualizations were indeed in the making. I asked for a sign over the weekend that would leave me no doubt that it was from the Universe,

“Well about 30 minutes later I looked out the window and there stopped in front of our house was a blue Cadillac! Left hand drive and all! He then backed up into our neighbours driveway. I actually went out side to check I wasn’t imagining it.

“What makes this even more awesome is that we live in a gated community..at the end of a cul de sac! I see a maximum of about 5 cars a day and I know 4 out of 5 of those!

“It REALLY made me laugh 🙂 And believe.”

From Joe:

Hi! Just letting you know that within less than 12 hours of me purchasing E2 and trying out the first experiment, I stumbled across the answer to a question I have been trying to discover for over a year. Truly amazed. Can’t wait to delve deeper! “

From Alissa:

“I have a bone to pick with you!…. Your book got me pregnant!… By page 40!

“I just got esquared and tried the first experiment the first day I got the book. So, experiment one, I asked for an unmistakable unexpected blessing within 48 hours. This is Wednesday, 1.30pm, so my deadline is Friday 16th January 1.30pm (today)Ha ha!! This is so funny.

“So as soon i as start reading the book I start to radiate light, love and happiness for the first time in several months. It caused an end to my gloom and I really started feeling positive. I walk down the street literally beaming from one ear to the next, a bit excited about my surprise. That night I pick up the newspaper and go to the car section to pull it out to cover the table with so my daughter can paint- what does it say on the cover page? In huge letters? Feeling positive. I laugh out loud and feel grateful for this affirmation.

“The next day I get a voicemail from my partner with a beautiful heartfelt message telling me he loves me and thinks I’m an amazing mother. So I think, ok, I’ve had a lovely affirmation and that is certainly an unexpected blessing (my partner rarely leaves messages like that and is a lot more hands than heart normally). But part of me thinks maybe there might be something more to come by Friday. It gets to Friday. I check the mail, check my phone, check my emails….nope, no unexpected blessings there.

“My period is late (but only by one day) my boobs are sore, I’m feeling nauseous. The possibility of being pregnant seems as likely in my mind as snow falling during a fiery summer heat wave ….my partner and I have only had sex twice in the last three weeks… and we used contraception. I think about it…An unexpected blessing… Hmmm… I decide it’s crazy but I will get a pregnancy test and decide to wait till my partner gets home so we can do it together. I go out to the shops, get the test and come home. And guess what? We cannot believe our eyes… It’s positive! And guess what time it is? To.the.minute…1.30pm Friday 16th January.

“It has been my hearts desire to have another child for years but after a failed pregnancy we have been waiting for the perfect time. Which, it seems God has chosen is now! “

And since it’s Friday, it’s time for another video. Have the best weekend of your life. And remember, it better have dancing.

Why it’s perfectly okay to have a negative thought

December 8, 2014 29 Comments

“What if right in that moment, it was quite beautiful the way it was?”—Grace Bell

Every thought is temporary until you decide to invite it in for martinis and offer to make up the guest bedroom.

Left unopposed, a thought, like a lightning bug, will blink right off, flit away, never to be seen again.

What happens instead is we notice a negative thought, we start swatting at it, we wonder why we have it, we come up with seven steps to get rid of it and we begin beating ourselves up because…well all the books say we shouldn’t have a negative thought.

Before long, we’ve joined a support group and built a shrine.

Instead of fighting a negative thought, I prefer to use my two magic words—It’s okay—and let it flitter away and disappear.

The same strategy applies for those things we dislike in our lives—say the latest credit card statement or the doctor’s report. “But it’s true!!!” you insist.

Once we realize that any thought, any condition is temporary, with no power, no charge except that which we give it, we can go back to our natural state which is joy and amazing awesomeness.

Why there’s not one thing worth worrying about

October 17, 2014 9 Comments

“I love swimming in the great question of what is real, true, what’s happening here in this thing called life.”—Grace Bell

As some of you may have noticed, negativity and problems seem to be ballooning out of control.

At the same time in this unique moment of history, more and more people are waking up and noticing the Divine Buzz, realizing the unlimited possibilities that exist right now, in this very moment.

What a paradox. Both energies rising at the same time.

The only reason the negativity often seems to be winning is because it makes so much more noise. Fear sells papers, ad dollars, products to “protect” us from life.

Which is why my mission is to make more noise for the other energy that is rising, just as fast and just as powerfully as those headlines that, at first glance, sound daunting.

One of reasons I feel so confident that “Truth, Justice and the American Way,” to quote Superman, are destined to win is because of all the young people who write to me, telling me their dreams and their belief in a beautiful world.

Like Mary Strobitzer, a 13-year-old girl from Austria who, instead of shopping for new jeans from H&M (even though, as she says, they were on sale), bought E-Squared, loved it and says it changed her life– because it’s “neither a ‘story’ or a “wonder,’ but REALITY.”

Another recent example comes from 19-year-old Callie Callagher who is now following her heart and is getting continuous signs that she’s on the right track.

Whatever she asks for falls into her lap. As she said in a recent email to me, “I recently said I wanted money to fall in my lap. A few days later a lady I babysit for asked me to drive her and another couple down the road for a country club night. Taxis were all booked so I agreed to drive them for $40. Not only did they give me $100, but they handed me $40 which accidently dropped into my lap.”

Callie, a fabulous writer (not a lawyer, as she’d been trained to be) wrote this blog post:

As we grow up we get general guidelines on how to live our lives: graduate high school, go to college, get a job and family, then wait for the time when we can retire and reminisce about what would have happened had we followed our dreams. When I was a senior in high school, we made timelines. They were all the same except for mine, and I felt out of the loop. My teacher said, “Pray for the day you can retire and start to enjoy your life.” That sounded awful, what a waste of the life you were meant to enjoy.

I have been trying to plan my life ever since I was eight. Part of that plan included becoming a lawyer. That was until one night when I was sixteen and watched American Beauty. That movie hit me like a ton of destiny-filled bricks. I knew at that moment I would become a writer. I told my unexcited friends and family I would be working in film instead of a law firm. They told me that I was crazy and I started to believe them. I cried for three nights and finally asked the universe for a sign that I was meant to work in film and be a writer. The next day while watching TV, the program guide fell on the bio of Mathew McConaughey. The info bar read something like, “After he dropped out of law school, McConaughey followed dreams of being in film.” The universe delivered, and it was my first experience that a higher power was listening.

Two weeks later, a friend’s mom gave me the email of her neighbor in Malibu. He was a working screenwriter in Hollywood who had written one of the biggest movies in theatres that summer. After the universe realized I was paying attention to my calling, it fell over itself to give me more stones for stepping. I expected to be at the Oscars that very year, and was rather disappointed when it didn’t happen.

Fast forward two years and I was working on screenplays, but was still trying to fit into the mold of who I thought I was supposed to be. I got good grades, went out on weekends and so on. I felt like a fraud doing this when I would rather be at home writing. My life changed when I read Spirit Junkie and E-Squared. I realized that I wasn’t the only person who had thoughts about living out my dreams. I ran with the information! I went against the ideas of everyone around me whose advice was to go to college right away. It was a transformational year for me spiritually and emotionally. I found that I have a love of writing books, and have since started what will be a series. I spend every day happy.

For a while I was annoyed that I wasn’t in Hollywood yet but after I listened to a tape on “How to get an agent” I realized why. I WASN’T READY AT ALL. I had turned my love of writing into a lust for quantity over quality and the writing suffered. I realized I needed to step up my A-game. Now, I am happy to spend every day writing for hours because I hold the clear end goal in mind. I mastered having patience so the best work can be produced. I realized I could make all the vision boards I wanted, but without action they were useless.

While visiting a friend at the University of Wisconsin last weekend, I
wondered if I had made a mistake by not getting the “college experience”. However, after going to a college party and seeing what all the buzz was about, I couldn’t imagine doing that for four years. I am willing to sacrifice what I think I should be doing as a nineteen year old in return for what I know is right for me.

More people need to follow their hearts. With the wise words from people like Pam Grout, Marie Forleo, and Napoleon Hill, I have been able to see how much magic exists in this world. I let go of the picture of the nineteen-year-old I thought I should be, and embraced my authentic self.

There are so many amazing things to see and do in this world, we just have to keep our eyes open and not be detoured by other peoples limiting words. People who are fearful will try to convince you to think the same way and deny you of your birth right of being happy, healthy and wealthy.

I remember the first time I heard the statement that one-percent of the population has most of the money in this world. I knew then that there was plenty of space for me, for everyone, if you just follow your dreams. Just remember, you can never be part of that elite one-percent if you do what everyone else is doing. Follow your heart, you will be warmly rewarded.

Thank you, Callie. Thank you, Mary. Thank you everyone who knows magic, miracles, joy and love are the only things that are truly real.

Helsinki, Fred Phelps and why love is always the final answer

October 13, 2014 16 Comments

“I love participating in a world that’s waking up all around me, in every direction I look, and being a part of this astonishing process.”—Grace Bell

I’m in Helsinki this week, traveling with a beautiful tattoed 22-year-old. We’re staying at a century-old Art Nouveau castle in Helsinki’s Design District. I’m on assignment (yes, I’m still a travel writer) in addition to speaking this weekend at the I Love Me! conference at the Helsinki Exhibition and Convention Centre.

The cool thing is I have all these amazing friends who can fill in for me here on the blog. Today’s post is by my long-time friend, Susan Kraus, who lives right here in Lawrence, Kansas. She’s a fellow travel writer, a brilliant mediator and now, a novelist.

I was lucky to get an early reading of her just-released novel based on the Fred Phelps family. Yes, we here in Lawrence (30 minutes from Topeka where he long-reigned) have had a ongoing opportunity to grow our love for those who, by all appearances, aren’t terribly lovable.

I am extremely proud to run this post by my dear friend, Susan Kraus who I hope you’ll join me in supporting:

Journey of a Skeptic

Some people are born, or conditioned, to be pessimists. Pam Grout would say that no one is born a pessimist, that we’re taught pessimism, taught negative thinking, taught to think small, down-size our dreams, rope in our hopes. But it can be hard for some of us to separate out what is intrinsic and what is learned or absorbed.

I grew up with a father who was insecure and easily threatened. I look at women who had ‘daddies’ who noticed them, told them they were smart and pretty and could be anything they wanted … and I wonder what that would have been like. Not even in a jealous way, more like wondering what living on Mars would be like. That’s how foreign it seems.

“Don’t get a swelled head,” was what I heard if and when I accomplished something… good grades,getting an award, graduating cum laude, landing a job. And that was what I learned: Don’t call attention to yourself, don’t stand out, don’t ever make waves, don’t be controversial, don’t have opinions, don’t have feelings…

Which makes what I am now doing sort of, well, terrifying. I’ve written not one but TWO novels. One I mostly wrote 15 years ago. It was pretty good and was being marketed by an agent when publishing tanked after 9-11. So it went into a closet and I went back to my work as a therapist and mediator. But the voices in my head came back. The characters were still alive — they had lives and opinions and feelings that they wanted to express. And they were so pushy. So I re-wrote book one and then wrote book two — which means I have a series. Book three is already cluttering up my dreams.

Last year I was starting to search for an agent, who would then look for a publisher, who would then edit and do whatever for a couple of years before the books came out. And if this all worked out, it would be 2-3 years minimum. And I startled to the realization that I do not have that much time. I’m 64 and my dreams have been in the damn closet for far too long.

So, I had lunch with my friend Pam (yes, that Pam) who is a cheerleader-for-mental-health, and shared my dilemma. Should I: 1) go the traditional route, the publishing route I’d always seen as the ‘right’ way, which meant waiting indefinitely for things to maybe ‘work out,’ or, 2) take the risk and go with Create Space (Amazon’s publishing wing) and give up my life-long dream of “being published.” Did I dare presume that my writing was good enough even if I wasn’t chosen by a publisher? Could I assume the responsibility, the risk, go for broke?

“Just do it,” Pam said. “You know you can write, the books are strong, believe in yourself. “ (Yeah, sure, Pam, easy for you to say.) And then she started in on that visualization stuff, what the pessimistic, skeptical Catholic girl in me calls “woo-woo.” Like “Open your mind to what you want” and “Dare to imagine” and “Focus on the beautiful” and “Give yourself moments of joy.” Then, “See what you want in life and move towards it.”

Like if I visualize myself as a writer, a published writer, supporting myself as a writer, and put myself into that, with a whole heart, I open my life to not just possibility but achievable reality. As long as I also do the hard work.

WOO-WOO!!!

What the hell, I thought. I could die soon. So I did what Pam said. I picked Door #2. It’s been a peripatetic journey. But only a year after “lunch with Pam,” I have two novels, books-I-can-hold-in-my-hand, available on Amazon and Kindle, with solid Kirkus reviews (which I would like to share but then “I might get a swelled head.”)

I asked Pam to do some “author interviews” for my website (www.susankraus.com) and she said, “Sure.” Voila! Instead of worrying, it was done.

My novels’ protagonist is Grace McDonald, a therapist and mediator (hence the Grace McDonald Series). She is about 55, has suffered losses and learned from her pain. While she is not averse to bending the rules, Grace solves conundrums and crimes by using her brain, her ‘women’s intuition.’ (And, yes, woo-woo.) Grace has a daughter who is a single mom, and a grandson with Asperger’s. She has work with clients and grocery shopping and chores and all the stuff that fill women’s lives. Grace has opinions and is willing to make some waves. And, in every book, she’ll grow and change.

So, that’s my story today: a 64-year old woman who is reaching for the stars (like 5-star reviews kind of stars, but other stars as well.), a skeptic and pessimist, who is trying to see the world differently, trying to super-size instead of downsize her dreams, trying to do what Pam teaches: to open my mind, discover joy in the ordinary and not be afraid to “ask the universe” (which makes me giggle when I say it out loud) for what I desire.

So, if you like solid, character-driven thriller/mysteries, but where it’s really about the relationships, then read Fall From Grace. And if you like provocative, family dynamics/ social issues books with a sucker-punch ending, then read All God’s Children. And if you like book series, because you enjoy returning to the same characters and developing a relationship with them (and their author), then get both. And then tell me what you think.

I do know that the skeptic in me is facing a stand-off with the woman who wants to trust and believe. It’s shaping up to be quite a show. But that’s for Book Three.

Links: http://www.amazon.com/Susan-Kraus/e/B00NRGFO6E/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0