“Imagine there’s no Heaven
It’s easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today”
– John Lennon
Dear Friend,
Can we talk like intelligent and rational human beings for a few minutes today?
Actually, I doubt it.
Most people cannot.
Seriously… in my experience, something like 98% or 99% can’t have a rational conversation about ANYTHING that contradicts their lifetime of wrong programming.
So I’m taking a big risk today publishing an article only for that 1% to 2%.
It’s going to be completely over everybody else’s head.
Here’s how you’ll know if you’re NOT part of that elite 1 to 2%?
That’s easy…
If you feel anger as a result of reading this post… then you’re part of the 98%.
Don’t feel bad. I spent a large portion of my life there, too.
But if you’re not able to make some changes, you’ll probably NEVER be able to break free from the strongholds that are keeping you from the success you desire.
In spite of knowing only about 2% of of the population will get my point today… and I’m going to receive hateful comments from the clueless 98%… what I’m trying to share with you is so extremely urgent and important… I’m willing to take the heat.
By the way… that’s why they say you should never talk about politics or religion. For some reason, those two topics trigger the most irrational reactions… even from supposedly intelligent human beings.
The very SECOND you bring up either of those topics, the 98% shut down the part of the brain that can analyze new incoming data and think rationally… and just start spewing all the pre-programmed ideas and “beliefs” unknowingly programmed into them since birth.
They have no idea WHY they believe what the believe and no credible evidence whatsoever to back it up. But they will VIOLENTLY oppose you if you present them with any idea counter to their installed mental meta-programs… regardless of the credible and proven evidence presented.
Even if it’s only a hypothetical idea like the one I’m going to propose today.
In some cases, their reaction will be so strong, they’ll get physically violent with you.
Even try to maim or kill you.
Crazy, isn’t it?
Want to see this in action for yourself?
Just ask somebody why they’re a member of whatever political party they’re affiliated with.
They have no idea. Hell, they don’t even know the most basic tenets their party stands for!
They can’t provide one single logical reason why they’re a member of that particular party.
The only ones I’ve ever consistently received logical and intelligent answers from were Libertarians.
Look, I’m not a member of any political party… for reasons almost nobody understands. So if you think I’m promoting the Libertarians and putting down Democrats or Republicans, you’re mistaken.
But I’m betting if you’re a typical Democrat or Republican and you suspected I was about to start slamming your party… the hair on the back of your neck started to stand up a little bit.
There is no logical reason for that kind of reaction… yet your adrenalin started pumping into your bloodstream and you started feeling that “fight or flight” reaction… a physiological reaction designed to save your life from grave physical danger.
And you started having that reaction because you thought I was going to say your political party sucks!
Silly, huh?
Well, if something as silly as that gets the hair on the back of your neck standing up… stick around ‘cuz now I’m REALLY gonna piss you off!
I swear to you… my goal today isn’t to make you mad.
Actually, my goal today is a lofty one. I want to make you do something contrary to your life-long programming…
Think Logically!
The 98% (actually, it’s probably more like 99.9%) have never been taught to think.
They’ve been trained through rote memory to parrot back a series of pre-approved thoughts and beliefs programmed into them since birth.
They THINK their thoughts and beliefs are theirs… but in reality they don’t have anything even RESEMBLING a coherent, congruent and logical life philosophy.
And there’s a perfectly good reason for that.
A coherent, congruent and logical life philosophy requires a lot of rational thinking. And unfortunately a whole slew of forces have been at work to train that ability out of you since you were old enough to walk… ESPECIALLY if you went to public school.
Heck, it takes constant thought and vigilance just to MAINTAIN a coherent, congruent and logical life philosophy. Developing one after a lifetime of bad programming takes almost super-human effort!
Want an example of the kind of vigilance you need to maintain a coherent, congruent and logical life philosophy?
Here’s one from yours truly…
A couple months ago I discovered information about the “Brown Bailout”. Have you hear of that?
Allegedly, UPS is doing some sneaky things in an attempt to maintain dwindling market share.
Instead of providing better service and increasing the value they bring to the world, they’ve chosen to ask for a government bailout and also bribe politicians (they call it “lobbying” in Newspeak to make it sound more palatable to the sheeple) into crushing their competition by enacting onerous new laws designed to put enormous financial strain on FedEx.
Wanna know what my “logical and rational” initial reaction was?
Righteous Indignation!
I said to myself…
“Screw those slimy bastards, getting in bed with the corrupt politicians. They’re as bad as the banksters. From now on I will NEVER ship anything with UPS. In fact, when I order something, if they don’t offer any other shipping options, I’m gonna cancel my order.”
Yadda yadda yadda.
That’s probably a “normal” reaction from an ex-street cop who likes to see rare instances of justice in this world.
But I had to put the brakes on, take a deep breath, step back and re-examine this as a person with the ability to think rationally… without all the emotions that screw up your logical reasoning faculties.
First of all, I had done nothing to further corroborate or deny this story. The only information I had was from an ad on Google Adwords which led to a website sponsored by FedEx.
So there was my first mistake.
Now let’s say, for example, that I found numerous credible third party sources that DID corroborate the fact that UPS is involved in dirty dealings. (I have not even looked for evidence that can confirm or deny this story. I’m just using this an example.)
So I stick with my decision to boycott UPS because of this injustice.
That SOUNDS all well and good… but the reality is, that decision doesn’t jive with a coherent, congruent and logical life philosophy.
Because if I truly wanted to boycott all the businesses involved in dirty dealings with the federal government…
…I’d have to pull all of my money out of the bank and never use any part of the banking system ever again…
…I’d have to stop buying all my food at the grocery store. I’d have to find a small local farmer who refuses government subsidies and buy all my food from him. Or grow it myself. (Actually, for health reasons, either of those options would be far superior.)
…I’d have to cancel my cable TV service (actually, I HAVE done that), remove all radios from the house… and never buy or read any magazines, newspapers or anything online from any mainstream media outlet.
Plus I’d have to scrutinize every single company affiliated with every single product I buy.
It just ain’t possible. And it’s a poor use of the limited days I have on this earth.
So my boycott of UPS doesn’t make sense to somebody trying to live according to a coherent, congruent and logical philosophy.
Are you beginning to see the level of thinking and vigilance required to maintain a coherent, congruent and logical life philosophy?
Unlike the 98%… you have to CONSTANTLY be on your guard.
Whew! That was a long “set up” for what I’m going to share today.
In spite of all my effort to help you understand this highly urgent and crucial idea, I’ll STILL probably get nasty comments from clueless sheeple that just don’t get it.
<Long sigh…>
What was it Gary Halbert used to say?
“Don’t worry about offending the dogs
when you’re selling to the foxes.”
Look, I’ve got real work to do today that pays the bills, so I’m going to try and get to my point here.
I’ve discovered that most people will do just about anything to keep the curtain from going up on their life.
I’ve heard ALL of the excuses… and not ONE of them holds water.
I can shoot down every single one of your B.S. excuses for not getting on with living your life to the maximum and pursuing your goals and dreams.
But the one that frosts my little tush the most is the excuse I hear from the self-righteous religious folks…
“Brother, this earthly life is a constant struggle. We’re here to suffer. Our reward isn’t here… our true reward is in heaven.”
Ya know what?
In spite of their smug, holier than thou self-righteousness… that’s just another bullshit excuse designed to make themselves feel better about a lifetime of piss-poor decisions… and not having the balls to take action toward a worthy dream or goal.
If you start even just a cursory examination, you’ll discover they don’t REALLY believe that. They just try to delude themselves and others into believing it so they’ll feel better about WASTING their precious life… the ONLY life they have… simply because they don’t have any balls… and/or they have allowed themselves to be paralyzed by fear.
Remember, we’re having a conversation today like intelligent and rational adults. We’re not talking about spiritual issues. That’s not my gig. Seek somebody else for that stuff.
Let me take this whole “our reward isn’t here on this earth” excuse one step further.
Do you think it makes sense to give up on a life well-lived now… for the hope of an afterlife you have no credible evidence to prove really exists?
Yes… yes… I know. You have FAITH it exists.
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for,
the evidence of things not seen.”
– Hebrews 11:1
But we’re examining this issue today as logical and rational human beings… NOT spiritual human beings.
And don’t forget… I was a cop for 12 years and spent a lot of time in court. I learned it’s not what you know or what you think you know… it’s what you can PROVE.
And you can’t prove that you have a better life to look forward to after you die. At least not with any evidence that would be considered credible by any court or scientific method.
You’ve never seen this after-life and neither has anybody else who is still alive.
Oh sure, there are people who CLAIM to have seen it. (A few of them write books about it and make millions.)
I’m just saying you have no credible evidence of it.
A 2,000+ year old book with somewhat corroborating testimony?
Nope.
That’s what’s considered “hearsay evidence” and is not admissible in any court.
Do you have three or more credible and sober witnesses who have actually witnessed this afterlife and can corroborate their findings?
Do you have expert witnesses, well versed in issues of heaven and the afterlife who have been there and returned and can show physical evidence?
No, you have none of that.
Well then, do you think it makes sense for you to decide to suffer and be miserable and deny your God-given abilities to enjoy a great life right now… when all the evidence points to the fact that this is the only life you’re ever going to have?
No!
Only a complete idiot would do that.
But it sure looks like God
made a LOT of idiots, doesn’t it?
If this evidence is true and this really is the only life you’ll ever have… you have screwed up royally by pissing it away on triviality, making excuses and never attempting anything great.
On the other hand…
…If there really is a heaven (like so many of us take on faith)…
…You don’t use that future hope as an excuse to be a loser in this present life…
…You have the courage to fulfill your God-given potential of creating the kind of life you consider successful (whatever that may be to you)…
…You live for and enjoy TODAY… while working for a better tomorrow…
Then you win BOTH ways:
- You have a great life in this world, engineered and created by your own design…
- You have an even BETTER life in the afterlife!
Now don’t go sending me nasty comments accusing me of being a Godless atheist. (You’d be quite mistaken.)
I’m just trying to kill that one last excuse that may be holding you back from the massive potential you’ve been blessed with… and may be depriving you of the maximum joy you COULD be experiencing from this life… right here and now.
If what you got from this message is that I don’t believe in God and heaven, then you’re pretty much beyond hope… and I’m actually a little surprised you’re even literate.
Just like John Lennon, I did NOT say “there is no heaven.”
I said imagine with me for just a sec… that there’s no heaven… and all we have is the here and now.
If that were true… what would you change about your life… right now?
Kinda changes your perspective a little, doesn’t it?
All the best,
P.S. I realize I’ve spent the last few weeks talking more about success philosophy than the actual down and dirty entrepreneurial “gettin’ it done” stuff.
The thing is, the DOING is only about 25% of it.
Getting your head right is the most important part.
But don’t worry, next week I’ll get into some more nuts and bolts stuff.
See ya soon.
