In our world of turmoil and strife, we need more positivity; more miracles, more loving energy—to lighten our minds and lift our spirits. Recently, Wendell Miracle, happiness influencer and author, appeared on Love University and inspired us with his story of triumph over tragedy. Born in The Philippines, when Wendell became a US citizen he decided to change his last name to “Miracle” because he wanted to be an inspiration to many suffering people worldwide. After losing his beloved mother to breast cancer, and being broke and suicidal, Wendell transformed his life by giving to others through his inspirational pieces of advice, Hope Nuggets (#hopenuggets) on Instagram. Here are some of the Hope Nuggets we discussed on the show:
- Gratitude is your magic elixir. Research shows that keeping a gratitude journal—writing three things you’re grateful for every day—can reduce your depression by 30% and improve your sleep by 40%. When Wendell wakes up each morning, he gives thanks for two gifts—his eyes—and then proceeds to list all of the things he’s grateful for: his bed, toothpaste, car, life, friends, family, health, career, spirituality, and so on. As a result, he feels constantly blessed and joyful. If you’re feeling down, start a Gratitude Journal and write down all of the things that you’re grateful for, starting with your life, loved ones, and so forth. When you bring more gratitude into your life on a consistent basis, you will uplift your mood and reclaim your spirit of positivity.
- Use generosity as a reversal to eradicate feelings of deprivation and sadness. When you’re feeling sad or lonely, and engaging in self-pity, there is a sure-fire solution: Go out and help people, be generous, and give them what you believe you are lacking. If you’re lonely and want love, find the loneliest person in the room and cheer them up with loving energy. If you’re lacking finances, give time or money to a charity or a needy person. Being generous when you feel you have nothing to give will transform your mindset—from a mentality of lack and scarcity to one of glorious abundance. When you give loving energy to others, you realize that you already have love inside you. After all, you can’t give something you don’t already have. If you are short of money, yet give money or practical resources to others, you start to stimulate a prosperity mindset in yourself. You begin to believe that there is enough money to go around. You will understand how the world is an abundant place where there is constant growth: there can always be more money, more creativity, and more love.
- Love and forgive yourself. You may be able to forgive others, but you probably find it difficult to forgive yourself—for your mistakes, inadequacies, and weaknesses. Yet, one of the most important elements of success and happiness is to be compassionate with yourself—to love yourself enough to forgive your past errors and blunders. When you are self-compassionate you accept yourself as you are—with your strengths and weaknesses. You also realize that you can contribute a great deal to the world if you utilize your Don—your God/nature-given talent or gift—to help others. It’s also important that you take good care of your physical, emotional, and spiritual needs—don’t neglect your health just to get more work done or to meet other people’s expectations. On a regular basis, take time for self-care. Get a massage or facial, spend time with loved ones, do your favorite hobby, engage in an exercise or spiritual practice; take a break from working too hard and just relax. When you love and take care of yourself, you will have more energy and ability to love and help others. In fact, the most selfless thing you can do is to nurture and reenergize yourself so you're able to redirect your loving and nurturing energy outwardly to others.
- Say “I am” and follow it with great things. The words “I am” are very powerful. What follows them can determine your greatness or futility in life. When you say, “I am sick,” “I am ugly,” “I am poor,” or “I am unloved,” you will plant these self-defeating thoughts in your mind, and you will tend to act accordingly: Sick, unattractive, poor, and unloved. On the other hand, when you add powerful and uplifting words to the “I am” sentence, you will be uplifted and encouraged. You will say, “I am healthy.” “I am rich—both materially and spiritually.” I am loved.” When you speak positives after “I am” your entire mindset changes—from futility to success; from scarcity to abundance; from fear and doubt to love and optimism. The sky is the limit when you add powerful statements of success, love, and happiness to “I am.”
- Do your car dance daily. Wendell shared one of his secrets of success—he became the top 1% salesman in his company by doing one simple thing daily: the Car Dance. In the morning after his prayers, Wendell gets into his car and starts dancing and celebrating as if he just had the best sales day of his life. Wendell has a great time dancing to his favorite songs as he imagines the success he has already had during the day. With his car dance, Wendell fine-tunes his mental antenna to receive only positive messages during the day. Although there are days when the sales don’t come, and success seems distant, he still celebrates with the car dance. He knows that his faith and confidence will be rewarded. He trusts in the goodness of life and his Higher Nature to bring him the results he needs as long as he "Keeps dancing.”
Now it’s your turn to have a magical week. Try out the tips we discussed, and you will see how bright and successful your life can become. Here are the four keys again: Practice gratitude daily. Use generosity as a reversal to give loving energy to others without expectation. Love and forgive yourself—be self-compassionate and take care of your emotional, physical, and spiritual needs. And top it all off with a daily Car Dance—in the morning, afternoon, or evening. When you dance in your car in celebration and joy, you’re not just dancing for yourself. You’re also dancing for the world of people—for them to prosper, enjoy, and love. In the end, your dance becomes a joyous song of love that reverberates throughout the universe and before all creation: Dance and the whole world dances with you.