In the mid-nineties, Walsch wrote a series of books that delighted and offended in equal measure. The books were called Conversations with God and are, according to Walsch, written as a result of conversations he had, one on one, with God. God was using Walsch as a messenger.
Walsch Does Not Presume to be a Prophet
Some of the controversy arose because Walsch was such an ordinary man. He made no attempt to hide that before the Conversations with God books, he had been living precariously, even living on the street for one year, so low in his luck had he fallen. And this did not quench his yearning to be connected to God. On the contrary, it brought him humility and compassion. Similarly, Eckhart Tolle had also been on the brink of financial disaster when he finished writing The Power of Now.
The Key to Abundance
In Happier than God, Walsch simplifies and summarizes what he reveals in the other books. The main teaching is that the key to abundance is let go of greed for oneself and to become greedy for the good of mankind. He urges people to let nothing inside them get in the way of their vision of a greater good. And this he says will bring them great riches, of which happiness is the greatest.
17 Steps to Happiness
Walsch provides what he refers to as 17 steps to happiness. They are:
- Bring an end to separation theology –you and God are one
- Stay in touch with who you are – you are a soul on a journey to joy
- Give others every experience you seek – give people back to themselves
- Be clear that nothing you see is real – what is real is your reaction to it
- Decide that you are not your story – the past is not who you are
- Have only preferences – avoid getting addicted to anything
- See the perfection – every minute of your experience can be used to learn about yourself
- Bypass the drama – nothing has any meaning except the meaning you give it
- Understand sadness – it is possible to be sad and still be happy
- Stop arguing with life – avoid judging life, whether it is good enough
- Drop all expectations – there is more going on than meets the eye
- Have compassion for yourself – imagine yourself like a child learning to walk
- Speak your truth as soon as you know it – don’t hide your authentic self away
- Watch the energies, catch the vibe – tune yourself to the energies of the universe
- Smile – every day, smile 5 times for no good reason, and smile for good reason too
- Sing – sing in the shower every morning, singing will raise your happiness levels
- Know what to do when things are really bad – feel what you are feeling, and let it go.
Walsch confirms that you are ultimately in charge of how you react to life. Happiness is a choice you can make anew every minute of every day.
Lesley Strutt - Lesley Strutt lives with her dog in the Gatineau Hills near Ottawa, Canada. She loves being surrounded by nature: it brings her joy and ...
