Embrace it: God will do amazing things

God speaks to me in dreams, vision, the still small voice and his audible voice. He guides me like a shepherd. He gave me true faith. I dont have to try very hard to believe in an imaginary God anymore. I now know God for Real. Long gone are the days when there is a clear separation between labor and capital in all cases. Think about any “everyday millionaire” you have met. We all know the type. They are maybe a newly retired schoolteacher or accountant.

They are multi-millionaires due to buying stocks or property in the right location in the 1960s or some faraway decade, and they have just bought and held. Compounding has done the hard lifting. They did it either co-incidentally or worked out a basic fact - the returns on capital beat labor long-term even if not every year or decade. Smart investing is ranked as the third most important factor in wealth accumulation, according to many studies:

There is an obvious reason for that. Unless you have inherited money, wealthy people start out as working or middle-class. The first $100,000, and especially $1m, was very hard. Many risks needed to be taken (ranked as number 5 above), and hard work was a part of that. After the first $1m is acquired, getting to $2m or even $10m is much easier than the first $1m. At this stage, “letting your money work hard for you” and awaiting obvious mistakes like falling out with business partners and getting divorced loads of times, can work wonders.

Yet making hard and taking risks can be very effective to get your foot on the first step on the ladder. The part about taking risks is also important. Working hard tends to be most effective when it is combined with many other things. For example, working hard in the right industry, whilst taking risks and being persistent, will more likely result in success than merely working hard. Let’s give a simple example. If somebody is making the minimum wage, working hard will just result in more hours worked and income will be linear, at least until that person is promoted.

In comparison, a young person starting out who works hard in a results-driven industry with a low basic wage but huge bonuses if things go well is more likely to succeed in return for the higher risk. Likewise, if you work hard and invest for decades to take advantage of compounded investing returns, you have a much better chance of getting wealthy. Pained by financial indecision? A couple years ago, I was at my lowest point. Depression was almost winning and every waking hour of my days was spent thinking of hanging myself. I was barely functioning and was a lost cause.

I won’t elaborate on the details. I got everything ready. But something made me pray to God, maybe as last hope, or maybe to express my anger toward him for not helping me. It was my first prayer in years. I prayed, “If you want me to live, talk me out of it.” I was an atheist. I was mocking the nonexistent God. The supposed God who hides behind mysticism and never shows up. The God who lets all the atrocities happen in the world.

"Give a man a mask and he will show his true face” - Oscar Wilde. God made everything best for us. God created this world for the souls who left His association, in order to become independent enjoyers and controllers. In the material world we are free to make heaven or hell on earth. Since we are minute particles of God, we possess the same qualities as Him, but to minute degrees. God is supremely independent, and thus we are minutely independent.

When asked why we would leave God’s association, so for our sake, God has created a world, where we can imitate Him as enjoyers and controllers. This is the best He could do, given our desire to become independent from God. At the same time, God, personally descends to Earth, once in a day of Brahma, or every 4 billion years or so, to direct us how to live in the best possible way in the material world, and ultimately how to get out of the material world, and return home, back home to Him.

Shri Krishna says: After attaining Me, the great souls, who are yogis in devotion, never return to this temporary world, which is full of miseries, because they have attained the highest perfection. —SBG 8.15: Since this temporary material world is full of the miseries of birth, old age, disease and death, naturally he who achieves the highest perfection and attains the supreme planet, Krishnaloka, Goloka VrIndavana, does not wish to return.

The supreme planet is described in Vedic literature as avyakta and aksara and parama gati; in other words, that planet is beyond our material vision, and it is inexplicable, but it is the highest goal, the destination for the mahatmas (great souls). The mahatmas receive transcendental messages from the realized devotees and thus gradually develop devotional service in Krishna consciousness and become so absorbed in transcendental service that they no longer desire elevation to any of the material planets, nor do they even want to be transferred to any spiritual planet.

They want only Krishna and Krishna’s association, and nothing else. That is the highest perfection of life. This verse specifically mentions the personalist devotees of the Supreme Lord, Krishna. These devotees in Krishna consciousness achieve the highest perfection of life. In other words, they are the supreme souls. I do?believe in God. I'm a firm believer. I believe He is a loving father, friend and companion even though we can't actually see him.

I have experienced God in my life so so many times. When having a particular prayer answered, or feeling a supernatural encouragement rush through me after a particularly difficult situation. Or when a breakthrough finally happens after asking for his help. This one was very recent though. It may sound so incredibly silly to people out there but it rocked me to my core…I was coming back from work and thought about stopping at the supermarket and buying some but the last money I had that week, had been used to pay for my bus ticket to and from work. I was absolutely broke.

So deep in my heart, with that crazy craving washing over my body I asked God in my mind, to please send me some chocolate cake today if he wasn't too busy and if he loved me. Later that day, my spouse walks in from work. Hey darling! Someone from work gave me this to give to you. He said handing me a small box. I opened it and inside was the most luxurious piece of chocolate cake I have ever seen. It was dark and scrumptious and absolutely perfect. I ate all of it and after eating the crumbs I felt God saying to me…“I wasn't too busy and I do love you”. Cheers!