Looking for the answer to growing your business?

There's something brand new I just had to tell you about... My friend John Assaraf and his business partner Murray Smith just released The Answer and it quickly became the number-one-selling business book on Amazon... John and Murray have applied the very same simple principles they share in The Answer to build 17 of their own successful businesses... Some of them from zero to billions in sales and value. They've also worked directly with more than 3,500 business owners in 30 countries and have changed the businesses and lives of thousands more. If you've been looking for The Answer to growing your business and living an extraordinary life, you owe it to yourself to check it out. To your continued wealth and happiness, James Arthur Ray President/CEO James Ray International P.S. John and Murray are even giving away two audio chapters and a chance to win your share of $1.2 million in prizes with their Million Dollar Business Makeover contest. Click here to check it out today.

Putting harmony in your life...

To kick off the release of my new book, Harmonic Wealth, I appeared on NBC's Today show and chatted with Ann Curry about these ground-breaking concepts that have taken the world by storm. Click here to see my Today show appearance in its entirety online. Click here to podcast.

A bigger ego is the only way to truly create "A New Earth"...

Unless you've been living under a rock for the last 6 months, you've most likely heard the buzz around A New Earth. I applaud Eckhart Tolle for putting forth the time and energy to make such a positive impact on the world. The things he's teaching are powerful... and yet as I travel around the globe, I still find misconceptions, misinterpretations and confusion. It's obvious that most people have a lack of understanding regarding one of the key concepts regarding the human ego. And because of that, the ego gets a bad rap. Anyone who's been exposed to even a small amount of traditional spiritual teachings, particularly from the East, has heard all the ways that the human ego gets debased and despised. To most, the ego is a selfish, materialistic, stingy, controlling monster that must be at least controlled and at best destroyed. This is ignorance and a lack of understanding of something that will never be actualized. First, the word "ego" is Latin and translates as "I." Every time you read or hear "ego," think "I." Your ego (or I) is nothing more or less than the identity you've created and continue to hold for yourself. Now if you follow this through logically, you'll realize there's absolutely no way you can be "egoless." Even the most sagacious of teachers and uber of gurus has an ego... And to think or propagate otherwise is illusion. To work toward "egoless living" is actually an ego/identity. To be a "non-materialist" is an ego/identity. To be "non-attached" and a spiritual person is (you guessed it) an ego/identity. The fact of the matter is you cannot even exist without some semblance of an ego/identity. Therefore, I submit that your ego is not too big as you've often been told... I suggest your ego is not big enough! When you identify yourself with your activities, your possessions, your position or any other of these items of the physical world, your identity is centered as a finite physical being. Truth be understood, you should be identifying yourself with infinity or God. In my new book Harmonic Wealth, The Secret of Attracting the Life You Want, I discuss that true wealth is a state of harmony and well-being in the five key areas (I call them the five pillars) of life: Financial, Relational, Mental, Physical and Spiritual. Only when these five pillars are in harmony in your life are you truly wealthy and fulfilled. The solution to this ego issue resides in the Relational Pillar. Now when I speak of relationships, the majority of people automatically think "romance!" While romance is an important part of our relational experience, it pales by comparison to the grander issue: how you relate to the entire world. Refer to the section in Harmonic Wealth titled "The Hierarchy of Personal Identity." In it, I discuss the 7 different levels of existence in which we play the game of life. If ego is the identity you hold (which it is), then it's important to explore where your sense of self resides. While I won't go into an in-depth explanation of all seven levels here, I'll briefly explore the extremes or both poles of the hierarchy. Exploring this model, we truly find the key to creating a new earth for ourselves, for others and for the entire planet... At the bottom of the hierarchy (or "at the beginning stages of awareness"), you define your identity as an Individual Being. When holding your ego/identity at the Individual level, your entire world centers around you, the things you want, the things you do, what happens to you and the things you have. This is the level of lowest awareness in the hierarchy. At this Individual level, you're separate from other beings, from nature and from the world and universe at large. As a result, we traditionally have little care or deep concern for the needs of others, and most often care little for the well-being of animals, plants or the natural world... And certainly not as a primary focus. This is the level of awareness most likely labeled by spiritual traditions as the ego/identity that must be overcome or transcended... And it's true that you must grow beyond this in the evolution of consciousness... but that's only half the story. Before I explain that statement more fully, let's jump to the opposite pole of the hierarchy. At the seventh level of the model (or "at the highest level of awareness"), you define yourself as a Spiritual Being. Now, the word "spiritual" needs some explaining because many misinterpret it to mean "religious." This again is a limited understanding. Spirit is the creative force that moves through all existence both animate and inanimate. While religious traditions call this power "God," quantum physics calls it "Energy." Choose whichever label works best for your way of thinking, and understand that both science and religion are talking the same language with different labels. While Spirit moves through all creation and therefore is the Creative Source, religion is a methodology or set of beliefs to allow you to connect with the Creative Source. Do you get the difference? Religion is the means... Spirit is the end. Let's not define the forest by the tree. As a Spiritual Being, you realize at your very core your interconnectivity to every single thing in this universe... And even beyond this universe. You understand and operate from a deep sense of inclusiveness and realize you're connected to everyone and everything. With this understanding, the statements of Jesus, "I and the Father are one," and, "If I be lifted up, I lift up every man," become truly awakened within you. Now here's the critical part many so-called spiritual teachers and aspirants misunderstand. As a spiritual being, you're not out to annihilate or overcome any part of the ego/identity journey--rather to embrace and include it all. So while you must transcend certain small ego identifiers you've created, in order to truly awaken, you must also include them. They're not bad or wrong... They're just a link in the great chain of being... A necessary step in the great adventure and journey of life. Think about it, if all things come from the same source (call it Energy, God or Spirit), then as it states in the book of Genesis, "All is good." With this understanding and awakening, you realize that any time you dam any part of creation... you dam God! Where is God not? Where is Energy not? Where is Spirit not? It's all the same stuff and of the same essence. Authors and teachers frequently buzz about "finding your purpose." We all literally have one purpose and one purpose only, and that purpose is inclusiveness... The awakening and awareness that you, me, the dog, the cat, the sinner and the saint are all of the same source and essence. From this perspective, everything is spiritual or of the same spirit. The great mistake of many spiritual aspirants is that they believe that only chanting, meditating, praying, renouncing materialistic desires and suppressing your sexual nature are the spiritual experiences of this world. But think about it... That's just another ego/identity trip isn't it? The material world and all the toys, trips and trimmings are not bad or wrong. This is the grand trap that many spiritual traditions fall into. Spiritual exclusivity or renunciation is just the same ego game at a different level. The material world and all its experiences only become a limitation when you build and attach your ego/identity to them. Likewise, the same is true with spiritual pursuits. Spiritual attachment and escapism is no more the complete answer than is material attachment and escapism. The master is one plays the game passionately but just doesn't buy in. For this reason, you'll notice that the most powerfully awakened individuals in history tend to break the traditional rules. Jesus of Nazareth drank wine, broke the rules of the Sabbath and hung out with prostitutes and thieves. U.G. Krishnamurti drove an Alpha Romeo and wore Italian designer shoes. When you finally awaken, you realize as A Course in Miracles states, "All things are echoes of the voice of God." You see, once you expand your ego/identity to include everything, you're identified by nothing (or "no-thing"). When this awakening occurs, you can inhabit the world and play the game with gusto. Nothing and no one can hold you or harm you because you realize... It's all you. Only with the realization of ourselves as Spiritual Beings will we have "A New Earth." Only then will we begin to think of ourselves, our neighbors, other religions, other races, other nations as the interconnected and interdependent manifestations of the Creative Source. Only then will we begin embracing versus judging--including versus dividing. Only then will we actualize our one true purpose in life which is a full recognition of our inclusiveness with all. Only then will we have harmony and well-being in every single aspect of our individual and collective lives. Harmony in all, from Spirit to Form, is the key, my friend. The answer is Harmonic Wealth... and it begins with you. To your continued wealth and happiness, James Arthur Ray President/CEO James Ray International P.S. Order my bestselling book, Harmonic Wealth, today, and I'll throw in 3 bonuses for you: an online study guide, an online video course and a free online viewing of my new movie...

My 200th Blog Post: Have you received your "economic expansion" check yet?

This so-called "economic expansion" check is a tax rebate being offered to 130 million households in the United States. At the same time, there's talk of creating a "gas tax holiday." The first three words that crossed my mind when I heard about these two items were, "Please wake up!" In Harmonic Wealth: The Secret of Attracting the Life You Want, I quote that approximately 70% of those who win the lottery end up flat broke within a few short years. There's a reason this occurs, which I'll discuss in a moment, but before I do, please understand... I totally empathize with you if you're in a tough financial situation right now. I've been on the very verge of bankruptcy twice. And that being said... Do you really think these band-aids are going to solve the real issues? I mean seriously, a few hundred dollars per family to "stimulate the economy?" Wasn't spending money we didn't have in the first place the very thing that created the sub-prime mortgage issue? Do you think it's remotely possible that this rebate is an attempt to potentially quick fix an issue it's taken years to create? And how about a whopping $25-$28 dollar savings per person on a "gas tax holiday," while Exxon is posting record earnings? Shouldn't the focus be on cutting energy costs through more efficient use of our resources? So what's the solution? The solution is a shift in consciousness, both individually and collectively. To begin practicing "3 for 3" in a new direction... to think, feel and act differently than we've done to date. Then, and only then, will we see our personal and collective lives transform. In Harmonic Wealth, I discuss what I call the "now person" and the "later person." I submit that the "now" mentality is a major cause of many of our worlds current level of suffering. The "now" person wants all the spoils and returns immediately. This person is driven to do what feels good in the moment and is therefore a prisoner of his or her moods. The "later" person develops self-mastery and commits to living his or her values above and beyond moods. Over the long-term journey, the "later" person does what's necessary to guarantee they get what they truly desire and deserve. When asked, most people would tell you that they want more power, energy, money, health, fitness, love, harmony and well-being, right? These outcomes take focus and commitment over the long-term, don't they? In other words, to get what you want, you often have to do things that you don't like... And most people aren't willing to do the things they don't like. Do you follow? The "later" person develops self-mastery because they condition themselves to like to do the things that bring them what they want. Please read, re-read and understand that last statement. Paradoxically, by focusing upon their true values and desires (and living them!), the "later" person actually has more joy and harmony right now than the "now" person who is a prisoner of their moods, habits and lack of discipline. By delaying the pleasing activities short-term, you end up with pleasing outcomes. Be very aware of activities that feel good in the moment but don't move you toward your pleasing outcome... Activities such as lounging in front of the television, skipping the gym or spending more than you earn can be very seductive. Pleasing activities or pleasing outcomes... Which will you choose? Which will the world choose? By mastering your mood to like what brings you the results you want versus just doing the things you like, you create the life of your dreams. What will a "now" person do with a rebate check or a break in the gas tax? You guessed right if you said they'd most often do more of the same thing that got them in a limiting situation to begin with. A pleasing activity will capture their attention... and once again they'll want it now. This is the exact reason why people who win the lottery are broke in a few years. Anything you're given that you don't have the ability to create on your own will quickly be taken away. The age-old adage about giving a fish versus teaching to fish comes to mind. When we teach to fish, we shift the consciousness of the student and life is never the same. You see most of us want our life to transform right now... maybe even yesterday. We're addicted to the idea that we can get maximum return for the minimum effort. During one mellow afternoon, I remember sitting by the ocean in Hawaii with my family watching a cruise ship in the harbor. We were eating and chatting about anything and everything for several hours in the sun. None of us were paying much real attention to the cruise ship over our food and conversation, and by appearances, it was sitting motionless. Yet after an hour or so, we began to notice that it was actually turning around. After a few more hours, it completed a 180-degree turn. This is a great metaphor for life. We tend to overestimate what we can do in a year and underestimate what we can do in a lifetime. To make a lasting impact on your life and develop true harmonic wealth, you must clearly define a course and have the discipline to stick with it over days, months and years. Your life is not a speedboat that can turn on a dime... Your life is much more like the cruise ship that takes miles and miles and hours and hours of focus and commitment to move in the direction you've chosen. Once again, this takes a shift in consciousness... A shift in how you consistently think, feel and act. All profound shifts in our world, individually and collectively, begin with a shift in consciousness. The question we must ask ourselves individually and collectively is not, "What pleasing activity can I perform right now to do what I like?" It should really be, "What can I do right now that will guarantee I have pleasing outcomes?" And, "What has to happen for me to like doing the things that get me what I want?" Only when we begin to ask and answer the right questions (personally, as a nation and as a world) will the solutions emerge. Then and only then will we personally and collectively create Harmonic Wealth... True harmony and well-being in every single area. To your continued wealth and happiness, James Arthur Ray President/CEO James Ray International P.S. Order my bestselling book, Harmonic Wealth, today, and I'll throw in 3 bonuses for you: an online study guide, an online video course and a free online viewing of my new movie...

Join me Thursday...

Here's a great chance to learn from me firsthand how Harmonic Wealth can change your life, just like its changing the lives of countless people... I wanted to let you in on a special event I'm having this week about the concepts in this latest movement, and I'm hoping you'll be able to make it... It's my Virtual Book Tour on Thursday, May 8th, where I'll be diving deeply into the concept of Harmonic Wealth and how you can use it to create the life of your dreams. We'll not only be getting into the nitty gritty of how to achieve Harmonic Wealth in your own life, but also some great tips for those of you who already have the book and how to make the most of it. Rather than me guessing what you want me to talk about on the call, I decided to let you ask me a question instead... Your online participation will take just 60 seconds of your time, but what you'll discover during the Virtual Book Tour will impact you for a lifetime. Go to www.HarmonicWealthBookTour.com to ask your question, and get access to the call on Thursday, May 8th at 10:00 AM Pacific. Can't make it at 10 AM? Don't worry, I'm also offering a replay that evening at 6 PM. You really don't want to miss this opportunity to attend my absolutely FREE training during this virtual book tour. Go to www.HarmonicWealthBookTour.com to get access today... To your continued wealth and happiness, James Arthur Ray President/CEO James Ray International

This amazing book will change you... and the world.

It's official! Harmonic Wealth: The Secret of Attracting the Life You Want is not just a book... It's a movement. Millions of people read The Secret. Many got inspired and are now stuck wondering what the heck to do next. Harmonic Wealth shows you exactly what to do next, and how to do it... Specific, actionable steps that you can take to create real, hard-hitting results in your life. Forget thinking about how your life should be... Here's the formula to make it happen now. Listen, you need this book. And if you're one of the thousands of people who already have it, your family and friends need it. The people you love and care about need harmony and well-being in their lives just as much as you. Since its release last week, Harmonic Wealth has been at the top of the charts. In fact, I just found out it's now a New York Times Best Seller. This is proof that the world is responding. People are yearning for wealth and harmony in their lives... And this book is the solution--a complete step-by-step guide to creating the life of your dreams. Together, you and I can change the world. Click here to get your own copy or a copy for someone you love. To your continued wealth and happiness, James Arthur Ray President/CEO James Ray International P.S. Order today, and I'll throw in 3 bonuses for you: an online study guide, an online video course and a free online viewing of my new movie...

The best fourteen bucks you'll ever invest in yourself...

Here are 7 critical reasons why you simply must read Harmonic Wealth: The Secret of Attracting the Life You Want: On page 42, you'll learn how to resolve the money paradox that can keep you poor. Hint: money can't buy happiness, but you need money to be spiritual... On page 60, you'll learn how to create wealth that sticks... And avoid becoming one of those millionaires who ends up homeless over and over again... On page 85, you'll learn why wealth comes more from mindset than from skills. Don't believe me? Take this simple test to prove you've been doing this all your life... On pages 88 and 89, you'll learn how to instantly recognize your life's purpose so you focus your energies with the power of a laser beam... On page 119, you'll learn a shockingly easy way to increase effectiveness immediately (and accomplish more than you've ever anticipated)... On page 134, you'll learn why some relationships don't work out and how to recognize the most promising possibilities... On page 283, you'll learn the single most critical health factor behind living to be 100... And that's really just the start of it... You can get it on Amazon for under fourteen bucks... don't miss out. Get your copy today. Readers are raving about this book, and you will too... "This is not the same ol' information in a new package. It's on the leading edge of thought, and it'll challenge you to new heights. There's no way you can read this book and not be changed forever by what's offered... James has lived the life, walked the walk and teaches through his heart. This book is the beginning of a new era." —Alyse, Boston "This book presents a very clear guide to achieving the life of your dreams. James Ray defines true wealth as more than just financial success... a life that includes financial abundance, fulfilling relationships, physical health, mental vitality and joy and a deep and satisfying spiritual connection. Then he provides detailed tools and methods for achieving these. This book should be required reading for everyone who wants to live long, happily and well." —N. Johnson, Oregon "James Ray's new book takes personal growth, psychological insight and spiritual wisdom from the ages and empowers readers to plug them all into their practical lives. This book truly has the power to enrich the lives of all who put the wonderful insights and processes into action regardless of their current level of success." —Stephen, San Diego Remember, you can get this book on Amazon for under fourteen bucks... At that price you'd have to be crazy to miss out. Even if you apply just one of the concepts in this book (and believe me, there are tons and tons of them), you'll get outrageous results in your life... Click here to order your copy today and start living the life of your dreams tomorrow. To your continued wealth and happiness, James Arthur Ray President/CEO James Ray International P.S. Order today, and I'll throw in 3 bonuses for you: an online study guide, an online video course and a free online viewing of my new movie...