» What was the turning point in your life?

I remember the experience vividly. It happened to me on April 19, 2003. This particular day started out like most others. I turned on the television around noon and flipped mindlessly through the channels, after a short while I went into the kitchen to grab a bite to eat—the time was 12:37 in the afternoon.

As I stood in the kitchen, a presence came over me; it was unlike anything I had ever experienced before. This presence had no voice, nor was it some religious conversion taking place, it was just a message that clearly detailed for me the new direction my life was going to begin moving in. There was no explanation how it was going to happen or when I could expect it to happen. But there were two things I knew at that moment to be absolutely certain—one, it was not the medication I was on; two, it was not my imagination. From that date on my path was set and my new journey had begun

» In your book and on your radio shows you talk about how we all have a competition taking place inside of us. Who is it with and what are the consequences of this battle?

It is my contention that each and every one of us has a competition taking place inside of us. It is a battle waged between two opposing forces. Now, I am not speaking about some dark force competing with God for our soul. What I am referring to is the free will we have been given to make our own decisions and choices.

This competition is a struggle between our ego and spirit, and the one we give the most credence to will be the one we ultimately end up following. This decision will shape our worldview based on the teachings we decide are best for us. Because of the consequences, this decision between ego and spirit is simply the most important decision you will ever make.

Now, you need to realize this decision has nothing to do with the spouse you choose, the career path you go down, the college you end up sending your kids to, or the house you decide to live in. It is all about choosing between peace and happiness or chaos and unrest.

In my book, If You Only Knew What You Already Know, I talk about how we have the awareness to return. When we return, we again discover that God is God and we are not. When we return, we understand what our place is, what our function is, and what our intended purpose is in life. It is up to each and every one of us to shed belief systems that no longer make sense. It is up to each and every one of us to see oneness rather than separation.

» How much work does it really take to make the changes necessary in life?

“Carlos Castaneda once said, “We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same.” Making your vision come to fruition requires work and a positive, steadfast approach.

If you are constantly saying to yourself, “I do not have what it takes”; or, “I am not smart enough”; or, “I haven’t had the breaks you’ve had;” then you will fail in your vision. Of course, it takes a lot of effort to be so negative. Yes, it takes a lot of work to be miserable. You end up fighting with your thoughts against everything available to you in a world full of abundance. Remember what it says in the Scriptures: “As man thinketh so is he.” (Proverbs 23:7)

In order to acquire the things we truly desire in life and to make the necessary changes in life, we must believe in ourselves and undo the negative thoughts and labels that we have accumulated over time. In short we must align our behaviors to our visions.”

» How did you decide that what you are doing today is the right path for you?

The best way to know if what you are doing is right for you is to gauge your feelings. How does what you are doing make you feel? If what you are doing has you feeling uninspired, it’s time to reassess what you are doing, or the way you are going about it.

A feeling of discontent tells you that you are moving in a direction that is taking you further from inner happiness. Experiencing discontent or lack of satisfaction only brings more of the same. To draw the good into your life, you have to be happy and joyful. You have to feel good. By maximizing your mental potential with your emotional potential, anything is achievable. I am inspired, content, and joyful in my work today.

» At any point in life did you consider yourself a failure?

Yes, I think everyone does at some point, especially through the school age years. I think the worst thing our educational system does to people is use failing grades on a child’s report card. Teachers tell the child they have failed, Mom and Dad tell the child they are a failure, and classmates can be especially cruel.

The truth is we never fail at anything; we simply produce a result, which we did not intend. I wonder what would have happened if Thomas Edison or Benjamin Franklin recognized failure as most others do. Mistakes and failing can be one of our best educational tools, and great life lesson, as long as we learn from them.

» Do we ever truly get what we ask for in life?

Good question with a simple answer, yes we do. If you desire happiness, prosperity and fulfillment you will get it. If you desire misery and failed expectations, you will get that as well. So why do so many get what they don’t want in life, because they ask for it. Ask and you will receive is true, but in order to receive, we must be in a place in our lives to get what we need and desire, and this is what so many people miss. Patience, belief and following what works will deliver what you desire, I know this to be certain and shortcuts are not a part of the plan.

» In your book you talk about unconditional love. What does that mean to you?

Here’s the real question. If God is perfect love and we were all created in His image, how do we show God we love Him? Is it by how often we attend church? By how much of the Scriptures we can quote? How about by the number of bumper stickers we have on our car? No, we show our love for God by loving each other unconditionally. Unconditional love means love without attachments, strings or expectations.

All of the spiritual principles in my book are based on a loving altruistic nature. Kindness, forgiveness, and self-control will all lead you BACK TO THE SAME PLACE—the place you need to be if you want what you truly desire.

» You entered a 12 step program at one time in your life. Did it help?

Encouraged by many to try, I found twelve-step programs were just not for me. The closest I ever came to a truly effective treatment was when I lost my freedom for a spell in a county jail.

I’ll be the first to applaud anyone successful in one of these programs and I wish you only continued success in your marvelous work. For me, however, that is how I saw these programs—as a lot of work. Meetings twice a day, checking in with other people, having mentors, all became more and more work.

I knew I wanted my behavior to change, but I wasn’t looking for a second job. Besides, all the things I was addicted to would have had me in meetings nearly every waking hour. Addictions for me personally were like two magnets. All I needed was to get close and they came instantly together. My consciousness at that time was one of an ego-centered existence, and putting ego and addiction together became the perfect storm.

» Continuing on that point how did you shake your addictions?

Like most addicts, I never liked being told what to do. This is how addictions treat us; they tell us what to do and when to do it. What they don’t tell us is—WHEN TO STOP.

When in the throws of an addiction, your ego is always there to back you up. To admit you are powerless in this fight is very difficult; being powerless means setting aside your ego, and going back to who you once were. In the Scripture it says, “With God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26). My book, If You Only Knew What You Already Know, tells us to return to those possibilities.

In the process of returning, you shed the ego, the fake identity, and begin the process of a new awareness. Like I said, you do not wake up one day and declare you are going to be an addict. It is a process of putting certain properties into your body, or thoughts, and images into your mind over a long period of time. The good news is that the return flight is much more enjoyable.

» So the return flight worked?

The only way to change any behavior is for a person to change how they see themselves. I personally do not believe therapy, counseling, or learning coping mechanisms is the answer. But, I also do not have any problem with people who do. When we change the way we see things, the things we see will change. People will go anywhere, anyplace, to get answers to what troubles them.

Returning back to our spiritual self is different—If You Only Knew What You Already Know. Freeing ourselves from any addictive pattern comes from the work we do internally, seeing who we truly are, and where we originated from. This has nothing to do with religion; this has everything to do with returning to a state of grace from where we all came—there is no altar required.

It has been said that when you find yourself in a hole, the last thing you want to do is keep digging. You can get yourself out of any addiction you find yourself in—I am living proof of this and know it to be true. The people around you can provide you with the shovels to dig more, or you can connect to our Creator and ask him to throw you a rope and pull you from the depths of your own personal hell. SO yes the return flight worked and I landed safely.

» Is there a greater gift than life itself?

All too often we take this gift for granted; we become consumed with trivial, petty crap that steals the joy we can only experience through life itself. When we come to a place in our lives where time becomes precious, we then see life through a sense of bewildering awe, where everything is a miracle! Time becomes more precious when there is less of it, so NO there is no greater gift than life itself.