So, as I mentioned on Piers Morgan, I lost everything tangible, and ended up millions of dollars in debt. I never thought I would be in this position. In the blink of an eye I lost my life savings, my business that took 20 years to build, my home, and my reputation. All gone in one fatal swoop.
Four banks dropped me like a bad habit—they wouldn’t even allow me to have a checking account with them post the accident. My book publishers wouldn’t return my calls. Those who swore that they loved me and that I had “changed their life” suddenly hated and attacked. So called “friends” of twenty years, who had said things like, “I love you like a brother,” would do nothing to help me when I asked for their help. Some of them said, “If you need to talk give me a call” or “I’ll pray for you.”
Have you ever had people tell you these things and it feels like a convenient cop out? Only to realize that when you ask them to actually do something besides “pray or talk” that there’s always some good reason why it can’t be done? Prayer and talk are vastly different from action and walk.
I was speaking with a friend yesterday and he said, “We always hope that our friends will be there for us… they won’t.” But true friends will. Granted true friends are few and far between.
There were many in the “personal transformation industry” who espoused friendship and support only to immediately remove me from their club like a plague . Out of the hundreds of people I had known and done business with in the industry… not one stood in the storm with me except two: Rhonda Byrne and Bob Proctor. These two are champions in my eyes. Endless gratitude, love, and appreciation to you both.
Outside of the “personal transformation crowd” there were a few who didn’t necessarily espouse to high ideals… but they live them: Dr. Tony Alessandra, Tony Parienello, Jason Tebeau, Dr. Art Mowery, David McCall, Jennifer Kwasny, Aviva Eagle, Wayne and Donnita Parker, Amy Groethe, Caren Wendt, Dr. Matt Bynum, Mike Sheilds, John Watkin, John Ferriter and a few others are true friends for whom I’m forever grateful. I trust each of you knows how much you mean to me.
However, I’m very grateful to all of them, on both sides of the polarity. For those who stood with me… and for those who taught me much about human nature (including my own).
When life goes sideways, if you’ll allow it, you learn to have compassion. You learn to understand. Please realize that we can never speak from another person’s shoes, and we never really know what another is dealing with. We all do the best we can with the resources we have available. This realization has helped to ease the pain and disappointment for me.
Which one of us can throw stones? Certainly not me.
Finally, and most importantly, you learn to be there for yourself; and when it feels like even God has forsaken you (believe me I anguished and angered over this one many, many days), you come to realize that God never leaves you; and in fact, what you are experiencing is all part of a grander plan… much grander than you or I can ever imagine.
Do you love yourself enough to have the courage to live your own life?
And this is the greatest gift of all.
Keep the faith my friend,
James
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