“To be enlightened, you must travel lightly.” –Mike Myers in his Foreword to Deepak Chopra’s “Why is God Laughing?”Hi and welcome back to “A Dare a Day”! I just finished reading Deepak Chopra’s book, “Why is God Laughing?” It’s a great little book that’s a very easy read. Essentially, it’s about a successful comedian named Mickey Fellowes who begins his journey towards spiritual enlightenment after his father passes away suddenly. It’s packed with some great principles, a few of which I’d love to share with you today.
- You are not a person searching for his soul. You are a soul playing the part of a person. It’s so easy to get caught up in our daily roles. We play the roles of spouse, mother, father, son, daughter, employee, etc. Find the part of you that lies beyond those roles. That is your soul. One way to do this is through quiet contemplation and meditation. Silence is very profound. Learn to embrace it.
- God sees only gold. In the book, there is the story of a gold ring, gold nugget, and a gold signet seal arguing over which one of them was better than the other. When they ask God to settle their dispute, he responds, “I don’t see a ring, a nugget, and a seal. All I see is gold.” No matter what roles we play, God created everything living and he sees us all as gold. Do you?
- Laughter = Pain + Time + Distance (detachment). One of my all-time favorite shows is Seinfeld. I realize that I love this show so much because there is such an element of truth about it. The characters get themselves into situations that can be painful to watch and yet we laugh because we are detached from them through our TV sets. Learn to observe yourself and the things that upset you throughout the day. How much of this can you step back and laugh at? Is it really that important?
- Whatever you focus on grows. I remember as a young teen in driver’s education class, my instructor advising us on how to drive with bright headlights coming toward you. He said, “Look at the yellow line on the right side of the street away from the lights. Don’t look into the lights or on the side of the street where that car is coming from because your tendency will be to drift that way.” Are your eyes on obstacles coming your way or are they on the path that guides you?
- Happiness based on a reason can be snatched away from you at any moment. In the book, the lead character, Mickey Fellowes realizes that he has based a good part of his happiness on the material things that have come as the result of his success. Those things can be taken away at any moment. True happiness isn’t based on money or other people. That kind of happiness can only come from within.
- Be everywhere. In one part of the book, Mickey begins to feel his connection to everything while sitting outside just observing what’s going on around him. He looks up at the sky and thinks, “I am the sky.” He looks at the ocean and thinks, “I am the ocean.” Chopra writes, “It was like being let out of a cage into an eternity that extended in all directions.” See yourself in everything and see everything in you.
- Ask for openness. This principle is related to the idea of “allowing”. Instead of reacting to things that happen in your life and praying for a specific result, just allow it to unfold as it should. Chopra sites a famous composer who was once asked about his secret for writing hit songs. The composer’s response was, “Wait, drift, obey.” Learn to trust.
- Test your alignment. Throughout the day, ask yourself these questions:
Am I acting easily without struggle?
Do I enjoy what I am doing?
Are results coming on their own accord?
Chopra explains, “The soul’s vision isn’t about struggle and lack of results. It isn’t about failure. You only need to measure your actions against the three simple conditions. If you can answer ‘yes’ to these questions, you are headed in the right direction. All three requirements must work together if you want to experience the happiness God intended.”
For the next eight days, I dare you to focus on one principle each day and find a way to incorporate it into your life. I would also highly recommend picking up a copy of this book and reading it. I only captured a few of the things that stood out for me. There are, no doubt many more things you can pick up from this book. These principles are wrapped up in a very entertaining story that’s hard to put down.
As always, I am truly grateful for those who read this blog. Thanks for daring to dare!





