Lisa Nichols - Abundance Now: Amplify Your Life & Achieve Prosperity Today

Australia

HarperCollins Publishers (Australia) Pty. Ltd.

Level 13, 201 Elizabeth Street

Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia

www.harpercollins.com.au

Canada

HarperCollins Canada

2 Bloor Street East - 20th Floor

Toronto, ON M4W 1A8, Canada

www.harpercollins.ca

New Zealand

HarperCollins Publishers New Zealand

Unit D1, 63 Apollo Drive

Rosedale 0632

Auckland, New Zealand

www.harpercollins.co.nz

United Kingdom

HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.

1 London Bridge Street

London SE1 9GF, UK

www.harpercollins.co.uk

United States

HarperCollins Publishers Inc.

195 Broadway

New York, NY 10007

www.harpercollins.com

CONTENTS

Getting Ready for Transformation:
Defining Abundance and Scarcity

I dedicate this book to my son, Jelani.

Youve ridden this ever-eventful roller coaster with me.

You have selflessly shared me as Ive pursued my outrageous

dream of infecting the planet with possibility. Youve loved

me despite the endless long trips, the 19-hour workdays,

and the hundreds of thousands of people whove moved in

and out of our lives. You are one of the kindest people

Ive ever been blessed to know.

I promised you at eight months old that I would

make our lives better. Thank you for always believing

in me and my promise to you. Im honored to call you

my son and grateful to call you my friend.

Why do people resist transformation? That was a question I asked Lisa Nichols when she was a guest on my television show. I had been wondering how I might get my message through to people so they could benefit from it.

Several months earlier, Id asked Lisa to coach me on building a self-development division of my company. Having used strategies for personal success to build my career in radio, comedy, and television, I wanted to help my audience and radio listeners with information that could change their lives, too.

Over the past year and a half, Lisa has helped me do just that.

When I listen to Lisa, Im just in awe of her wisdom. When she lays out the system for achieving a rich and abundant life, I see the audience creep to the edge of their seats. When she explains how you should answer your unique calling, and then gives you a step-by-step process to implement it, I see people take massive notes. And when she inspires them to know that its possible, things get explosive.

Man, her words just make so much sense .

And then when Lisa tells her own story of filling out paperwork at the government assistance office, I think, Lots of us have something similar that threatens to stop us . It might not be food stamps or public assistance for you, but it could be a crazy childhood, or lack of knowledge or direction, or one bad situation that threatens to take you out of the game for good.

You realize that youve got to do something to step out of lifelessness and step into greatness.

In my own life, I can pinpoint this realization to its exact date: October 8, 1985.

I was 27 years old and selling life insurance door-to-door. I was very good at making the sale, but I stunk at the follow-up. I didnt really like the product I was selling, and once it came in, I was embarrassed to deliver it to the buyer. But I had a young family. I had responsibilities at home.

I was also not in a good place personally. I wasnt happy because I hadnt discovered my purpose or my mission in life. I was sad all the timeprimarily because I knew my life had to be more than this. I never felt fulfilled. I was always incomplete. Every day, I felt like I was trying to figure things out.

Then one day, I heard something that shook me to my core.

At the time, I happened to be writing jokes for a comedian friend of mine named A.J. Jamal. I had no idea what he was doing with the jokes, but over and over he would ask me to write some more. Eventually, he started paying me $10 per joke. Now keep in mind, I had no idea what he was doing with these jokes, until one day he told me he was performing at a private comedy club using the jokes I had written. Up until that point, I wasnt a professional comedian. Id never been onstage as a stand-up comic or worked in a comedy club. I didnt even know they existed. But since A.J. appreciated the fact that I was his writer, this side gig of writing jokes went on for another year and a half.

Then, it just so happened I was at A.J.s house and this woman came over named Gladys Jacobs. When she learned who I was, she said, Oh, youre the guy thats been writing the jokes for A.J.

Frankly, I was surprised she knew who I was.

My chest puffed out a little and I was feeling pretty good about myself until she asked me the question that shook me to the core.

Why dont you tell these jokes yourself? she said.

I was frozen for a moment until the emotions began to rush in on me. I was excited. But I was also confused. Tell the jokes where? I thought. Tell them to who? Why would anyone want to hear my jokes?

It was my I-dont-know-what-I-dont-know moment.

You might have had one of these yourself in your own life. For instance, have you ever discovered that, even though you dont think much of what youre doing, its incredibly impactful to somebody else?

The fact that my jokes were valuable and stage-worthyand that I should be delivering them onstage myself was a message that I didnt even know I needed.

It was like Gladys poured water on a dry seed, and that seed started to grow like crazy.

Maybe you, too, have had someone see something in you that youve never seen in yourself. Maybe you, too, have had someone try to show you your possibility, but youve got blinders on.

How many of us, when faced with our big breakour ticket to the abundant lifereact the same exact way?

Just like I asked Lisa Nichols recently on my show: Why do some people resist transformation?

Maybe you know deep down what you want, but youre waiting for confirmation. Maybe you do have an inkling of whats ahead of you, but youre waiting for someone to validate you, help you claim your greatness, and give you permission to soar.

Thats what Lisa Nichols will do for you in this powerful new book.

Now, youve got to know that my girl is candid, very transparent, and going to get in your face a bit. Thats the way she rolls and shows us that she cares.

The thing is, you have abundance waiting inside of you, right now . You have the seed of greatness waiting for a little bit of water to rain down on you. All you need is a guiding hand, like Lisas, to help you navigate through your start.

Dont resist the transformation thats on deck for your life. Dont limit yourself in any way. You can have the riches, you can have the lifestyle, you can have the community, you can have that love relationship, you can have abundanceyou can have everything you want, NOW .

Steve Harvey

Living a life that you love and loving the life that you are living is the truest demonstration of abundance.

Lisa Nichols

There hasnt been a day in the last three years that I havent gasped a little or felt a tingle in my belly as I walk into the lobby of my corporate offices in Carlsbad, California. Today is a special day. Im herein town briefly between speaking engagements and media appearancesto sign my name to some documents that are the culmination of a 17-year dream.

As I step just inside the front entrance, I pausestill feeling a bit amazed by all thats happened over the last two decades. Our reception area, thankfully, is a restful, introspective placegraced with the soothing sound of a flowing fountain, the aroma of lavender candles, and the smooth melody of cool jazz playing low in the background. Its designed in the same color scheme as my living room at homewarm oranges, healing yellows, soft gold, and winter creamsall colors that I studied for their restorative properties and connecting feel. I feel comfortable here. And blessed. Especially when I pause and reflect on the monumental canvas before mea gift from my staff of a soulful, reflective picture of me, praying after spending eight hours in Nelson Mandelas jail cell.