Blake Sinclair - Dare to Imagine: 18 Principles for Finding Peace, Happiness, and True Success

Copyright 2020 by Blake Sinclair.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed Attention: Permissions Coordinator, at the address below.

Important Note to Readers:

The intent of the author is to offer information on the authors own spiritual evolution and awakening with the hope of motivating readers to release their hidden and latent potential for living a more productive, happy, and peaceful life. The author is not a licensed physician and does not offer medical advice. Any lifestyle change with regard to health needs to be addressed with the readers physician or appropriate health care provider.

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2020900227

This book is dedicated to my wife and children. You have all taught me how to live, love and laugh. May you always remember that you are a spark of light from God and that the answers of the great mysteries of the universe are not so far away but within yourself.

Table of Contents

W hen people think of San Francisco, they think of Chinatown, Fishermans Wharf, cable cars, or the Golden Gate Bridge. They think of the great shopping, diverse cuisines and exceptional sightseeing. Others think of it as a romantic city by the bay.

When I think of San Francisco, I recall bittersweet memories of an ordinary kid who was born happy but was thrown into a world full of fear and uncertainty. It seemed that most of my life I was surrounded by negative people: my family, my friends, my teachers, classmates, co-workers, and even those from my Chinese culture. My future seemed so bleak and hopeless. My only hope was to try to escape reality by any and all means possible. At 21 years old, I felt so alone. I was at the lowest point in my life. I tried calling my friends but they were all too busy to talk and I didnt want to bother anyone. I ended up leaving a suicide note for my parents. It didnt take long until my mother and sister discovered my note. They rushed over to me to give me support, and that little bit of love created my first glimmer of hope in my life.

That day prompted my start for the search for the meaning in life. I had many questions but no answers. I wasnt sure what to do but knew I wasnt happy where my life was and I needed to change. I decided to work hard and do well in school and make something of myself. I worked hard to achieve the American dream: getting a job, a family, and material things because I thought they would bring me happiness. They only brought me stress, anxiety, and, despair. I became depressed by all the challenges of life and the lack of love wherever I went. I began experiencing physical and emotional sicknesses.

I sought help through the medical system, and thought that was where I would find healing. Medicine did wonders to get rid of my physical symptoms. My doctors would arm me with arsenals of medicine to keep depression and anxiety at bay. However, they would always come back to haunt me. I would get stronger medicine but then sometimes I would have adverse side effects. I never felt completely happy or peaceful. I was always at war with my emotions and inner demons.

I needed something more so I searched for happiness through alternative therapies technique like Hypnosis and NeiGong. These techniques all helped me in achieving greater peace and happiness but my soul still thirsted for something else. I went to traditional talk therapy and even did cognitive behavioral therapy from very caring and loving marriage and family therapists (MFTs). These techniques helped me to become aware of my thought patterns and behavior and how by changing them I could gain greater peace and harmony in my life.

Finally, I began a spiritual journey that helped me make a final, life-changing transformation. I discovered that the love I had sought for so long from my parents, friends, and coworkers was, and has always been, inside of me. I became more compassionate, forgiving, loving, and grateful for all my blessings in my life. I chose to turn away from negative ways of thinking and behaving. I learned to share and give of myself. The more I served and gave, the more I was fulfilled. The ultimate lesson was to receive the true and unconditional love of God and share that love to all of Gods creation and people.

When I was a teenager, my friends grandfather gave me the book, Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. He spoke with very limited English but insisted that I read it. To my surprise, I became so engrossed in the book that I completely lost myself in the story. There are so many reasons why I love this story but the evolution of the character Jean Val Jean represents to me, the journey some of us choose to take in finding real peace, happiness, and success. But what sparked this journey was the unconditional love he felt from the bishop who took him in, when no one else would, and stood up for him even when he tried to steal the silver from his residence. It was that moment that he was transformed. Just as I was when I felt the Divine unconditional love when I was in the presence of her holiness, Mata Amritanandamayi (Amma). This book is the story of my journey through the valley of darkness as a young child living in the abyss of hate, anger, and fearone many of us have had to be faced with through no choice of our own.

Most of us are not born with silver spoons in our mouths. Many of us are born into dysfunctional families, unhealthy environments, and a world of uncertainty. Fortunately, we have two things we can rely on to pull us out of the valley of darkness: choice and Divine, unconditional love. We can choose to see that there is a Divine, unconditional love just waiting for us to reach out and take it. When we do discover it and surrender ourselves to it, we find the true riches within our hearts and find true happiness and success. We do not have to accept the horrible situations we have been born into. We can get out of any situation as long as we are willing, determined, and able to imagine a better life. I know you can because I have done it. Im here to tell you that you can do it too. Dare to imagine and you will be amazed at where life will take you. My intention in writing this book is to help you on your journey to reclaim your life by manifesting the true and Divine person you really are.

I still live in the San Francisco Bay Area but now those years of fear and uncertainty have been replaced with something deeper: peace, compassion, forgiveness and Divine, unconditional love. Now I see the beauty in San Francisco, in all people, and in everything in life.