Barry Dennis - The Chotchky Challenge

Praise for The Chotchky Challenge

Barry Dennis brilliantly mines our everyday habits
to make a major contribution to humanity. A must-read for
anyone interested in raising the quality of our environment and
the quality of our consciousness. His humor and humility are
indispensable in this timely work that deserves wide attention.

Dr. Harold Bloomfield, the best-selling author of
Making Peace with Your Past

What a superb entertainer/author/teacher! Bristling with
spiritual insights, laced with humor and personal authenticity,
here is proof that musicians do it better when they turn their
talents to writing books that sing out with truth like this.

John Maxwell Taylor, the author of The Power of I Am
and Eros Ascending: The Life-Transforming Power of Sacred Sexuality,
and a musician

Life is all about relationships. The Chotchky Challenge shows us
how our relationship to our material things affects the relationships
to our friends, families, and coworkers. Barry Dennis offers a
fresh, original book that will make you laugh out loud and
reflect on your own life and relationships.

John Gray, Ph.D., the best-selling author of
Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus

With inspiring honesty, Barry Dennis has woven together a rich
tapestry of engaging stories and exercises to help us reveal the master
piece of our own lives. As a sculptor carves away stone to reveal its
inner beauty, so The Chotchky Challenge guides us to remove that
which distracts from our souls highest purpose. Packed with endearing
humor and penetrating observations, this book joyfully elevates us to
awaken to the harmony of who and what we really are.

James Papp, the author of Inquire Within:
A Companion Guide to Living in Spirit

Hay House Titles of Related Interest

YOU CAN HEAL YOUR LIFE, the movie,
starring Louise L. Hay & Friends
(available as a 1-DVD program and an expanded 2-DVD set)
Watch the trailer at: www.LouiseHayMovie.com

THE SHIFT, the movie,
starring Dr. Wayne W. Dyer
(available as a 1-DVD program and an expanded 2-DVD set)
Watch the trailer at: www.DyerMovie.com

ADVENTURE IN EVERYTHING: How the Five Elements
of Adventure Create a Life of Authenticity, Purpose,
and Inspiration, by Matthew Walker

JUICY JOY: 7 Simple Steps to Your Glorious,
Gutsy Self, by Lisa McCourt

THE MINDFUL MANIFESTO: How Doing Less and Noticing
More Can Help Us Thrive in a Stressed-Out World,
by Dr. Jonty Heaversedge & Ed Halliwell

THE POWER OF YOUR SPIRIT:
A Guide to Joyful Living, by Sonia Choquette

THE PROMISE OF PARADISE: Life-Changing Lessons
from the Tropics, by Jonathan H. Ellerby, Ph.D.

SOUL COACHING: 28 Days to Discover
Your Authentic Self, by Denise Linn

All of the above are available at your local
bookstore, or may be ordered by visiting:

Hay House USA: www.hayhouse.com
Hay House Australia: www.hayhouse.com.au
Hay House UK: www.hayhouse.co.uk
Hay House South Africa: www.hayhouse.co.za
Hay House India: www.hayhouse.co.in

Copyright 2012 by Barry Dennis

Published and distributed in the United States by: Hay House, Inc.: www.hayhouse.com Published and distributed in Australia by: Hay House Australia Pty. Ltd.: www.hayhouse.com.au Published and distributed in the United Kingdom by: Hay House UK, Ltd.: www.hayhouse.co.uk Published and distributed in the Republic of South Africa by: Hay House SA (Pty), Ltd.: www.hayhouse.co.za Distributed in Canada by: Raincoast: www.raincoast.com Published in India by: Hay House Publishers India: www.hayhouse.co.in

Cover design: thebookdesigners Interior design: Tricia Breidenthal
Interior illustrations: Elizabeth Mason

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any mechanical, photographic, or electronic process, or in the form of a phonographic recording; nor may it be stored in a retrieval system, transmitted, or otherwise be copied for public or private useother than for fair use as brief quotations embodied in articles and reviewswithout prior written permission of the publisher.

The author of this book does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a form of treatment for physical, emotional, or medical problems without the advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. The intent of the author is only to offer information of a general nature to help you in your quest for emotional and spiritual well-being. In the event you use any of the information in this book for yourself, which is your constitutional right, the author and the publisher assume no responsibility for your actions.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012930216

Tradepaper ISBN: 978-1-4019-3578-8
Digital ISBN: 978-1-4019-3579-5

15 14 13 12 4 3 2 1

1st edition, April 2012

Printed in the United States of America

To my childrens, childrens,
childrens, childrens, childrens,
childrens children. May they inherit
a world that we have yet to even imagine.

Well Barry, Im sorry, but youre retarded.

These are the words I heard from the office lady the day I was late for school in fourth grade. Shes the one who stapled papers and answered the phone behind the big counter with the swinging door in the main office. I guess I wasnt too surprised, given that I went to some of the special classes for slow kids. Those road signs that say slow children ahead were there, I thought, to make sure other people knew I was around. After all, every time I saw one, I was there.

Needless to say, I never thought I would be a writer. Heck, I got Fs in the three Rs. For quite some time I even thought that section in the alphabet beginning with L and ending with P was one letter called elaminopee. Really, I did. (In my defense, that is how it sounds when you sing the alphabet song.) Theres actually a very logical reason why I found the alphabet so confounding. We will get to that. For now, know that the day I was late in fourth grade did not sit well with me. I had never been late before. I was filled with anxiety as my mom drove me to school because I had messed around and missed the bus. I wanted to be good. Being late wasnt good. I guess maybe the anxiety, combined with my insecurities around learning, obstructed my ability to hear. You see, what the office lady actually said was, Well, Barry, Im sorry, but youre tardy.

It was several years before I realized her true words. In the meantime, I accepted my lot in life. Instead of moping about, I became something of a class clown. I was rather quick on my feet, which often resulted in hysterical outbursts of laughter in the classroom.

Over the years, I got involved in music and acting and in college I studied film, music, and speech. I also played in a rock band and did stand-up comedy.

Underneath it all, I was searching for the meaning of life. I wanted to understand the universe and my place in it. I wanted to know God. I began to read voraciously. Id pick up anything on the subject of spiritual growth, scientific breakthroughs, psychology, and the like while I wrote a never-ending stream of songs. I traveled the country speaking to kids of all ages, using comedy and music to inspire them to make positive life choices. I eventually started my own church called Celebration, as well as Coexist Celebration, a multicultural, interfaith movement whose mission is to create peace of mind and peace of planet.