The Power, the Miracle and the Dream: A Beginner’S Guide to Lasting Happiness

By Don De Lene

The Power, the Miracle & the Dream
is a trilogy revolving around Hannah and her older brother, Harvey who embark, individually, on a voyage of self-discovery. A journey that holds out the promise of transforming their lives for the better. One that offers them purpose and direction in life and ultimately lasting happiness. Thats if they are open and receptive to adopt and embrace radically different ways of thinking.

But are they willing to swim against the tide of accepted norms and behaviors? Are they ready to make the right choices, face their fears and resist the many temptations to compromise?

These are entertaining stories with profound messages that anyone of any age, with an open mind can find inspiration from.

Its never too late to change our minds, make different choices and rid ourselves of our baggage of guilt, fear and self-doubts. All it takes is a little willingness to believe there is a better way of living our lives and we can become the persons we aspire to be.

Chock-full with metaphysical truths and how tos as well as engaging and inspiring stories, The Power, the Miracle & the Dream will provide seekers of the truth with a roadmap for their voyage of self-discovery.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Balboa Press AU
• Release date: Mar 22, 2012
• ISBN: 9781452504131

Don De Lene

Don De Lene has been a seeker of truth for most of his life. For the first 48 years searching externally, without success. For the past 20 years looking within, with increasing success. His stories reflect the answers he’s found, to assist fellow seekers of truth to find theirs.

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

WHATEVER HAPPENS, HAPPENS FOR THE BEST

Hannah was seven years old when she moved from the city of Melbourne, down south in Australia, to a small country town nearly 3,000 kilometers way up north in central Queensland. She was a very pretty girl of about average height, with short, light brown hair and lovely, deep blue eyes.

Her mother and her brother, Harvey, who was three years older, went with her. However, she left her father behind. Her mother and father had separated when Hannah was just a toddler. She could

barely remember her father living at home with her and the rest of the family. Even so, she was very fond of him and, before they shifted to Queensland, she’d see him every second weekend. Also, he’d phone her and Harvey at least once a week.

Somehow, she and her father always had something interesting to talk about. He seemed to understand and believe in her.This made her feel good. Hannah was sad to leave him behind. She was going to miss him. She knew he was sad that she and Harvey were going away. On the day he said goodbye she noticed the tears glistening in his eyes. However, she thought he was brave too, because after giving them a farewell hug, he said, Remember guys, whatever happens in your life, happens for the best. Don’t resist life’s experiences. Embrace them with the willingness to learn from them.

Although Hannah didn’t quite understand what he meant, somehow she never forgot those words.

missing image file

CHAPTER TWO

A FEISTY FAIRY

Ever since she could remember, Hannah was aware of the fairies that lived among the bushes and shrubs in the back garden of her home. It was a bit puzzling that no one else seemed to notice them. However, she didn’t worry too much about that, because whenever she played in the garden on her own the fairies would appear and she was never lonely.

They were friendly, but shy. She used to try to talk to them, but they didn’t talk back. Sometimes though, she thought she heard them laugh and giggle as they flitted among the plants and flowers.

Hannah already knew a great deal about fairies. She had lots of fairy dolls as well as lots of books about them. And there was one thing she remembered about her father living at home-he used to read some of those books to her.

One day after school, months before she moved interstate, she was playing by herself in the garden when out of the shrubs popped a beautiful little fairy.

Hello Hannah, how was school today? she asked. She had stunning auburn-colored hair, a brilliant white dress, matching white stockings, sparkling white soft shoes and transparent silky-white wings. She was no bigger than Hannah’s hand and in her hair was a tiny garland of white roses. Hannah had never before seen anything so lovely.

You ….you ….you talked! stammered Hannah, lost for words.

Well, of course I talked. How else are we going to communicate-by sign language? the fairy replied, her dazzling eyes twinkling brightly in the sunlight.

Hannah had to consider this for a moment. But the other fairies never talk to me. How come you do?

Using the leaves of a birch tree like a trampoline, the fairy bounced closer to Hannah before stopping on the nearest leaf and said,Because they’re shy and I’m not! And that seemed to be the end of that topic of conversation, because she again asked, How was school today?

Oh, okay-I guess.

Only okay? Don’t you like school?

I like my friends and my teacher, but I’m not very good at school-work. Most of the class does better than me, Hannah replied glumly.

Why is that, do you think?

Maybe I’m a bit dumb, said Hannah, shuffling around uncomfortably staring at her feet.

Then to change the subject before the fairy could say anymore, she asked, Where’s your magic wand?

I don’t have one, replied the fairy with a flashing smile.

How come? All fairies are supposed to have a magic wand.

Who says? said the fairy, crossing her arms.

Well, all the fairies in my fairy books do.

For every rule, there’s always an exception. And I must be an exception, because I don’t need a magic wand, said the fairy, hovering centimeters from Hannah’s nose.

So how do you do magic tricks? Hannah asked, taking a small step back to escape the ticklishness of the breeze from the fairy’s wings.

You don’t need a wand to do magic tricks. We all have the power in our own minds, the fairy replied, settling on Hannah’s head.

What do you mean-a//? Do you mean me as well? said Hannah with a frown on her face, her eyes straining upwards trying to see the fairy in her hair.

"Of course. All humans, without exception, including you, have the power within their minds to do just about anything they set their hearts on doing."

Hannah put her hand out in front of her and the fairy gently alighted on her palm, sat down and dangled her legs over the side.

I didn’t know that, said Hannah, surprised how little the fairy weighed and how tingly she felt on her hand.

Most humans don’t. It’s as if they all suffer from amnesia.

What’s ‘maneasier’?

"No, amnesia. Amnesia is when you lose your memory. Just about all human beings have forgotten about this great power they have within their minds. Or for some reason they don’t believe in it, or maybe they’re too afraid to use it. Anyway, most humans seem to spend all of their lives full of self-doubt and being afraid. If they opened up their minds to the power within, they would never be doubting or afraid again. They’d always be happy."

Really? said Hannah, her blue eyes open as wide as can be.Humans must be silly if they don’t want to be happy. I want to be happy. Will you teach me how to find the power within?

"Only if you really want it, said the fairy, standing up and stretching her arms above her head, flapping her tiny wings as if to shake the dust off.But understand that what I teach you, other people aren’t likely to agree with. You might find yourself looking at things differently to others. Maybe they’ll even make fun of you and tell you you’re crazy."

"Well, they’re the ones who must be crazy, if they don’t use their power. As for me, I don’t want to be afraid. I want to be happy. So, they can laugh as much as they like, I don’t mind. When will we start?"

Tomorrow if you like, said the fairy, once again hovering in front of Hannah’s face, "and asthma will be our first subject."

"Asthma? cried Hannah, screwing up her nose because the wind from the fairy’s wings was tickling it again. What’s that got to do with anything?"

Everything! shouted the fairy, as she disappeared into the thick bushes near the high wooden fence.

missing image file

CHAPTER THREE

BORING OLD ASTHMA

Hannah ran inside excitedly. Her mother was in the kitchen talking on the phone. Harvey was sitting at the kitchen bench having a snack. He was about ten centimeters taller than Hannah, a good-looking boy with a mop of blonde hair.

Mum! Guess what! Guess what! I’ve found a fairy that talks! she blurted out before she realized her mother was busy. She noticed Harvey roll his eyes momentarily, before taking another bite of his peanut butter sandwich.

Shh! said her mother, covering the mouthpiece.Can’t you see I’m on the phone? Then, talking back into the phone she said, "Sorry about that.

That was Hannah, she’s found a talking fairy in the garden this time. What an imagination! Then pausing a moment to listen, she replied, No, not Harvey, after all he’s nearly eleven now. He got that out of his system years ago. Around about the time he became interested in computer games.

Hannah could see her mother was going to be on the phone for a while. She looked at Harvey and was about to tell him about her encounter with the fairy, when he poked his tongue out and made a funny face.

So instead, she went upstairs to her bedroom to play with her dolls. The ones she chose to play with happened to be her fairy dolls.

Asthma! she thought, sitting on her bed surrounded by her fairy dolls. Why boring old asthma? Don’t tell me the fairy is going to say-Don’t eat this, don’t eat that. Don’t run too much. Don’t get excited. Don’t swim in pools with chlorine in them. Watch out for pollution. Don’t breathe dust. Don’t touch cats-and so on and so on!

Hannah was getting a bit bored with all the dos and don’ts that doctors, naturopaths and others kept telling her and her mother. Everywhere Hannah went-an asthma pump, a hand puffer and bottles of pills-always went with her. At the first sign of a wheeze, out would come all the stuff. For the next half an hour or so, Hannah would have to breathe a strange gassy substance through a mask, while the little asthma pump would gurgle and bubble away.

She’d suffered from asthma since she was a toddler and had forgotten the number of times she’d been rushed to hospital with a severe attack Asthma was scary. No matter how hard you try, you just can’t breathe. Hannah hated her attacks and was always fearful another one was on the way.

In fact, it was only a few days ago she’d suffered her last severe attack. After she’d recovered she made a vow to herself, "You boring old asthma, you won’t get the better of me! I’m going to beat you! Just you wait!"

As she played with her dolls Hannah pondered, "I thought fairies had much more interesting things to talk about. But then again, she did say that asthma had everything to do with this mysterious power in my mind."

So, she decided to be patient and wait until she saw her friend again tomorrow, before jumping to any conclusions.

missing image file

CHAPTER FOUR

THE POWER WITHIN

"You mean to tell me, my asthma comes from the way I think?" said an astonished Hannah, sitting on the lawn. She’d been playing with her doll’s house, re-arranging the furniture and giving it a spring-cleaning. She was surprised to find her tiny friend sitting on one of the dining room chairs she’d placed outside the doll’s house on the grass.

"Not only asthma," replied the fairy, "all sickness comes from the mind, before it shows up in the body."

What about colds and flu, measles and mumps, headaches and tummy aches and … and … chicken pox? Hannah remembered when

she had chicken pox some years ago, and how itchy the rash all over her had been.

All illnesses are the result of our wrong thoughts. So all we have to do not to get sick is replace our wrong thoughts with right thoughts, said the fairy, testing out the bed in the main bedroom of the doll’s house.

Hard as a rock. How do you expect anyone to sleep on that?

Well, It’s meant for dolls, not fairies, Hannah retorted. But how do you change your wrong thoughts into right thoughts? How do you even know which is which?

Ah, you’re a very bright person, Hannah. Those are really perceptive questions, said the fairy, this time trying out a rocking chair on the upstairs balcony of the doll’s house. Whee, this is fun! she cried, violently rocking the chair backwards and forwards.

Careful, warned Hannah.You might tip it over backw… However, the warning came too late as the rocking chair rocked too far backwards and the fairy went tumbling out, sprawling on the balcony. She looked particularly undignified with her arms, legs and wings every which way and her garland of flowers wrapped around her face.

Hannah couldn’t restrain herself from laughing, as the fairy sternly re-arranged herself, before breaking out in laughter as well.

"Silly me. Maybe it’d be safer if I sat on your lap. And by the way, my name is Brenda."

In fact, Brenda sat down on one of Hannah’s knees, pushed the garland of flowers back on top of her head and, dignity restored, began to talk.

Nearly all humans aren’t even aware when they’re having wrong-minded thoughts. One of the ways they find out, is when their bodies tell them.

What do you mean?

"Well, you get sick is what I mean. This is your body’s way of letting you know that something’s wrong in your mind and needs fixing. And once you fix the problem in your mind, your body then gets better."

What’s wrong with just fixing our sick bodies? That’s what doctors and medicines are for, aren’t they?

"Hannah, you are a clever girl! That’s another perceptive question. I can’t believe you’re a below-average student. But that’s something we’ll talk about some other time.

Getting back to your question, however-you’re correct! Doctors and hospitals, naturopaths and chiropractors, dieticians and immunologists, etc. etc. etc., nearly all focus on fixing the body and not the cause of the problem-the mind.

Why don’t they go to the cause of the problem and help people fix their minds? asked Hannah, her curiosity well and truly aroused.

Another excellent question, but not one so easily answered, replied the fairy, still having trouble with her garland of flowers, which again slipped from her hair covering her eyes."

The main reason, she continued, "is ignorance. You see, despite all of the wonderful inventions made by humans over the past one hundred years or so-brilliant breakthroughs in technology, such as computers, space exploration and medical science-very little is still known about the power of the human mind."

Why’s that?

Well, science has focused mainly on what has measurable results and can be proven according to our five physical senses.

What are those?

"Our five senses are sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch. Our sixth sense, intuition, or the power within our minds, by and large, has been overlooked. Now before you jump in and ask why, I’ll try to tell you."

How did you know I was going to ask why?

"Aha, another superbly timed question. I knew because