How to Set Your Sail and Let God Provide the Wind: How to Work with God to Create a Life of Success and Happiness and to Reach Your Goals with Ease

By Trung K. Vu

You need God, and God needs you. You are here for a purpose; God created you to do his work on earth. How to Set Your Sail and Let God Provide the Wind sums up the relationship between you and God. You can set your sail, but if there is no wind, your boat will not go anywhere. You can plan all you want, but if God doesn't provide the opportunities, you will not achieve any of your goals. This book will help you find your purpose, set your goals, plan your life, and how to let go and let God take over. Together, you and God will create a life that is meant for you.

Success and happiness are something that we all try to attain--some succeed, and some don't. The question is, Why? This book will guide you through your journey of life and beyond. You will be able to find your purpose, reach your goals, and to live a happy and fulfilled life that you only dreamt of. You will realize that there is a force in the universe that controls everything, and that force is God. Connecting to God is the way to achieve anything you want. You are sent here for a purpose, and once you realize your purpose, you can create a life of joy and harmony. Find your purpose, and the world will find a friend.

God bless you.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Nov 11, 2022
• ISBN: 9798885402323

Book preview

How to Set Your Sail and Let God Provide the Wind

How to Work with God to Create a Life of Success and Happiness and to Reach Your Goals with Ease

Trung K. Vu

ISBN 979-8-88540-231-6 (paperback)

ISBN 979-8-88616-068-0 (hardcover)

ISBN 979-8-88540-232-3 (digital)

Copyright © 2022 by Trung K. Vu

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. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Introduction

Anchoring Your Spirituality

The Two Worlds We Live In

Chapter Recap

The Existence of God

Religion Divides

Chapter Recap

The Purpose of Life

Chapter Recap

Finding Your Purpose

Chapter Recap

Let Go and Let God—Surrender

The Illusion of Control

Allow Time to Plan

Living in the Now

Letting Go of Your Ego

Chapter Recap

The Law of Attraction

Chapter Recap

Manifesting in the World of Form

Three Major Necessities

Health

Financial

Financial Position

Protection Planning

Investment Planning

Relationships

Chapter Recap

Setting Your Sail

Chapter Recap

Forming Positive Habits and Thoughts

Chapter Recap

Self-Discipline

Chapter Recap

Building a Dream Team

Chapter Recap

How to Deal with Problems

Chapter Recap

The End of a Form

Life After Death

Scientific Approach

Religious Approach

The Bible's View

The Supernatural

My View

The Soul

My Summary on the Afterlife

Chapter Recap

Conclusion

References

About the Author

The Path of Faith

Thank you, God, for the air that I breathe and the life that you have given me. I pray that the Holy Spirit lights a torch in my heart, gives me the strength from the start to do the work that I was sent to do and to show people the love that is within you. Lord, show me the way that I should go. I am not afraid of what lies below. Make me the person that I was meant to be and bring joy and love within thee. I have faith that the road that I am on will lead to your glory. The road is dark as night, but I know that you will guide me with your light. I know I will meet the people and opportunities that I should see and become all that I can be. The faith and knowing that I have is from within; my journey now has just begun! Amen.

By Trung K Vu

To my mother, Vang Le, who was always there for me, always encouraged and supported me with her unconditional love. Mom, I love you. I will see you again.

Introduction

Iwanted to make this book as direct and to the point as I could—with no fluffs or fillers. I tried to limit the pages to make my points simple. There are certain concepts and strategies that intertwine with each other, so I end up saying some things more than once. Although it may sound a little redundant at times, these points need to be repeated and understood.

I was born in Vietnam in 1968 during the Vietnam War. My father was a very successful and influential man, a self-made millionaire. I am sure he never thought in his wildest dreams that one day, he would be blind and living in poverty with his family in a country halfway around the world. We fled Vietnam in 1975 during the fall of Saigon. I can recall fleeing the beach in our boat and seeing mortars going off in the distance. People were running for their lives but getting cut down by the fire of machine guns. After days of hunger and battling the rough sea, we were rescued by the navy. Hundreds of other people were rescued, and we were all packed like sardines into the rescue boat.

My father was wounded during the war and was blind until the day he died; I hope he can see me now! Growing up in America was a challenge, to say the least. I came here with my parents, brother, and my uncle, who was a Catholic priest. None of us spoke any English. Thank God for the United States; it is truly the land of opportunity. We were on food stamps and welfare for most of my life. Given his disability, Dad couldn't work, and Mom sewed for a clothing company, making $2.35 a shirt, working until 2:00–3:00 in the morning. I was taught to get good grades and to strive for success. My mother wanted me to be a doctor because doctors are respected, and they make a lot of money. I had excellent grades and graduated from the University of Maryland with a double degree in Finance and Marketing with a minor in Economics. After graduation, I worked as a financial analyst, then in 1997, I became a financial advisor.

Throughout my life, I struggled to make money and be happy. It seemed that I was always a step behind. I planned almost every aspect of my life, only to have my plan not come to fruition. Even though I was successful, I was not happy; I wanted more and to be more. I asked myself the following questions: Why do some people have it all, and some have nothing? Why are some people so happy, and some are suicidal and living a life of agony? Why are some of us who have wealth still unable to find happiness while others who have modest means are content and loving life?

As I was growing up, it seemed to me that almost everyone was trying to achieve something or to have something in order to be happy and fulfilled. I was among those people. They worked nine-to-five jobs that they hated, five days a week, and the weekend was all they looked forward to. We even have a restaurant that stresses this concept, TGIF: Thank God it's Friday. Only two days out of the week that they are happy! This routine goes on for most of their lives, then they retire at sixty-five, trying to enjoy what is left of their lives before death arises. I had the house, cars, and the money, and still I was unhappy. I felt that I needed to be more and to have more in order to be happy. Most people are like this, and it took me forty years to discover how to be free of this insane cycle and live a life filled with joy and peace.

I listened to Tony Robbins and all the renowned motivational speakers. They all have one common theme: how to get ahead and be successful. But I was already successful, so why am I not happy? I then took a more spiritual view of the world and listened to Eckhart Tolle and other spiritual leaders. I gained a lot of wisdom and insights, but still, I was torn between finding peace in the spiritual world and the demands of the physical world. I then realized that life is a balance between the physical world and the spiritual world. Life is not black or white; there has to be a balance. You are here to contribute to the world and live your life to the fullest.

Life is short, and you do not want to be one of those people who, on their deathbed, looks back on their life and feels that it was a waste. I think that when we are born, we should be told that we all are dying; maybe then we will appreciate life and live every day to the fullest. Every day, we all come closer to the inevitable—we have one chance and one life to live—so why not live it to the fullest?

Although life has a beginning and an end, you will live on forever. What I am referring to is your soul—we will explore life after death and what lies beyond in later chapters. You will understand that you are an energy source that never dies, and this thing we call life is only the steppingstone to what lies ahead. Once you understand that you are beyond your body, this life will not be that important to you. You will then learn to let go and let God, and you will plan your life with God and know that he is in control. The letting go that I am referring to is the letting go of your anxieties and worries about future outcomes, not letting go of what you have to do. Do what you have to do, and trust God with the outcome.

How many times have you planned for something, and it does not go your way? This happens to me all the time until I remember that I must be the one who sets the sail, but God needs to provide the wind! This is how I came up with this book's title. There is an old saying: How do you make God laugh? Make a plan. You must understand that there are things that you can and cannot control. I believe that once we can acknowledge this concept, life becomes easy.

Have you heard of the serenity prayer? God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Most of our frustrations and anxieties come from the past or from worrying about the future; not many people live in the present. We try to control events and make things happen, but there are things that we cannot change or control; you need to accept and acknowledge this fact to reach all your goals and dreams.

We will explore how to live in the now and not worry about future anxieties or regrets from the past. Once you understand that there is only so much that you can control, you then can let go and let God. God helps those who help themselves. This is very true, because God gives us free will to choose how we live our lives. You can have or be whatever you want, but you need to put some effort into it. I will show you how to set your sail in the right direction, and let God provide the wind.

I will share with you ideas and insights that I have acquired throughout the years so you will not make the same mistakes that I have made. I always knew that there is a God, but I never let go and let God. I struggled through life to achieve materialistic things that I thought would bring me happiness. I grew up in a poor family with lots of adversities that I had to overcome. We were on welfare and never knew where our next meal was going to come from. I remember going along with my mom to scavenge clothes and items that people threw out on the curbside. I swore to myself that I would be successful and never be poor.

I graduated from the University of Maryland and threw myself into the corporate world. I struggled to compete with others and worked endlessly to climb the corporate ladder, only to find that happiness was nowhere in sight. My life up to now has been a struggle for happiness. I was like a dog chasing its tail and never catching it until one day, I woke up and realized that I do not have to chase it anymore because I already had it. Maybe you are chasing after something that you already have.

Everyone is trying to have more and be more, and it seems that happiness is a destination in the future and never in the present. Most of us judge how successful a person is by what they have, their status, and their influence in life. My definition of success is measured by how many lives you have affected and changed during your lifetime here on earth. The adage is true, money can't buy you happiness. Happiness is from within, and once you realize that, you will become free from your arduous journey of seeking happiness. This does not mean that once you find inner peace, you let go and not pursue what this world has to offer. As I said before, life is a balance, and it is okay for you to seek out your purpose and what this world has to offer. You have the key to tap into the abundance of the universe and to have anything you want, to be happy, and to live the life that you were meant to live. You will learn how to discover your gift(s) and how to rise to the highest self, which Maslow called self-actualization.

This book will not only show you how to discover your gift(s), but how to reach all of your goals and dreams and to live a life that is filled with joy and peace, to have all the success you want and to have everything the world has to offer. But most of all, it will teach you that all your wealth and materialistic things cannot bring you happiness. I will give you strategies and insights about life and how to deal with the day-to-day struggles and to tap into that force we call God. You can consider this book to be a life coach handbook that will guide you throughout your life and how to deal with the ups and downs. You will have the insight to master your mind to deal with life and to know that you are never alone. I have to say that I would never have found happiness until I realized that there is a higher being, and that I am here for a purpose.

There are many religions in the world, and I do not want to debate on who is right and who is wrong. I hope we can all agree that there is a higher being. Thus, the God force that I am referring to is universal, as most people believe there is a God. I cannot say that I am a religious person, but rather spiritual. I do not need to go to church every Sunday and read the Bible to know that there is a God. There is knowledge I have from within, and it tells me I am not alone, and that I am here for a purpose. You will soon discover yourself and tap into the God force of this universe. You will be able to live a life of ease and will be able to end your struggles in life.

I will show you how to escape from society's norms and expectations and help you find your purpose to live a more fulfilled life. I will show you how to deal with anxieties, pains, and all the negative feelings and obstacles that we are faced with. This book covers strategies and mental exercises to help you reach your goals as well as the laws and powers of the universe (God force). You will be able to understand clearly about the world you live in and how this God force works. Understanding yourself and being able to tap into this God force will make you unstoppable. You will then realize that happiness is the journey, not the destination. You will understand the different types of success and how to achieve all the success you deserve. You will be able to identify your goals and to set them in motion. I am giving you the formula to achieve and to have anything you want in this world.

If you follow the strategies and exercises in this book, you will be able to discover your gift(s) and reach your goals to live your life to the fullest. For you to reach your goals and live your life to the fullest, you need to take a philosophical and a gestalt (a broad perspective) view of the world you live in. Thus, the first part of the book will focus on a more spiritual aspect of life. The remainder of the book will discuss practical strategies that will help you to identify and eliminate internal and external obstacles that prevent you from reaching your goals. Face it, we live in a world where money is important, and we need to make a living. So being spiritual and living your life like the Dalai Lama is all