A few years ago I went to Orson Bean's house on the Venice canals and had a wonderful chat with him for several hours! Orson is now 80 and for the past 55 years, he's been a comedian, political pundit, social satirist, author, TV star and film actor.
I knew my conversation with Orson was going to be entertaining, but I was amazed to learn that he's also into the Law of Attraction!
Here's what he told me:
"The earliest thing I remember is wanting to be happy. I made up my mind at the age of 6 that I wanted to be the happiest guy in the world. Because of that, I did a lot of foolish things. It was only when I crashed and burned in my mid-50's, due to a painful divorce and a dried-up career, that I reverted to my natural state, which is happiness.
"I learned that joy is the natural way of life and that misery and resignation are unnecessary. I started---to my amazement---to feel happy sometimes for NO REASON! The euphoric feeling sometimes slipped away when I thought about my divorce and my financial problems. Why could I not let go and be consistently happy? More and more, I realized that simply to be happy was all there was to learn in this life. Someone once told me that three straight days of continuous joy may be the most revolutionary act possible.
"So I alternated between happiness and despair. One day I was walking down a street in Venice Beach, contemplating my inability to make my house payment.
"I walked by a bunch of homeless guys sleeping on cardboard boxes. The sun was going down. Suddenly I smelled sausage. This bum was cooking a meal and it smelled terrific---I was so hungry! I thought to myself, 'This isn't bad. I could live like this. I'd get the best box on the block, a refrigerator crate. I'd cut windows in it. I'd make it great.'
"Then I embraced that one thing I've wanted out of life since I was a boy---to be the happiest son of a bitch alive. I walked home with a feeling of pure, unadulterated joy. Peace of mind descended upon me. My body became light, my mind cleared, I had never felt so happy, secure and content in my life. I walked along the Venice boardwalk, marveling at what a wonderful place it was.
"The next day, my agent called with a job to do a TV commercial voice-over. I've been making a FORTUNE ever since!
"If you are joyful, miracles will manifest in your life. Some of us have to bottom out to be happy. I was at the lowest point in my life. I was in despair over my divorce, I was drinking too much, I had no money.
"But feeling JOYFUL rescued me and then I was able to create a wonderful new life. Happiness is the greatest gift we can give ourselves."
