A preface is where an author explains why or how they came to write their book.

In my case, my inner voice bombarded me with persistent inspiration and I felt a cross between its willing associate and rebellious slave. If I was to help empty and quiet my mind, I found no other recourse than to write the inspirational ideas down. And if I failed to do so, my peace of mind decayed and the persistent ideas remained (at the center of my thoughts), jumping up and down and waving their arms.

Inspiration and creativity ask for our openness, to put into form, the messages that other realms of imagination offer: Mercury, the messenger god, becomes active, his winged feet carrying him to other dimensions and back again with the fruit of retrieved messages. Allowing myself to be a messenger is one reason why I wrote this and other books (and continue to do so). But the obvious reason is the benefit for humanity.

Since time began, poverty has always existed. One person has lots of cattle and land while another lives in a hovel, existing on scraps. I've been poor. Being poor is not chic, satisfying, enjoyable, spiritual, or fun. But I will say this: poverty can help someone reach out for help from the invisible spiritual realms. Need creates spiritual intensity and inner seeking. Poverty can be beneficial in these ways. Slender means may help someone develop an appreciation for small blessings, for the help one gets from others, and for things more valuable than money.

Poverty can teach valuable lessons about what's important in life. But on the flip side, a poor person can also be driven to violence, crime, mental and emotional stress, and illness. Near-constant anxiety, fear for the future, and a sense of foreboding eat away at health, happiness, and career. . .

Someone who's poor spends so much time just trying to "get by" that they may feel far from living their life purpose(s). Poverty does not ensure that you will be kind, good, spiritual, or loving. But poverty does ensure near-constant stress that eats away at a person; that tears at their hopes and dreams; and that makes them focus excessive time and energy on survival. Poverty affects loving relationships, tears down inner peace, fosters fear, and ensures instability.

Poverty allows little time to explore higher needs that go beyond survival (like: belonging, loving relations, sexual intimacy, creativity, and generosity). We deserve to feel good right now, knowing that our bills are (and will be) paid, and that we needn't worry about finances. In short, poverty does not ensure a happy life.

Similarly, wealth does not ensure a happy life, nor does it ensure that you'll be kind, generous, spiritual, or loving. Just like Switzerland, money is neutral. Money is simply paper energy used to secure goods and services. How it's used determines its merit. Yet if given a choice between poverty and prosperity, the practical choice is prosperity. Yes, wealth can offer temptations and pitfalls. Wealth's allure can be mesmerizing, tempting one to use its power over others, luring one to indulge an excessive lifestyle, causing one to forget to help others and lean toward selfishness instead. Yet a tendency toward a negative disposition likely took up residence long before poverty or prosperity came along. We are what we are; yet we can, and do, change.

The presence or absence of money does not make us who we are, but our financial condition exerts powerful effects in life. Money, or its lack, simply frames many of our possibilities.

It's your character that makes you who you are. Your character chooses its beliefs. Your character believes that it deserves what it receives. And as the character evolves toward allowing a better reality, its beliefs shift. The inadequate beliefs are shed and the more abundant beliefs are retained. Our character and beliefs shape our lives and allow or prevent financial health and everything else. The innate beliefs that we cling to reveal what we believe we deserve. And the universe and life simply provide for us based on the beliefs (of what we deserve and can allow) that our character maintains.