"God Can Appear In Many Disguises--Even As A Dog," says the brilliant Wayne Dyer

    My great friend Wayne Dyer is a wise and generous spirit, residing peacefully in Hawaii listening to the rhythm of the waves as he writes his brilliant New York Times bestsellers, the latest being "The Shift," also a movie starring Portia de Rossi. 
       It's an illuminating expose on moving "from ambition to meaning," away from ego, he says, and into "the afternoon of life where everything is influenced by purpose." 
       Instead of constantly pursuing "more stuff--more accomplishments, status, and money," we shift in the opposite direction toward feeling more meaning and purpose in our lives.
    
      When I asked Wayne to read my upcoming book, Katie Up and Down The Hall, I couldn't imagine what this charismatic sage might say about it.
      After all, why would he be interested in my perspicacious dog and her enterprising spirit?
     In the book, there she is, racing from one apartment to another in our Battery Park City high rise, herding five neighbors into one big family. The main characters include an adorable little boy who had no Mom and a feisty-spirited octogenarian who had no children. Together with the boy's Dad, and me, all of us set off on a series of unforgettable adventures with Katie leading the way.
      Given Wayne's philosophical and spiritual outlook, one that has brought such comfort to so many, I wondered how he would see all this?

  
     I found out yesterday when a sheet of typing paper chugged through my fax machine at 9 a.m. (Keeping his life more peaceful than most of us, Wayne doesn't use E-mail or computers). There it was, a personal note from Wayne with a testimonial for the book, a generous and kind thing to do considering the demands on his time.
      And printed on that page was a searing thought that captured the essence of the story--and my attention: "God," he wrote, "can appear in many disguises--even as a dog, bringing people together in a spirit of Love."
        
     This touched me because it's so true that my dog--as all dogs--was an embodiment of God. I know in my heart that the spirit of Katie epitomized the real meaning of God--pure love, generosity, loyalty, and forgiveness.
         After reading what Wayne wrote--I felt SO GOOD! It's wasn't just an ego thing--it was the thought behind his true intention.
       And then my mind turned to something Wayne told me in our Family Circle interview of a few years ago. I asked him: How can we counteract feeling anxious, insecure, worried, angry or resentful?--all variations on fear.
       And his answer? "The most profound and imporant thing a person can do to erase fear is repeating five key words: I want to feel good! This is the same thing as saying: I want to feel spirit, I want to be in harmony with the source of well-bring. This is your intention to be tranqil and stress free--and connecting to spirit."
  
     When I jokingly asked Wayne if he knew anyone who had mastered this, he answered: "Just watch babies! They're in a constant state of love."
  
     And so are DOGS! I believe that our canine companions can teach us a profound lesson about not just  love and loyalty--but about the sheer pleasure in having FUN--and feeling good. Isn't that what it's all about?
  
      So imagine how good I felt when Wayne's parting words on the fax were: "All I can say is that I felt 'really good' after reading your book."
      
     What more can any writer want?