with dr. wayne dyer to ouand babette davidson.tions i'm lyn may, and we are not surprised that so many of you have tuned in for dr. dyer's program, "change your thoughts -- change your life." now, this may be a new step for many of you in your personal quest for lifelong learning. there are very few teachers who can help us understand so easily the ancient wisdom of the tao te ching, and who can guide us in applying that wisdom to our lives every day. we appreciate your attention to the program. we know you have many calls on your time, and when you tune in to this channel, your public television station, you do have certain expectations. you expect quality programming. you do not expect to be bombarded by commercials every seven minutes. you don't expect content that you have to shield from your children. we want to continue to live up to those expectations, which is why we're taking this time, along with dr. dyer, to engage you further in the information that dr. dyer is presenting here.

and also to engage you in support of this station. now, have you taken a moment to make your contribution? we certainly hope that the answer is yes, or that you are on the way to your telephone right now, or even to your computer to make an online pledge, we love that. it takes the year-round support of this station's paid-up members to help us bring you dr. dyer's programs. so please call the number on your screen and then you can enjoy the conversation between babette davidson and wayne dyer. i love what you say about recognizing that there is a time for all things. we've forgotten how to be at rest and simply be. and you see in the audience so many people taking notes. and i think it's great that you've created the dvd, because everyone thinks they're going to miss something. that's the beauty of any recording you have, is to be able to put it in there, and if you've missed something -- very often when you're listening to a tape or when you're watching something, you're getting an "aha" moment and you're saying,

"oh, my god," and while that "aha" moment is going, the tape is still playing, so you're missing literally everything -- when you have the dvd, when you have it there with you and you can go back to it, you don't have to take notes. and you've watched it yourself several times. i've watched it many, many times. and i do this not just with my programs, i do this with a lot of things. i watch them over and over and see something new every time. the dvd is also exclusive. it's available just here at this pbs station, and we appreciate you doing that. and it's also a part of "the new whole enchilada." there are some other exclusive things in that. can you walk us through that? it's a wonderful package of gifts. remember, we're talking here about a dollar a day for public television, one dollar a day, the price of a newspaper to give to this public television station and support the high energy coming into your home. this enchilada contains many, many items. the first is a brand-new hardcover book that this entire program is based upon. it's over 400 pages, it includes the entire tao te ching, along with 81 essays, and at the end of each essay,

there's a section called "do the tao now." so i give you very specific things to do. this is going to be a companion book that you'll want to have with you for the rest of your life. there's also a second book in here called "you can heal your life" by louise hay. i consider her to be one of the greater visionaries on our planet today. she teaches people about changing the way that you think. you can change your body, you can change things around, but if you're not changing your thoughts, everything that isn't working for you will continue to come back. you'll continue attracting the wrong people, you'll continue attracting the disease processes into your life, because you haven't changed the way that you think. what you think about expands. we also have the dvd of this entire program, with the additional bonus material. there's 20 minutes of additional bonus material in there. we have the cd of this entire program so we have the audio version and we have the video version, with that additional 20 minutes of bonus material. we also have a meditation cd called "change your thoughts meditation." it's a one-hour meditation. it includes one statement from each --

i took the most important, significant sentence from each one of the 81 verses and repeat it, and then teach you how to make this a part of your life through this one-hour committed meditation. if you do it 81 times, you will find yourself carrying the "tao" with you wherever you go. we also have a wonderful live seminar. six cds of what people paid many, many hundreds of dollars to attend. this will be all yours. you'll be a fly on the wall in this wonderful day that we had, and also the beautiful music of cecilia. you're going to hear more of her a little bit later in the program, one of the great voices we have today. that's "the whole enchilada" right there. it is a wonderful collection and we are so delighted you've put it together for us. lyn's going to tell us a little bit more. that's right, babette. the overall message of this program is, how to change your mind so you can change your life. if you've been watching this public television station for a long time and haven't become a member, or if your membership has expired, we hope that we can change your mind and welcome you back into the family

or into the family for the first time, but we want you in the family, the pbs family. if you have any doubts about your role at this station, think of it this way -- you can't build a house without putting down a good foundation. the deeper and the stronger the foundation, the more durable the house. your financial support is the foundation for the pbs house. and what's more, a house becomes a home when it is filled with people who care about each other. so by becoming a member, you not only help us build that house, this house, your house -- your membership makes it a home. this station interrupts its programming only a few times every year when we talk with you about the way pbs gets funded. now, our reason is both simple and very, very important. pbs is this country's only publicly funded television service, and you, each individual viewer, you are the public in public television. now, the lion's share of the programming budget comes from individuals,

one investment at a time, right here in this community. we depend on your support to keep programs like wayne dyer on our air, but not only wayne's show. wayne talks about the importance of nature, and we agree. so many of you enjoy the magnificent programs offered on the "nature" series, and wayne has quoted poetry to you, and you know that you can hear the best english language on the marvelous dramas that you see on "masterpiece theatre." it is your contribution that makes all of these shows possible, and more. so that's why we "do pledge." will you "do pledge" with us? call the number and ask the volunteer to explain the thank-you gifts, and all the other benefits of membership. we thank you. to me, pbs is the same the kind of resource,der. with programs that are meant to appeal to our very best selves and help us climb to our full potential. when i meet people who also love public television programs,

they always talk about being engaged and enlightened by what they watch on pbs. that's an amazing way to feel about tv. also amazing is that people just like you not just watch but also support the programs they love. dr. dyer's new program is a direct result of the people who joined pbs during his last special. that's how it works. you call with your support and invest in the future of programs just like this. dollars in, fantastic programs out. i've supported pbs for decades because i find so much value in the programs, and it's even more than just sitting down and watching. i've been thinking about something my husband said the other night -- he told me that he's so busy with his life, it's going by, but he's not living it. sound familiar to anybody else? i think this program can help him think about things in a new way, and maybe make some important changes in his life. i can't wait to get my own copy of the dvd and sit down and watch wayne with him. i know it will be a meaningful experience and that once we've watched the program together,

the next natural step will be to study the book together. i don't think we can actually promise happier marriages or a more fulfilling life with every pledge, but we certainly give you the tools. for me, pbs has always been a ladder, a wisdom tool all its own, that's helped me from teaching my children to read with "sesame street" or getting my son excited about sharks with "nature," and helping the entire family feel grateful for modern conveniences while watching "frontier house." pbs is really something special. it does appeal to the best in each of us. and we're appealing to you now to show us that you agree. the numbers are on your screen. and when you call with your support, we'll be happy to send you dr. dyer's wonderful wisdom tools, so you can start climbing your own ladder. thank you so much for your calls of support. i justabout my relationship to public television and what it means to me. i've been doing this for the past 10 years, traveling all about the country --

i've been to most cities in the united states with public television specials, because we've done quite a few of these since the late 1990s. i think of, i think of public television as an energy system. there are these wonderful transmitters that send these invisible signals out into the universe. we have receivers in our home called television sets. there are many things on cable and commercial television that come into our homes. i heard a statistic that by the time a child reaches his 12th birthday, he's already received something like 14,000 murders that he has seen -- simulated murders on commercial and cable television. that's an awful lot of violence coming into our homes. you don't see that on public television. we have an energy system in our homes, and my role, as much as i am grateful to all of you for contributing with the programs that i have put together to keep public television alive and vital, i also see it as an opportunity to raise not just money

but to raise consciousness. it's an opportunity to take the television sets in your children's homes and in their bedrooms and so on and make it come alive with something that you'll be very proud to have in your home. i always, when i check in to a hotel, the first thing i do is click to the channel, find out what pbs station is on and i'm generally hooked. it happened to me just the other night. so i think, while i'm happy to be helping pbs to raise money, i'm even happier to be using pbs's frequencies to raise the consciousness of this country, because god knows, we certainly need to have less violence and more people who are tuned to what lao-tzu calls the anchor of the universe. we come from a place of well-being. pbs is about well-being. it's about mental and emotional and spiritual well-being. and it's always there, you can always know, just turn your dial to that channel and you'll be proud of what comes into your home. i love what you said. that was beautiful.

i'm glad people feel that way. i have been reading "change your thoughts -- change your life" every day since i got it, and i can honestly say that it's working, and there's so much to aspire to. living virtuously, living calmly. living with greatness. the one i really need is living softly. and the thank-you gift of the book at $125 is wonderful -- it is really a manual for a lifetime. dyer: you know what, as much as it changed you for reading it, you should see what it did to me in writing it. it was a life-changing experience, to live this "tao," to live it every single day. i don't think i've felt more peaceful ever in my life. i don't have the stress. when things aren't going the way that i anticipate in my ego that the world ought to be going, i simply make a shift and say, "there's a time for this." there's a time for frustration, there's a time for children to not do what you expect them to do. there's a time for the buses not to run on schedule, and there's a time for things to work as well. get peaceful. you have always shared experiences as a parent.

i love those stories. and your perspective on children is so refreshing, especially today, and now you're a grandparent, and that adds another layer of wisdom, and i'm just wondering, is it harder to not interfere with grandchildren than children? no, it's getting easier because i think i'm becoming more enlightened and more peaceful myself. i see them as these divine little creations. i see them as little pieces of god. my grandchildren are all under the age of 5, and i just adore every moment that i have with them, but i did the same thing with my own children, and even today, all eight of my children, i'm very, very close with them. this is an entire program about wisdom and we're certainly hearing it right now. lyn may -- she's very wise, too. she's going to tell us just a little bit more about why you should be making that telephone call. that's right. there's so much more coming up, as you've heard from wayne, and now we want to hear from you. the thank-you gifts we have for you when you become a member during this program will be an ongoing wisdom tool for you to refer back to

over and over again, and remember, these make great gifts for other seekers in your life. at our $60 level, we'll say thank you with that terrific set of two children's books, written by wayne -- "unstoppable me!" and "it's not what you've got!" if your child is a little bit too young to read, they will love to hear the rhymes and just to look at the pictures. if they're already readers, they'll be so happy to curl up with both of these wonderful books. now, when you call with your $100 pledge of support, we will say thank you with the companion dvd of this program, which is exclusive to this station, and that means you are not going to find it anywhere else. not only will you be able to review all that you've heard here with wayne, but the dvd contains 20 minutes of additional material. i've seen it, it is really interesting, and there's also some gorgeous music. now, when you make your pledge of support at the $125 level, we will send you a copy of wayne's book on which this entire program is based, and not only does it include all 81 verses of the tao te ching

but each chapter includes a meaningful exercise to help you put that particular verse into practice. they're easy, they're really terrific. and, of course, when you take advantage of the wonderful $365 opportunity, "the new whole enchilada," you will receive two books -- the companion book and another life-changing book, "you can heal your life." it is the classic bestseller written by louise hay who wayne acknowledged in the audience, that beautiful woman, and this is the gift edition of the book, which has sold millions and millions of copies throughout the world. it is gorgeous just to look at and to hold. you'll love the illustrations. it is a true treasure. it is wonderful, you'll want to keep it. now, in "the whole enchilada," "the new whole enchilada," you'll be able to find the companion dvd and the companion cd of this program, which also includes the 20 minutes of bonus material and is also exclusive to this station. you cannot find these on amazon or at any other store. and plus another cd entitled

"change your thoughts meditation," in which wayne takes you on a compelling journey through all 81 verses of the tao and offers affirmation and a unique meditation technique. in addition to all of these terrific tools, this gift collection also includes a six-cd live seminar, which is almost six hours in lgth. you'd have to pay a gazillion dollars for this. now, this is just like being at an in-depth "tao" workshop that wayne has given, and the material is greatly expanded upon. and finally, the enchilada also includes a music cd. now, i had not heard cecilia until i watched the program and listened to this music -- it is heavenly. and you will get a preview in our next time together. that is "the new whole enchilada," and you've heard wayne tell you that it's a dollar a day for public television -- what a great value. our volunteers are ready to take your call. we are going back to the program now, but you do still have a second to get up

and go to the telephone, call the number you see on your screen and take the step, join us, become a member of this station. thank you. another thought to change -- to change from thinking "big" to thinking "small." so much of the "tao" has in it statements that seem so paradoxical and so confusing to us. "more is less, less is more." "think small and get great things done, accomplish great things." listen to verse 64 of "the tao te ching." "a tree that fills a man's embrace grows from a seedling. a tower nine stories high starts with one brick."

and here's the most famous line out of the "tao." "a journey of 1,000 miles begins with..." what? the first step. the first step. the first step. "one first step." okay? so today, i can stand up here on this stage, in this beautiful sacred place, in this beautiful yin/yang symbol on this incredibly beautiful set that feels so much like nature, and i can say to you that in a very short time -- this year, i will have completed 20 years without taking a drink of alcohol. 20 years, okay? thank you. now, that's big. that's big. because i drank every day. not to get drunk, but i drank every day -- two or three beers every evening after running.

and i couldn't remember a day when i hadn't had -- i thought back 10 years, 12 -- i couldn't think of a day, not one day in the previous decade or two that i had not had a beer or several beers. so that's big. and if i'd have said to myself 20 years ago, "wayne, you're going to quit drinking for the next 20 years," i would have gone immediately and had a drink. [ laughter ] because it's just too big, isn't it? it's just too big. you don't do big things. you do small things and thus accomplish great things. it's a very important distinction to make. whatever it is that you would like to create or contribute or become in your life, take one step. how did i let drinking go for 20 years?

and i don't even know about tomorrow. i never think about tomorrow and whether i'm going to have a drink. all i know for sure is that this won't be the day. i do it one day at a time. that's how you overcome anything called an addiction in your life. you take it, you reconnect yourself to the source from which you came, which is a source of what? well-being, isn't it? and you get back and return, get on the return trip and say "i am connected to well-being, "and i'll do this one day, one hour, one minute -- one second if i have to -- at a time." i mean, it's behind all of the programs for overcoming addictions, in all of the work of bill w., all of the work of alcoholics anonymous. all of the work of any kind of addictions. it isn't just alcohol. it can be food. it can be addiction to your e-mails. it can be addiction to work.

it can be addiction to so many things that so many people find that they can't get past. and to move themselves into a place where i think small. i ran seven marathons in my running years, and about the 22nd or 23rd mile, you begin to ask yourself about your sanity. [ laughter ] "what am i doing here?" and my body is breaking down. but the way that you finish the marathon is not by saying "i'm going to run 26 miles." you don't do that, especially when you've still got 5 or 6 to go. you just say to yourself -- "can i put my foot in front of the next one? "can i take one step at a time? can i do it one step at a time?" and before you know it, you've accomplished great things. i watched my wife give birth to four children -- right there, in the delivery room with her. and she does not -- you know,

when you have a baby, it takes nine months, doesn't it? you don't say to yourself, "oh, my god, i got to have a baby, i got to get pregnant, i got to deliver, and i got to go through labor." there are people who do that. and it's a torture for them. but i watched her do it one moment at a time, in labor. not "what's going to happen an hour from now? "what's going to happen this afternoon? am i going to have to have --" none of that. and she did it all naturally, because it was all -- and her mind was so strong as she was doing it that i couldn't even penetrate. i couldn't even communicate with her, she was so focused on just being here. she would say, "these are not labor pains. "these are just signals, just signals. "and i can take this signal. i can do this for one minute. i can do this." it's the way everything gets done. i watch the great tennis players on the planet -- roger federer, pete sampras, these people that are really masters at this game that i've played for so many years, not even close to those kinds of levels. they'll be in a tournament, they'll have a seeding,

and they'll say, "here's the first round, here's the second round, here's the third round." there's no such thing as playing the fourth round before you've played the first round. when you get to the first round, you don't go out there and say, "well, i've got to beat this person in three sets." you say, "i'm going to think one serve at a time. i'm going to think one point at a time." and every great athlete -- i don't care who they are -- they will always say "i can't think out there in big ways. i can only think small." thinking small is what gets great things done. verse 63 -- "achieve greatness in little things. "take on difficulties while they are still easy. do great things while they are still small." the sage, the sage -- one of my daughters' names -- the sage does not attempt anything very big and thus achieves greatness. greatness comes from being in the moment,

here, present, in the now. the sage confronts difficulties but never experiences them. this is the idea of thinking small. and finally, i'd like to see you change from this thought. change from seeing yourself as separate to seeing yourself as connected to everyone and everything in the universe. our ego tells us that we are separate, that who we are is this body that we have and everybody out there is separate from me. nothing has been more profound and more powerful and important for me than this verse of "the tao te ching" -- this idea that we are all one, that all of us emanated from the same source.

and by doing so, by emanating from the same source, we need to see ourselves as connected to every single being, every single person, every single flower, every single tree, every single animal. if you can see yourself in everyone, we're all connected. it makes about as much sense to me to have a smoking section in a restaurant as it does to have a peeing section in a swimming pool. right? [ laughter ] "oh, no, no, no, kids. "no, no, no, no, no. don't pee over here. we pee over here." [ laughter ] does that make any sense? the native americans -- one of my favorite quotes. i've used it many, many times. the native americans would say,

"no tree has branches so foolish as to fight among themselves." "no tree has branches so foolish as to fight among themselves." we are all branches on a tree called humanity. when you read the "tao," when you read this idea about changing these thoughts and changing your life, you're going to see endless verses that speak to the absurdity of the idea of you having an enemy, the idea that you and anyone else on this planet is an enemy. in the "tao," it says, "'i' and 'enemy' cannot exist in the same sentence." and he said even those who go to war, the ones who will triumph in war are those who go to war... without an enemy. and they will treat every victory in war

not as something to celebrate... but as a funeral, as an indication that we haven't reached the highest place within ourselves to see that even those people that we judge to be our enemy are really connected to us. and it says in the "tao" that a bad man -- a bad man is a good man's job, and a good man is a bad man's teacher. a good man is a bad man's teacher. so, finding that and seeing that -- listen to verse 10 -- "carrying body and soul and embracing the one, "can you avoid separation? one who heeds this power brings the tao to this very earth." this is the primal virtue. this was so helpful to me as i thought about it. remember, i spent 4 1/2 days on each one of these verses.

and in each one of those 4 1/2 days, i wasn't writing. i wrote the last 4 or 5 hours of those 4 1/2 days. for 4 1/2 days, i took that verse and i went out into the world and i looked at everyone that i encountered, everyone that i saw and i tried to see myself in them -- the person that was, you know, dressed differently than i would dress, the person who was not as attractive, the person who was very old, the person who was very young, the person who used language particularly, that was possibly offensive... when i would look out there and i would practice not judging, because the only difference between a flower and a weed... is a judgment, isn't it? it's just a judgment. it's just a judgment. and if we want to end violence in our lives and in our society,

we have to learn to change our thoughts. remember the dandelions? when i was growing up out in michigan, we had these dandelions. the dandelions would have... at a certain time of the year, they would get all these little fuzz balls at the top of them, the yellow little flower part. i always liked the dandelions. i thought they were really beautiful. and then they'd have these little fuzz balls -- now, imagine if you want to end the problem of dandelions on your lawn, and you see them all out there with their little fuzz balls. so you go out there and you take a shovel and you turn it upside down and you start smacking all of the dandelions like this. and what do you do when you use violence to attempt to end the presence of these dandelions, which are a problem for you on your lawn, is they all scatter, and then in the spring, guess what you got.

you got more. you got new generations -- new generations of dandelions. there's such a lesson in that, isn't there? there's a great lesson that when we use violence as a means to resolve our disputes, whether it's individually, with each other, or whether it's in countries or whether it's in communities, whenever it is that we resort to that kind of not seeing myself in others, and out of this kind of a consciousness will emerge those people who will ultimately begin to get this, because if we don't get it, if we don't get it, like if we don't really get it, civilization as we know it will not survive. it will not survive. we have to learn that the people that we call enemies, no matter how horrendous they may behave toward us, there is still something of us in all of them. and we can figure out a way.