If you haven't experienced any near misses, you may have at least heard or read about them. When people describe their near misses, they say things such as "The bullet missed my heart by just a few inches," or "I was only a few feet away from the car that crashed into the crowd," or "Had I not turned around, I would have been killed." Are these misses luck, coincidence, or some power at work? I think you know the answer.

And how about the meeting you forgot to attend. As long as the meeting went well, you probably would not think much of it. But what if a fire engulfed the building where the meeting took place and many people were hurt or killed? Chances are that you would realize you would have been in that fire too, and that forgetting the meeting probably saved your life. How do you think it happened that you forgot?

What about those random events we call luck or coincidence? If the so-called lucky break or coincidence involves meeting someone who gives you the break, then you should know that your guide and the other person's guide may have worked hard to get the two of you together. Our guides have a responsibility to remind us of certain things or help bring about certain events that would not have happened without their assistance.

Remember, they have the blueprint of your life in their possession, and they are constantly checking to make sure nothing is missed.

How about that sudden illness that prevented you from attending the party of the year? Yes, the one you were so disappointed to miss. Have you considered that something disastrous might have happened to you had you gone to that party? What does the inconvenience and discomfort of minor illness matter when something so much more important is at stake?

Perhaps you had a grandfather like Mr. Rich, who discovered the artificial gene that cured many diseases, became wealthy, and left a fortune to your dad and subsequently to you. Do you know who guided Mr. Rich through the discovery process? This illustration shows that we benefit not only from the direct assistance of our own guide but also from other people's guides, at least indirectly. But let's not lose sight of the primary goal: the cure of disease.

Grandpa Rich may have been a renowned scientist or medical doctor here on earth in another life and on the other side, and may have made this discovery available on earth with the help of many scientists and other cosmic forces from the other side. To accomplish this, he was probably reminded of the processes, directed, and guided by forces from the other side. And since nothing comes from the other side without passing by our guide, there is no doubt that Grandpa Rich's guide played a major role in this case.

If you are at the bottom of the economic ladder, one of the so-called less fortunate among us, it may seem that you cannot lift yourself up financially no matter what you do. You may wonder if you have a guide and why he or she has not helped you achieve some financial success.

I suspect that you already know part of the answer to this question. Financial success may be important to you now, but it wasn't that important to you on the other side when you chose your goal, with perfect knowledge and information at your disposal. Your guide knows this. How can you learn what it is like to do without the things you long for unless you experience doing without? How else can you learn what it feels like to sleep in the cold or go hungry without experiencing it? And remember the earlier discussion about cosmic responsibilities. By now you should be convinced that no matter what your circumstances, you are no less valued or important than a billionaire.

We're all on different paths. You may have already experienced a life of wealth and plenty in the past and decided to use this incarnation to learn about existence at the other end, filled with wants and extreme financial hardship.

You have chosen to have specific experiences in this life, to reach a specific goal. These experiences are always for your good. Perhaps attaining financial success in this life would cause you to deviate from the path you're supposed to be on through this life. It is part of your guide's responsibility to ensure that you remain on your path, even if it means guiding you away from financial freedom. Isn't that the reason for having a guide, someone objective enough to help you stay on the path you've chosen for yourself? Be assured that your guide is working hard to prevent you from deviating from the goal you've chosen for this incarnation.

So the next time a great idea comes to you or you achieve success, no matter what represents success to you, don't take all the credit. It may not be entirely of your own making. Show your gratitude by using some of that success to help others.

This article has been adapted from the author's latest book, Voices from Beyond: The God Force, the Other Side, and You