I’ve traveled a lot for both business and pleasure over the years, and have encountered my share of airplane delays, lost luggage, and even sports injuries on these trips. Besides my normal reading of my industry “trades,” I like to read a lot of spiritual literature. About ten years ago, I kept noticing the word “benevolent” used in stories about Angels. As this is not a commonly used word in the English language, it was quite noticeable to me.

One day I read the suggestion to request benevolent outcomes for events in your life. I decided to try it out, and was amazed how PERFECTLY it worked for everything, from small requests such as a parking spot next to a busy restaurant or a seat on the subway in Paris to the really important negotiations in my business. After having made these requests between 10,000 and 15,000 times over the years, I am firmly convinced that our Guardian Angels are there to assist us in living more gentle lives. We just have to ask.

So when do you make these requests? I request Most Benevolent Outcomes (MBO’s as I call them) for everything. While packing for a trip, I’ll say, “I request a Most Benevolent Outcome for remembering everything I need to take on my trip. Thank you.” When it comes time to go to the airport, I request a Benevolent Outcome for the drive to the airport in safety and with no delays. How many people have you heard about that have missed a flight because of a traffic jam or wreck on the freeway?

It is so much fun to see how your Guardian Angel makes these things happen!

At the airport, I’ll say, “I request a Most Benevolent Outcome that my bags arrive safely and on time. Thank you.” I always say “thank you” to my Guardian Angel. David in St. Louis emailed to tell me he requested a Benevolent Outcome for making it through the Security check line with no problems (nothing can slow you down more than being “randomly” chosen for a full search). There were two lines, one that traversed back and forth and the other for flight personnel. Just as the person ahead of him was directed into the maze, the gatekeeper closed off that path and let David be the first person to pass through the fast-path route through security. As he said, “that was cool!"

David also mentioned that he likes to request MBO’s for meeting interesting people on the plane. I tried that out recently on a business trip back from Washington DC, and after a gentleman offered to trade seats with a young lady sitting next to me so she could sit with her friend, he turned out to be a buyer that I had not seen at the market. I was able to give him some information, which will result in a sale. That’s how Benevolent Outcomes work. It is so much fun to see how your Guardian Angel makes these things happen!

Last summer my wife and I went to a conference in Mt. Shasta, California — a really beautiful place. On our way back to the Sacramento Airport, I requested a MBO for a safe and problem free drive. On the car radio, there was a news bulletin that the California Highway Patrol was getting tough on Interstate 5 and would be ticketing anyone barely over the speed limit. As we were driving along, I had passed several slower moving cars when an oversized pickup came up behind me. I decided to let him pass, although there was still another car to pass ahead of me. As he passed, I started to move out again to pass the car when suddenly out of the bushes in the median roared a CHIP’s patrol car with lights blinking. I jumped back in line and watched as the pulled over the pickup. That could have been me. I have found over time that after requesting a MBO for a drive, the highway patrol cars are either turning off, going the other direction, or have just pulled someone over as I pass by.