Everything has the potential to be or become Chotchky: anything that crowds, intrudes, clutters, or in any way distracts from our soul’s highest purpose.

- Barry Dennis

The truth is that reality is stranger than fiction. So strange, in fact, that it has taken what might be the most bizarre word in any language to capture it. While researching, I found that the word chotchky is spelled at least seven different ways. I have chosen this lesser-known spelling simply because it is easier for those who have never laid eyes upon it to sound it out. The most common spelling is tchotchke. Crazy, I know.

The “Chotchky Challenge” is not as much the title of my new book as it is the overarching issue of our time. This book is a how-to manual, a guide for the 21st-century human being, helping us acquire the necessary skills to accept and victoriously take The Challenge. Together we will explore the ways in which our Chotchky is not only a cause of great personal stress, but it is also the underlying cause of the environmental, personal health, poverty, and general financial challenges we face as one humanity. Through the work of changing our relationship with this one thing, we can heal it all.

As you read, you will awaken a latent superpower, that of Chotchky Vision. Soon only that which is truly important in your life will stand out, like words that have been highlighted on a page. All the rest will fall away, bringing a kind of freedom that most people never knew was possible. Chotchky Vision brings an extremely heightened level of awareness, and with this awareness comes the purpose of the book: to attain nothing short of . . .

Liberotchky: the complete and total freedom from all things Chotchky.

(Note: “Liberotchky” has no intended connection to the former flamboyant pianist, although he did wear a lot of “Blingotchky.” Hmm, coincidence? I think not.)

As you have just experienced, I have created a whole new vocabulary to help in the development of this new Vision. By simply taking the “otchky” section of this most unusual of words and slapping it on the back of any noun, you have a new, powerfully descriptive word revealing the deeper truth of the thing you are perceiving. For example, a lot of information quickly turns into Informotchky: the never-ending stream of useless info designed to hijack your attention, causing your thoughts to dwell upon trivial, frivolous matters.

We all know informotchky exists. We just never had a word for it before. These words are empowering.

So, you’re in Chotchky Training now.

As your understanding deepens, it will bring greater meaning to the four levels. Moving from the densest form of Chotchky to the most ethereal, they are:

Level I: Things (stuff, junk, and other physical manifestations). This is our starting point because it’s the easiest to identify. Thingotchky is the doorway that will help us understand and see Chotchky in its other less obvious and often more debilitating forms. Any combination of atoms, the building blocks of all things physical, can be thingotchky.

Level II: Body: The second level of Chotchky is Bodyotchky. It’s clear to see how things can be Chotchky, creating dysfunction and confusion in a home. Well, the body is a “home” to the most important thing in the Youniverse. Therefore, it is vulnerable to its own kind of Chotchky. Foodotchky is one prevalent form of bodyotchky; for example, think Twinkies or cigarettes.

Level III: Mind: Our mind is the home of our thoughts, our consciousness. What we put in it and what is placed there creates our experiences. Mindotchky is probably more prevalent than physical things, yet it goes relatively unnoticed. Spooky.

Level IV: Soul: And finally, there is Soulotchky. Everything ends up affecting the soul, or spirit, of our being. Our life is like a funnel. The first three levels pour through that funnel into our soul, which causes great confusion as we go about searching for meaning and purpose in our lives. Emotionalotchky is a direct assault on the soul.

As your Chotchky Training proceeds, you will begin to see the truth. It’s a slow process. Chotchky is most likely standing right smack dab in the middle of the path that leads to the life you have always known was possible, yet has always eluded you—just out of reach. Soon, though, you will be able to identify Chotchky when you see it, and it will make all the difference in the world.