Law of Attraction Article: Manifestation Exercise # 1 - The Gratitude List
I guess it was about 10 years ago when I had hit one of the greatest “funks” in my lifetime. It was right after Thanksgiving. My husband had been let go from his job because of an untrue rumor someone had spread about him, and we lost a major Christmas bonus we had been counting on. My online business was doing poorly because people were saving their money for holiday purchases. We were behind in all of our bills, creditors were calling constantly and of coarse Christmas was on its way and we didn’t have an extra dollar to spend on it. My husband and I were taking the stress we were both going through out on each other, and the guilt we felt over our sons growing Christmas list made us feel even worse.
It was about this time that I came across the Gratitude List suggestion.
I had already been studying the Law of Attraction principles for quite some time, but hadn’t quite mastered it yet. I was still at a point where my current “reality” problems took up more of my thoughts than the new reality I wanted to focus on. I had learned, however, about synchronicity (the coincidences Universe or your higher self keeps bringing to you when it really wants you to notice something.)
In one weeks time I had come across the Gratitude list idea in three different places. In an online article, in a book I was reading and then I heard it on television.
Anyway I got the hint. Obviously, this was something I was supposed to do.
Like I said, this was a really bad time for me. So trying to focus on good things at this point was extremely difficult. But then I figured who am I to argue with what the Universe was clearly trying to tell me? I decided to follow some of the examples I had heard in the three places mentioned above; and regardless of my current circumstances at the time, tried to look for things to be grateful for.
It seemed tough at first. My negative thoughts kept trying to come through - but I was determined. I would find even the smallest things to be grateful for.
I found it to be much easier than I ever thought it could be.
While I can’t find my original list (I believe it was on my old computer) I do remember most of what I wrote those first couple of days.
Things I Am Grateful For:
I am grateful I am alive today to give this life thing another shot (that is still one of my favorites) I am grateful I am healthy and pain free I am grateful I have my freedom (I mean I could’ve been in jail or a hospital bed - so things weren’t that bad) I am grateful for my healthy family and friends. Even though I don’t have a lot of money right now- I am grateful I will spend the holidays with all of my friends and family. It was my favorite time of year. I am grateful that we live in a nice, safe, clean apartment. I am grateful we have enough money to eat today. I am grateful that while behind in my utilities, I still have my heat and electricity and cable today. I am grateful for my clean water to drink and shower with (think how many people in the world don’t have even those basic things) I am grateful for my pets who love me so much I am grateful for the funny emails my friends who care about me send to me. I am grateful for this computer to receive them on. I am grateful for the internet that brings me all the answers I want in less than 5 minutes time (remember how long it used to take just to try to find information before the internet?)
Anyway I came up with a bunch of other things in those first few days. I would spend my first 15 minutes of the morning with my cup of coffee typing out my list.
While at first I was just going through the motions I found I did feel a little better each morning after I was done. What was more surprising to me however, was the lasting effects it was having without my even being aware of it.
Around the third day, I remember waking up feeling “lighter“ somehow. Before I started my lists I had been waking every morning with a knot in my stomach and a feeling of dread about all of the things I was going to have to unwillingly deal with that day. By the third day however, I found myself waking feeling a little calmer. A little happier. A little bit more confident that I could deal with whatever came my way, even though none of my outside circumstances had changed yet.
Seeing as that I wasn’t doing anything different other than my grateful list I realized that it had to be the reason. This got me excited and I decided to really go to town on my list.
I started looking for even the smallest things to be grateful for.
The laugh I had the day before hearing a funny story. An unexpected gift from a neighbor. My mom’s chocolate chip cookies Decorating my apartment with my well loved holiday decorations that I kept in storage (and it didn’t cost me a cent). The wonderful cards arriving in the mail from my friends and family with pictures of their healthy growing children. The holiday decorations going up around the neighborhood making everything more festive.
Sure enough I found the more I did the list every day, the better I felt right after I did it as well as generally throughout the day. I also found myself taking note of little things to be grateful for all day long so I could add them to the next mornings list.
With Law of Attraction being what it is, sure enough my outside circumstances started to change as well. My husband found another job through an unexpected connection, we received a check from his old company from an account that we had forgotten he had, my mother surprised us by purchasing almost all of the items on my sons Christmas list as a gift to us and I found myself having one of the warmest Christmas’ I could ever remembering having. Simply because for the first time I truly appreciated all that I had.
If you want to attract wonderful things into your life, one of the fastest ways to do it is to start being grateful for what you have right now. And I don’t mean by just giving it lip service. I mean really feel the gratefulness as you write your list. Truly imagine what it would be like to not have so many of those things you take for granted in your life.
The Law of Attraction brings to you what you focus on, think about and the vibrational frequency you are working from. If you are spending your time thinking about all of the wonderful things you can be happy about - the universe will naturally respond to that vibration and bring you even more.
It is a simple 15 minute exercise that costs you nothing but can make an incredible difference in your entire life!
So start today! You have absolutely nothing to lose but everything to gain!
Happy Creating!
Janeen Clark is a Spiritual Life Coach who has been teaching, studying and applying the Law of Attraction for over 15 years. For more fun ways to make LOA work for you please visit her website at www.theveryhappyhuman.com
You Are Not A Victim; You Are Not Alone
If you don?t feel good about yourself, you have to fix it. There?s no other way around it. You can?t raise confident kids, have a healthy relationship, or get satisfaction from your job if you don?t. This comes from someone who didn?t, for most of her life, feel worthwhile. Many books come from the perspective of an expert, someone who already has a healthy sense of self-worth, which I believe immediately sets up an alienating perspective between them and us, those who ?know? and the rest of us who struggle with this issue. They assume they know better. They may think they know better, and have a worthwhile plan, but we know what it is really like, we have experienced and not just judged our self-defeating behavior.
We all have varying degrees of self-doubt. A person can be wildly successful in their life, and still have deep-seated feelings of worthlessness. There is a fear of discovery that others will come to see what?s behind the curtain in Oz. So we strive to accomplish more and more, climb to greater heights, yet it?s never enough. You may try to hide it, this low sense of self-worth, but like the alcoholic who wants to keep his drinking a secret, but staggers nonetheless, it is a visible illness. To continue the analogy, I want to be sober. In this case sobriety equals integrity and confidence.
Here is where to begin. It?s the Victim Thing. The most tragic or toxic aspect of victim hood is that victims don?t know they are playing the part of the victim. They see all around them evidence of betrayal, duplicity, and injustice so their victim status is validated and for the most part goes unquestioned. This is why I say, be careful, or the discovery that you have been wronged may be the last discovery you make. We all have injustice and dysfunction in our lives. We have to come to understand that these are just events that come and go. Again, It?s not the circumstances that define us; it?s how we react to them.
Some of us could and do spend many hours, years, in therapy or in our rooms trying to figure out how we got to be this way, but?this is essential?none of it matters. It truly doesn?t matter how we got to be damaged goods, or rather, it may matter to you, but it is not the solution; it is simply part of a very long and complicated story. You may very well know how and when you got to this point, but leave the blame for now and ask instead what comes nex?
Life is about choices. I can feel trapped in my life, but I can choose to begin writing this. I can choose to eat a healthy meal. I can choose to go for a walk. I can choose how to respond to my significant other. Every conscious choice I make brings me that much closer to the integrity I seek, or makes it less likely. The consequence of choosing is to remove myself from the victim role. Victims don?t create their lives; they react to them.
Acceptance is central to the process of coming out from under our victimhood. I would say that it is one of the basic tenets of all spiritual traditions, one that we can use in our everyday life, in the mundane and tragic circumstances within which we find ourselves. Like making conscious choices instead of reacting, it takes practice. I am stuck in traffic. I have lost my job. I am sick. One alternative is protest, anger, and bitterness. A person with low self-worth takes these things personally. A person with integrity and confidence accepts and adapts.
The key question in any adverse circumstance is, ?What do I do now and next?? Sometimes all you can do is breathe deeply. Other times you can take definitive action, but again, you are making conscious choices instead of reacting, you are accepting your circumstances. Everything changes. This applies to the good situations as well as to the negative. That is why the phrase, ?This too shall pass,? is so powerful. Peace of mind comes from accepting yourself, your life, wherever you happen to be at any given time.
Acceptance is the bottom line. Good choices grow from acceptance. There will always be someone better or worse off than we are. Good and bad things happen to us and to others and can happen at any time. Our life may have been difficult or a breeze. Who?s to say? You are. I am. To say that something is unfair is to return to the victim mode. Don?t live a life of protest. You?ll miss so much of what is given. Think of the world and it?s mysterious ways as an impersonal agency, so there is nothing served by anger and resistance. We only succeed in restricting ourselves further. We are worthwhile in our own shoes, where we stand. Practicing and believing this is so brings the part of ourselves that we love to the surface, and then the way gets easier and clearer.
This is a condensed excerpt from Colette Kelso's book, Who's a Loser? Read the book to find a way out of a difficult situation. If you're in the job market, visit I need a job. You need a job?
What do you mean, Impossible?
On our mindset. I believe it affects everything we do, including our attitude towards financial planning. Impossible is Just a Word. Everyone, at some point of his or her life, has dreamed of being somebody special, somebody big. Who hasn't fantasized about being the one who hits the game-winning homer? Who hasn't dreamed of being the homecoming queen? And how many times have we dreamed of being rich, or successful, or financially independent? Often, we dream big dreams and have great aspirations. Unfortunately, our dreams remain just that �" dreams. And our aspirations easily collect dust in our attic. This is a sad turn of events in our life. Instead of experiencing exciting adventures in self actualization, we get caught up in the humdrum of living from day-to-day just barely existing. But you know what? Life could be so much better, if only we learned to aim higher. The most common problem to setting goals is the word impossible. Most people get hung up thinking I can't do this. It's too hard. It's too impossible. No one can do this. However, if everyone thought that, there would be no inventions, no innovations, and no breakthroughs in human accomplishment. Remember that scientists were baffled when they took a look at the humble bumblebee. Theoretically, they said, it was impossible for the bumblebee to fly. Unfortunately for the bumble, bee no one has told it so. So fly it does. On the other hand, some people suffer from dreaming totally outrageous dreams and not acting on them. The result? Broken dreams, and tattered aspirations. If you limit yourself with self-doubt, and self-limiting assumptions, you will never be able to break past what you deem impossible. If you reach too far out into the sky without working towards your goal, you will find yourself clinging on to the impossible dream. If your advice financial planning facts are out-of-date, how will that affect your actions and decisions? Make certain you don't let important advice financial planning information slip by you. Try this exercise. Take a piece of paper and write down some goals in your life. Under one header, list down things ‘you know you can do’. Under another header, write the things ‘you might be able to do.’ And under one more, list the things that that are ‘impossible for you to do.’ Now look at all the headers strive every day to accomplish the goals that are under things ‘you know you can do’. Check them when you are able to accomplish them. As you slowly are able to check all of your goals under that heading, try accomplishing the goals under the other header-the one that reads ‘you might be able to do.’ As of the items you wrote under things I could do are accomplished, you can move the goals that are under things that are ‘impossible for you to do’ to the list of things ‘you might be able to do.’ As you iterate through this process, you will find out that the goals you thought were impossible become easier to accomplish. And the impossible begin to seem possible after all. You see, the technique here is not to limit your imagination. It is to aim high, and start working towards that goal little by little. However, it also is unwise to set a goal that is truly unrealistic. Those who just dream towards a goal without working hard end up disappointed and disillusioned. On the other hand, if you told someone a hundred years ago that it was possible for man to be on the moon, they would laugh at you. If you had told them that you could send mail from here to the other side of the world in a few seconds, they would say you were out of your mind. But, through sheer desire and perseverance, these impossible dreams are now realities. Thomas Edison once said that genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. Nothing could be truer. For one to accomplish his or her dreams, there has to be had work and discipline. But take note that that 1% has to be a think -big dream, and not some easily accomplished one. Ask any gym rat and he or she will tell you that there can be no gains unless you are put out of your comfort zone. Remember the saying, “No pain, no gain”? That is as true as it can be. So dream on, friend! Don’t get caught up with your perceived limitations. Think big and work hard to attain those dreams. As you step up the ladder of progress, you will just about find out that the impossible has just become a little bit more possible. There's a lot to understand about advice on other stuff, including financial planning. We were able to provide you with some of the facts above, but there is still plenty more to write about in subsequent articles.
Andrew Chan has extensive years of experience in the training and life insurance industry. Visit http://learning-focus.com for more info.
What Jay Abraham And Napoleon Hill Taught Me About 'Wealth Attraction'
This article is a little different from some of the previous ones I?ve written about success principles.
Let?s go back to when I was first starting out as an entrepreneur. In fact, I wasn?t even an entrepreneur yet. I was trying to become one.
I?d been listening to tapes of Napoleon Hill?s ?Your Right To Be Rich? seminar?over and over and over. I listened day and night.
As soon as I opened my eyes in the morning? Napoleon Hill.
During the day? Napoleon Hill.
While I slept? Napoleon Hill!
It didn?t matter to me that I?d listened to it 5?10?20 times in a row. And this wasn?t a 1-hour CD either. It was 14 hours of only Napoleon Hill!
Imagine what that?s like: wanting to succeed so badly that you?d be willing to listen to the same talk every day until you made a difference.
Amazing.
I completely saturated my consciousness with Dr. Hill?s message.
After a few weeks, I reached a state where I no longer needed a motivational shot in the arm; I now had within me an overwhelming desire to take ACTION.
Only there was a problem:
I had a ROADBLOCK in my life.
My roadblock was that I had this wealth of information around me; tons of personal development books, cds and tape sets?yet I didn?t know exactly what I should be doing.
I was motivated to take action but I had no idea what action to take.
I didn?t know how to convert ideas into dollars.
I was stuck.
I remember sitting at my desk, looking at all these titles by Anthony Robbins, Brian Tracy, Mark Victor Hansen, Harv Eker, Robert Allen and so many others. This wealth of knowledge and wisdom surrounded me and I didn?t have a clue what to do with it all.
All I could do was ask out loud?WHAT DO I DO? WHAT DO I DO NEXT?
Let me tell you: when you ask the right questions, you?ll get the right answers.
The next thing I did was I pulled out a tape set by Jay Abraham called ?Your Secret Wealth? and started listening to it..
On the tapes, Jay spoke about ?Seeing Opportunities Around You?.
Opportunity is everywhere and there are SO MANY different ways to make money.
You just have to be able to recognize them.
So I started trying to ?see? opportunity. I looked for it everywhere I went.
What was the value of things around me?
And was I perceiving a greater or lesser value in them than other people?
Training my mind to perceive opportunity opened my awareness and I was then able to see opportunities where I never would have seen them before.
In fact, I went on to become a PowerSeller on eBay for 2 years because of this. And I didn?t even start out with any merchandise!
That said, what I?m going to share with you now is a simple technique you can implement immediately to make extra money for yourself.
However, this technique is so simple and easy to put into practice that there?s a good chance you will take it too lightly. That you?ll say, ?that?s not a big deal. I know that already.?
This would actually be a mistake on your part because then you won?t reap the rewards either.
Ok, are you ready for an exercise that is guaranteed to quickly and easily bring you more money in your life?
Here?s what you do:
Up to 15 times each day, I want you to ask (out loud): ?How Can I Make Money??
That?s it.
Don?t ask 15 times in a row like you had to when you were caught chewing gum in school.
Ask once at a time, throughout the day, with all your attention and with sincerity:
?How Can I Make Money??
Then Listen.
Listen, because the answer will come to you.
And so will the money!
Have a Great Day and Let?s Make This Your Year!
Keith Matthew
Our ?Limitless Wealth Attraction? CD provides a 4-step process for attracting as much wealth as you need. We've included some valuable bonuses and even made it very affordable. Get It Here: Limitless Wealth Attraction CD.
Finding The Gift In Every Situation
When life places obstacles in our path, when things seem like they're breaking down and we grow weary of the struggle, it's a good time to step back and look for the gift. What gift, you say?
Every situation and experience in life holds a gift, lesson or blessing for us. Yes, even the really painful experiences, like the loss of a loved one, an automobile accident, or natural disaster. There is a gift there, if we look for it.
To find the gift, we simply have to ask ourselves, "What positive lesson can I learn from this? How can this situation benefit me? What wisdom can I gain from this experience? What makes this situation worthwhile to experience in my life?" We can learn from anything in our lives, from a snag in our pantyhose to a migraine headache. We can learn from our disappointments, our heartaches, and our joy.
We can do this with any situation too, not just negative ones. Where is the gift in a boring Sunday afternoon, a crying infant or a gray, rainy wedding day? All we need to do is choose to see the positive side of the situation. The gift of a boring Sunday afternoon might be expressing gratitude for having some free time to express our creativity or enjoy a good book. A crying infant can teach us patience, compassion and nuturing. A rainy wedding day can help us understand what really matters, the celebration of love and meaningful connections with our friends and family.
Of course, when truly wonderful things happen to us, we don't need to really look for the gift then, do we? We already know what it is. During the happier moments of our lives, we can further honor this positive energy by expressing our deepest gratitude and joy. Rather than just feeling glad about our good fortune, we can purposely focus our thoughts on massive amounts of joy and gratitude, and consciously immerse ourselves in happiness. We can shout our thanks to the heavens and affirm that we welcome even more blessings in our lives.
Choosing to focus on the positive side doesn't mean living our lives in denial. It doesn't mean refusing to acknowledge the negative or mundane aspects of our lives. It means we see them, we accept them, and then we look beyond them rather than getting mired in negative thoughts and letting them affect the rest of our day.
Looking for the gift means choosing to lift our thoughts higher than our struggles. It removes us from our victim status and empowers us. No matter what happens in our lives, we have the ability to choose our attitude and our mindset. We can choose to focus on happiness, joy, love and gratitude, or we can stay mired in unhappiness and struggle.
Focusing on the gifts and blessings in our lives won't make all of our problems vanish overnight, or at all. But it reduces their importance and helps them to fade into the background a bit. We create in our lives what we focus on the most. By choosing to focus on the positive, we attract more positive energy into our lives.
Stop for a moment and look at your surroundings right now. What gifts or lessons are available to you in your current circumstances? And will you choose to embrace them and fully benefit from them?
Wendy Betterini is a freelance writer who strives to motivate, uplift, and inspire you to make your dreams a reality. Visit her website, http://www.WingsForTheHeart.com for more positive thoughts to help you on your journey.
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