Games to play for the new year, new month

Affirmations are one of my favorite things to do, so I am always up for a new way to play the affirmation game.

I read of one person on Good Vibe Blog that does a new moon wish list. It's just basically a list of things she wanted to manifest over the next month. Here's how it works.

On the new moon, write out a short list of things you want to manifest over the next month. Put down whatever you want. I like to look at my "big" dream list, the one my husband and I created together, and pick
out a few things.

Some things to remember - we don't hold an attachment to the outcome of those things. These are things we'd just like to see happen but if they happen this month or next month, it's okay. The game just helps us focus a little bit and maybe notice a bit more of what is happening around us, what we are manifesting around
us.

The next game I read about in Abraham Hicks' book Ask and it is Given.

At the end of the year write a letter to yourself. Date it for one year from today. Write the letter talking about all the wonderful things that have happened and write them as if they have already happened. Seal it up and address it to yourself. Put it in a safe place where it won't be lost.

In December of next year, mail the letter to yourself. Don't open it and save a stamp. There's just something about recieving the letter in the mailbox. You'll be ready to open that letter and there will be this wonderful feeling of anticipation around it. Open it and read it. And you will see what has happened in your life over the past year. You'll see things that have manifested that you forgot you even asked for.

Alternative to this game - use the website Futureme.org.  You can write yourself an email and it will be delivered to you on the day that you choose. Be sure to use an email address that you'll be checking in a year. I've already written my letter out longhand, but I'll be using the electronic version next year.

These are two wonderful manifesting games you can play, right here, right now, as we head into a new month and a new year. It's the perfect time to start building your new life.

Have a Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all!

Remember to look to this season as one of hope, one of change. Know that the One who came to save us also came to give us life and to give it more abundantly. I truly believe that with all my heart.

Wishing you and yours blessings for the season and a promise of a wonderful, beautiful, abundant, affluent and creative life.

Bama Girl and family

When things don't seem to be happening

Sometimes it seems as though LOA isn't working. Maybe some small things are working, but the big ones, they seem to be staying out of reach. We don't know why. Is there anything we can do?

We feel we have to do something, we need to make that manifestation appear. But in reality we cannot do anything. We have to do what we can, then stop and let go. I know that's easier said than done.

At the time I'm writing this we're still waiting for my husband's final paycheck from November. His direct deposit wasn't input on time for payday and they mailed a paper check. Every day we are checking the mailbox. No check. Every day we talked about what we were going to do with the money. Pay our bills, buy groceries. But no check.

So we check our feelings about not having the check. We're frustrated, we're angry at the company, at the post office. We name the feelings and let them out.

We are thankful for what is happening. I get three checks this month, so we were able to pay the final bills for November. We had food in the cabinets. We had enough gas money to get back and forth to work. We are noticing what is happening and what is working.

We played the "wouldn't it be nice if..." game.

We had a fun Saturday at a friend's wedding, even though it was an hour away and we had discussed issues with gas for this week

We visualized getting the check in the mailbox, how happy and relieved we would be when it came.

But still no check. And now payroll is saying a new check should be in by Thursday. So we're waiting and we're letting it go. There is nothing more we can do.

But I believe that even though it looks like nothing is happening, it is. Something is happening. It may be something we cannot see yet. But down the road, we will find out why this happened. And even though we
didn't have the money in November when it was planned, it will come when it's meant to be here. And in the meantime, all our needs have been provided. We have food, we have gas, the bills are paid.

To help us continue to be thankful and grateful, we are reading these verses and affirmations: 

Heb 13:5: Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."

Phil 4:19: And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

Eph 6:13b ...and after you have done everything, to stand.


Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forward -- Kierkegaard

Something's Coming - Westside Story

It's only just out of reach,
Down the block, on a beach,
Under a tree.
I got a feeling there's a miracle due,
Gonna come true,
Coming to me!

So keep holding on. Keep waiting. Stay strong. Believe, with no doubt, something is working. Something is happening. Look for the clues. Look for what is happening in your life, what is manifesting. You may find it's closer than you think.

Abundant or Affluent

I listened to a money coaching call from Karin Title the other day, part of the Divine Entrepreneurial Diva Telesummit hosted by Carrie at Deeper Waters Coaching.

One of the distinctions that Karin was making was moving out of abundance and into affluence. That was confusing to me. After all, isn't my affirmation "Enjoying a wonderful, beautiful, abundant and creative life through principles of positive thinking and the Law of Attraction" ? Don't I want to live an abundant life?

So I decided to really break it down and see what those two words mean. What do they mean to me, and what do they REALLY mean. And is there a difference.

Abundant - I am blessed, I am overflowing, I have a full and rich life with money and time and family and everything that gives me peace.

Affluent - Wealth, someone who is influential, a leader.

I have never seen myself as affluent based on my definition above. It's been difficult enough seeing myself as abundant. Of course, I don't only associate abundance with money, although that is a large part of it. Part of having a rich and full life is having enough money to be able to follow dreams, to pursue passions, to travel and experience the world. Living life in everything - that is abundant to me. Regarding money, however, abundant meant enough. It meant not having to worry about my money, to release that attachment, fear and
anxiety I've had for so long.

Now that I defined the words for myself, I decided to see what Webster's had to say.

Abundant - very plentiful, more than sufficient, ample, well supplied, rich, plentiful.

Affluent - flowing freely, plentiful, abundant, wealthy, prosperous, opulence, great plenty, rich, a flowing toward, influx.

Wow.

I thought I knew what the words meant. I thought I knew what I wanted. And I do want that abundant, full life - rich in experiences and opportunities, friends and family, more than sufficient money and time. But doesn't affluent do all of that? All of that -- and more?

Book - The Spell of Rosette

I am enthralled with the book, The Spell of Rosette: Book One, Quantum Enchantment, written by Kim Falconer.

Written from a fantasy adventure perspective, the story is unlike any I've ever read before and I have read a lot of fantasy adventure, including Margaret Wise and Tracy Hickman and RA Salvatore. But what I enjoy about this book is that it weaves in Law of Attraction, magic, astrology, technology -- and shows how these characters live it out in their everyday lives. From something as simple as gratitude - being thankful for being home after a long day. Or trusting that a person they need to see or something they want will come to them when needed.

I am enjoying this book immensely and cannot wait to read the rest of the series. It held my interest and now there are some more things that I am wanting to learn about. I thought it interesting that she included a reading list in the back of the book. There was a slight twist that I wasn't expecting and the last few chapters seemed to move very fast, the heroes completing their mission with a fight but it seemed it was a very easy fight. Compared to the length and detail of the first section of the book, it just seemed to move very fast to me and I felt it needed to slow down a little more.

I'll be ordering the next book, Arrows of Time, next.

__________________________________________

*disclaimer - I bought the book on Amazon to read for myself. I was not paid for this review. However, if you purchase the book through my link above to Amazon I will receive a commission.*

Law of Attraction Awareness

My husband and I had been invited to a wedding of a friend of his from a former job. We were sitting at the reception, talking with each other, waiting for the bride and groom to arrive. He mentioned wanting some barbecue, maybe some Brunswick stew, and I mentioned that our son had said something about getting some Brunswick stew from the grocery store deli where he worked. He mentioned a specific barbecue restaurant, Country's BBQ, and I said, well, why don't we go to dinner there tonight? He agreed.

We enjoyed the wedding reception and got to meet more of his friend's family. The friend - the groom - asked my husband if he wanted to hang around a bit and maybe go out to dinner that night since he didn't get a lot to eat at the reception. I asked my husband, are you sure? I know this is a second marriage for them, but the kids are going to be gone tonight and I would think they'd want to be alone for a while. He'd better run this by his wife.

To my surprise she agreed, and we helped them carry some gifts back to their house. Once the kids were dropped off we headed out to eat - at Country's BBQ. So he got his barbecue chicken and stew, we got some takeout for our son, and the bride and groom paid for our dinner.

_____________________________________________

Our son has a job at a local grocery store. One of his duties is running the carts back into the store from the parking lot. He and his co-workers are allowed to wear their iPods while outside on the lot. My husband and I felt that was dangerous and told our son so. We felt it was a safety hazard with cars zipping in and out and sometimes people not paying close attention. He said it was boring on the lot and he always kept the music low enough to hear what was around him and he always looked where he was going. We weren't happy about it, but we still didn't like it. My husband expressed a desire that he not be allowed to wear the headphones while on the parking lot.

Our son came home the other day and told me that he was written up that day. He was on the lot, listening to his music, pushing the carts, and even though he'd looked FOUR times (he made sure to tell me that) this lady came from nowhere in the lot. She apparently complained, saying that he had run out in front of her. So now he is not allowed to wear his headphones on the lot.

Our son isn't very happy, but we are. And we're glad he's safe.

Green Lantern - Law of Attraction in Hollywood

I finally got to see Green Lantern on DVD over Thanksgiving weekend.

The first thing I noticed about the movie was the description of the ring's power. It works through the force of will. Whatever you can imagine, you can create.

Granted, it seemed as if everything that was created disappeared in a wisp of green smoke when it wasn't needed any longer, but Hal did create a necklace for his girlfriend that appeared to become permanent.

What impressed me the most, though, was near the end of the movie when Hal is fighting the monster Paralax.

Parallax is fear. He destroys people who are afraid and lives off their fear energy. He is taunting Hal, telling him that he will lose, telling him that he will destroy Earth and everything on it. Hal is holding him back with a green shield, his eyes shut tight, and as Parallax continues to taunt him he begins to recite the Green Lantern oath:

"In brightest day, in blackest night,
No evil shall escape my sight.
Let those who worship evil's might,
Beware my power, Green Lantern's light!"


This oath was like a mantra or affirmation to Hal. He recited it when fear was right on top of him, telling him that everything was lost, nothing was going to survive, and there was nothing he could do about it.

Repeating this oath reminded Hal of his powers as Green Lantern. Even though he was new to the Corps, he knew what he was capable of -- both as himself, a daredevil test pilot, and as Green Lantern. And it was in reciting that oath and remembering his own power that he was able to rise up and find a way to defeat Parallax.

This is also true of us as we remember our own power in our lives. When fear is right on top of you, telling you that the life you want is never going to happen, that is when you can gain strength to carry on. That is when you recite your affirmations. That is when you notice your talismans. That is when you re-read a book that helped you in the past.

When I am feeling fear or doubt or worry, this is my affirmation:

I am a worthwhile, loveable, successful person because God created me in his perfect image.

Find your oath. Find your affirmation. Know it by heart. Let it help you defeat the fear in your life.



 

Letting go of a bad mood

Yes, even in Law of Attraction world there will be bad moods. We are human. We cannot escape completely from emotion. After all, our vibration and our manifesting depends on our emotion, our feelings. But holding on to a bad feeling doesn't help us down the road.

As I am in this process right now - what better time to blog about it, right? - these are the steps I'm taking to release the mood.

1. Admit and allow my feelings. Too many times people following LOA will get into a positive thinking mindset and will try to squash any type of bad feeling that comes up. In my opinion, that's a mistake
because it will eventually rear its head again, usually causing things to be much worse. So admit your feelings and allow them.

To do that, I am trying to name my feelings.

Right now, I am frustrated that I could not find my office keys this morning. I am upset knowing that my supervisor is upset with me - I didn't call her - and I'm fairly sure this will be another note in the "secret" file she has in her desk (Yes, I know about the file. No, I did not find it deliberately).

I am angry with my husband because he got frustrated with me for misplacing the keys and he's now bringing up other things he's frustrated with me for. This further angers me because he's bringing up things not related to the main issue - the lost keys.

I am feeling anger, frustration, resentment.

Can I do anything about it?

2. I need to move up the emotional ladder. I've already named my feelings, so I am clarifying what I want -

I want to feel better as I go through the day.
I want to find my keys.
I want issues with my supervisor to be out in the open.
I want issues with my husband to be resolved.

I have named my feelings and allowed myself to experience them. I've been experiencing them pretty much all morning, in fact. And now I'm tired of it. So it's time to stop. I know it's difficult to just stop having a bad feeling, so here is what I did.

3. Inspired Action - This is whatever you can do to pivot your feelings and feel better. You're not looking to jump from the bottom of the emotional scale to the top. You're looking to just feel better. A bit of ho-oponopono helps out with feelings with my husband. This is an Hawaiian mantra that can be repeated, asking for forgiveness.

I LOVE YOU
I AM SORRY
PLEASE FORGIVE ME
THANK YOU

I set a couple of intentions.

I intend that my keys will be found tonight.
I intend that the file J has will be brought out and past issues will be resolved soon, in a meeting with a third party.
I intend that any future issues will be handled immediately, without any need for a "secret" file to be kept.
I did a blessings check - what am I thankful for?

4. Release the feelings. Now that I've said the intentions and offered an apology, it's time to let it go. Releasing can be something as making a decision to choose to feel better. It can be doing a couple of yoga moves, such as a sun salutation. It can be as simple as taking a couple of deep breaths. It can be prepaving the next segment of your day. It can be taking a break, getting away from the situation for a moment.

And yes, I am feeling better. And I intend that the rest of my day will go well.

*Note* The keys were found that night in the jacket pocket I had worn the Friday before.

Pray Rain Journal Updates

I am loving the pray rain journals. I have one for work, one for family and one for my writing.

I have seen a lot happen regarding the family journals. I write about how my husband has a first shift shift job now and we're together to eat dinner every night. We watch movies, play games and just talk to each other.

Well, for the past two weeks, he's had to work first shift two or three days out of each week to fill in for a co-worker that's having surgery. It's been an adjustment for us, having him at home in the evenings, but it's been wonderful. And we have sat around the dinner table, enjoying each other and talking. We used to eat dinner watching something on Netflix, but with our new house and a dining room, we have decided that whenever we're together we eat at the table. It's been a wonderful change.

I also wrote about my son getting more hours at work. He's only been working maybe two days a week. He had his eye on a coat he's wanted for a long time and finally had enough money to get it, but wasn't sure if he should because he was concerned about how much money he'd make this month. I did some exercises with him and he obviously wanted the coat, so I encouraged him to buy it. He did, and when he got his schedule he was surprised to find he'd been scheduled for 22 hours. And a manager had said he'd been trying to call him to offer him more hours, but couldn't get him on our house line. So the extra hours had been there all along. There was just a block. But that has been removed now and I'm continuing to write that he will get at least 20
hours a week.

Nothing new has manifested in response to my writing journal, but I know things are happening behind the scenes. I have a short story being published soon in an anthology, I submitted another one to a magazine and I have a couple more I'm working on. I'm happy and optimistic about all of my projects and I'm continuing to write in the journal. There's plenty of paper left still to see my manifestations come to life.

My work journal has typically dealt with people at work and some of the processes that I don't enjoy. Well, those processes have almost taken care of themselves. The phone calls I don't enjoy making -- well, people are calling me now. There are a few holdouts, it seems, and maybe their intention of NOT taking the training classes are overshadowing my intention that they will call to schedule. But I'm starting to write that specific people will call me and I write out what I want their response to be. For example, for someone who hasn't
done their training in some time and keeps avoiding me I will write:

Sally Jo even came by the office and scheduled her training with me today. It was a surprise and a thrill to scratch her off my training list.

Or I'll write:
Sally Jo, the one who hasn't done her training in two months, put in a notice today. She's no longer working here, so I've crossed her off my training list.

We'll see how that goes for November. I'll either get a lot of phone calls from people to schedule their training or we'll get a lot of people quitting. Either way, it works for me.

I highly recommend the pray rain journal exercise. It really helps you see the possibilities all around you. Things will begin to happen.

More LOA awareness

I had told my husband of how I intended each day to go, the affirmations that I've said. I've told my son this too, but he's not sure about it all at this point. At 17, he most likely thinks this is all very strange and weird anyway.

So yesterday my husband told me about how he had prepaved his day. He works security and typically works second shift, but yesterday worked first shift to fill in for a co-worker. He doesn't particularly like
first shift. Typically things always tend to go wrong. But he prepaved his day for this shift.

He'd intended that nothing was going to go wrong, he would be able to sit at the desk and complete his paperwork and training and he wouldn't have to leave the desk unless he wanted to. And to top it off, the Chai tea would flow freely :)

So when he picked me up at work he described to me the perfect day he'd had. He'd gotten most of his training done, his paperwork done, nothing at all had gone wrong in the building, he got free breakfast
AND lunch AND one of the managers made a Starbucks run and brought him back a Chai tea - that the company paid for. I'd have to say that's a pretty good prepaved day.

Finding Our House

Two years ago me, my husband and our son decided to start over again. We had filed for bankruptcy, we voluntarily gave up our house and we decided to move an hour and a half away from our hometown. It was to
be a new beginning.

I remember well the first trip we took to the mid-size town that would be our home. We got lost looking for the big shopping center and ended up in a much nicer area of town, the historic district. We drove through the tree lined streets and enjoyed seeing the large Victorian houses, the smaller brick homes, the large mini-estates. I remember making a comment to my husband --

Maybe we could rent one of the apartments in one of these Victorian homes and actually live in the historic district.

We've always loved old things. They bring back memories of being with our grandparents and great-grandparents. We have owned family homes in the past, selling one and then giving one up. We knew that we did not take care of them the way we should have and we often wished we could have another chance to care for a beautiful home, a home with character.

That was not where we lived for the first two years. We found a smaller house outside of town. It was rural and quiet, which we also liked. But it was soon apparent that we needed more room. We also had a lot to learn. And a year ago was when the lessons truly began - when we made a decision to choose us over our pets and made the hard decision to let most of them go. When we decided to truly discover what made us happy and what we wanted out of life. Then coming back together, choosing to be together. It was a difficult year, but a year of renewal and transition.

So we found ourselves needing a bit more space. Since our lease was coming up I started looking for a new house. Since discovering the law of attraction, we made a list of things we wanted in a house, including the rental price. We did find some land with a mobile home that was for sale. That sidetracked us for a while, but it was soon apparent that we were not able to get it at that moment. It did leave us hopeful for the future, but that is another story :)

So while looking for houses I checked real estate websites. The realtors here do a lot of property management. I checked a website late one night and found three homes they were offering - two duplexes
and one brick home, in the historic district of town. The brick house was the most expensive, about $25 more than we had been affirming, but still less expensive than the rent our current landlord wanted to charge us if we'd stayed.

We went to see each location. The duplexes first, and they were an automatic no from the guys. Then we drove up to the house, and it was a yes.

It's a beautiful, brick home built in the early 1900s, with wood floors and a beautiful den and dining room. It's only one bath, but we haven't minded. We're using the den as a computer room / library. We're enjoying the space we have as well. We're not as cramped as we were in our previous rental. The house reminds us so much of the family homes we've owned in the past. We're looking forward to taking care of the yard, planting a garden in the spring, truly having our new start there.

We had a ton of kids on Halloween, running out of candy by 6:30. We had fun, all of us sitting out in the front yard handing out candy, talking to all the kids that came by. Christmas is coming, and the historic district offers a walking and driving tour around ten blocks. Of course, our house is one of the first on the route, and we're looking forward to participating. There is a church just two blocks down the street that we've begun attending. They have the most beautiful carillon bells. It is so peaceful to come home in the evening and just lean against the car and listen to the bells play.

While we may not have been able to find an apartment in a large Victorian home, we have found a perfect rental. It was not everything we affirmed that we wanted, but in truth it was what our hearts wanted. It has a character that we love. It did not take us long to feel at home there. Not once have I accidentally started driving the old way home out of habit.

We weren't sure about living in town at first. We love living in a rural area and having a bit more room around us. But the neighborhood is quiet and peaceful. For right now it's where we need to be, where we want to be.

We still want to buy a house one day, but we're not set on it being in the county now. We've even found a house down the street we love. But I've also found myself wondering what I would do to fix up our current
house if it was really and truly ours. We even found a loft in the middle of downtown -- selling for $300,000 <shocked>! And yes, we kept the flyer, even though we know in reality that we could not buy it.

But we know about the law of attraction. We know that this is a world of AND, not OR. We know we can have whatever we want. So we are going to use this time to decide what we want. Country or town? Big or
small? House or loft? Yard or no yard? We can create whatever we choose. Who knows what the future will bring? We're going to start a vision board on houses soon. It's going to be a fun project.

Pray for the trees

I have been feeling a very strong urge to pray for these trees in Auburn, Alabama. They were poisoned by a rival college's fan.

http://ocm.auburn.edu/news/oaks.html

I'm not a sports fan in any way, shape or form, but the maliciousness of this act hurts me. But I believe, without a doubt, that they can be healed. Please join me in praying for the trees, in whatever way you feel led, so that their beauty can continue to grace Toomer's Corner.

Is it your button to push?

When I started my job I wanted to please everyone. I tried very hard not to make mistakes and to do well. However, I apparently stepped on some toes with the training director. I had been starting the training videos for the new employees. My justification was the training director was often late, sometimes as much as an hour. So why should everyone wait on her to get there when they could be watching the video and starting on the test?

Well, her response was, "I got it." So I said fine. I then decided to do my part of the job, which was providing the training materials. If she was an hour late, it could no longer be my problem. It was hard for me to accept that, though. I didn't see the big deal. I mean, it was just pushing a button. But then my counselor asked me something - "Is it your button to push?"

How many of us keep thinking that we have to do everything? We have to keep up with a job, kids, housework, paying bills. But do we have to? Is everything truly "our button to push?"

Part of taking care of ourselves and finding our feel good is accepting that there are things we do well and things we most likely need to automate or let someone else take over. I have decided to do just that.

As much as possible, all finances will be automated. Within six months I'm planning that I will only need a cursory look to be sure things are on track. I'm splitting housework with my husband and son. We're all doing a share, not just me. We are also splitting up cooking dinner and arranging for at least one night to be a takeout night. I am using my crockpot more as well. Within the next year, I also plan to have a housekeeping service come in at least once a month, building it to twice monthly, and possibly having someone to do yard work next spring and summer.

Take care of yourself as much as possible and delegate what you can. Do what you do best and let other people push their own buttons.

Loving Glee

Glee is one of my favorite shows on TV right now. Even with issues being faced by the students, I love the music. I love how it makes me feel. And they always seem to have such wonderful, positive songs on the show. They seem to be on a Broadway binge this season, so I've been able to hear songs I've never heard before. My favorite is now Something's Coming from West Side Story:



And I Am the Greatest Star from Funny Girl:



I love listening to positive music. It really gets my day started off right.

Segment Intending, prepaving your day

I have been trying to prepave or do segment intending for some time. I don't always do it the way I feel I should. According to The Law of Attraction by Abraham Hicks segment intending is making affirmations or intentions throughout your day. For example, getting ready for work is a segment. Leaving for work and driving is a segment. Getting to work is a segment. Answering a phone call & ending a phone call is a segment. Lunch is a segment. Leaving work is a segment. Getting started on dinner for your family is a segment. Going to bed is a segment.

Well, I don't have the time or energy or even the memory to segment each time. And I have yet to figure out how to segment a phone call when I don't know one is about to come in. But I have done segment intending
on a smaller scale and I always try to prepave my day. On days I forget, it seems more things go wrong. I start the prepaving the night before. I use this affirmation:

I intend to sleep well and rest well. I will wake on time, feeling refreshed. If I have any dreams, I will remember what I need to remember from those dreams when I wake. Thank you for a restful sleep.

In the morning while getting ready for work, usually in the shower, I will begin to segment my day. Sometimes I don't do this until I actually get to work, but I like to start early.

Affirmation:
I intend to have a good day. It will be steadily busy. I will have plenty of projects to complete. I will be surrounded by people with good attitudes. I intend that J (supervisor) will do her work and allow me to do my work. The day will pass quickly and I will feel a sense of accomplishment about the work I have done.

I have put the part in about my supervisor because she tends to like to hang over my shoulder. Since I've started saying this, many things have happened at work that has helped the day go smoother.

• My supervisor has started leaving the office to work in other areas of the building.
• I stood my ground regarding a process that I was in charge of. She wanted it done a certain way and I held out that my way was easier and more efficient. Upon discussion with another supervisor whose work overlapped this process, my way was chosen. I did segment intend for this particular meeting to go in my favor.
• I have been given more responsibilities.
• The day goes by quickly. Sometimes the day is over before I realize it.
• Whenever I finished my typical assigned duties, there is always another project waiting to be done. Sometimes this happens within minutes of finishing my typical work load.

On days I forget to prepave or segment intend, it seems the days go slower. No new projects come up and I am trying to find things to do to fill my work day. I feel more tired as the day goes on, constantly getting coffee or wanting to eat junk food instead of drinking my water and eating the lunch I brought from home.
You may not be able to prepave or segment intend every minute of your day, but you can do affirmations each night and morning.

If you know a big meeting is coming up, an affirmation for it. Remember
to detail what you want the outcome to be in that meeting and any other particulars. Do this at least a few days ahead if possible. Segment intending can make a big difference in your day.

Positive Thinking and Attitude for LOA success

In a lot of my research and reading about The Law of Attraction it seems that many people immediately latch on to things like what can I get? How much money can I receive? What material goods can I latch onto? Can I win the lottery? Can I win a contest? Can I hit it big in Vegas?

But I never really thought of any of those things. And it seems that now as I'm starting to live the wonderful, beautiful, abundant and creative life that I want the less material things I desire.I believe this is because I studied positive thinking before law of attraction.

I didn't start out to do this on purpose. Reading The Love Dare and drastically changed me. I didn't do it, consciously, from a desire to win my husband back. I wanted to do it because I wanted to obey God. I believe I was told to read the book and I did not. So that was my first step to obedience. And even without my husband at home during that time, I learned a lot about myself and my attitude. I did not like the person I was. So my first step was to confess to God and admit to myself that I was not the kind and generous person I believed myself to be. I accepted my responsibility in how my life had turned out and in doing so found a way to healing. I had to forgive myself and accept, in faith, that I am a person of value. Knowing that God loves me, God is with me and that he loves me unconditionally was a strong part of that process. Knowing that even today is still a big part of me, even after discovering information about the law of attraction. Having material things and wealth just doesn't matter - not without love.

1 Corinthians 13

¹ If I speak in the tongues^[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. ² If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. ³ If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,^[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.  ⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
 ⁸ Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. ⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part, ¹⁰ but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. ¹¹ When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. ¹² For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
 ¹³ And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

(From Biblegateway.com)

Everything else is going to go away. But love will remain. No one is going to remember how much material things you had. But they will remember your kindness, your graciousness. They will remember what you did with your money. Were you a good steward of all you had been given?

But I would not even have this love, this feeling of peace, without starting my journey with The Love Dare and the positive thinking books I read. I knew that by healing my mind I could begin to heal my life. You cannot manifest change if it feels bad. And if you're coming from a place of greed or hate then you are going to continue manifesting those feelings.

That is why I believe many facets of the law of attraction have come easily. That is why my marriage has been able to heal. It's because all of this has been built on a foundation of positive change, positive love, and most important, faith. I had faith in God that He was there, he is here now, that he loved me and cared for me. Without that foundation I would not be who I am today.

I could have gone another path. I could have chosen to hate. I could have chosen to continue to be a victim. I could have sat at home crying and yelling and cursing my husband and the situation. I could have laid all the blame on him. But I didn't want to do that. I wanted to be a different person. I wanted to learn about myself. I didn't need to know why. I still don't. I just knew there were things to learn. And God is still teaching me those things today.

There are material things I want, things I desire. But more than riches, more than things, more than anything in the world, I want to live a wonderful, happy, abundant and creative life. And I want to live that life with people who are important to me. Thankfully, God has shown me how to do that by using the law of attraction and other universal laws that are in place. And I have been blessed.

Change your story

Everyone has a story. Usually it's about something that happened to you. You're the victim in the story. Someone did you wrong. Someone lied. Someone cheated you. Someone hurt you.

How many times have you told that story? Why do you want to share it? What are you getting out of it? There is always a personal reason that people tell a story. You may want sympathy or understanding. It may be the "one up" game. A friend tells you their story and you feel you have to top it. It goes like this:

"And that's what happened and I hate X and Y!"
"Well, that's nothing. This is what happened to me."

If you want to change your life and your attitudes, you have to change your story.

Refuse to tell it anymore. It's no longer a part of you. It's not going to define you anymore. You will no longer be a victim. Life will not happen TO you because you are going to make different things happen from now on.

A hard thing to accept is that what happens in life has been brought on by us. Our actions, our decisions, our attitudes -- all of that has brought you to the life you currently live. And that is hard to accept. But in accepting it, you can forgive yourself and come to love yourself again. It is very hard to actually forgive ourselves and love ourselves. It's actually easier to love another person and forgive another person than to do the same for ourselves.

That is why the backstory on this blog will be the ONLY time I'll be telling that story. Because that is not my story anymore. I am not a victim. I participate in my life. I create my life. No one does anything TO me. I attract people into my life that I want to be there. People to teach me something. People to care about me and for me to care about. You can do the same.

So stop telling your story. Don't even tell stories about bad customer service or travel delays or any other problem in your life. Don't give it energy. For example, if you have bad service at a restaurant and you tell your friends, your family, you post it on Facebook and Twitter and you keep bringing it up over and over again then you're not going to ever get good service at a restaurant. Stop the story. Change the energy.

Refuse to label yourself. Tell a new story. Talk about the great things in your life. Change your attitude to one of gratitude. As you tell a new story about the wonderful things in your life you will find that things will change. Good things will happen. By doing these things, you will find that no one will even bring up your past story because you will be a different person.

Affirmation:
I am a valuable, worthwhile, and special person.
I deserve to be loved and valued.
I attract positive, happy, energetic people to surround me.
I am thankful for my life, my job, my family, my pets -- continue as needed.

Now start living your new story. 

It's all going to be okay.

It is very hard when people you love are going through hard things. It's hard when you are going through the same things but trying to stay positive. It's hard to look for what feels good when so much is unknown and it seems as if things are out of control.

But as I learn more about LOA and deliberate creation I know that there truly is nothing out of my control. Maybe things don't go as planned. Maybe a water pipe bursts. Maybe a car accident. Maybe an unexpected medical diagnosis. But all of these things are still within our control because WE can control our reactions to them.

Are we going to sit and fume and worry and get upset or are we going to do what we can, and doing all, be still?

When someone we love and care about, whether they are a family member or dear friend, keeps wanting to stay in that place where they sit and fume and worry then we have to care for ourselves. There's nothing wrong with that. Sometimes we need to step away and do what feels good before we end up in that same funky space.

This is where you let them stay in their funk and you CHOOSE to leave that vibration. Do what you can for them, but there has to come a time when you step away, just for a moment, and CHOOSE to find your feel
good.

You are not responsible for another person's health and happiness. It doesn't mean leaving for good. It doesn't mean a divorce or never speaking to someone again or ending a friendship. It just means respecting your space. Find your feel good, get back into our alignment and know that everything is going to be okay.
No matter what the issue is -- It's going to be okay.

Believe that.

My perfect day

One of the exercises in Wishcraft is to write about your perfect day. I would really like to live out this day at least once, even if I can't get it all in exactly. I believe this is a good exercise in contrast, so that you know what you like versus what you don't. 

I wake up around 8:00 with my husband. We make the bed and I shower and dress first while he starts breakfast. He makes my favorite - waffles with sugar free syrup, yogurt, fruit and turkey bacon with orange juice. Our son gets up around 8:30 and we eat breakfast together. 

Around 9:00 our son cleans the kitchen and my husband gets his shower and dresses while I go to our game room / office to begin writing for the day. I work on a couple of fiction pieces first, then around 11:00 I meet with my husband to work on a story we're writing together. We work on that for an hour, then make lunch together. 

We eat a simple lunch and my husband and son head off to work. I walk the dog around the block, then make sure he and the cat have food and water. The housekeeper is coming in soon, so I don't have a lot to do that day for housework. I start some laundry, then go back to my desk for another two hours. I work on blog posts, do some editing of a story that's about to be published, check email, Facebook and Twitter. I take the dog for another walk when the housekeeper comes over. I check my mailbox when I come home and find a notice from my publisher. A royalty payment has been deposited to my checking account. 

After she leaves, I start supper in the crockpot and change into my gym clothes. I head to the gym for a spin class followed by weight lifting. I come home an hour and a half later to a good smelling dinner simmering in the crockpot. I shower and change into some comfortable clothes and wait on my son to get home for supper. I may watch something on TV, read a book or work on a craft. 

My son gets home from work first and we eat dinner and spend some time together. We clean up the kitchen together and have a nice conversation. I call my husband at work and we talk for a little while. He tells me he expects to leave on time. I make sure that his supper is wrapped up for him in the fridge. 

I start getting ready for bed around 10:30. I go over my schedule for the next couple of days. It looks full, but it's actually full of stuff I enjoy doing. I have a phone interview about a new book in the morning, I have a massage in the afternoon and I'll be taking a pottery class the next evening. In between, I'll be writing, cooking, caring for my home and spending time with my family. I set my alarm to make sure to wake me on time the next day. Even though I'm asleep when my husband comes home, he kisses me and holds me close to him when he gets into bed. I have good dreams through the night. 

And that would be my perfect day. 

What I got from Four Hour Work Week

The book was interesting and it did lead me to clarify some things about my life. It made me think about my time and what I'm good at, what I'd rather be doing. I don't think I'm going to get a VA from India, as that goes against my values. If I were to hire an assistant, which I most likely will do when I become a successful author, I will hire someone from the US, either a VA or a local person to work with directly.

But I have decided on a few things based on the book. Again, I have to remind myself it's not action that matters. It's how I feel about things.

First, I know it's time to stop my evening transcription service. I want to spend that time on my writing, time with my family and other interests. That feels right.

I also want to see what can be automated more so that I don't have to feel like I'm doing everything. Some ideas were:

Maid service twice a month. Look into cost and see about fitting into budget.
Setting up everything on automatic bill pay.
Taking turns with family members on making meals.
Preparing work clothes ahead of time. For example, hang up a week's
worth of outfits, with some options for weather available, in the
closet, ready to go. Have accessories and everything else needed on
hand as well.
Limit time spent on things like television, Facebook, etc.
Go to bed / get up earlier.
Leave 10 minutes earlier than needed for appointments.

While the book's main purpose seems to be to lead people to finding a way to earn money without a traditional job and travel all over the world, that is not a primary goal for me, although I do want to travel. My ultimate goal is to live a wonderful, beautiful, abundant and creative life. And I know that being able to cut some of the day to day stuff from my life will free me up to follow creative pursuits and spend time with people I love. And that feels right to me.

Choosing to Love

By now I've been remarried to my sweetheart for a week. And I am reminded daily of how much I am blessed, of how much I came close to losing.

I don't want to focus on the bad. I don't want to focus on who did what to whom or who was hurt more. There is no room in my life for blame anymore. All I can do is accept responsibility for myself. All I can do is keep my ears open for God's words and His leading. All I can do is be a better person, a better wife, a better mother. All I can do is my best.

So once again I will write out a list of things I am thankful for. I will always be thankful for my family. I will never take my husband or son for granted. I am thankful my parents are still living. I am thankful for my grandparents. I am thankful for the people that stood beside us and believed that love could overcome anything. And I am happy. I am very, very happy that God used this time in my life to show me that I don't need to be afraid. There is nothing to be afraid of because he is there, and no matter what happens in my life, he will be there. He will never leave me, he will never let me down. He is there, and no matter what, it will be okay.

Set aside a certain number of days, during which you shall be content with the scantiest and cheapest fare, with course and rough dress, saying to yourself the while: "Is this the condition that I feared?" -- Seneca

I have been through that dark time, when I thought all was lost. When my world crashed, when I felt no one could ever love me, when I couldn't love myself. And God brought me through. And he showed me there was nothing to fear. And as he helped me learn to love myself, as he showed me that He loved me and always would, that was how I was finally able to love another. And that is what I will do.

I choose to love.

How do I feel?

As I said I'm reading the 4 Hour Work Week. And I'm feeling excited and happy and positive, but I'm also feeling scared. And whenever I feel like this I know I need to back off a little bit. I'm trying to do things differently. And one thing that all LOA people / deliberate creators need to think about is this:

How do I feel.

It's feelings that go along with our creation. Our actions don't really matter. It's the feelings attached to the actions.

So I feel I need to slow down. I don't want to go full steam ahead and spend money and start the whole cycle that was a big part of ruining my marriage up again.

I like that the book is giving rules when it comes to our "muse", which Tim Ferriss calls a business. So I'm going to take the rules to heart and slow down. Nothing says I have to start right now. I also don't need to take my eye off my goal - to be a successful writer. Or my even bigger goal - to live a wonderful, beautiful,
creative life. One that I already feel I am living, even in the context of working at an entry level assistant position at 40 years old. So why change anything?

Because I don't want to work at an entry level assistant position for the next 27 years before I can retire. A big part of my wonderful, beautiful creative life includes having an income that I don't have to be concerned about.

So I'll finish the book. I'll do the research. I'll slow down. And I'll use prayer and faith and LOA to warn me if I'm heading too far off the path.

Moving up the emotional ladder - feel better

So when you're frustrated, angry, embarrassed, upset or any other number of negative emotions, what can you do in order to get the right energy flowing again?

It's not possible to jump from despair to joy, although I did jump up a lot the night I watched the Secret and made my gratitude list.

Here is Abraham Hicks' list of emotions from the book, Ask and It Is Given. You want to try to be at the top of the list as much as possible.

1. Joy/Appreciation/Empowered/Freedom/Love
2. Passion
3. Enthusiasm/Eagerness/Happiness
4. Positive Expectation/Belief
5. Optimism
6. Hopefulness
7. Contentment
8. Boredom
9. Pessimism
10. Frustration/Irritation/Impatience
11. Overwhelment
12. Disappointment
13. Doubt
14. Worry
15. Blame
16. Discouragement
17. Anger
18. Revenge
19. Hatred/Rage
20. Jealousy
21. Insecurity/Guilt/Unworthiness
22. Fear/Grief/Depression/Despair/Powerlessness

So right now I'm at about a 10, dealing with issues with a water leak and no one coming to fix it today, trying to get over bronchitis and still having a chronic cough, and I was embarrassed at the hair salon today due to the previously mentioned coughing which caused another embarrassing personal issue. So now I'm feeling frustrated that we have no water, no one came to fix the water as we were told they would, I'm still feeling sick despite taking medicine for a week and two trips to Urgent Care, and I'm feeling embarrassed because of what happened at the salon as well as thinking my new hair color looks silly on me. So how can I feel better?

I have named my feelings. Frustration, embarrassment, feeling silly. I name them and accept them. You should always accept your feelings and admit you have them. You will have feelings, good and bad. So don't be scared of negative emotions during your LOA journey. Accepting them will help you release them sooner.

Then I talk it out. I like to talk it out with God. It's nice to be alone in a car or in your house so no one thinks you're strange. If appropriate, I talk it out with my sweetheart or a friend. But I don't really want them to fix anything or join in a pity party or even do the one up game (You think you had a bad day? Let me tell you about mine!) So I like to talk things up with someone who will listen, let me vent, then say, "Let's watch a funny movie," or "Let's eat some ice cream," and not bring it up again.

So during my little talk with God, the following comes to me about each situation. We're working with the water issues and there's nothing that can be done any further at this point. We have water in plastic tubs, we have some clean dishes and laundry. Most likely we'll turn water on tomorrow to take a hot shower, then turn it off again. But I'm sure the leak will be fixed by Monday. So I'm allowing that I'm irritated, I've done what I can, so there's nothing else to worry about concerning the water.

The Urgent Care doctor said I was getting better, the meds are helping, my lungs are just inflamed from the coughing. So I just need to keep taking my cough medicine, do what I can to control the coughing, and stop thinking about it and giving it energy.

Just before I had the coughing fit at the hair salon, I'd just been thinking how much better I felt, how I hadn't been coughing that much, how much fun I was having there, getting my hair shampooed, cut and colored. Then the attack came, and the more I tried to stop it the worse it got. I coughed for maybe five minutes right in the middle of a busy salon.

So what? That's what I'm say. I will go back there but since it will most likely be about one or two months from now I doubt he'll really remember me. And the people that were there - I'll never see them again, they'll never see me again. So while it was embarrassing in the moment, there's no reason to hold on to that feeling. So I am releasing that feeling and remembering the good feelings. There is nothing like someone else shampooing your hair. Or the feeling of treating yourself. And remember - all money put into circulation is coming back to us tenfold, so don't worry about that. And I supported a local business, not a chain store.

And as far as feeling like the color looks silly, well, I'm sure that's being overshadowed by my feelings of embarrassment. My sweetheart likes it. And I'm sure after a few days it will grow on me and I won't feel that way. It's always difficult when you change something like hair color, especially when you make a dramatic change - I went from brown to blond. And if I don't like it after a while, well, hair grows and color can be changed.



So at this point I am saying what feels better? What feels good to do?

What felt better to me was eating some dinner with my sweetie, where he complimented my hair. I'm getting a Mary Kay makeover done tomorrow, so I'm looking forward to that. We're going to get our bedroom and living room organized tonight while watching a DVD, so that feels good.

So I'm going to do what feels good, release the other stuff, and get back in alignment. If it comes up again, I'll turn my mental train around, say "So what?" and move on to the next feel good thing.

I hope this can help you do the same.

4 Hour Work Week

I'm reading this book now and wow - the first exercise is scary. Scary when I look at the income needed, but he also makes you think. If not now, when?

Now I don't plan to quit my job in the next year, but he makes me think. And so now I have four things that I am going to work toward. A couple don't cost any money at all. Some costs money. But again - if not now, when?

So by the time you read this, I'll be setting money aside for a flat panel TV, working on getting two more short stories ready to submit to an e-publisher, setting money aside for an RV vacation (or possible full time or part time lifestyle) and making reservations at a fancy downtown restaurant for me and my husband for our *new* wedding anniversary.

Here's to experiencing life.

Gratitude changes attitude

I remember this very, very well. It was a Thursday night and I'd had a pretty bad day at work. How bad can a day go when you've only had a job for about three weeks? It was pretty bad. I was stressed, I hated that I had to go back the next day. I was alone in my house having a pity party.

That was the day I decided I wanted to read The Secret and see if I could find the DVD on Netflix to rent. I'd finished Think and Grow Rich and another positive thinking book. I was thrilled to find that The Secret movie was streaming on Netflix. So I made supper and sat down to watch while folding laundry.

The movie blew me away, seriously. I started taking notes. Then it got to the part about gratitude. How we needed to have gratitude in our lives, how we needed to be thankful for everything in our lives. And that was a major wake up call to me. I realized the language I'd already started using - Thank God tomorrow is Friday. I wish I didn't have to go back to work. I can't wait for the weekend. All of the negative language was there and it wasn't making my job very pleasant. And I realized - it's not work. It's not the job. It's not the people or the duties. It's me.

So I remembered what it felt like the day I got the job offer. I remembered the feelings I had, happy, excited, scared. I remembered doing the paperwork and I remembered my first day at the office. I thought about how quickly the day went by, how much I had learned. I thought about the money I was being paid, which was more than what I had asked for when I'd prayed about a full time job. And I immediately prayed for forgiveness.

I took a piece of paper and started making a list of everything I was grateful for. My family, my job, my health, a running car, a roof over my head, food to eat, money to pay the bills. Everything I could think of. And I could feel the stress from the day fade away.

When I went in to work the next day, I greeted my supervisor with a "Good morning," grabbed my coffee and got to work. I could feel the shift in energy there. And it was a good day.

Every time I get upset about work now I remember that feeling. While this job is not my end all - be all, something I've always wanted to do, I am thankful to have it. I look at that gratitude list and I remember all the things I do have in my life and how wonderful they all are. I watch my language as well. No more thank God it's Friday or Oh, God it's Monday. Remember that your words are powerful.

So the next time you're in a funk, check your gratitude. Make a list of all the things you're thankful for. And let gratitude shift your attitude.

Pray Rain Journal, LOA in dealing with others

It's hard to deal with other people, especially family. It's especially difficult when you're trying to be positive, let go of the past, forgive yourself and other people and others just won't seem to let you do that. I know that I can only control myself. I know that other people are setting up their own vibration, their own mindset. If they want to be negative, if they want to hold on to the past, then I understand that is them. But when it's your son, a person you love with all your heart, it's hard to find peace and understanding.

I have made mistakes as a mother. Every parent feels that way at some point in their life. But all I can do is say I'm sorry. I'm sorry, and I am letting it go.

In reading early posts from Good Vibe Blog - I'm in summer 2007 now - it was said to write down a limiting belief. Then write three reasons why it's not true. Since I'd fought with my son the night before, my belief was this:

I'm a bad mother.

But it's not true because:

I love my son.
I have done my best to care for him and provide for him.
I have always encouraged him and said I loved him.

I understand he's going through a hard time right now. I understand he has his own healing to do from our divorce and reconciliation, dealing with his own desires and dreams. But while understanding that I also need respect from him. So that is what I want from this - respect.

So, also based on Good Vibe Blog, I am going to do a few things differently. First, I am going to forgive myself yet again. I am a good mother who loves her son.

Next, I am in the process of writing a pray rain journal about the situation. Jeannette of Good Vibe Blog has written a book about it, you can get it here.

A pray rain journal is just a small journal that you write in once a day about a particular situation. I'm keeping one for work and one for my son. Every day, I'm writing a page and talking about my son as if what I desire has already happened. I'm writing about him showing respect, helping around the house, taking responsibility, being a happy young man again. By the end of the journal you are supposed to see a change in your circumstances and what you want is supposed to have happened or is very close to happening.

And finally my husband and I are going to script our talking about our son. Instead of venting to each other, for the next month we are only going to be speaking postives, talking about the behavior we want to see as if it's already happened.

I am trusting God that he will help us deal constructively with the problem and that he will intervene in whatever way is needed for our son to begin his own healing process. And I pray this will bring us closer as a family.

Wondeful LOA for Business call

I am so glad that Jeannette Maw does free calls as part of her Good Vibe U program. You can find the schedule here:

http://goodvibeblog.com/free-calls/

I can't attend them all, but I was lucky to find this one as part of her new section at Good Vibe U, LOA for Business. Merry Moola was the host for this call.

I got a lot out of the call, stuff that I knew deep down but it was good hearing someone else say similar things that I knew to be true.

Some things that she said that hit me:

Make a list of what having a successful business looks like. Even in doing that, though, it's not the words you use. It's the feeling behind them. Hold on to those beliefs.

Even though it appears that things aren't going your way, it doesn't necessarily mean that's the case.

Own your space - own your business space (To me, that means keep your identity as a business owner even though you may have to do something else right now to pay the bills. For example, I may work in an office now, but that is not me. I am a writer. I am a blogger. That is who I am, not an administrative assistant. Own that, and keep that part of you separate.)

Consider work that you do to pay the bills while building your business a temporary thing. Be clear inside yourself that it's not forever.

Make an intention on how your schedule will be and how it will work out. Create the environment you want for your business.

Let go of speedy. That is attachment. Let go of quickly and easily. She changed her words to happily and easily instead.

Practice if necessary. Practice sales calls, etc.

Affirmations:
Work is easy to find. 
It's all working out in perfect time.
I love my life.
I'm happier.
Things are fabulous and getting better.
I feel good.
I am happy to have so much time even with a successful business.
I have plenty of money.
I am healthy and happy and I feel really, really good.

You may have to do something to earn money to pay the bills, but that will change your attachment to the money. That will release the need for the money, for the business to grow. If it gives you relief from the money stress, that's good. If it gives you more stress, that's bad. So you have to do what feels good to you for your situation. Give up the need for clients, for money. A temporary job can help release that need.

Law of attraction will reflect back to you how you feel about something, how you feel about everything. If you feel stress in your work, then that's what you will get back. If you feel relief, that's what you will get back.

For my question, regarding my husband wanting to become a locksmith and start a business, these were her suggestions.

Take it slow. Look at the industry, look at different options. Get the training done. The longer you sit with an idea the longer the energy has to form around it. Wait and act when it's important to move forward, but go slowly. Build momentum. Talk to each other about how the business will look, who will do what. Practice some scripting, make a list of our ideal locksmith business. Get on the same page with that goal.

Then there was a question about where to start with LOA. She suggested Bob Doyle's Wealth Beyond Reason. 

She stated that we must believe that what we desire will happen. If we say something to ourself and end it with, yeah, she can say that but it's not true, then we need some belief work. We attract what we believe.

Merry's website is Law of Sales Attraction.  I know I'll be spending some time there.

Selling my first story

I have stated before that being a successful writer is my main purpose. That is how I ultimately want to make my living. I determined on this goal after reading Think and Grow Rich. When I read The Secret, however, I understood that I do not have to be tied to just one goal. Of course not. People want different things at different times. But for my livelihood and income, my goal is to be a successful writer.

After reading Connie Domino's Law of Attraction, I wrote an affirmation (or intention) for this year.

Thank you that I have earned $1,000 in writing income by August 31, 2012.

I started writing articles for Yahoo! Contributor Network (under my real name) and I'd written two stories under my pen name. One story did not sell. Two days after I wrote the other story, there was a call for submissions for a new anthology and I knew my new story would fit. This was in May. So I wrote the story at the end of April by inspiration. The first week of May I saw the call for submission for a theme that my story would fit into. See how Law of Attraction was kicking in even though I didn't really ask?

I did not hear back for months, so I was assuming it was a no. I decided to check my pen name's email one day and found an acceptance for my story - it was a week old. That email had actually been sent the day AFTER I wrote my affirmation in August. I just didn't check my email for almost two weeks.

I'm glad I checked it, because it was accepted if I could change the story somewhat. But she had to know soon. By the time I'd checked my email, I only had five days to respond.

I had no problem with changing the plot. The integrity of the story would be the same. I did the rewrite and sent it in the following day. Since then edits have been done and bios have been sent in. Contracts will be going out soon and the book should be published within the next two months.

Now this is not a big New York publisher. This is a small press that publishes erotic romance, which is what I primarily write under my pen name. The money is not great, but it's a step toward my goal of $1,000 this year and eventually $100,000 a year, with the amount increasing annually after that.

I believe this story sold other than the first one because it was inspired. I sat down to write and the words flew. I finished in less than three hours. In comparison, my first story was written due to seeing a call for submissions on a particular topic. While I still believe the story is good and I may do something with it myself later on, I felt that it was written too much like an assignment. Here's the topic, now turn something in. So my second story was much better to me because of the inspiration behind it. I wrote it just for the joy of writing.



I was recently inspired again the other day by a dream I had. I frequently have "story dreams". They're almost like watching a movie. So that is the inspiration for my next story. And I know that when it's ready there will be a desire for it as well. And so I will continue toward my goal of being a successful writer.

I have decided at this point that I will only write by inspiration. That doesn't mean I won't write daily on my work in progress. It means I won't write based on assignments. I won't write based on calls to submission. I will write what I am inspired to write and I will find a publisher who wants it or I will publish it myself. This feels right to me and I know that by doing this I will succeed.

Law of Attraction and money

I'm loving Jeanette's post on the new money math in regards to LOA. You can read it here:

http://goodvibeblog.com/2011/10/money-math-for-deliberate-creators/

Manifesting money is usually one of the first things people want to do when they discover LOA. They want to win a lottery or sell a book or get a raise or hit a jackpot at the casino. And yes, it is possible to manifest money, in both large and small amounts. And thanks to this post, when I paid bills the other day I stated this:

Thank you that money that I put into circulation is returned to me tenfold.

And I wrote that on my white board as well.

When I read Think and Grow Rich, my one true purpose that I wrote was to make a living with writing and earn $100,000 by 2016. I believe that I'm on the way to that figure and I believe that it is going to happen (sold my first short story a month ago). Reading other books, such as Connie Domino's Law of Attraction, has said to state a number and a deadline, which is what I did when reading Think and Grow Rich. Even in The Secret Jack Canfield (of Chicken Soup fame) talked about how he earned his first $100,000 using LOA techniques.

But now that I've seen LOA work in so many ways, I'm wondering if I'm limiting myself. Granted, $100,000 is a lot of money to me. But if I can manifest $200 to pay the bills or even $20 for gas in the car, am I limiting myself to $100,000? Why not $1 million? Why have a number at all? Do I need a number? I know God doesn't need a number. I think the number is more for me, more for my logical brain to be able to comprehend.

In reality, what I want is to live a comfortable life on a solely creative income. I want to be able to spend my days as I please, being creative, whether it's through writing or crafts or some other creative endeavor. But writing is my first love. It's what I've always wanted to do. So that is what I see as my main income and the other stuff will be just icing on my cake. The ability to live a beautiful, creative, enjoyable, abundant life is my true desire. So if that is my desire, then should I limit myself to $100,000 a year? Should I continue with that goal and then when it's reached just let the actual figure go?

I'm thinking I need to let go of an amount and let it happen. What do ya'll think? Is an amount needed for LOA? Or is an amount for us, for our brains to comprehend, and it's not needed at all?

Affirmations, tools, and LOA

Since reading Think and Grow Rich and other Napoleon Hill books, The Secret and Connie Domino's The Law of Attraction, I have used affirmations. But there was a point when I was reading The Good Vibe Blog that I asked myself, am I doing this LOA thing right? And just as quickly I realized, there is no right way. The Law of Attraction just is.

While I don't need an affirmation for something to happen, I do find it helpful - for me - because they help me to remember to speak in positive words instead of negative. Connie Domino's book was very helpful with that. One of her steps is thinking of negative things that are going to come up and turning them around into positive affirmations. And that has helped a lot. Whenever I begin to think about something and it turns negative I use her tips to turn my thinking around.

According to Think and Grow Rich, we're supposed to have one specific purpose to work towards. The book typically is written for those looking for a specific type of work or lifestyle. And I did choose my specific purpose as related to work. I want to make a living as a full time writer. And I focused on that for a while. I even have a goal statement written out and attached to a bulletin board. But while the book says to repeat that statement every day, I stopped doing that a while ago.

Why?

Because I've already put that request out there. I already know that is my dream. I don't have to request it again and again. And at this point in life I'm not going to forget it. So I will glance at that goal statement every now and again, and I will read it, and I will feel happy because I know it's coming true.

I did affirmations for our new house as well. I was reciting the affirmations multiple times a day and I felt wonderful, knowing that the new rental house was on its way. We did get sidetracked at one point as we thought about buying some land that came available, but that fell through. I believe it was for a reason and I'll elaborate more later. But I was affirming the house so often that I had a dream one night about finding a wonderful, beautiful house to rent in our price range. That dream, to me, was an answer, telling me that it was
on the way. And we got it sooner than I'd asked for as well. It's not exactly what I affirmed, but sometimes I believe that the essence of what we ask for is what is granted, not the actual item.

So the final word on affirmations is this - use them or not. If it feels like work, stop using them. The same goes for all types of tools and rituals some LOA coaches want you to do, such as vision boards or writing exercises. Do what feels good to you.

I have a white board in my computer room with ASK, BELIEVE, RECIEVE written at the top. As I think of things that I want in my life - not just physical things - I write on the board. And as I glance at the board and read what I've written I thank God for those things coming into my life.

One example is selling some land. We had some land attached to our previous house that was still in our name. It was only 2 acres and was landlocked. There was no use for anyone to have it except those who
bought our old property or the neighbors. We'd priced it at $5,000 to the person who bought our property and he said he'd get back with us.

Well, during the tornadoes that hit the south in April 2011 the house was damaged and the people didn't even know if they were going to stay or not. I told them that we would sell the property for $1000 if they decided to stay and still wanted it. I didn't hear anything for a month. I wrote this affirmation on the board:

Land sells by September 30, 2011.

I had a specific date because our lease was up in October and we needed the money for moving expenses in October.

The land sold and closed in mid August.

I don't believe that using the white board or any other type of manifesting tools are magical. I think that our words do have power, and for me, writing on the board was a way of clarifying what I wanted to happen. And that's all the tools are to me - a way to clarify. So, again, use affirmations or don't. Use a white board or don't. Use vision boards or don't. Use whatever feels good and right to you. The Law of Attraction is there and it will work. I'm sure that now that you're aware of it you can look back on your life and see times that
it worked and you hadn't done anything. I know that I can. Other times you may want to take inspired action and that is okay too. There is no one way, no "right" way to use the Law of Attraction. It just is.

Jimmy Buffet - living the dream

I am a fan of the Zac Brown band, especially because they typcially produce happy, fun music that makes me want to leave the world behind and live in a van (or RV) or head to the beach and sit in the sun. I have especially enjoyed one of the new songs featuring Jimmy Buffet.



Jimmy Buffet is best known for his music and his persona and music, the way I see it, of beach bum. He has this laid back air about him. To see him in person you would never realize that he's a very successful businessman, owning restaurants and at one point part of a baseball team. He's a writer and actor as well. But still you get the impression of a beach bum. Why?

Because I believe to him all this is not work. He's been able to make a living doing what he loves. And when you're able to earn money doing something you love, it's not work.

Living my perfect life - now

I realized something yesterday morning. I realized that I was living a beautiful and wonderful life. And I am. Yes, there are still dreams I have and things to do. But right now, at this moment, I am living my beautiful life.

This is something I told my sweetie when he asked about coming home. I've always seemed to find a Bible verse that speaks to me. For a long time, it was Hebrews 11:1. Now, though, the verse is from Joel.

Joel 2:25 - I will restore to you the years the locusts have eaten.

I discovered Joel when I read the book After the Locusts by Jan Coleman. The book did speak to me, and I believed without a doubt that if my husband and I were to reconcile that our next 20 years would be wonderful. It would be new life, a new beginning. I knew that God would restore those years to us. But I also knew that even if he had decided not to return that God was faithful. He promises that he will restore the years and I believed him. He told me I would be okay and I believed him. I told my ex husband that I did
want him to come home, that I was claiming that verse from Joel, and we would have a wonderful and beautiful life.

And I realized yesterday that I am living that life. There is no thought about that life being after we buy our land and build the house we always talked about. There is no thought about when I become a successful author. No thought about when I weigh x number of pounds or have long, sleeky, shiny hair. I have, right this moment, everything I've ever wanted and never appreciated.

I have the love of my life back with me.
I have my son, who is everything that was promised to me.
I have my parents, especially my mom, who is a great support and best
friend to me.
I still have my grandparents.
I have a job that pays well and had great benefits.
I sold my first short story and it will be published within the next month.
I live in a beautiful house in the historic district of town.

Yes, we are living that beautiful, wonderful life.

Law of Attraction Awareness

A few months ago my sweetie called after he got off work at 11pm to tell me about these large bugs that were everywhere. They seemed to be trying to fly but couldn't. They were huge, orange and black, and he'd never seen them before. They made a noise like crickets but were large enough to be locusts. He saved a dead one that was laying on his truck to show me. Neither of us had any idea what this bug might be. I'd planned to do an Internet search on the bug but it was late so I waited.

The next day I was getting coffee in the break room at work and noticed the newspaper on the table. I flipped through it and there was an article written by a local county extension agent about periodical cicadas. Apparently they'd gotten a lot of phone calls from people in the area wondering where all these large bugs came from. The description was exactly like the ones he'd found - orange and black with red eyes. They live underground and only surface to mate every 13-17 years. So he'd seen something special that night. I made sure to copy the article to give him later.

Today one of our managers came into the office to ask about an applicant she had interviewed last week. The name wasn't familiar, so the supervisor checked on applications that were still pending. While she did that, the phone rang - it was that very same applicant calling to check on the status of his application.

Last year my son and I wanted to go to Target on Black Friday to get a sandwich maker. They had them on sale on Friday only for $3. We got there early but the shelves were empty. But we still wanted a sandwich maker. About a month later I was at the thrift store and went browsing in the household items. Right there was a sandwich maker. I bought it for $2. Then my mother in law gave us one that she'd had for years and wasn't using, so we then had two!

We moved into a new rental and needed to do our own lawn care. We'd gotten rid of our old mower over two years ago and the previous rental house provided lawn care. So I asked a co-worker who lived nearby if we could borrow hers. She said yes and gave me directions to her house on Wednesday. Her phone started to ring and she said she'd get me her number by Friday. Friday came and we both forgot to exchange numbers. I also left the paper she'd given me with her address on it in my desk drawer. I could only remember a part of her address, her husband's name and the type of car she drove. I was able to verify the street name and get directions using the Internet, but I didn't get a phone number or house number. So sweetie and I started out Saturday morning to find her house. I was hoping there would be a name on the mailbox or the house or I would see her car. But nothing. So we meandered through the neighborhood, noticing houses that we liked, enjoyed finding a lake up the road with homes around it, and I said, well, A knows where we live. She'll realize I don't have her number and she'll come by our house. So we got home and I was preparing to leave for an errand when A and her husband drove up, not even five minutes later. She'd stopped by because she hadn't seen us yet at her house. I explained what happened and sweetie was able to follow them to the house and get the mower while I went out on my errand. 

The blog name

I thought it would be fun to show how the Law of Attraction has worked in other ways in my life. So I thought I would share how I came up with the name for this blog.

I'd been reading a lot of information about LOA and was having fun with it. I was doing a lot of little things and enjoying myself with it. I would play with finding a good parking spot, being able to get out into traffic easily, stopping the rain long enough to get inside. Yes, you can use the Law of Attraction for all of that stuff - and more.

One particular thing I did at the grocery store was notice at the end of my grocery list that I still needed ketchup. I was at the far end of the store, in the frozen food section, and I thought, "I need ketchup."
But I didn't want to walk to the middle of the store again. Well, I turned around the last aisle and right there at the frozen potatoes there was a display of ketchup.

So one day at work I'd had lunch and wanted something sweet. I was telling my sweetie via text that I wanted a cookie. We started talking about what kind of cookies we liked - chocolate chip, peanut butter, oatmeal raisin. We had fun with it. After work my son picked me up. He'd used the car that day to volunteer that day. When I got into the car he handed me a Little Debbie oatmeal cookie. The volunteer coordinator had given him a couple and he brought me and his dad one.

I started laughing and told him about the texts I'd shared with his dad earlier about wanting a cookie. I told my sweetie that I had manifested cookies for us.

Many things have happened in my life similar to the ketchup and cookie incident. A random, fleeting thought would eventually manifest. In the past I didn't even notice. If I did, I said it was coincidence. But I am being more aware now of incidents such as that.  I know now that there is no such thing as coincidence.

Allowing - backstory continued

As you learn more about the Law of Attraction you will learn about allowing. That is the process by which you allow whatever is going to happen to happen. You release your attachment to something, your need for something, and allow it to come to you - or not - whatever it may be. If it comes to you, it will be something wonderful because you wanted it. If not, then that something wasn't meant to be. Something better is coming for you down the road.

I had no idea what allowing was at the time this happened. I just knew I needed some peace. I was desperate, even needy, for my husband to come back to me. I felt torn in pieces. I was doing better, yes, but
there were still so many days when I went to the bathroom at work and cried. I couldn't help it. I was doing my best to be positive, to stay busy. Luckily, I'd gotten a big transcription job that filled my evenings. But I was still filled with regret, disappointment, anger. My emotions were all over the place at times. I couldn't tell you where I was on the emotional scale at this point.

It was May, just after Mother's Day. I'd met with my son and my ex husband for a movie and dinner, but it didn't go well. As much as I'd tried not to cry, I couldn't seem to help it. I knew he was still in contact with the woman he'd had the affair with, even though he said it was over. I'd found some things that led me to believe that he still had feelings for her. The issue was he was still telling me that he had feelings for me. So I was hurting. And this didn't help Mother's Day go well. I was tired. We'd had a fight. Instead of a lovely day together that I wanted, it ended up being very emotional. All I could think about was how we'd all be going in different directions after the night was over. He was also angry at me for going through his things and finding what I'd found. I knew it was wrong of me to do that, but I still didn't feel I could trust him.

I had a sleepless night and the morning didn't start out any better. I cant even remember what we fought about but Monday morning we had a fight via text message. I believe it primarily was about the fact that I had gone through his things, trying to find proof that he was still seeing this woman, not just talking to her. I couldn't stop crying. My supervisor's supervisor had to come in to talk to me. I had to gain some control over my emotions. I had to stop. I had to let go.

I'm not saying it was easy. It was not. And I was still attached. I was still needy. I wanted him to want me. I wanted him to want to come back. But I knew as long as he was still in any kind of contact with the woman he'd been with he could not return. Even as emotional as I was, I was forgiving myself. I was standing up for myself. I was taking back some control over my own life, not just letting things happen to me.

We didn't speak for two days. I admit I kept looking for a text, for a phone call, an email. Something. I had to keep distracting my mind with other things. Work, music, a funny movie, a walk around the block. Anything that would keep my mind off of what he may be doing, who he may be seeing. It was hard not to contact him. But I'd known for a while that I had to let him go just so I could finally heal. I knew that holding on to him, trying to make something that didn't exist anymore work.  And it was hurting me. I had to accept that we were legally divorced and it didn't matter what he said to me. His actions were speaking louder than ever and I admitted to myself that legally I had no say in anything he did.

I'd had enough. I was at work. It was maybe 11 on Wednesday morning and I was about to start filing. I checked my phone once more for a message but there wasn't one. I got up and walked to file cabinet and
told myself to let it go. The drama, the emotional upheaval, all of that was over. I knew that I would be okay. That was something God had been telling me during this time. He told me over and over again that no matter what, with or without my husband in my life, I would be okay. It wasn't until that moment that I truly believed that. I knew, without any doubt, that I would be okay. I would make it. I would make my dreams come true. I would find love again one day. Until then, I would do whatever needed to be done and I would care for our son the best way I could.

I started filing. I enjoyed the sunshine coming through the window. I cracked the window to let in some fresh spring air and take away the chill from the AC. I enjoyed the blooming Christmas cactus on the file cabinet at work. I began to sing to myself - Do I do, yes, I say, Trust in you, Lord all the way.

I thought about things I wanted to do. I thought about my 40th birthday, coming up in July, and the trip to
the beach I'd planned with my mom. And I felt better.

And my phone beeped with a text. And a relationship began to heal.

Law of Attraction Awareness - Affirmation answered

Yes, just that quick :)

Last night my ex husband, my sweetie, asked me to marry him this month. He no longer wanted to wait until April.

We're going to be married in a civil ceremony in Alabama on October 21, then we're going to have a religious ceremony in our home town the following Sunday.

I am definitely in a good vibe today.

Books, music and more - part of the process

I will add to this as time goes on. These are books I read and music I listened to and still listen to today. Everything positive helps.

Bible - Predominantly Psalms but also Joel & Hebrews
Think and Grow Rich - Napoleon Hill
After the Locusts - Jan Coleman
Why you do the Things you do - Timothy E Clinton
Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude - Napoleon Hill
The Secret - Rhonda Byrne
The Power - Rhonda Byrne
Law of Attraction - Connie Domino
Ask and It is Given - Abraham-Hicks
The Law of Attraction - Abraham-Hicks
Wishcraft - Barbara Sher (currently reading)

For the music I Googled "positive music playlist" and got some great ideas for songs. Then I went to Grooveshark where I could stream music for free (stream, not download). I created a playlist and I play that music almost daily, usually when I'm getting ready for work in the morning or cleaning.

Some of the songs did not fit the mood I wanted so I deleted them, but most of them I kept. I also added some of my favorite gospel songs into the mix.

I chose the music I did because I realized that if I went out into my day after listening to a sad country song I would then be sad for the majority of the day. Usually the last song you hear in your car is what will play in your head when you get out. So I stopped playing the radio. When I had to have music I switched to a gospel station. Not contemporary Christian, but gospel with choirs singing Just as I am and How Great Thou Art. It really helped to uplift me. It also helped me fight away bad thoughts and memories. Whenever I would start to think about something that hurt me and I would feel like crying I would sing the chorus to Carman's Do I Do -

Do I do, yes, I say, trust in you, Lord, all the way. Do I do, yes, I
say, trust in you all the way.

That reminded me that God was with me and that no matter what I could trust him.

Here is my playlist from Grooveshark:



Do you have any others I should add?

Positive Thinking - a process

There is always a process to changing your mindset. Just because I had to go through a divorce and life upheaval doesn't mean that you will. You can start right where you are. I'm just describing my process.

So as I'm grieving the loss of my marriage, my son leaving in April to stay with his grandparents, working essentially two jobs - I worked full time as well as kept the part-time transcription work going - I was reading. It seems as though whenever one book would end I would find another.

Sometimes I would read the book all the way through and it would resonate with me. Sometimes I would only read part of it. But everything made an impact on me and the process I was going through.

My goal was to feel better. My goal was to be successful at my dreams, with or without anyone else. I realized that since I was the only one who could control my actions, I was the only one that could make my
dreams come true. For too long I had depended on my husband to make my dreams come true. I had spent money on one thing after another, trying to be self supporting, but in reality it was money he had earned.
Money he had made working six days a week, working overtime just to keep the bills paid while I was working on my dreams. So I set out to find a way to make those dreams happen on my own.

I started out with Think and Grow Rich. This Napoleon Hill book is a classic by most self improvement gurus today. I obtained a lot of nuggets of wisdom in this book, even though it is outdated in many ways regarding the people discussed. But it did a lot in changing my attitude about things. Not just my attitude toward others, but also myself. I wanted to be more positive about everything.

One thing that is hard to accept in this process is that you cause your circumstances. Yes, you do. It doesn't matter who did what. It doesn't matter who hurt you. I knew that I could play the victim and no one would blame me. Maybe you can too. But it was my attitude that would draw these situtations to me. I could look back and see it happening. I would fight with my husband and threaten divorce. And what happened? We eventually divorced. I would fight with my son and want to be left alone. And he left me alone to stay with his
grandparents. I even had a running joke with my son. I'd call him smartass of the year. I even made him a certificate that said that. But I realized the more I studied LOA that I was causing the behavior. I didn't like his smartass behavior, but by calling attention to it, it would continue. So I no longer do that.

I realized that yes, my attitude was to blame. And no one could change it but me. This was something from Think and Grow Rich that hit me so hard about attitude -

You are who you are today because of your attitude with yourself and others.

And the natural ending to that hit me between the eyes - Who I will be TOMORROW is because of my attitude with myself and others. So if I wanted to be a better person tomorrow, I needed to change my
attitude TODAY.

Wow. That was a wake up call.