Most people actually set out to have the things that they want to have in their lives. They set out to have more time, more money, improve their lives and become successful. The reality is, however, that most people are rarely successful. They end up endlessly running in circles, working harder, longer hours all in a fruitless effort to reach their goals. Most end up with a life that is completely out of balance, full of constant worry and stress, and the relationships never improve only worsen with the stress.

There is another way to get off the “mice wheel” and stop running in circles. There are many “success” formula\’s out there, however, any that are effective boil down to some basic simple principles.

* Being you - Being Proactive - Being Positive
* Doing actions of proactive and positive nature
* Having your desires as a result of being and doing.

Sounds to simple to have any real power to change. IN order to have any significantly different results in your life the doing and being phases are going to require a great deal of change. Profound changes in fact, that will change the being that is is yourself. In some cases a dramatic overhaul of being yourself will have to be made.

In order to being the change of being, you need to know what sort of being that you need to be in order to come to a place of having everything you desire. Once you know who you need to be, the next step is to look at who you are and see what is it exactly that you need to change. When you realize where you are deficient it allows you to learn and practice any new knowledge and skills you don\’t currently have. A new skill is not something that can be read once in a book or even heard once in a seminar, it is something that you need to learn, practice, internalize absorb and finally internalize it within so that it becomes a part of your being without thought.

This process can take a long period of time and will not happen overnight. Some of these changes will make your being a completely different being inside. It is this growth that allows the having to happen almost effortlessly. It is very much like setting up a business plan for who your being is and the objectives that need to be met in order to obtain your mission statement. If a plan is not laid out one can become lost and not be able to find their way back. In having a plan chances are less that you will not end up frantically trying to figure out how you got lost and how to get around the obstacle in front of you.

Some other things to consider in writing your personal formula or your personal business plan are:

* Focus - your plan has to have focus on where you are going and how it will draw you magnetically towards your destination

* Steps - your plan will have to show you step by step what needs to be done to break down the steps into manageable and achievable steps.

* Mind set - your plan needs to include positive reinforcement steps when any set backs occur. Plan for set backs and how you are going to handle them.

* Believe - you absolutely need to have a belief in the pathway you have laid out. Belief that it will work so that other fads won\’t deter you.

* Milestones - your plan should have short term goals; as well as long term goals. This will allow you to stop and look back to see how you have achieved the milestones in changing your being. When a milestone has been reaching in changing something about your being - Celebrate it.

Remember, that nay plan is a living document. What this really means is that like any business plan, it may need to make changes and adjustments to the plan as you go along. That is the benefit of having it written down. By having the plan written out, you have all the information necessary to consider how to get around any given obstacle. Your plan will help you understand who you are, who you need to be, and how to get there. Arriving there means that you are doing all the things necessary to be having all the things that you desire.

Bright blessings,
Ashira
http://www.ashira.ws
ashira@ashira.ws
Ashira is a Practicing Pagan for over 15 years. Currently she is a featured columnist at http://Asknow.com
The Witches\’ Child Author
Bacon Bits Author
FFWA Member
Cassel Network of Writers Member

People say you’re the result of the choices you’ve made. Today. Yesterday. Day after day. And there’s plenty of evidence for that. Yes, even when you feel your decisions were forced against your will … you can trace them back to a set-up where you made a choice that seemed innocent enough … routine … even careless at the time, that ultimately put you in the place where you feel you “had no choice.”

I know … you may have to accept ideas like Karma to apply this concept to things like birth defects and ghastly situations a person was born into before he or she could exercise free will … or make anything resembling a conscious choice. But if the mystics are right … and the decision to be born is one you make with Spirit and your Higher Self … then you are still where you are today because of your choices. Whether you delight in … or regret … those decisions is another matter.

You make choices every day. Hundreds, perhaps. Some, as I said, are innocent enough. They spin themselves out harmlessly, with no clear consequences. Or do they? Often it’s impossible to know. Did your decision to touch the car’s brake just a bit ahead of time give you the extra margin of time and safety to avoid an accident a mile further down the road because you weren’t “in the wrong place at the wrong time” … which you would have been otherwise?

Did your decision to let somebody into traffic ahead of you put him inside the convenience store … his destination … during the exact two minutes it was being robbed — and he was shot for surprising the thief in his crime? Or maybe his sudden appearance threw the thief into such disarray he fled the store without shooting anyone. Of course, there’s no way to know.

Every day life’s direction turns on choices like these. You … the other guy … people you never meet and will never know … are impacted for better or worse by the choices of strangers — made without a second thought. Our choices are done by habit, by rote. But what if, say, once a day we took a moment to turn an automatic choice into a conscious choice? It would take some time and thought, but it wouldn’t ruin your whole schedule … or even be noticed by anyone who knows you.

What if you made a resolution … a pact with yourself … to do one kind, anonymous thing every day. Doesn’t have to be huge … or expensive … but it also can’t be something you get applause and credit for. Something like holding the door for a stranger. (In these days of post-women’s-lib … this doesn’t happen to me anymore very often at all.) Yes, sure, the stranger can smile and say “thanks” (or maybe not … I’ve had that happen, too.) We won’t really count that as “recognition and credit.”

But you can’t make a big deal of holding the door … and if they don’t acknowledge your courtesy … you don’t get to feel snubbed. What you do need to do is silently bless them … sincerely wish them well in you heart … and send them on their way. Even if they don’t give you a backward glance. Accept as an act of faith that you’ve made a positive difference for them … somewhere … even subliminally … and let that be your reward.

Send an anonymous card of encouragement, support, or praise to someone whose character you admire … or whose life could use a little spark of sunshine. Don’t sign it. Disguise your handwriting. This needs to be anonymous … remember. Add the silent blessing I mentioned … as part of the goodness you give. Take the soft drink cup somebody left on the sidewalk, the railing, the bus stop bench … and throw it in the trash. Bless both the person who could use a few more manners … and the person you’ve saved from having to do the job because you didn’t. (Consider that a two-fer. An anonymous gift in two directions.)

Maybe it will be hard to find “something nice to do” a lot of days in a row. Maybe it will be fun getting creative about this private little ritual of spreading pieces of help and happiness … like one of those nameless angels on earth we hear about now and again. Most interesting of all will be to watch how you react and change through the conscious choices you make … and the events you set in motion … and what you think and feel about what you’ve done, because you will change. These choices, too, will affect you.

And where will the ripples and repercussions of these choices go? What will these small random acts of kindness and your silent blessings do … sprinkled through life day after day? How will they touch the lives of people you may never know. I wonder. And I’m sure in time … so will you.

(c) 2007 by Enchanted Spirit, Inc. All rights reserved.

“The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty “– Winston Churchill

An optimist, when faced with a problem, tends to find the upside to the situation and starts figuring out ways to solve that problem, or ways to turn it around. A pessimist, however, immediately throws up his hands, and yells, “That’s it; it’s all over. I can’t handle this anymore.” Or he will distance himself from the problem, pretending it doesn’t matter. This is denial, and it never works.

According to the world’s foremost expert on optimism, Dr. Martin Seligman, everyone is born optimistic. And yet, 95% of grownups are pessimists, not optimists. What goes wrong? Some people see the glass as half empty. Others see it as half full. But is it really as simple as that? Is it possible to be a bit of both?

When you think about it, most people tend to be an optimist sometimes and a pessimist other times. Ironically, a lot of times things turn out according to how we feel about the situation. If a person feels like something will go well or feels optimistic about it, it usually seems to go well. The same is true of the reverse. When someone feels like something will go badly, it tends to do just that.

An indication that you are dealing with a pessimist is in a simple phrase they will use in stressful situations - “I can’t”. The pessimist is helpless, powerless and it shows in his response. The optimist responds with - “I won’t”.

The optimist is making a conscious choice, not just reacting. An optimist prefers to think more positively. They focus on what they really want, not what might happen to them.

Think about the following statements:

• Optimists achieve their goals because they never give up
• Optimists attracts Success naturally
• Optimists are happier, healthier and more energetic than pessimists
• Optimists are easier to be around, inspiring people around to be positive
• Optimists live longer and suffer from fewer and less severe diseases
• Besides the above, optimists enjoy Better Quality of Life.

These are all probably true just by the fact that optimists’ positive thinking makes challenging situations “not that bad” after all.

Now true optimism is not sitting back, thinking positive thoughts, and hoping everything will turn out all right. It’s how you see the world, positively rather than negatively. You face each situation, each problem, and each occasion with a positive attitude; and you always look forward to the “benefits” you will derive from it.

What’s most difficult to take from pessimists is their judgment of others. This is the only way they can feel good about themselves. With so much self-hate, it’s no wonder that they have so little confidence in themselves or any self-esteem.

You have a choice. “Change your thoughts and change your world,” said Norman Vincent Peale.

What it comes down to is that your attitude is a conscious choice. If you choose pessimism, you’re choosing to see the down side of every situation, judge people unfairly, and live unhappily the rest of your life. What an oppressive existence!

On the other hand, if you choose optimism, you’re empowering yourself to see the positive side of each challenge, seeing the good in people, helping them to see the good in life too. Taking action to further improve your own life, and living happily with friends and family who care about you. Attracting all good to yourself.

Choosing to be more optimistic and positive does not mean you won’t encounter difficult times, trauma, loss and many challenges. What it does mean is that you will have more power on your side to help you through those tough times. You’ll bounce back faster and make better choices, rather than letting life just wash over you. You’ll learn to be proactive, instead of reactive.

If you’re not naturally optimistic and positive, don’t worry. You can learn how to use your thoughts to change your attitude and emotions. It won’t be easy. Some days will be very challenging, but you can do it. Improving your optimism rates is one of the most important actions you can take to improve your life. It doesn’t come automatically, though. It takes effort. It takes deliberate, conscious awareness of your thoughts and feelings. And then acting on that awareness.

Each time you think a negative thought, stop right there and turn it around to find the positive aspect of the situation. Do this each time and build on it. It will become a habit to be positive and upbeat about your life.

Here’s one starting point:

Practice your ‘positive thinking’ and your ‘positive feeling’. Give yourself permission to think new thoughts and feel new feelings.

You can be as optimistic as you want that you will find a way to attract wealth, that new car or new house. Including the productive action that helps to push things to that end, will get you success.

So I would say to you: Be Optimistic! Expect the best out of life! Always Think and Act Optimistically.

Lawrence Ho Subscribes To The Power of Positive Thinking And The Law Of Attraction. Get Your FREE Report On “Attraction Acceleration” At: http://PositiveThinkingAffirmation.com To Enhance Your Quality Of Life.

Do you enjoy positive sayings?

Are you “inspired” when you read uplifting sayings and quotes?

Are you like millions of others who want more positive in your life?

Positive quotes delivered directly to you each week

* Where there is no vision, the people perish. – Solomon – (Proverbs 29:18)

* Many people are severely handicapped by short sightedness.

* The most difficult part of succeeding is believing that you can succeed.

* When you are confident in your ability to achieve what you want in life, you will also be free of fear.

* Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.

* Reality starts in the mind, and then actions must take place to make thoughts real.

* When there is nothing to lose by trying, and a great deal to gain if successful – by all means try!

* Some people succeed because they cheerfully pay the price of success.

* May you find peace and always have hope.

* If we all lived forever, where would we park?

* When life knocks you to your knees…isn’t that a good position from which to pray?

* Never kick a skunk.

* Only the trained eye can truly see. – Leonardo Da Vinci

* Dare to succeed.

* Be like a postage stamp. Stick to it until you get there.

* Life is not always fair when it passes out the natural gifts, like looks and talent. But no one was ever born with determination or character. You have to develop those yourself, and if you do, all the rewards life has to offer can be yours. You can’t sit around and wait for things to happen.

I will greet this day with love in my heart.

Until next time,

Patty

Are you looking for positive quotes for your newsletter? Do you want to inspire your employees?

Visit http://www.CherishYourDay.com today to sign up for your free newsletter filled with positive quotes. The newsletter that delivers positive to your day, inspiration to your thoughts and joy to your heart.

Every newsletter will bring new inspirations, positive sayings and quotes.

Things come into our lives for reasons which we cannot understand. My husband and I have been working on our new business for months now. We have been having reasonable success but we definitely wish for its continued and more rapid improvement. Since I am able to work from home while all of the children are at school, the house can be extremely quiet. Sometimes I will put music on or sometimes television. One day recently, I chose television. That was the day that changed everything.

Years ago I used to watch Oprah but haven’t for quite some time. I’m not usually home at that time as I’m running kids from sports program to sports program. This one day recently I happened to be home. Oprah was on in the background but since I hadn’t seen the show in so long, I wasn’t really paying much attention.

For some reason, something caused me to turn around, stop paying attention to my work and actually watch the show. It was the show on which she featured “The Secret”. I was completely drawn to it and couldn’t avert my attention. Everything that was being said made perfect sense to me and the feeling of excitement I got was overwhelming. I truly believe that I was guided in some way to put Oprah on the television on that very day. I ordered “The Secret” immediately after watching the show. Incidentally, I also Tivo’d the show right away so my husband and family could watch as well. I just had to share the information! The timing was incredible. I’m still stunned.

My copy of The Secret arrived about a week later (yes it was grueling to have to wait!). As soon as I watched it, my life began to change. I mean, immediately change! I decided that I could use this very simple theory to attract everything I wanted.

In The Secret, it is mentioned that one should carry a gratitude rock. I have heard this idea before but didn’t follow the advice. If you are grateful for all of the things you currently have in your life, you will attract even more. By keeping the rock in your pocket and touching it throughout the day, you can quickly ground yourself and be reminded of all of the things you have already received.

I used to spend much of my day while working getting very frustrated that things weren’t moving along as fast as I wanted them to. I was running out of money and getting stressed out. I was focusing on the negative aspects of everything. As a result, I was getting little to no positive results. I felt that I was just spinning my wheels. The Secret philosophies changed this for me forever. Once I learned the power of positive thinking, everything changed. I cannot believe it! How could something that has been available all along have been so carelessly overlooked?

I’m thrilled beyond description with the results I have gotten from simply changing my way of thinking. I strongly urge everyone to get a copy of the book or movie and start attracting money, love or whatever else it is that you desire in life!

Christine Abbott
Owner/Writer
http://www.gratitudeblessings.com

According to a recent blog post of my business partner, I am a proponent of a balanced life…

Her comment took me by surprise, and I chose to examine my reaction. Perhaps when I hear the word ‘balance’ the cliche of trying to balance work, family, personal pursuits, etc. comes to mind, and this is NOT what I am all about…so oddly her comment rubbed me the wrong way.

What I AM about is having it ALL. How many times every day, all our lives, have we heard things like ‘Do you want to have fun, or do you want security?’ ‘Do you want passion with a guy who is broke, or to marry a boring guy who will take care of you?’ ‘Would you rather have a job that pays you decently and participates in a pension plan, or take the HUGE risk of losing it all and follow your heart?’…What kind of messages are these, and where did they come from?? Why can’t I have passion AND security? Follow my heart AND make a ton of money and never worry about finances again? Why can’t I be wealthy, have a wealthy guy or guys if I so choose and feel secure, have lots of fun and adventure? Have amazing friendships with people of all ages and learn and explore until the day I die?

Settling for anything less in life than what is really in my heart is, to me, a true prison and a waste. While I understand and respect those choices and can see how they are made, I myself have a passion for growth, learning, adventure, and freedom that do not allow me to stay in one place for long. As you might expect, this affects my most personal adult relationship/s, in that I will never settle for anything that is less than wonderful and full of growth, and will either work to make/keep it passionate and fun or will leave it…

Until recently, I have always somehow felt deeply WRONG or defective for all of this wanderlust…but why should I be shamed of who I am?…I’m not a soccer Mom, although I am an amazing mother to my little girl - I expect I understand and support her dreams more than many parents who are more ‘traditional’ - I NEVER tell her she CAN’T. Instead she hears ‘OK, let’s figure out HOW…’

We are all about pursuing our dreams and living full, passionate lives at Breathing Prosperity. There is no need to sacrifice anything for anything else, ie. love for money, because the Universe is abundant - there is more than enough for everyone. Create for yourself LOTS of everything you want — money, resources, generosity, love and kindness, amazing relationships, powerful experiences, security — whatever it is you value.

I just felt a need to share today and perhaps have you ask yourself the following: If you have dreams you are not reaching and are unsure of why, is it possible your underlying belief systems conflict with what you say you want? Are you wishing for financial abundance, yet holding on to the ’security’ of a job that will never make you rich? What can you do today to change your perspective to that of the YOU in your dreams? What can you let go of?…Grab on to? Give more commitment to, or release?…Food for thought…

This is excerpted from the Breathing Prosperity blog - updated daily!

Shauna Arthurs is a writer/editor, Prosperity Coach and Co-founder/owner of several web-based businesses, including Breathing Prosperity as well as the Wealthy Women Foundation for struggling women.

Interact with others wanting to talk about the same things as you do! Join our new forum (it’s free, of course!) at http://www.breathingprosperity.com/forum

The most important part of using and applying the law of attraction is your ability to create and maintain positive emotions. In a world that is so demanding, so over bearing, so stressful, the most difficult thing for many people is their ability to create and maintain positive emotions on a regular consistent basis. In order for you to get what you want as quickly as possible, it is essential for you to be able to keep yourself in a positive emotional state regardless of what happens. The good news is that the more you practice this the better you get at it, and the better you get at maintaining positive emotions the quicker the universe will deliver your every desire.

The problem with most people is that they allow their current situation or circumstances to dictate their emotional state. So many people simply respond emotionally to what they are currently experiencing. They get a bill in the mail that they are not sure how they are going to pay and they let the stress and worry of it control their emotions. They have an argument with someone and that creates negative emotions. The biggest drain for people are those things that we don’t know what to do. There is an old Chinese saying that goes, “when something comes up and you don’t know what to do about it, don’t worry about it. When something comes up and you do know what to do about it, don’t worry about it.” The point here is that if you don’t know what to do, don’t worry because the answer will come. If there is nothing you can do about it, don’t worry about it because there is nothing you can do. If you do know what to do, you will do it and everything will be just fine any way. We always find answers and ways, and worrying about things doesn’t help. It only makes things more stressful.

Things will always happen that are not what we want. There will always be situations that don’t go according to plan. There will always be people who upset us or cause negatively desired results in our lives. The trick is to keep our mind and our emotions off of those things. Learn to put your mind on the things you want and desire and keep it there. Imagine everything as though it were exactly the way you want it to be and hold on to those positive emotions. It really isn’t about keeping yourself in a positive state as much as it is about your ability to not let negative things into your little bubble of the world. The more you are able to keep those things in the world outside of yourself and in the world, the more you will be able to maintain that positive emotional state. It is when we bring other people’s problems or situations into our bubble that we feel icky. Think about it. When someone blows up at you, who is it that really has the problem? The other person. It is their problem, let them carry it. Don’t make it yours.

Learn to find ways to put yourself in that positive emotional state. Carry pictures around with you that you can look at on a regular basis when you find yourself drifting toward a negative attitude. Carry inspirational quotes. Take a walk during your lunch break. Do whatever it takes to keep yourself in a positive emotional state. Learn what things bring joy and happiness to you and what things excite you, and learn to use those tools to keep yourself where you need to be. Learn to recognize that your current situation and position in life is not where you will be, just where you are right now. If you hate the job you have, and are taking steps to improve things and get away from that job, then know that your current job is just a temporary stop on your journey. Remember that nothing lasts forever, and your current circumstances will one day pass, just as the circumstances of yesterday that you were worried about passed and made way for today.

Dwayne Gilbert is the founder of http://www.wealthylifesecrets.com and has been helping people in the area of self-protection
and personal development for 10 years. He has authored some of his own books and currently teaches people self-defense and
personal development strategies and tactics. To get more information on the law of attraction and how to apply it, visit
http://www.wealthylifesecrets.com

You talk to yourself at a rate of 600 words a minute. Even when you’re talking to yourself out loud, you’re talking with yourself internally as well. You’re constantly evaluating your circumstances and choices, based on your frame of reference and conditioning. Many of the confusions we jump to are automatic; conditioned responses based on past experiences which were often painful. So, many of the choices that we make are guaranteed to keep us in a negative loop, unless we consciously and actively stop the downward cycle and interrupt the negative pattern. Here’s a proven and simple way to do just that.

Have you noticed that you always answer your own questions, and that the question determines the answer? And that we act on those answers? If you ask yourself, “Why am I so stupid?” You’ll get an answer that confirms that you are stupid, by telling you why you are stupid. If you ask, “Why do I have to work so hard?” you’ll trigger the same, negative response to confirm and support a negative belief or paradigm. “Why can’t I get out of debt?” will elicit an automatic, programmed response that will keep you in debt.

The way to break free and escape this trap is to consciously and purposefully construct and ask questions that are designed to break the mold of pessimism and failure in any area of your life. In order to break disempowering habits, one fast way is to constantly ask yourself the right questions.

Write down the questions and be sure to ask yourself these questions (out loud, if possible) at least seven times every day. Try these for a start:

How can I double my income?

What is great about my life?

What do I like, respect and admire about the person I just met?

How can I add more value to the products and services I sell?

What am I grateful for?

How can I do more in less time?

What am I happy about? What is great about this situation?

Why do I have so much energy and joy?

How can I joint venture with others to make my dreams come true in a fraction of the time?

What can I do to increase the happiness and comfort of those I work with / my vendors / my family?

What did I learn today that will help me for the rest of my life?

Why am I such a great person? Why do people like and respect me?

Tailor your questions to overcome mental and emotional challenges in your life. Focus on good things, solutions and events that you’re grateful for. Focus on what you want, not on what you don’t want. Create vivid mental pictures of your goals. Manage your mind and thoughts and everything else in your life will improve. Most of all, mix with Eagles instead of turkeys – Eagles will help you, support you and encourage you. Want to know where to find them?

Visit www.jvwisdom.com

About Robin J. Elliott

For more than 19 years, Robin J. Elliott has worked with thousands of businesses in over 49 industries across the United States, Canada, and Africa. He specializes in helping small business entrepreneurs build wealth and gain access to new markets and profit centers through Joint Ventures. Through his Joint venture Seminars across North America he has thought thousands how to create increasing, multiple streams of income without cost or risk and very little time.

Get Robin J. Elliott’s FREE: “How To Grow Serious Wealth Using Joint Ventures” Mini-Course, and The Prophet of Profit e-Zine along with video blogs, world class articles, free video, and access to top Joint Venture Partners at http://www.jvwisdom.com

What we listen to affects our health. That could be radio and television or people around us. Some people and circumstances force us to listen to ranting and evil reports. We need to set boundaries on what we see and hear to protect our health.

Something that you may not be considering is what you say to yourself all day long. Many people rip themselves apart hour by hour with negative thoughts on what they should be doing, who they should be, how awful they are performing, how ugly they look, and so on. If you have these thoughts going on, you don’t need anybody to rant and argue since you’re dong such a great job it it all by yourself. Are you being cruel to yourself?

If you keep attacking yourself mentally, your body will soon agree and do the same. Autoimmune diseases (where the body attacks itself) are increasing at an amazing rate. Some of the “old” diseases are now being discovered to have autoimmune factors. Do an internet search on a disease name with the word autoimmune and see what you find.

Do you have a problem being merciful? I sure do! And it’s because I have a problem giving myself any mercy. It doesn’t come naturally, I have had to work at being easy on myself. When I remind myself of God’s mercy to me, I can be more merciful to myself and others and that is a major focus of my health program.

“The merciful man doeth good to his own soul [mind, will and emotions], but he that is cruel troubleth his own flesh.” Proverbs 11:17

Autoimmune diseases have also been linked to personalities that are driven. I certainly never needed any push or shove to get going. I was my own taskmaster and to keep my peace, joy and mercy, I have to focus on the pace of Jesus. He never rushed or hurried but got all his work done. I had to admit that I was finding my sufficiency in what I accomplished, not in who I am in Christ. What a rude awakening!

God made us for relationship. The curse made us have to work to eat, but it never took away God’s sole desire to have fellowship with us.

When I finally took my life from the hands of “tyranny of the urgent” I found that what my soul really longed for was more time with my Father. The hurry and scurry covered over my loss of that time but it certainly didn’t provide the same benefits. A job well done never matches up to a soul [mind, will and emotions] well satisfied.

“A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.” Proverbs 14:30 How much of our inner conversations have to do with “keeping up” with something or somebody? Is that envy?

No matter how much I had on my To Do list and how much I had checked off by the end of the day, it never stopped the “not enough” thoughts. Dumping guilt all over myself for not getting it all done. Not enough hours, not enough help. Funny how the overdoers see the people who have enough sense to pace their lives. Shall we consider the words ‘lazy,’ ‘unmotivated,’ ‘useless?’ OUCH! As I rushed about my day with an unending tirade of tasks that I assigned myself, I judged those around me who weren’t on the same racetrack.

“My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning; my strength fails because of my guilt, and my bones grow weak.” Psalm 31:10

All the while, Jesus was quietly waiting and seeking me to join Him at His pace of life. My pace was simply ungodly and I didn’t see how it could change because it required ME to change, not others. It was hard to see and admit that I was the one heaping these burdens upon myself. The Bible told me to be anxious about nothing and to be still and know God and I did not see how so I continued in rebellion against those commands.

“Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in Him.” Psalm 32:10

You might want to read another article titled,
Walking Like Jesus.

To be healthy, we are going to have to get our thought life healthy. It’s a real major makeover for sure, but you can do it. Ask God to show you a Scripture [because the Word has power] that you can take to heart, memorize it and use it to replace those awful driving thoughts that ruin our lifestyles and health.

“Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul [mind, will and emotions] and healing to the bones.” Proverbs 16:24

Donna L. Watkins lives in Central Virginia with her wonderful husband enjoying birds, wildlife, gardening, forests, nature travel and her cat, Squeek. She has one grown-up son who inspires her life in many ways. Read more of Donna’s articles at TheHerbsPlace.com and subscribe to her free mailing, A Healing Moment. http://www.theherbsplace.com/ahm.html

At this moment you can find ample evidence to prove that your life is miserable, boring and depressing. You can also find evidence to prove that your life is joyful, abundant and exciting.

Let’s do an exercise!

Look around the room you are in. Do you see any dust and dirt? Any disorder? A closet or drawers that need organiziing? A pile of papers that should be filed or recycled? Does the room need paint or repair? Is the light switch plate smudged?

How do you feel? Did you find enough evidence that life is awful, depressing and too much to handle?

Look around the room again. Do you see something given by a friend or family member that is special to you? Does it bring sweet memories? Are you sitting on a comfortable chair? Do you have a computer to stay in touch with friends and learn all kinds of exciting things? Do you have flooring that is nicer than a dirt floor? Anything there that produces music for you? CD player, radio? Isn’t it marvelous that we can flip that switch and have light any time of day or night?

How do you feel now? Did you find enough evidence that life is grand, wonderful and full of good things?

Our thoughts are powerful! Those thoughts control hormones in our body and those hormones make us feel good or bad. They also determine whether we have good health or bad health. Whether we are depressed or joyful.

Yes, there is a chemical imbalance when people are depressed, but we must ask why? God did not create us that way. There is plenty of research out there on what thoughts to do our health.

If you looked around the room and didn’t find anything good that didn’t come without a sad or negative thought, I would say that you don’t feel very healthy in that state of thinking. It takes a major overhaul to get your “stinking thinking” out the door, but you can do it!

What about positive thinking? That can be just as bad for you!

Positive thinkers sometimes use positive thinking as a way to justify their inability to accept the moment. They have a long list of “shoulds” and unless their circumstances match up with perfection (and it rarely does), they retreat into positive thoughts, thinking they will provide a better world for everyone with positive statements.

In other words, some positive thinkers have a holy sounding form of denial.

To quote from the book, “You Can’t Afford the Luxury of a Negative Thought” (Subtitle: a book for people with life-threatening illness):

“To focus on the positive is not to disregard certain warning signals of a “negative” nature that, if ignored, eventually lead to inconvenience at best and disaster at worst. If we use these negative signals to avoid disaster, then they’re not negative after all. “

In the case of disease, we can acknowledge the symptoms of a disease and learn all we can to overcome that disease and move towards that goal. Or, we can begin saying that “we have” that disease. After claiming it as ours long enough our mind tends to believe it and our body may be less likely to get rid of it.

We are told to live in the moment, but most of us are thinking of the past and/or the future most of the day, so if we are going to do this, at least make it pleasant. Think of the good things from the past and the good things that will be happening in the future.

Keep it balanced! Negative thinking makes everything bleak and awful. Positive thinking imagines anything wonderful whether realistic or not, whether it’s related to the event or not. Some people do this by quoting wonderful (unrelated) Scriptures any time somebody mentions a negative event.

Focus on the positive! That’s not positive thinking!

There is a time for sadness and realizing the present facts. It’s about how you deal with it. Realizing that you do not do something well is not negative thinking. It’s evaluating life and how to make it better for yourself.

To quote the above book again: “Positive thinking only puts a gap between where you are physically and where you think you “should” be. There are no “shoulds” to a life-threatening illness. You’ll be happier, and probably heal faster, if you let go of as many shoulds as you can……. It took a lot of negative thinking - decades in some cases - to bring on an illness. Why should a week or two of positive thinking get rid of it?”

Meet in the middle with wisdom somewhere between the sewer and the clouds. Focus on the positive, but make it real. Your brain and body knows the difference. Wellness doesn’t come without believing what you think and say. Your brain will not believe the unbelievable.

Donna L. Watkins lives in Central Virginia with her wonderful husband enjoying birds, wildlife, gardening, forests, nature travel and her cat, Squeek. She has one grown-up son who inspires her life in many ways. Read more of Donna’s articles at TheHerbsPlace.com and subscribe to her free mailing, A Healing Moment. http://www.theherbsplace.com/ahm.html