The good news is that we possess quite a bit of power over what we attract into our lives.  I know that this is true because of a lifetime of my own experiences, plus from my observations of other peoples’ lives.  We attract to ourselves what we focus on the most.  If you find yourself under a hardship or in difficulty of any kind, think back to what you were thinking about prior to this present circumstance.  It may be that for a period of time over the past few years, or few months, or few weeks, you were holding some negative thought or picture in your mind.  Perhaps, if you are truly honest with yourself, you even expected your present circumstance to materialize.  And so it did.

Life does not necessarily present you with what you want, but with what you are. That is, what you project in the way of attitude, values and beliefs.  Remember that Biblical line, “As a man thinks, so is he”?  That’s what I am discussing here.  That line says it all.

Do not look outside yourself for answers to the predicament you may find yourself bogged down in.  Most often, it is not other people or events that caused your problem, but the values and beliefs you have been clinging to for a substantial period of time.  Are you often negative about yourself, your life, or life in general?  Then how can you expect good to show up when that is not your focus?  I will repeat again:  what you focus on the most, what you most believe to be true, what you value the most, is what will show up for you in your life.  You will create it. You will live your life in such a way that those values and beliefs will manifest in your reality.

If you expect to change the outward circumstances of your life, you first need to acknowledge your responsibility as to your present circumstances.  Secondly, you need to look within and see what needs clearing out.

We live in a very orderly universe, where cause and effect consistently operate. An occurrence results because of what occurred immediately before.  Lucky or unlucky accidents or coincidences really do not exist.  Lucky and unlucky do not exist.  Every action is actually a reaction, the result of some action that preceded it.  The universe does not know about a throw of the dice.  I know that sometimes it looks like a `chance’ universe, because we cannot see the dynamics of how it operates on this limited, three-dimensional level of living.

Consequently, what happens in your life is logically the result of what you said or did, or what belief or value you hold that attracted such-and-such an event or person into your world.  Or what happens may be the result of a desire strongly held, whether in the form of a prayer or a wish.

We each have the power to create the life circumstances we desire.  We are not stuck where we are.  Choice is always available. But first you may need to reevaluate some of your choices.  Sometimes that can be relatively easy as regards a specific issue, and sometimes it can be difficult because it involves turning your perspective around 360 degrees.  Believe me, I know how difficult that can be.  But you can do it with a strong enough desire and effort.    

If you see yourself as poor, and you believe, ‘I’m poor. I’ve always been poor. My family was poor, and I’m doomed to perpetually suffering from poverty, too,’ then for sure that is what will keep showing up for you.  You are holding on to a belief that you are ‘fated’ by some unseen force to be poor all your life.  However, if you say something life this:  ‘I’m poor, but I can do something to change this situation,’ you have a good chance of doing just that, changing the situation. 

I want to stress here that in desiring a change in your situation, whatever that may be, some action is required.  It is a mistake to just sit back and hope or believe that in some mysterious fashion things will simply work themselves out.  Although it is true that nothing stays the same forever in this world, it is also true that if no action is taken to remedy a negative situation, it will generally deteriorate even further.  Perhaps there is a world someplace out there where beings do not have to work, but this world is not one of them.  We have to work.  We have to apply ourselves and exert effort in order to create the change we desire. However, we first have to change our thinking, our outlook or perspective before we can make any positive changes in our circumstance.

But we have the power to do that, because we possess choice, as well as intelligence and imagination.  We are able to choose the lives we want, as well as create the world around us.  However, Spirit, in its limitless generosity, has given us access to more help beyond our comprehension.  Because we often find ourselves caught up in predicaments that we feel helpless to change, we can call upon a Greater Power to aid in extricating us. That Power is always available.  I need not discuss here the power of prayer and affirmations.  So many other books, including the Bible, have discussed this Power already and in better terms than I ever could. 

I always encourage everyone to utilize prayer and affirmations. I also would encourage you to leave go of fear and worry, and turn the problem over to Spirit.  To simply let go and let Spirit resolve the problem or show you the way.  This is one of the most powerful methods for taking care of any kind of trouble.

But, for sure, we also need to take a look inside ourselves and see what we are harboring in the way of beliefs and values.  If those beliefs and values are not serving us and not bringing about happy or fortuitous results, then we should re-evaluate our thinking and change some of our beliefs and values. It is fine to turn to Spirit with pleas and prayers, but unless we change our misguided beliefs or values, the same problem will arise again and again.

I once heard an acquaintance state a long time ago … and I truly cannot remember at this late date who said it or when … that negative  experiences surface repeatedly in our adult lives in order for us to see that we need to adjust our thinking as regards a specific issue.  I believe there may be some truth to this concept.  It might be life’s way of tapping you on the shoulder in order to get your attention.  And if you are not paying attention the first time some unhappy experience occurs, then you will get tapped again and again, until finally it does get your attention, and you start re-evaluating some of your core values or beliefs.

 Frequently, we come out of childhood with misconceptions  about something that later trips us up.  That something resurfaces over and over in the form of hardships or some unhappy events as we move through life.  For instance, take the person who habitually falls in love and continually marries the same type of wrong person. The relationships never work, and that person finds him/herself perpetually winding up in divorce court, and miserably unhappy. 

Even if you are drawn only once into a relationship with someone who abuses you, whether physically or just psychologically, you might want to look inside yourself and meditate on the ‘why’ of that.  Without a doubt, some value or belief you hold about what is attractive in a lover is misguided.  If you are holding such a misguided belief, for sure you will attract a person into your life that will show that to you. And it likely will happen again and again until you catch on.

Also, think about the person who works at a job beneath his/her abilities and skills, which pays an insufficient income, and is always suffering from one ailment or another.  Sometimes such people suffer with many allergies.  For certain, they lead unhappy, boring lives, and like one lost in a maze, they cannot find a way out.  Here, too, the Powers-That-Be are trying to get their attention and show them their mistake.  But, alas, they too often do not see that, and so they go on for years wallowing in boredom and misery.

We should really be grateful that life is continually bringing a specific matter to our attention so that we can do something about it.  And if you feel helpless to create a change on your own, then, as mentioned above, call upon Spirit for help.  Turn the problem over to It.  That always works.

Another big detriment to our happiness and success is fear and worry.  These two imposters drag us down and actually keep attracting more of whatever is troubling us.  I want to remind you that continually focusing on the same problem over and over guarantees that the problem will remain, or will keep returning.  We may cry out that we are so unhappy about this or that condition or situation, but in so doing, we are really guaranteeing the continual manifestation of whatever is causing our unhappiness. 

The solution to a problem is never in the problem itself.

Fear and worry are really an abuse of the imagination. The only time fear and worry have any validity is if our very lives are being threatened.  Then extra adrenalin is released into the system, the heart beats faster, and muscles tense up.  You are now ready for the flight or fight response. But to allow fear and worry otherwise to overtake us is to invite misery. These not only cost us happiness, but can eventually cost us our health. 

Rather than continually entertaining that tired old act, try instead to focus on what your situation would look like if you did not have this difficulty. Look beyond whatever the problem is to a time when it will no longer exist.  How would you feel then?  What kind of circumstance would you be in?  What would your life look like?  Hold those kinds of pictures in mind rather than worrying and crying about your present unhappy circumstance.  As I stated above, nothing lasts forever.  Life is perpetual change.  And if you are in some kind of situation or condition that may never change, such as a physical handicap, what can you do to overcome that?  What can you do that makes you feel good and takes your focus off the handicap and off bitterness and unhappiness? 

I know of a young man who lost the use of his legs and was wheelchair bound.  He needed to support himself, which could be a daunting problem given his situation.  Fortunately for him, he was a good caricature artist and began drawing a comic strip.  He then contracted with a local newspaper and began earning a living with his comic strip, eventually gaining widespread recognition.  Many other such stories exist.  

Of course, not every handicapped person can do caricature art.  But the important point here is that this young man did not just sit in his wheelchair depressed and feeling sorry for himself.  He found a way to make his art serve him and take his focus off his plight.

It is always merely a matter of choice. 

In any event, do not let fear and worry overwhelm you and gobble up all your mental energy. Put your attention instead on what you would like to have, or what you would like your life to look like.  Start dreaming, and put feeling into those dreams.  The feelings you infuse into your dreams and visualizations are what make them so powerful. 

Are you without sufficient funds to cover all your living expenses?  What sum of money would be sufficient in order for you to stop worrying and feel good again?  Can you imagine yourself with that sum of money?  What would you do with it?  How would you enjoy it?  From there you might want to imagine what you can do, given your talents, skills, and training, to earn that sum of money.  And if you lack the talents, skills and training, could you go somewhere to learn the skills or acquire the training you need?  Start making plans and start taking the necessary steps to change the situation.

But I want to stress once more that when you imagine your dream, fill it with a lot of emotion.  Feel the excitement, the inspiration; feel your juices stirring. The more emotion that accompanies your vision, the more powerfully influential that vision is.  If you are new at this, then get busy and start visualizing often throughout the day.  If fearful or anxious thoughts pop back up, shove those aside and go back to your dream.

What we put our attention on the most is what shows up in our lives.  This is not pie in the sky, but truly a fact of life.  Our thoughts have energy.  Everything in the universe is made up of energy. Thoughts are vibrating energy that create our reality.  Even the most skeptical person should consider what I have been saying here, and do a little experiment.  Take a look back over your life, and see if you can’t recall when you were thinking about or wishing for something, and it manifested.  Consider some of the attitudes and values you held in the past, and the situations that resulted because of them.  Perhaps you held some good values and attitudes that served you well.  Or, also, perhaps the opposite was true, and these resulted in a troublesome situation.

The problem for so many of us is that we have the “Yes, but ….” argument that goes off in our head and ruins it all.  For example:  “Yes, but there’s no way I can get that kind of money.”  The dream looks so good, but then we permit so-called reality to seep in and shake us out of the dream.  We pride ourselves on being so realistic, so very practical. Another big problem is the “What if …” argument.  Again, our so-called sensible side takes over, and we think, “What if this happens or that happens.”  Next thing we know, we’ve pushed the dream aside, and are back in fear and worry.  “Yes, but” and “what if” will trip you up every time. They are imposters.  They arrive appearing so sensible and practical, and once you agree, you are on the road to hell.

Stay in the moment, don’t start worrying about the future or what can happen in the future. You only are responsible for what is happening right now.  You have no control over the future.  If you don’t allow negative thinking to trip you up, the future will work out just fine.  It is our thinking that gets us into trouble.  We permit thoughts of fear and worry to overtake us disguised as “yes, but,” or “what if,” and then find ourselves lost in the dark abyss. 

Just know that you are doing fine right now, at this very moment. You are doing the best you know how. Think about all the great inventions and progress this world has made since we were hunters-gatherers.  If the Wright brothers had let fear and worry get in their way, we would likely never have been able to travel in the clouds.  If Edison, who suffered so many failures before the light bulb finally lit up, had allowed dismay and disillusionment to overtake him, we would still be using kerosene lamps. I could go on and on, but I’m sure you get my point. 

I know that lifelong habits are not easy to change.  You will have to put out effort in order to turn negative thinking around.  Don’t say that this is the way you were all your life, and you can’t change.  You can if you want to.  Saying you can’t change is really saying you are too lazy to put forth a little effort.  After all, this is mental effort.  It’s not the same as pushing a boulder uphill.  If you want to realize a better, happier, more abundant, more fulfilling life, then you need to get busy. 

One more item to consider:  Isn’t it a whole lot more fun to dream about and visualize yourself in some better state or condition than to see yourself stuck in some unhappy place that brings your mood down most of the time?  I think so.  Why would you rather see yourself constantly in sad possession of a problem?  I Know there are many things I would like to possess, and problems are not one of them!

Please keep in mind that I am not saying that you do not have to deal with whatever is presently in front of you.  The rent or mortgage  has to be paid, children get sick, the bills pile up, something else unpleasant requires your attention, and so on.  All sorts of problems arise that require our attention.  You can’t just let responsibilities and obligations go unattended.  I am not saying that at all.  For sure, whatever problems or demands arise have to be dealt with.  What I am saying is not to wallow in those problems.  Not to put all your attention on matters that crush your happiness.  The less attention you give to such matters, the happier you will be. 

Too many people have a tendency to wallow in their troubles, somehow believing that they are simply misfortunate souls. Or they enjoy being victims, looking for sympathy from every quarter. I have met many such people.  They don’t realize that they are creating their own misfortune.  Not only that, they are inviting more misfortune to visit them. 

We are gifted with imagination, and we should use it for our benefit.  Albert Einstein stated that imagination is more important than logic, because logic will take you from A to B, but imagination will take you everywhere.  So use that imagination to your benefit.  Give it free reign. The sky is the limit. If you are dreaming of acquiring $100,000.00, then why not $1,000,000.00?  It is just as easy for the universe to bestow $1,000,000.00 as it is to bestow $100,000.00.  Whatever it is that you need or want, it certainly does not cost anything to dream about it.  Dream the grandest dream you can imagine.

There’s a wonderful line from a song in the musical play, South Pacific, which played on Broadway many years ago, and was later made into a motion picture.  The line goes like this:  If you don’t have a dream, how you gonna have a dream come true?

Treat yourself good and dream.

Sandra L. Lerner is the author of Connecting with Your Guardian Angel for Comfort, Protection and Guidance. 

See http://www.Connectingwithyourguardianangel.com