NYMuse

Visualization: Make it a Habit

 

"Decide what you want.  Believe you can have it.  Believe you deserve it and believe it's possible for you.  And then close your eyes every day for several minutes, and visualize having what you already want, feeling the feelings of already having it.  Come out of that and focus on what you're grateful for already, and really enjoy it.  Then go into your day and release it to the Universe and trust that the Universe will figure out how to manifest it. "

~The Secret, pg. 92

When I first read the Secret, I was really drawn to this passage.  I wrote it down, memorized it and decided I wanted to practice doing it.  I started the visualization on my train ride to work most mornings, until it became a daily ritual.   It felt good to do -- especially the part where I'd focus on all the things I was already grateful for in my life.  Actually, I usually ended up spending more and more time on just that part, listing an insane amount of things I was so grateful I had.  At the very end is where the best part came -- the releasing it to the Universe part and trusting it would all work out.  I'd always have the strangest sense of calm and faith in that moment.  That a burden had been lifted from me.  That there was nothing else for me to do.  I wasn't in control and it didn't matter.  Now that's a hard thing to do -- to give up control, and be ok with it.  But this exercise really helped me do that. 

It's been almost a year since I randomly stopped doing this exercise.  And I need to get back into the habit of doing it.  That's the thing -- it has to be a habit, you have to practice it.  It has to become a habitual way of being.  These things don't really work when it's a one-time thing.  So get into the habit with me and see how it goes.  Nothing to lose...

GRATUITY NOT INCLUDED

"What can you do right now to begin to turn your life around?  The very first thing is to start making a list of things to be grateful for.  This shifts your energy and starts to shift your thinking.  Whereas before this exercise you might be focusing on what you don't have, your complaints, and your problems, you go in a different direction when you do this exercise.  You start to be grateful for all those things that you feel good about."  ~The Secret, pg. 74

 

 

WOW!  I opened The Secret to a random page today as I always do, and without fail, it gave me exactly what I was thinking about!  I woke up this morning reminding myself of all the wonderful things I am grateful for in my own life.  And as I had my morning coffee, I continued thinking about gratitude and about that phrase we see on restaurant bills: GRATUITY NOT INCLUDED.  It's not usually included.  It's something extra we have to add on to show our appreciation.  But the reminder is there for us on the bill.  And through constant reminders and repetition, it's become an automatic process to leave a tip to say thanks.

Similarly, showing gratitude to the world, to ourselves, to our loved ones, is not always automatically included or understood.  It takes a bit of effort and practice to get into the routine of always showing gratitude.  For me, the above exercise was one I challenged myself to take on daily.  As with any new routine, it took some time for it to be automatic.  A lot of the obstacles came from that little voice in my head that gave me many reasons to not stick with it.  But if you can make the effort, I promise you it's worth the effort!   Because you really will feel good thinking about all the good stuff in your life, and that, in turn, will bring more good into your life!  I invite you to try it out & keep me posted of your progress.

All Stress Begins with One Negative Thought

"All Stress Begins with one negative thought.  One thought that went unchecked, and then more thoughts  came and more, until stress manifested.  The effect is stress, but the cause was negative thinking, and it all began with one little negative thought.  No matter what you might have manifested, you can change it...with one small positive thought and then another."  -- The Secret,pg 127

Every day, I open The Secret to a random page and see what I land on.  It never ceases to amaze me that every time I do it, it actually works.  It actually tells me exactly what I need to hear, exactly what makes sense for me in that moment in time.  I invite you to try it yourself.

So back to this point about stress and that one negative thought.  It is true.  I woke up this morning thinking I had nothing to do, no concrete plans that would give my day purpose.  It was a negative thought.  It made me stress that it was a beautiful day out, and I had no plan in mind.  I'd just be stuck indoors wasting away while a whole world out there waited for me.  I was going down a winding path that was most likely leading in a very negative direction if I let it.  But I decided to turn it around:  I was going to "plan my day in advance" (another Secret tip).  I  decided I wanted to do dinner & a movie.    So I purposefully put it out there into the universe -- I emailed a bunch of friends to see who might bite....and voila!  Few hours later, plans are made!