To help me stay focused and positive, I’ve placed positive affirmation signs around my house. They are triggers for me to get back on track and not dwell on anything that isn’t serving me. I’ve uploaded a few of the signs I’m using for you to download. All files are PDF’s.

Energy Flows Where Attention Goes

James Arthur Ray says this often in his book Harmonic Wealth and it’s one of my favorites!

Everything is Energy

Create Your Day

You Are Ready

Return to the Now

Be Grateful

Book: The Joy Diet - 10 Daily Practices for a Happier Life.

Author: Martha Beck

Publisher: Crown Publishers, 2003

What a great read! This approach is very simple, easy to follow and makes total sense (you’ll probably be thinking “Why didn’t I think of this). If your looking for ways to improve or just enhance your life, this is perfect for you! Martha recommends that you read one chapter a week until you’re fully comfortable with a step and then move on to the next. This is a great approach, I think if you tried everything at once you’d totally fall off of this diet, but the one step a week works for me.

The 10 Steps are:

Nothing - Not as easy as it sounds

Truth - This step is amazing and clicked right away for me. I never realized how many stories I made up in my head when there was absolutely no truth to them! Example of my internal voice: “My Sister hasn’t called me lately, I bet she’s mad at me, probably because I couldn’t watch the kids for her last week, what a bitch, I have a life too you know…” this could go on and on. But now I simply ask myself “Is it true that your Sister is mad at you?” The answer is “No! I have no idea why she hasn’t called!”

Desire - Pretty much a chapter of finding what you desire.

Creativity - Creatively reaching your desire

Risk- Take risks in your life. You’ve probably heard it before, “do something scary at least once a day”! I live a pretty risk-free life, so I had a hard time incorporating this step. But finally I just sucked it up and now I’m taking baby-risks and I’m so proud of myself! I’m actually looking forward to taking some big risks soon!

Treats - Reward yourself with 3 treats a day. 2 for no reason and 1 for taking a risk! I’m not very good at this step yet. I do reward myself when I do something risky, but I haven’t been very good at rewarding myself for no reason. I just don’t remember to do it! That’s my goal this week is to figure out a way to reward myself and not see it as a chore.

Laughter - What a great thing to incorporate into your life everyday. After reading this chapter you’ll realize that you actually laugh more than you thought you did, but it still isn’t nearly enough to be on the Joy Diet. I’m lucky, I have a pretty funny family so I usually have a few good laughs throughout the day and although I didn’t really pay attention before, I do feel better after laughing at my family members

Connections - This is a tough one for me! I’ve shut down in most of my interactions with just about everyone I know and I haven’t figured out the source of why yet. I’m someone who is always there for everyone else, but I never (and I mean never) open up about myself. I can’t say this chapter was a major breakthrough for me, but it least got me to recognize my issues and get me excited about reconnecting with people.

Feasting - 3 times a day! What I took away from this chapter is relish all the good that is in your life! I surprised myself on this, I do “Feast” several times a day (at least for the last year or so). For me running through “Gratefuls” is the best feast! I try to do this several times a day especially when I’m in a rotten mood or when I’m trying to focus my mind, little did I know I was mastering a Martha Beck step!

I recommend this book for everyone. It doesn’t have to be for someone who’s trying to “find themselves” as in my case, but for anyone who wants to celebrate their day! Every chapter I’d think of a new person who I think should read this book and when I was done with the book my list included just about everyone I know.

Book: Quantum Wellness A Practical and Spiritual Guide to Health and Happiness

Author: Kathy Freston

Publisher: Weintstein Books

I saw Kathy Freston on Oprah promoting her book and was intrigued. A few days later I saw the book at the store and picked it up. This is an excellent book to continue your growth if you’re new to the Law of Attraction as I am. It’s not really about the Law of Attraction but many of the principals are talked about. Kathy breaks down her approach into 8 pillars of wellness; Meditation, Visualization, Fun Activities, Conscious Eating, Exercise, Self Work, Spiritual Practice, and Service.

I love this approach! A lot of what I read only covers a few of those aspects and I don’t think any of them talk much about having fun! This Pillar really got my attention. When was the last time you really had fun? Why is fun for adults reserved for vacation or holidays? When I thought about the last time I had fun, I was saddened to think how long it had been since I actually had some fun. Kathy said to set aside some time everyday to have fun! For me this was difficult, I have no clue what I could do on a daily basis for fun. The first couple of days I was stumped, so I decided to dance. I used to love to go dancing at the clubs, and it is just as fun to dance around your living room to some great music! I’m at the point right now where I realize I can’t dance everyday, so I’ve been examining my past to figure out what else could fill the fun category. I remember I used to love to go on bike rides, so this week I’m going to buy a bike. Hopefully it’s as great as I remember

Another pillar I took to heart is Eating Consciously. I must warn you, that by reading this book, it will be hard for you to keep your same eating habits. Kathy talks about how being a vegetarian (or even better, a vegan) is a compassionate and kind way to live. She talks in length about the horror’s cows and chickens go through to get to our plates and I must admit it was so horrific, I couldn’t read it all. I’ve decided that I’m going to “lean” into a vegetarian lifestyle. I’ve been meatless for a week now and it’s really not that hard. Being a vegan (No meat, dairy or other animal products) would be a true struggle for me, so right now I’m just aiming for vegetarian. Life on the dairy farm is no easier for the animals who provide us eggs, milk and cheese, so now that I am aware of it, I will be limiting my intake of those products too.

One of the great things that Kathy mentions often is “leaning into” these new things. She doesn’t expect everyone to read her book and start eating plant only meals and doing a month long cleanse. She says to “lean into” your new lifestyle. Just those simple words makes life changes a whole lot easier to get started.

Each pillar in the end seems (at least to me) about kindness, being kind to yourself (Body, Mind and Spirit), to the people around you through service, the animals who provide us food and kindness to the world as a whole. It really helped focus my mind and my life mission. What better message could you ask from a book?! This book is a must for everyone who wants a more fulfilled life!

Book - Ghosts Among Us

Author - James Van Praagh

Publisher - Harper One

I have mixed reviews on this book. A lot of the information in this book is fascinating but a lot of it doesn’t line up with my thoughts on the afterlife.

First I’ll start out by saying that I believe 100% that there are people out there who can talk to those who have passed. I’ve had firsthand experience with this phenomenon. In 1999 I attended a group session with John Edward and was one of the lucky few whose relatives came through that day. Since then I’ve been following the careers of other high profile mediums including James Van Praagh. I was so excited when I saw this book on the shelf.

The book is very easy to read and a lot of the stories and so interesting. His insight into the afterlife is somewhat disturbing to me. I’ve never been one to think of heaven as a sea of fluffy white clouds and harp music playing. I’ve pictured it like life here on earth except that everything is perfect. I’ve always thought that when it’s my turn to crossover I would immediately be released of my short comings as a human (such as my stubbornness and my fear of doing new things), but according to James, we keep those personality traits. He also talks about different levels of the spirit world, the less evolved spirits stay in the lower levels and the more developed ones go to higher levels. I was raised Catholic but gave up my belief in Hell several years ago. I just couldn’t see someone being dammed for all eternity when it could have just been their circumstances causing their life to be “sinful”. But the way James explains the different levels it sounds like there is kind of a Hell and I just don’t want to wrap my mind around that. Another thing he mentioned is that the spirits have regrets. They wish they had pursued a different skill in life, or had a better relationship with someone. This really bothers me; I’d hate to think of my relatives sitting on the other side sad about how their life turned out. So I’ve started to send them positive thoughts about themselves. I figure it can’t hurt!

The book also talks about coming back to earth. Reincarnation has never been something I ever wanted to consider but in the past year I’ve started to be open to the idea. So the good news is if you are in the lower levels of the spirit world it sounds like you have the option of getting out.

Another topic that is brought up numerous times is Aura’s. Again back in 1999 I saw a person’s aura for the first time. It had never happened before and has never happened again, but I am just fascinated by the subject. He gives several examples of what can happen if you allow your aura to weaken and he gives tips on how to strengthen it.

Over the past ten years I’ve been interested in Spirit Guides but I’ve never figured out who mine are. James take on Spirit Guides is very different than how I pictured them. He says that Spirit Guides are more evolved souls than you but are not fully evolved yet. They are your guides to help you but to also help improve themselves. I always thought that these guides were spirits only and had never lived on earth before. He gave some ideas on how to contact your Spirit Guides and I’ll be giving them a try. I’ll let you know if I get a message from any of them!

I don’t think this book should be read by anyone who is newly grieving, or has someone near death. This book didn’t leave me with the kind of peace you’d want in those situations. But with that said, I do recommend this book if you have any interest in the spirit world and/or earthbound spirits.

Movie - What the Bleep Do We Know?

Rating - NR

Release Date: -2004

Ever since I heard about the Law of Attraction I have been interested in the science behind it but most of it has been overhead until recently. I just started listening to “Harmonic Wealth” Audiobook by Jame Arthur Ray and he discusses the science aspect very briefly but in an easy to understand way. Then I discovered this movie “What the Bleep Do We Know?”! It’s an introduction-like look into Quantum Physics and how our thoughts affect our life.

I learned a lot from this movie and it’s just one of those things that gives you a little extra boost to say “Hey this stuff is real and actually works”. The part of the movie I found most interesting was “The Messages from the Water” experiment by Dr. Masaru Emoto. His experiment showed that water could be transformed by both positive and negative thoughts. Follow the above link to see some of the amazing photographs.

The movie is half documentary, half fictional story starring Marlee Matlin. I really could have lived without the fictional half. I supposed it’s there to help reinforce what all the experts are saying, but I found it a little irritating. There was one part of the fictional story that I did like and that was the computer animated molecules, especially the Robert Palmer molecule. That part was not only informative but very entertaining.

I think this movie is a great introduction to Quantum Physics and for those interested in the Law of Attraction. You can also learn more about this movie, the science behind it or find out about other “Bleep” products by visiting their web site.

Gratitude is key to creating the life you want and enjoying the life you have. I can’t say I’ve been a very grateful person for the first 35 years of my life, but I am very grateful today. Even on my worst days I can always find something to be grateful for, and just having something, just 1 thing to be grateful for, can turn that “worst day” itself into something to be grateful for.

I started my gratitude quest with a gratitude journal, but now I just run through my “gratefuls” while getting ready in the morning and just before I’m about to fall asleep at night and whenever else the urge hits me to be grateful. I stopped doing the journal because it began to feel like a chore and since I didn’t need one more thing to feel like it’s dragging me down I found a different way to embed this practice in my life. At first I was afraid that making it apart of my routine would create monotony, but I’ve learned to be creative with my “gratefuls” and everyday I find something new to be grateful for!

When I first started out I had a hard time coming up with things to be thankful for until I realized how much I took for granted, now just about everything in my world deserves my gratitude.

Today I am Grateful For (in no particular order):

• Clean running water that I only have to walk a few feet to get.
• Electricity in every place I expected it.
• My loving family
• Teddy, my Puppy
• A refrigerator and pantry full of food
• Gas in the car
• My beautiful, comfy bed
• My iPod
• Shelves full of books
• Being healthy today
• My job
• My Friends

I could go on and on, but I don’t want to bore you any longer!

Try putting a little bit of gratitude into your life and you’ll see the difference. You’ll become more aware of your surroundings and you’ll truly see how lucky you are to be you!!!

After having a rough week, I decided it was time for some simple affirmations!

Here’s my affirmation for today.

My Life is Amazing!!!!

Feel free to share your affirmations!

Book:  The Secret

Author:  Rhonda Byrne

Publisher:  Beyond Words

I first heard about The Secret on a news report over a year ago.  The report talked about this new phenomenon and the Law of Attraction.  The next day I went and got the book and read it that night.  It’s not the greatest book ever written (from a literary aspect) but this book changed my life!  It explains the Law of Attraction in a very simple way and teaches you ways to incorporate this concept into your life.  That night I began setting intentions for the next day, focusing on the positive and being grateful for the things I already have in my life.  I didn’t realize until I started this process what a negative person I was.  It was such an eye opener.  I had to totally retrain myself how to look at the world.

A few concepts in the book I didn’t embrace right away.  I liked the thought that I could attract anything into my life, but that also meant I had to take responsibility for the unpleasant things in my life right now.   I’ve had a chronic illness for the last 12 years and I couldn’t wrap my brain around the thought that I “attracted” it into my life.  But after awhile I realized that if I attracted it to me, I can get rid of it too.  I’m in no way cured of the illness (yet) but the past year I have had very few symptoms, I have more energy and I’m not constantly thinking about it.

I was so inspired by the book, rather than loan this book out to everyone, I bought everyone who I thought would benefit from it their own copy.  I now have a great “positive thinking” support group and can’t imagine not living so consciously ever again.

The greatest part of using the Law of Attraction is the people that I’ve “attracted” into my life!  A lot of them already were in my life but in a much different capacity than they are now.  Others have come into my life under some of the most unusual circumstances.  It is absolutely amazing to watch this law at work!

I should warn you that once you start learning about the Law of Attraction, you’ll want to know everything.  I have read more books in the past year, than I probably have in my entire life.  What’s really cool is when you’re really paying attention, the Law of Attraction will put the exact book in your lap that you need.

A huge thanks to Rhonda Byrne for inspiring my new life!!!!!

1)  Spend time with your pet.  It really works. There is nothing like a game of fetch or a cuddle to help you forget about your worries for a short time!  If you don’t have a pet, borrow the neighbors or just sit on your porch and watch a bird or a squirrel do what they do.

2)  Color!  That’s right get some crayons and some paper and color like your 6 years old again.  If you have kids around you can include them, but you don’t have to.  I actually learned this trick from my Aunt who was dying.  She only had a few months to live and something in her made her go buy crayons and  a coloring book. A half hour a day, she no longer was dying, she was coloring and that’s all that mattered!!!

3)  Listen to Music.  For me, one song can change my mood around.  Anything that makes me want to dance does the trick.

4)  Prepare yourself for your bad mood.  Undoubtedly you will be in a bad mood from time to time.  So when you are in a good mood make a mental note of that moment and say to yourself “the next time I’m down I will recall this memory“.  Soak up every detail and store it in your mind.  Then when you’re feeling awful access that memory and relive that fantastic time of your life.  It’s a great way to shift your mood and a reminder that things will get better.

5)  Laugh!!!  Visit a joke web site, or check out what’s new on YouTube.  You’re bound to find something funny on the Internet.  A little bit of laughter everyday goes a long way!

Book:  The Success Principals How to Get From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be

Author:  Jack Canfield with Janet Switzer

Publisher:  Collins

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this book!!!!

Jack Canfield is a great inspirational author and this book is no exception!!!

There are 64 “Success Principals” that Mr. Canfield explains with great enthusiasm.  I had several “A-ha” moments while reading this book and I felt empowered before I was even done.  This is the kind of book you tell your friends about but you’d never lend out in fear you’d never get it back.

I enjoyed the book so much that I also got the auidobook for my iPod.  I listen to a chapter whenever I need a little extra encouragement in my day.  The only downside to the audiobook is, it’s abridged, so not all of the principals are on the audiobook.

A lot of what is talked about in the Success Principals is all stuff you already know, but for some reason just don’t practice it in your life.  There is a lot of great information in the book and you might be tempted to read several chapters in one sitting.  That’s what I did and then half-way through the book I felt overwhelmed.  Once I started to do a chapter (or Principal) a day and take time to absorb what I read that overwhelming feeling went away and I was ready to tackle the issues in my life, fully armed with all the right tools.

After reading the Success Principals, I actually felt like I had a plan for my future and that anything is possible.

I recommend this book to anyone and everyone.  It’s a true winner!!!!