Take A Picture

Self-Made Millionaires are not smarter or better than you. They have just discovered these secrets and used them to become wealthy. You can do it too.

Secret #2:

CREATE A SPECIFIC PICTURE OF WHERE YOU'RE GOING.
The more specific you are the more likely you are to get there.

My thoughts on this one:

This makes so much sense, and on the surface it seems easy to do. But when push comes to shove, it's not that simple. Our lives are not straightforward vision boards or well thought out nicely worded essays. This isn't the movies or a novel. Real life is messy and busy, we have more than our fair share of distractions and disappointments.

For me, keeping a clear picture of where I'm headed is kind of like... well... Sometimes I think it's like trying to keep your hands clean when you live in a swamp with 10 children and there's nothing but mud everywhere. Other times it's like trying to make sure your hair doesn't get out of place while riding in a convertable with the top down, going 80 miles an hour. It's so easy for that clear picture to get warped and torn...

So what's the answer? Anyone have any ideas? Let's see if we can get a good list going of all the different ways there are to create and maintain a clear picture of where we want to go.

Trying Again

If any of you were encouraged, or motivated by yesterday's post on "try again," here's your opportunity to do just that. We only have 9 days left of the project. Is there a commitment you could make to yourself, and pledge to keep, for just 9 days? Perhaps you might want to renew your original commitment, or simply make a new one, either way, you can still try again.

Another Article About Keeping Commitments

From Dorothy M. Neddermeyer, PhD, author, motivatinal speaker, and inspirational leader we have the following article:

Have you wondered what sets the highly successful people ahead of others? One key factor is keeping commitments.

It is astonishing that 90% of the world's problems result from people failing to keep their commitments. Heads of state, CEO's, family members and friends, every missed goal or uncompleted task can be traced back to someone not keeping their end of the bargain.

We all make commitments every day. Some seem small and insignificant-agreed upon time to meet, a promise to run an errand or a promise to follow-up. Others are ostensibly bigger and more important-a formal contract or legal document, etc. It is important to consider all commitments equally important, because this is the way trust is built and maintained. A person's reputation is built upon their ability to make and keep commitments. Your life will work better when commitments are carefully made and diligently kept.

There are five key factors in making and keeping commitments.

1. All Commitments Are Important: When you agree to do something-do it as agreed. When you agree to meet someone, be there on time. When you fail to keep a commitment you fail yourself first and the other person second.
   
   
2. Be Careful What You Agree To: Many people find it easier to say yes instead of no. It is far better to agree to what you can do, than saying yes to please someone at the moment and later fail your commitment because of being over-committed or because you have difficulty saying no.
   
   
3. Manage Your Commitments: Keep a log of your commitments-Write them down. You may have great intentions, but if you forget to do what you agreed to do, the result is the same as your 'Choosing' not to keep your commitment.
   
   
4. Renegotiate When You Are Unable to Keep Your Commitment: When you discover you are unable or unwilling to complete an agreement, go to the other party/parties and renegotiate.
   
   
5. Manage By Agreement: Instead of telling someone to do something, ask if they would agree to doing it and by when. You have a greater chance it will get done if you ask rather than tell.
   

By paying careful attention to the commitments you make, tracking them and developing the habit of keeping all your commitments you will be known as a person of integrity. Your life and the world around you work in direct proportion to the quality of your commitments.

Source

Why is it harder for some of us?

I don't know why I'm finding it so hard to just strike out and DO something to really claim my inner Aragorn! Or to find my "great work."  Am I expecting too much too soon? Am I avoiding something obvious? Are you having as much trouble as I am when it comes to figuring out how to bring this larger than life character, or archetype into reality?

So this is what I was thinking about when, the Master of the Universe sent me to a web page with this article:

Some things are easier for some people and harder for others in all areas of life. Why?

Huna philosophy says that the world is what you think it is, there are no limits, energy flows where attention goes, now is the moment of power, and effectiveness is the measure of truth.


In this context, the answer to the question is that it has to do with what you believe about yourself and about life. Right now you are manifesting everything in your life quite automatically without any apparent effort. When you have no blocks about a particular thing, the slightest thought can bring it into your experience. People who seem unusually lucky in certain areas simply have no fears or doubts to get in the way in those areas. So they can decide on something related to those areas and have it happen with ease.


It is when you want to change a long-standing conditions in your life in a conscious way that you often have to apply so much time and energy in manifesting the change. This is because you must also change the beliefs that brought you to your present condition. When changes seem to occur on their own, it is because you haven't noticed a more gradual change in beliefs that has been taking place on a "subconscious" level.


You manifest your own reality. But it is the total "you" that does this, not the conscious mind alone. To put it accurately, your Higher Self creates your reality according to the beliefs you have established in your Ku. And those beliefs are established by concentrated attention and repetition by your Lono.


To change your experience, you must change yourself. The rule of life is that you get what you concentrate on. Just be sure you know exactly what it is that you are concentrating on. Many think they are concentrating on having health, wealth, love, success, or spirituality, when they are really concentrating on the lack of it. Manifesting something very different in your life will depend on the strength of your motivation, the persistence of your concentration on what you want instead of what you don't want, and the degree of confidence you have that the Universe will help you get the best possible outcome according to these factors.

~Serge Kahili King

Did you find that helpful? I did. But then, I could feel myself slinking away, leaving it in the realm of "something I read," "something I agree with," and "something I could talk about here." And as I was watching that moment of action slip away, I clicked on another link on the website and found this! It's called the Menehune Lagoon, one of those online oracle type things. So, I asked the question, what is the first step I could take in my quest to become Aragorn. Here's what I got!

WELA KA HAO!

Strike while the iron is hot!

Don't hesitate. Do it now.

It's time for action, rather than thinking.

Take advantage of the opportunities in front of you.

Ever the doubter, always a procrastinator, I then asked "But how do I know what those opportunities are?" And this was my answer:

'IKE NO I KA LA O KA 'IKE, MANA NO I KA LA O KA MANA

There is a time for knowledge and a time for power

When you don't know what to do, ask for higher help.

It's time to put your knowledge into practice.

If you don't have all the answers, trust yourself and do it anyway.

Looks like I'd better get started and do something right now! I'm thinking I'll start by turning off my computer. Then, I think I'll turn on some music and get some energy moving in this house!

Something More Is Necessary

Something more is necessary, however, than merely to see the picture clearly. If that is all you do, you are only a dreamer, and will have little or no power for accomplishment.

Behind your clear vision must be the purpose to realize it, to bring it out into tangible expression.

And behind this purpose must be an invincible and unwavering FAITH that the thing is already yours; that it is "at hand" and you have only to take possession of it.

Live in the new house, mentally, until it takes form around you physically. In the mental realm, enter at once into full enjoyment of the things you want.

"Whatsoever things ye ask for when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them," said Jesus.

See the things you want as if they were actually around you all the time; see yourself as owning and using them. Make use of them in imagination just as you will use them when they are your tangible possessions. Dwell upon your mental picture until it is clear and distinct, and then take the Mental Attitude of Ownership toward everything in that picture. Take possession of it, in mind, in the full faith that it is actually yours. Hold to this mental ownership; do not waver for an instant in the faith that it is real.

And remember what was said in a preceding chapter about gratitude; be as thankful for it all the time as you expect to be when it has taken form. The man who can sincerely thank God for the things which as yet he owns only in imagination, has real faith. He will get rich; he will cause the creation of whatsoever he wants.

You do not need to pray repeatedly for the things you want; it is not necessary to tell God about it every day.

"Use not vain repetitions as the heathen do," said Jesus to His pupils, "for your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things before ye ask Him."

Your part is to intelligently formulate your desire for the things which make for a larger life, and to get these desires arranged into a coherent whole; and then to impress this Whole Desire upon the Formless Substance, which has the power and the will to bring you what you want.

You do not make this impression by repeating strings of words; you make it by holding the vision with unshakable PURPOSE to attain it, and with steadfast FAITH that you do attain it.

The answer to prayer is not according to your faith while you are talking, but according to your faith while you are working.

You cannot impress the mind of God by having a special Sabbath day set apart to tell Him what you want, and then forgetting Him during the rest of the week. You cannot impress Him by having special hours to go into your closet and pray, if you then dismiss the matter from your mind until the hour of prayer comes again.

Oral prayer is well enough, and has its effect, especially upon yourself, in clarifying your vision and strengthening your faith; but it is not your oral petitions which get you what you want. In order to get rich you do not need a "sweet hour of prayer"; you need to "pray without ceasing." And by prayer I mean holding steadily to your vision, with the purpose to cause its creation into solid form, and the faith that you are doing so.

"Believe that ye receive them."

The whole matter turns on receiving once you have clearly formed your vision. When you have formed it, it is well to make an oral statement, addressing the Supreme in reverent prayer; and from that moment you must, in mind, receive what you ask for.

Live in the new house; wear the fine clothes; ride in the automobile; go on the journey, and confidently plan for greater journeys. Think and speak of all the things you have asked for in terms of actual present ownership. Imagine an environment, and a financial condition exactly as you want them, and live all the time in that imaginary environment and financial condition. Mind, however, that you do not do this as a mere dreamer and castle builder; hold to the FAITH that the imaginary is being realized, and to the PURPOSE to realize it. Remember that it is faith and purpose in the use of the imagination which make a difference between the scientist and the dreamer. And having learned this fact, it is here that you must learn the proper use of the Will.

From: The Science of Getting Rich, by Wallace D Wattles

(Click on the image to view fullsize and download as wallpaper.)

So, what do you think is the difference between having a daydream and/or a fantasy, and mentally bringing an idea into fruition? Is there a difference?

A First Step Toward Getting Rich

As a first step toward getting rich, you must believe the three fundamental statements given previously in this chapter; and in order to emphasize them. I repeat them here:

• There is a thinking stuff from which all things are made, and which, in its original state, permeates, penetrates, and fills the interspaces of the universe.
  
• Man can form things in his thought, and, by impressing his thought upon formless substance, can cause the thing he thinks about to be created.
  
• A thought, in this substance, produces the thing that is imaged by the thought.
  

You must lay aside all other concepts of the universe than this monistic one; and you must dwell upon this until it is fixed in your mind, and has become your habitual thought. Read these creed statements over and over again; fix every word to memory, and meditate upon them until you firmly believe what they say.

If a doubt comes to you, cast it aside as a sin. Do not listen to arguments against this idea; do not go to churches or lectures where a contrary concept of things is taught or preached. Do not read magazines or books which teach a different idea; if you get mixed up in your faith, all your efforts will be in vain.

Do not ask why these things are true, nor speculate as to how they can be true; simply take them on trust. The science of getting rich begins with the absolute acceptance of this faith.

From: The Science of Getting Rich, by Wallace D Wattles

(Click on the image to view fullsize and download as wallpaper.)

Ok... so I guess we're not looking for misgivings, or doubts, or arguments to the contrary here. Instead, let's post lists of all the things we've actually been able to manifest in our lives simply by thinking it.

Anyone up for that?

The First Principle of the Science of Getting Rich

Thought is the only power which can produce tangible riches from the Formless Substance. The stuff from which all things are made is a substance which thinks, and a thought of form in this substance produces the form.

Original Substance moves according to its thoughts; every form and process you see in nature is the visible expression of a thought in Original Substance. As the Formless Stuff thinks of a form, it takes that form; as it thinks of a motion, it makes that motion. That is the way all things were created. We live in a thought world, which is part of a thought universe.

The thought of a moving universe extended throughout Formless Substance, and the Thinking Stuff moving according to that thought, took the form of systems of planets, and maintains that form. Thinking Substance takes the form of its thought. Holding the idea of a circling system of suns and worlds, it takes the form of these bodies, and moves them as it thinks. Thinking the form of a slow-growing oak tree, it moves accordingly, and produces the tree, though centuries may be required to do the work. In creating, the Formless seems to move according to the lines of motion it has established; the thought of an oak tree does not cause the instant formation of a full-grown tree, but it does start in motion the forces which will produce the tree, along established lines of growth.

Every thought of form, held in thinking Substance, causes the creation of the form, but always, or at least generally, along lines of growth and action already established.

The thought of a house of a certain construction, if it were impressed upon Formless Substance, might not cause the instant formation of the house; but it would cause the turning of creative energies already working in trade and commerce into such channels as to result in the speedy building of the house. And if there were no existing channels through which the creative energy could work, then the house would be formed directly from primal substance, without waiting for the slow processes of the organic and inorganic world.

No thought of form can be impressed upon Original Substance without causing the creation of the form.

Man is a thinking center, and can originate thought. All the forms that man fashions with his hands must first exist in this thought; he cannot shape a thing until he has thought that thing.

And so far man has confined his efforts wholly to the work of his hands; he has applied manual labor to the world of forms, seeking to change or modify those already existing. He has never thought of trying to cause the creation of new forms by impressing his thoughts upon Formless Substance.

When man has a thought-form, he takes material from the forms of nature, and makes an image of the form which is in h is mind. He has, so far, made little or no effort to co-operate with Formless Intelligence; to work "with the Father." He has not dreamed that he can "do what he seeth the Father doing." Man re-shapes and modifies existing forms by manual labor; he has given no attention to the question whether he may not produce things from Formless Substance by communicating his thoughts to it. We propose to prove that he may do so; to prove that any man or woman may do so, and to show how.

from: The Science of Getting Rich, by Wallace D Wattles.

(Click on the image to view fullsize and download as wallpaper.)

WOW! I love the way he explains this. And it brought up a wealth of questions and food for thought:

Here on The Prosperity Project, we've tried to "impress" your thoughts on "Original Substance" using a number of different techniques.
Did you get discouraged when you had less than instant results?
Did you change your mind about what you wanted?
Did you feel undeserving?

I wonder...
how many things were set in motion and then abandoned due to discouragement, or confusion.
I wonder how much of what we "asked" for is sitting in some "storage area" right now just waiting for us to come and claim it.

Take a look around at what you have claimed...
Does your environment, your health, your financial situation reflect chaos? order? conflict? confusion? clarity? or what?
Would it be helpful to start a list of those things that you have because you set those forces in motion? Would it be even more helpful to remember how you felt when you wanted it? and how long it actually took to receive it?

Talk to me guys!

My day begins with

How do you set the tone for your day? What thought is foremost in your mind when you first wake up? What would your day be like if you were to actively work to create a new thought, if you were to change your thinking? Would it change your life?

Think about this morning, when your alarm went off, or (if you don't use an alarm) when you first opened your eyes, what was that first thought?

If you like what you just said... that's great! If what you just said shows you something uncomfortable about your life that you'd like to change, now is the time to take steps to make some changes. Start first with that thought, how can you rewrite the sentence in a more positive way, and still make it sound and feel true for you?

Remember, if you rewrite the sentence to be how you "wish" it was, or how you think it "should" be, or even how you "want" it to be, it will not have nearly the effectiveness as it will if you can rewrite it in such a way that you KNOW the truth of it.

Once you decide on an alternative, post it in big letters where you will see it when you first wake up. Once that thought is firmly fixed in your mind, it will begin to operate automatically in your life, filtering out experiences and ideas that do NOT reflect that positive statement.

As always, we all love to see what other people write - so log on and share. Something you say might be really helpful to those of us who read it.

An Invitation To Open Your Mind

The following is from the DVD Ramtha: Create Your Day - An Invitation To Open Your Mind:

You know the moment you wake up, have you ever noticed that you don't know who you are. You wake up and you don't know who you are. Have you noticed how you look around the room to orient yourself, and what is really surprising is when you see the person next to you and for that split moment you don't know who they are?


I think you should contemplate that a lot. We spend the next moments before we ever get out of bed reorienting, rebounding with an identity that for a moment we didn't even have, and the identity is that (thing) we start to from when we take a look at the person next to us. And then we get up, and we start scratching our bodies... and then we get up and we go to the latrine and on the way we look at ourselves.

Why do you do that? Why do you stare at yourself? Because you are trying to remember who you are. It is still a mystery.

But if you have to remember who you are and remember the parameters of your acceptance and the fence of your doubt, if you have to go through the ritual every single day to remember who you are, what are the chances that your day is going to turn out unique?

Very slim indeed.

But what if ... before you tried to remember who you were ... you remembered what you wanted to be, and maybe that came first before you saw your mate, before you clawed yourself, before you staggered out of bed, scared the cat and saw yourself in the mirror. Before you did all of that, what if you remembered something:

"Before I bond to the ritual of my neuronet, I am going to create a day that is astounding, that will add to my neuronet, that will add to the experience of my life."

And you create your day - you create your day. That moment that you are not yet who you are is the most sublime moment in which in that moment you see the extraordinary, you can expect and accept the unordinary, you can accept a pay raise today. If you become yourself, your expectation of a pay raise greatly diminishes. You and I both know that. But in this one state of nonconclusiveness about your identity, you can create anyway.

So I tell my students, before you get up and remember who you are, create your day. Then after you create your day, your routine will change. You will be a slightly different person staring at the urinal, looking in the mirror. There will be something different about you, and that will be a wonderful thing.

Conscious Intention

Here's an exercise for us all to try. Today, every time you open something say to yourself "I too am opening."

Here are some examples:

• When you open your car door, "I too am open to movement in my life."
• Upon opening a container of food, "I am open to nourishment."
• Using a can opener, "Whatever it takes, I will be open to life."
• Turning a faucet, "Prosperity flows through me, freely and unrestricted."
• Opening the door to a room, "Moving forward in life can be this easy."
• When you open your check book or wallet, "I am open to the free flow of money as a never ending stream."
• Unbuttoning, or unzipping a jacket, "Being open can be as easy as this."

It doesn't really matter what words you use, and of course, it will be easy to forget about this as you get busy with your daily activities, and that's alright too. Just having the intention that the things you open in the physical world reflect what is opening within your self, is powerful in and of itself. Stating that intention consciously, gives it an extra boost.

Here's a nice picture to get you inspired. It's large enough to be downloaded and used as your desktop wallpaper. Just click on the image, this will pull up the page at Slide.com. Once there, right click on the image and chose "save target as," and save it to your "my pictures" folder. From there you can set it as desktop wallpaper. If you are "technically challenged" and need help, let me know and I'll walk you through it in a more detailed way.

What DO you want?

Here is an excerpt from the first of Five Questions for a Life of Fun, Inspiration & Action, and e course I signed up for yesterday. It doesn't really say anything new, and it isn't something that we haven't all heard before. But it is something that I have not actually sat down and really defined in quite a while. So, I'm sharing it here.

What DO you want?

It's one of the most powerful questions I know.
And it's a tough one to answer.

Pretty much just as soon as you get old enough to think... you have people telling you what THEY want. Parents, partners, spouses, children, friends, bosses, colleagues, customers and clients... they've all got opinions about what's best for you.

And sometimes their requests and demands can feel like a swarm of mosquitoes buzzing around you demanding attention. And if you're not clear on what you want, you have little protection against the blighters - what others want becomes very hard to resist.

So what can you do about it?

Here's an exercise to help get clear on what you want.

1. Find some time and space for yourself. It doesn't need to be much - five minutes in a room, ten minutes in a coffee shop, a 15 minute walk around the neighborhood.


2. Connect with your core values, those ways of being that are at the heart of you being at your best. If you're not quite sure what they are - and you'd be like most people if that's the case - then start to imagine what they might be now. If you think back to "peak moments" in your life, times you felt you were on top of the world, then you'll see some clues as to what they might be.


3. Get clear on the situation at hand. You need context before you can decide on what you want. Is this about work? A relationship? Your own self-care? Something else? What's the challenge or situation or struggle you might be facing?


4. Imagine outrageous success. Go on, amp it up. Or to put it another way: If you could not fail, what would total and fabulous success look like? Don't get caught up in the "how would I get there". Just let your imagination go on what outrageous success looks like.


5. Clarify your minimum level of success. This is the bottom line, the "if nothing else, then this at least." Don't sell yourself short. And equally, make sure the "bottom line" really is just that. This is where you draw the line in the sand.


6. Tap into your heart and find the sweet spot of what you want between those two end points. Sit with it for just a moment and get as clear as possible as to what it is you want,
   what it looks like, feels like, tastes like. The clearer you can make it, the easier it will be to start planning on how to get there.

So... What do you want?

brought to you by
Michael Bungay Stanier of The Possibility Virus

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Short Term Goals

We have recently covered quite a lot of deep metaphysical concepts. I think it's time to take a breather. Soon it will be a brand new year. I know that we all have long term goals... but what about our short term goals? I thought it might be helpful to list them here. I'll get us started with this list of my short term goals for the Prosperity Project.

Before the end of the year, I would like to:

1. Rework the sidebar widgets so that annoying error message will go away.
2. Find a more interesting and/or more colorful template for our blog. I'm getting tired of this one, and the lines across the top are starting to annoy me.
3. Go back through all our previous projects and make sure that each one has a "summary" page with links to all the posts, and that every project has a link to it under "completed posts."
4. Add to the "internet resources" page.
5. Write a tutorial for "how to comment and participate on the prosperity project", something really easy for blogging newbies.
6. Buy a domain name for the Project and put up a small website for us so that this blog is easier to find.
7. Install a paypal button just in case anyone wants to contribute to the domain name purchase. It won't cost much, maybe $10 by the time it's all said and done. I think I can get free webhosting pretty easily since it'll just be a small site created mostly as a channel to this blog.

The Ninth Insight

The ninth insight says that we can direct primal energy through the power of attention and intention. As we've seen, whatever we put our attention on (and thereby make the focus of this energy) blossoms. Whatever we withdraw our attention from starts to wither away. Attention and intention are the keys to transformation, whether it is of a situation, circumstance, person, or thing. The sutras are codes for triggering and activating intention and attention.

-oOo-

These are the links to the Principle and Sutra Exercise for today (Tuesday). Also, here is a direct link to Hermetic Axioms that I have uploaded to Way Cool Quotes

The Fourth Insight

The fourth insight is that change is the only constant. Everything is impermanent. Holding on to anything is like holding on to your breath; if you hold on long enough, you'll suffocate. Ultimately the only way to acquire anything in the physical universe is to let go of it and not hold on.

This is a very delicate point. It means that the best results are achieved when we focus on the process rather than on outcome. Focusing on the outcome creates anxiety and stress, which interferes with the spontaneous flow of intelligence as it moves from Spirit to the material world. The fact that change is the only constant means that we are always living in the unknown.

Everything that we call the known is past, and the only thing we can say about it with certainty is that it is no longer here. The known is the prison of past conditioning. The unknown is always fresh, which is a quality of the field of infinite possibilities. Zen masters, martial artists, and great spiritual teachers have always advised that we must go with the flow. The flow is the field of change. what doesn't change decays and dies. Change is the dance and rhythm of the universe. To have one-pointed intention, to flow with the change, and to be detached from the outcome at the same time: These are the mechanics of the fulfillment of desire.

-oOo-

Here are links the Principle and Sutra Exercise for today (Thursday). Also, here is the link to Hermetic Axioms I have uploaded to Way Cool Quotes.

Intention for Today

The intention for today's exercise is to help you find a deeper understanding of and better experience with the Principle and Sutra Exercise for today (Thursday).

A working definition for intention is: “to have in mind a purpose or plan, to direct the mind, to aim.” Lacking intention, we sometimes stray without meaning or direction. But with it, all the forces of the universe can align to make even the most impossible, possible.

Without our dreams all we have is our present reality. Reality is not a bad thing. We have to know where we are so we can design the appropriate strategy for getting to where we want to be. The challenge is our attitude around “reality” and being “realistic” and what being realistic has cost us. Often that’s our passion and joy, our hopes and dreams. Given the unknowns and sometimes craziness of life, there’s never been a more important time to dream and setting your intention is the first step.

When should you set an intention? You could set an intention every day. Your intention could be to work less and make more, or to find a new career that you are passionate about. It could be to get healthy and physically fit, or to spend more quality time with loved ones or alone. It can be specific and about something in particular or more like a quality, such as to be more relaxed or involved with life.

A Success Story: At seventy, Bessie set an intention to become a world famous photographer. Although many thought she was too old, she didn’t. She entered a photo contest where she won the first prize of $10,000. Her prize-winning photo toured around the world with a Kodak exhibit. She said, “We’re never too old to make a dream come true.”

Some Basic Steps:

1. Get clear about something you want and write it down.
2. Share your intention with someone in a way that will supportively hold you accountable to taking action.
3. Do something today to demonstrate your commitment to your intention.
4. Acknowledge that you did what you said you would, feel love and gratitude to yourself, and then, take the next appropriate step.

Questions to help define an intention:

1. What would I like to feel, experience or gain from today?
2. What stands in the way of me creating what I want to experience?
3. What resistance might I encounter along the way?
4. What am I willing to give up, compromise or surrender to have my intention be true for me?
5. What am I willing to commit to doing?

At the end of the day, take time to reflect in writing on your day’s experience. Think back over your activities and review your intentions to identify situations that match your list.

1. When did you feel love?
2. When did you have the experience you were looking for?
3. How did you manage the resistance factor?
4. Make a note of each instance where you were successful at creating your intention.
5. Practice develops awareness and with awareness, you can create the life you truly desire.

Why are you here?

This is an exercise specially formulated to help you find a deeper understanding of and better experience with the Principle and Sutra Exercise for today (Monday).

For this exercise you will need paper and pen, and ten minutes of uninterrupted time. Ask yourself, Why am I here? Write down the first thing that comes to mind. This question is open to many interpretations, so jot down whatever thoughts it triggers. Don't worry about the writing itself. You don't even have to use complete sentences.


Then pose the question again: Why am I here? Write down a new response. Do this twenty times. Keep looking for different ways to interpret the question so that each answer is unique and speaks to a different facet of the question.

Now look over your responses. What do they tell you? Do you see any pattern or progression in the answers? What does this tell you about how you see your life?

You can see your life as a series of external and internal events, but you can also learn to see those events as connected with each other and with something more spiritual. When you do that, you will begin to see your life as an opportunity to share the special gift you alone can bestow upon the world. That's one answer to the question of why you are here. Having this kind of clarity of purpose will help you focus your intentions.

Focusing Intention

The Focusing Intention exercise is specially formulated to help you find a deeper understanding of and better experience with the Principle and Sutra Exercise for today (Thursday).


The best way to focus on intentions is to write them down. Although this may sound like an obvious first step, it is a step that many people ignore. As a result, their intentions often remain unfocused, and therefore unrealized.

Go to a quiet place where you are not likely to be disturbed. Write down what you want on all different levels of desire. Include material, ego gratification, relationship, self-esteem, and spiritual desires. Be as specific as possible.

Ask yourself what you want on the material level, in terms of abundance and affluence. Do you want to own your own house with four bedrooms? Write that down. Do you want to be able to send your children to college? Write that down. Think also of your desires for sensory gratification - sound, touch, sight, taste, smell, and sensuality - anything that gratifies the senses. Write those down.

Ask yourself what you want in terms of relationships. Write down your desires for all your relationships - romantic partners, children, peers, parents, friends, and professional relationships.

Write down what you want in terms of personal accomplishments or recognition. Note what you want on a more universal level - how can you help? What do you want to do with your life in terms of your society, your country, your civilization? What do you want to contribute? Write down what you want when you think of discovering your highest sense of self. Whom do you want to be? What spiritually do you want to add to your life? Write down everything you desire on a single sheet of paper. Add or subtract from the list as your desires change or become fulfilled.

Meditate on what life would be like if all these desires were to manifest. See if you can create inner visions of genuine fulfillment on both material and spiritual levels. Don't be concerned about having these visions in any kind of order, or whether they're very realistic or not. Just see them all happening - feel them with all your five senses. The goal is to have congruent attention on all these four levels of aspiration. when that kind of congruency is in play, the internal dialogue is very powerful and clear, and will help you gain unity of consciousness.

Intentions do not need constant attention, but they do need to remain focused. This is a habit that you develop over time. Look at your list once or twice during the day. Read it over again just before you meditate. When you go into meditation, you silence the self. The ego disappears. As a result, you detach from the results and outcomes, you don't get involved in the details, and you let the infinite organizing power of the deeper intelligence orchestrate and fulfill all the details of your intentions for you. The key is to move away from the level of the ego, away from the level of the self and self-esteem, to let the nonlocal intelligence orchestrate the fulfillment of your desires through synchronicity.

In the beginning, you can be as selfish as you want. In the beginning your intentions may be all about "self" and the little details of what you want to happen in your life. But eventually you will realize that the goal is fulfillment on all levels, not just the personal or ego level. As you start to see the fulfillment of your intentions, your self-interest will diminish because you know you can have it all. When you have enough food to eat, you don't obsess about eating all the time. It's the same with intentions. When you know that fulfillment is possible, you will think less about your personal needs and more about the needs of the rest of the world. This is a process that works through stages. Be patient, but watch for the miracles to begin.

Friday's Sutra

Sutra Statements
for the Fith Principle



Imagine that you are without physical form, a field of awareness everywhere at all times.

moksha

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Imagine that you have left behind forever any sense of anger or resentment.

moksha

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Imagine that you are free from blaming, free from feeling blame and guilt.

moksha

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Imagine that you are never drawn into melodrama or hysteria.

moksha

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Imagine that you can choose any emotional feeling you want to experience.

moksha

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Imagine that you can set any goal you want to achieve and actually achieve it.

moksha

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Imagine that you are free of your habitual compulsions and patterns of behavior.

moksha

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Imagine that you are free of any addictions.

moksha

*

Imagine that you never participate in any gossip.

moksha

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Imagine that you are free to respond at the highest level, no matter what the situation is or how anyone else behaves.

moksha

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Imagine that there are no limitations to what you can manifest.

moksha

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Imagine that you can see infinite possibilities at all times.

moksha

*

How to:
When you have an image of each statement in your mind, say moksha (MOKE-shah), continue with each image until you have visualized each one and repeated the sutra. You can print out these statements, and repeat the statement and the sutra any time during the day that you feel anxious or stressed.

Thursday's Principle

The Fourth Principle: Intent weaves the tapestry of the universe.

Sutra: San Kalpa (sahn KAL-pah)

Meaning: My intentions have infinite organizing power.

Our intentions are a manifestation of the total universe because we are part of the universe. And our intentions hold within them the mechanics of their fulfillment. All we really need is clarity of intent. Then if we can get the ego out of the way, the intentions fulfill themselves.

Our intentions attract the elements and forces, the events, the situations, the circumstances, and the relationships necessary to fulfill the intended outcome. We don't need to become involved in the details - in fact, trying too hard may backfire. Let the nonlocal intelligence synchronize the actions of the universe to fulfill your intentions for you.

Intention is a force in nature, like gravity, but more powerful. No one has to concentrate on gravity to make it work. No one can say, "I don't believe in gravity," because it is a force at work in the world whether we understand it or not. Intention works the same way.

Intention is not simply a whim. It requires attention, and it also requires detachment. Once you have created the intention mindfully, you must be able to detach from the outcome, and let the universe handle the details of fulfillment. If you don't, ego gets involved and clouds the process. You'll feel frustrated if your intention isn't realized soon enough. Your sense of self-importance may be threatened, or perhaps you'll start feeling sorry for yourself. Intent in nature orchestrates its own fulfillment. The only thing that could interfere is domination by your own ego needs and totally selfish concerns.

Of course, the best way to have all your intentions realized is to align your intentions with the cosmic intent, to create harmony between what you intend and what the universe intends for you. The best way to create that harmony is by nurturing an attitude of simple gratitude. Give thanks for everything in your life, and abandon your grievances.

read the sutra exercise for today

Thursday's Sutra

Sutra Statements
for the Fourth Principle

Imagine that the whole universe is a vast ocean of consciousness, and your intentions shoot out from within your heart and ripple across the vast ocean of consciousness.

san kalpa

*

Imagine that your intention is orchestrating the infinite activity of the universe, counterbalancing the whole ecosystem.

san kalpa

*

Imagine that your intention can heal those who are not well.

san kalpa

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Imagine that your intention can bring joy and laughter to those who are in sorrow.

san kalpa

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Imagine that you can bring success to those who are failing.

san kalpa

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Imagine that you can bring strength to those who feel weak and fearful.

san kalpa

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Imagine that you can bring hope to those who are feeling helpless.

san kalpa

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Imagine that your thoughts affect the natural forces of the universe, that you can bring rain and sunshine, clouds and rainbows.

san kalpa

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Imagine that every thought you have, every word you utter, every deed of yours brings some benefit to the world.

san kalpa

How to:
When you have an image of each statement in your mind, say san kalpa (sahn KAL-pah), continue with each image until you have visualized each one and repeated the sutra. You can print out these statements, and repeat the statement and the sutra any time during the day that you feel anxious or stressed.