I consider myself blessed to come into contact with individuals who are on their own individual paths to turn dreams into realities. I know so many people who have gone on to do amazing things. Each success story becomes an uplifting reminder of what can happen if we set our intentions with the Universe. I’d like to talk about someone who has been particularly successful on his journey — my friend, Jay.

Jay had made a career of selling mufflers — something he had been doing for a very long time. However, Jay always knew that he was meant to do something more. He felt he could accomplish something “bigger” for his life: he wanted to create his own company. Realizing his passion for marketing (especially the online sector), Jay set out as an entrepreneur.

However, Jay was not alone in his vision — he had a support group in the form of a friend who always wanted to do the same thing. As the two began to build their business together, they held each other accountable. With the same end goal in mind, they were able to motivate and encourage each other through the trials and tribulations of starting a company.

Jay now owns one of the best marketing companies in the United States. He went from selling mufflers to living his dreams.

With a success story like this, the common reaction is, “He made something out of nothing!” While it certainly seems that is so, “something” is actually never made out of “nothing.” Jay’s inherent passions and goals were always “there,” in some form. They just weren’t materialized. Through consistent self-development, Jay was able to pinpoint his vision, and then surround himself with people who shared that vision.

The Law of Attraction does not work like a microwave. You can’t just put the idea out and wait a little while for everything to come out just as you envisioned it. It’s a process, and you need to be constantly plugged into that process. Some people do this unconsciously and act on autopilot, attracting the right people to them. Others need to really work at improving their level of awareness, and actively seek out like-minded people.

Obviously, it’s not easy to go from selling mufflers to owning your own multi-million dollar company, but the right combination of self-development, dedication, and consistency made Jay’s path run a little smoother.

Let me tell you a story.

An intelligent, self-motivated man was offered a well-paying job. The catch was that he had to work overseas, and couldn’t take his family with him. Although he had to spend the majority of the year away from his family, they offered to compensate him generously. It was an offer he couldn’t refuse. And so, he decided to take the job.

Once he was officially hired, he decided to make a series of big purchases: A big house for his family to move into. A couple of luxury cars for his family to ride in. Expensive furniture and appliances so that he and his family could enjoy the home. And the best toys money could buy so that he and his family could play and have fun together. The problem was, this man would spend most of the year away from his family. Therefore, he could never enjoy his family, nor the material things that he had acquired.

One day, when he got home after being away for nine months, he noticed that things weren’t the same. His family was not happy because they couldn’t enjoy him. He wasn’t happy because he couldn’t enjoy his family. He soon realized that he had missed the whole purpose to finding true happiness and fulfillment.

When we sacrifice what we love and what truly matters, we miss the real point in life. Material things are great, but the truth is they are made to serve us, not the other way around. Acquired possessions facilitate life, but we often become slaves to them. We find ourselves working harder to pay the mortgage, car payment, etc., which takes us away from the important aspects of life. We neglect the people we should be putting our energy toward because we’re working to pay for things that have no life.

We want to associate our identity with these things because we want to belong to the status quo. Instead, spend time with people you love, doing the things that really matter to you. There’s nothing wrong with having, accomplishing, and acquiring, but you have to take care of yourself first, your true self.

Fears are emotions that are born from our thoughts. When you think something, you feel an emotion. The more you dwell on that thought, the more angry, happy, etc. you feel. Thoughts come from the inner chatter within our minds that we contemplate either consciously or unconsciously. Therefore, the best way to deal with this confusion is to listen to our inner voice — especially as it pertains to negative internal dialogue. Negative chatter often comes in the form of the worrisome “What if?” What if I can’t accomplish this goal? What if I don’t have enough money? What if nobody can help me? What if I can’t get another job?

Typically, we try to shut out that negative voice, and pretend like it doesn’t exist. Unfortunately, that negativity is then experienced subconsciously, materializing into things that we don’t want. Instead of resisting or pretending that the little voice is not there, become an observer, and listen to exactly what’s being said. Write it on a piece of paper, and find solutions to those problems. Try turning the “What ifs” into “Hows.” How am I going to resolve this? How can I achieve progress? How can I reach my purpose?

When you listen to the negative dialogue that happens in your mind and you simply let it be, you’re in a better position to move forward, because you can identify your obstacles. In other words, when you observe what’s going on in your mind and you write it down instead of suppressing it, you can see exactly what’s blocking you from your life’s purpose. The goal is to acknowledge those things, then let them go, trusting that God will provide the answers along your journey. You must have faith. You might not get the answers right away, but ultimately you need to recognize that He knows what’s best for you.

By identifying the obstacles and “what ifs,” you can design a plan of action. This plan helps you take the necessary steps to arrive at your purpose. Even if you aren’t where you want to be, you are now living on purpose because you have dealt with the fears, and you are moving forward toward your dreams and passions. You are more aware of your thoughts — and through that awareness, what doesn’t serve you falls away.

Some people, especially the very dogmatic, believe they need to suffer in order to be closer to God. They think they have to be poor, miserable, and humble. Therefore, having a lot of money isn’t a priority in their life, because it’s the opposite of that suffering. So some people think, “God doesn’t want me to have a lot of money.”

The truth is, it is your birthright to have everything your soul desires on this earth. There is a great book by Napoleon Hill called Think and Grow Rich that talks specifically about this idea. Hill writes that we should strive to get what we want because we are expressions of the Universe — we are all interconnected and all belong to the Universal intelligence. We are, in essence, here to manifest. Our purpose is to create things, like creating electricity or inventing the car. Through the power of thought, we manifest things in our lives.

Money, although it is not everything, is one part of that picture. It’s your choice how big of a part it will play in your life, and why. For some people, that is what they choose to focus on, and that is what they accomplish. There’s nothing wrong with that. However, some people are uncomfortable with that for a variety of reasons, such as how they were brought up. They might find fault with asking the Universe for money or visualizing themselves possessing a lot of money. That idea might conflict with the way they were raised.

However, it’s important to remember that money is nothing more than energy. Think about it: trillions of dollars are exchanged via the computer from one continent to the next. When you go to your bank account, you don’t physically see dollars, you see a number on a screen that shows your balance.

If money is energy, and I’m using the Law of Attraction to attract what I want, and we are all energy, why can’t I tap into that energy frequency level and bring what I deserve into my life? If you think it’s bad, it is bad. If you think it’s good, it is good. It’s really up to each individual person and his or her level of awareness.

It’s like Henry Ford said – “If you think you can or cannot, you’re right.” The same applies to your attitude towards money and using the Law of Attraction to manifest it into your life.

Richard J. Kransey recently wrote a great article entitled, “The New Law of Attraction in Financial Planning.” In it, he stresses the importance of using your passion and purpose to guide your financial planning, and I couldn’t agree more.

When you are standing at the beginning of any goal setting — whether it’s financial planning or otherwise — you must ask yourself: What am I trying to accomplish? What is my purpose?

Remember, money is not everything. A nice car and a huge house will bring temporary happiness, but that’s all. A Porsche or a Ferrari will bring ephemeral joy that will fade as soon as it began. True happiness only comes from within. You cannot find it outside of yourself in material things.

If you want to be financially free, you need to find your purpose. What’s your passion? If you follow it, the money will come in. Most people have it backwards. They truly believe that if I have the big account, or big house, I’m going to be happy. It doesn’t work that way. However, if you’re doing what you love, the money will follow.

It’s very important to remember: don’t be backwards. The material things don’t get you happiness. Living your passion is what allows you to grow financially and do the things you want. But you find that within. It doesn’t come from the exterior. And best of all, if you’re doing what you truly love, you may not worry about the fancy car and the big house. You’re getting your joy from within, not from your possessions.

That’s what struck me with Richard Kransey’s article. He talks about how a big portfolio is not directly related to happiness. Concentrating on what makes you happy and how you feel is key. You need to have a better understanding of your values. For example, if you are focused on buying a home, why is that a goal? Does it make you feel like you accomplished something? Does it make you feel fulfilled?

I use this exercise often in order to help clients find their passions and purpose. I’ll ask a series of “whys,” to discover what makes a person’s heart really sing. It is very important to be conscious of why you want to have the things you want.

Ultimately, using your money to achieve what is important to you is using the Law of Attraction to your benefit financial planning. Find out what is important to you first, and then develop your financial plan around those values.

I recently read about a study researching the influence visualization has on an athlete’s performance. The article, Effect of mental practice on the development of a certain motor skill , by Professor L.V. Clark, who tried to determine the effect visualization had on athletic performance.

He studied two groups of high school basketball players of a two week period. One group practiced shooting free throws in the morning, and the others who visualized their practice, but did not actually do any practice. Clark found that both groups were able to improve their free throw shooting.

The idea of the study is that an athlete’s performance could be greatly improved by combining physical practice with mental practice.

Nowadays, when an reporter asks an athlete what they are doing to prepare for a fight, they’ll say things like, “I visualize myself winning.” When you hear that question asked of a boxer, you might hear them say, “I see the referee raising my hand at the end of a fight.” You might hear a marathon runner say, “I see myself breaking through that finish line,” or a quarterback saying, “I envision myself throwing that winning touchdown.” You hear those key words: “I see,” and “I envision.”

In essence, what these athletes are doing is visualizing themselves being the champion. They are envisioning the outcome of each game or match. This is becoming common in many professional sports like the NFL and NBA. In fact, some teams actually hire coaches to train the whole team to visualize themselves on that level. The goal is to start seeing yourself in the role where you want to be. With that thought comes emotion – your subconscious actually begins to “feel” that you are the winner, which is a powerful combination that leads to the creation of your reality.

Because of the fundamentals of the Law of Attraction is visualization, it’s a great tool that you can use in sports to attract the things you want at a conscious level. When you practice seeing yourself where you really want to be, you’re already picturing yourself as a winner, and you are bringing that feeling and emotion, which really makes the manifestation possible.

Oftentimes when we think of addiction, we think of alcohol or drugs. However, addiction can take many forms. First, it is important to understand that not being aware of the emotions and feelings that keep attracting what you do not want is an addiction in itself.

In order to successfully practice the Law of Attraction when trying to conquer addiction, you must first recognize that you are addicted to those thoughts, feelings, and emotions that are keeping you static.

The reason people keep attracting what they don’t want is because they are addicted to the feelings and emotions they experience. It sounds crazy, but it’s the truth. You are not moving past the addiction itself because there is some security that you are finding in your current situation.

People don’t want to be victims, and yet most people victimize themselves by complaining about how things are. They start speaking in “if only’s” — as in, “if only my life were like this, things would be different, things would be better.” The truth is, in order for things to change, you must change. Taking responsibility for your life and creating your own reality are very significant because they are necessary steps in getting rid of whatever addiction you may have.

Like I mentioned earlier, attracting what you don’t want while you are on autopilot is an addiction in itself. Instead of life happening to you, or you reacting to life on autopilot, focus on directing your life consciously to where you want to be. Coming to the realization that you have other problems that need to be fixed is the first step. Continue with positive affirmations, visualizations, and meditations that focus on a healthier, happier you.

With successfully practicing the Law of Attraction comes awareness, bringing into your life that which will serve your life in a positive way. Once you reach this level of awareness, that which doesn’t serve you falls away. The key here is: If you can conquer your mind, you can conquer your life.

What do you think? What sorts of addictions could you overcome by using the Law of Attraction?

Many Law of Attraction practitioners find that they seem to meet the right people at the right time to bring them the right opportunities. But how do you meet those people? It starts with visualizing meeting the people and creating those opportunities, and then keeping those images in our mind.

Whatever we allow to enter into our subconscious mind, we will manifest. Therefore, the Law of Attraction can be a major part of your life and business by helping you to align yourself with people who can guide you.

Obviously, networking is critical to the success of any business. Within a networking group, you’re all like-minded. When you make an effort to socialize within your field or industry, you are already making the decision to actively align yourself with similarly-minded people who can help you achieve your goals. The Law of Attraction can help you by attracting specific people, situations, and things that will allow your business to expand.

First you must be clear who you would like to attract to your circle of friends. Ask yourself: What kind of skills or experience do they have? What industry to they work in? What kind of energy do they bring to the table? Putting it down on paper will help you gain clarity, and is also part of the Law of Attraction process.

Once you have determined the qualities of the kind of people you’d like to target, you are essentially letting the Universe know that those are the people that need to manifest in your life. By meditating on your list, the Universe will assist you in becoming very aware of those people who may cross your path on any given day. You will then find yourself attracting the exact same people you intended to attract.

Working to attract the right kind of people to your business will help you tremendously because it will give you the leverage that you need in order to make a significant lift in your success, expansion, and growth.

1) Not Allowing Universal Mind to Take Over

In earlier posts, I’ve talked about the “Art of Allowing” in regards to the Law of Attraction and its success in your life. It is important to remember that after you have declared your intentions — essentially putting in an “order” to the Universe — you must allow God through the Law of Attraction to set up those situations or people for you. The more you fixate on the fact that it’s not happening, the more you block those things from manifesting themselves in your life.

2) Negative Thinking

The premise is very simple: if you think in the positive, you will bring in more positive. If you think in the negative, you will bring in more negative. Of course, this is easier said than done. When we are unhappy with our career or relationships, it is easy to dwell on the negative. Focus on the small things for which you can be grateful, and meditate on positive imagery and affirmations.

3) Not Being Plugged In

While an important part of the Law of Attraction process is letting go, it’s imperative that you do not tune out completely. Why? Because if you’ve set your intentions and allowed the Universe to take over, you still have to be “plugged in” to what is being put in front of you. You still must remain aware of what vibrations you are sending into the world, and what’s being vibrated back at you.

4) Not Being Realistic

I’ve talked before about adding the phrase “or better” (“I will bring this into my life, or something better”) when you practice your affirmations. While the Universe might not provide you with exactly what you expected, you need to gain perspective with the knowledge that whatever the Universe manifests is what is right for you at that time in your life. In a recent post, I told a story about my friend and his BMW. He fixated on bringing this material object into his life, but he lacked the financial backup to maintain it, and as a result, his life started unraveling around him. For him, “or better” didn’t mean a more expensive car, but rather one that would have allowed him to maintain his lifestyle without everything falling apart around him. Don’t be afraid to dream big, but keep in mind the consequences of getting everything it is that you want.

5) Failure to Launch

I can’t say it enough: You must take action if you want the Law of Attraction to work for you. Once the Universe has put the proper people or things in your life, you must do something with them, or you will never achieve your goals. While the Law of Attraction can make this easier by aligning you with the right situations or contacts, only you can take that first step. Even if you do something small every day to take a step in the right direction, you will be that much closer to making your dreams a reality.

Whether you’re trying to become more efficient at your job, or maybe thinking about changing professions completely because you don’t feel fulfillment in what you do, you can always apply the Law of Attraction to improve your job or even find a new one.

One thing that you must keep in mind is that in order to apply the Law of Attraction successfully in your life, you must understand how your actions and the way you choose to see the world around you have a lot to do with what you are currently experiencing in your life.

You cannot change the circumstances in your workplace or how you feel about your situation until you realize that you are addicted to what you are attracting to your life. You have to recognize that your thoughts are hard-wired — from a young age, you have been conditioned and trained to think a certain way.

The reason you are experiencing what you do not like is because you’ve had years of thinking and acting in that way. Therefore, you can expect the exact same results at a subconscious level. In order to change the things around you, you must change first. We attract to us the exact mirror image of who we are at the time. Once we realize that we are addicted to the things that we materialize on a regular basis, we gain a different perspective. On the inside, we feel empowered because now we know how we are creating our experiences.

If you want to attract a new job, or attract new opportunities in your old one, consider the person you are and the person you want to be. Visualize those opportunities, visualize the kind of person you want to be, and keep that image in your mind. Take the opportunities that come your way, and begin modeling the behavior you want to be known for.

By practicing this visualize, you now get to experience a paradigm shift. You get to see yourself in a completely different light by accomplishing this level of awareness. You are able to direct your life and your career in the direction that you want them to go.