Over the last 20 years, I read a lot about personal development and spirituality. There were different messages in each book, ideas about Universal Truths and Laws of the Universe. I found myself taking great comfort in these philosophies and have used them to guide me in my life. Each has special meaning to me. See if they ring true for you.

We Are What We Think About Most:

A thought is the first step in creating. The thoughts we have about ourselves create who we become. Often we are our own worst critics.   Instead of thinking about our great qualities and talents, we think about our faults and the mistakes we have made. Shifting our thoughts about ourselves starts the creative process to a new way of being.

            What are you saying to yourself about yourself?

Whatever You Focus On Expands:

Once you've shifted your thoughts about yourself, envision the life you would like to create. If you focus on the problems or negative aspects of your life, that's what you'll experience. Concentrating on the things you like or would like to see will allow them to expand.

            Where is your focus?

Law Of Action:  

We tend to be good at the things we enjoy. Taking action seems easy. Then there are times when we have "challenging" things to do. We try to make progress but quickly feel stuck. It can even feel unpleasant. By taking action, any action toward your goal, you move in the right direction. It suddenly seems easier than it had at the beginning. That one bit of action spawns more action until you complete what you set out to do. Working through our biggest challenges quite often leads us to our greatest successes.

         What is your biggest challenge? What one action can you take to          move forward right now?

The Law of Opposites:

In order for something to exist, it must have an opposite. Examples:   hot/cold, on/off, light/dark, happy/sad. I like to think of this law when I'm going through a difficult time. I remind myself that I have to know or experience the "lows" in order to know the "highs". This in turn helps me through the difficult situation.

            What does the law of opposites mean to you?

The More You Give, The More You Have To Give:

It is through giving that "having" is realized. You can only give away what you have. And what you give flows back to you - - multiplied. As a first time parent, you wonder if you can possibly love your other children as much as the first. To my amazement, the love I felt for our second child was tremendous! It was as though the more love I gave, the more I had to give.

            How have you experienced the abundance of giving?

The Universe Always Provides:

What if you went into a situation envisioning how you would like things to work out but remained open to the outcome? Typically, we create expectations for just about everything and then feel disappointed when things don't go according to plan. It can be confusing because you had good intentions but they didn't lead to the expected outcome. I experienced this when we moved back from Germany.  

After settling into our new home, I started a job search. I contacted a variety of financial institutions and was asked to interview for a position I was well qualified for. I didn't get the job. My ego was crushed! After a few days of self-pity, I remembered the philosophy of "the universe always provides". I started thinking that maybe there was something better out there for me. This brightened my spirits and allowed me to be open to new possibilities. Soon after I learned about life coaching and immediately enrolled to be certified. I was so grateful that I hadn't gotten the job! By being open to the outcome I found my calling.

            When have you felt the universe provided for you even in a             difficult situation?