Here’s a surprisingly powerful way to turn your circumstances around. At first glance it may appear too “simple” to work, but if practiced consistently and with sincere intent it can have a transformative effect on any “problem” condition:
Ask yourself “What’s going RIGHT in this area?” And then write out as many things as you can think of that are working, even a little bit, in this area of your life. Here’s an example to get you started:
We’ve all read dramatic true stories along these lines: A person has been in an accident that left them paralyzed from the waist down, but they are determined to regain full use of their legs. One day they find that they can move one toe a little bit. They focus intently on that one toe, and work with that toe — gradually extending the areas that are responding to their will and effort — until over the course of time they do indeed regain full use of their legs.
Another way of phrasing this is: Focus on what’s working. By focusing on what is working and expanding on that area of functionality, people have worked seeming miracles of mental, physical, personal and financial healing in their lives. And you can, too.
You could spend endless amounts of time — and many people do — listing and complaining about all the things that seem to be faulty, flawed and just plain wrong in your life and circumstances. All that would get for you is MORE faulty, flawed, wrong conditions in your life. It’s a vicious cycle that only you can break.
Are you looking for a way out of the “things are going from bad to worse” trap? Here’s a lifeline: Shift your focus — forcefully, and as often as you catch yourself dwelling on the negative — from “what’s wrong” to what is going right and/or to what you would prefer instead.
When you first notice that a negative situation has grabbed your attention, stop for a moment and ask yourself “What do I want instead of this?” Don’t waste any time dwelling on the details of what is wrong. Instead, get to work spelling out for yourself the desired conditions that you would like to have instead.
Make a decision, then and there, to have those desired conditions. Then start “steering” skillfully toward them by looking for anything that is working, anything that is right in your life. There are many ways to do this, and if you have the will to do so you will find ways that fit your current conditions. Here are some tips to get you started:
Bless and multiply. Perhaps your finances are looking shaky, or even downright scary. Please forget about the debts and the bills for a minute, and focus on what you currently HAVE: Do you have even one dollar or one penny to your name?
Chances are you have more than a dollar. But in case you are truly penniless, reading this at a free computer in a public library perhaps, I suggest that you go out for a walk until you find a coin on the ground. Once you do, wash it (it’s been on the ground after all), bless it and give thanks for it. You now have some money, and thus you have something that is right in the financial area of your life.
You can build it up from there. Are you wearing clothes? Presumably you were not wandering the streets naked. Do you have some other possessions? Bless and give thanks for any and all of the material possessions and supports that you are currently using. Start with what you have, and begin blessing and appreciating it with all your heart.
A powerful way to accelerate this process is to also look for evidence of goodness, health, wealth, strength and beauty in the world around you. Bless and celebrate all the examples of goodness, abundance and love you see in your world. This article will give you all the information you need to begin to do this in a powerful and effective way.
Next time we’ll look at the flip side of this coin, and talk a little about what to specifically avoid doing if you want to get the best possible results. Between now and then, please take inventory of your blessings and put your heart into appreciating them!
