Sixty four ~ The Pleasure of being In-Charge

It is kind of ironic that today I finally decide to get back to posting and it happens to be the day that we read about being in charge.  I haven't been in charge for weeks now :(

We love to be in control.  We love to push ourselves beyond what we believe to be our limits.  It brings a sense of accomplishment, our own little high  "look what I just did!!!"  We can also get this feeling from biting our tongues when we really want to say something mean and awful (even if its true).   When we do things that we know we shouldn't we get a sense of guilt, that certainly isn't an enjoyable adventure.  If we do something that we didn't want to, or say something we shouldn't have, we feel bad.

We are not doomed to act according to old negative habits, we can free ourselves from these patterns by deciding to be the "real me".  It isn't going to be easy, or instant.  When we do or say something negative, remind yourself  "that is the old me".  Pick yourself back up and do the right thing. 

Be the boss today!  Do something right!  React the way your "real me" wants to react.  Stop putting things off.  Enjoy the "real you"  today!

Once you recognize that part of you is tough, strong, disciplined and focused then we can act as that person.  This exercise will empower you to be the person you want to be.  Little by little, the more you try,  the sooner it will be natural.  You will have fewer regrets in life, better interpersonal relationships and a hugely upgraded level of self love!

Sixty one ~ Priceless

How do you determine what something is worth?  It really depends on what people are willing to spend on it. 

8am - woke up, felt depressed, couldn't get up.

9am - got up, struggled off to work.

9 - 11:45am - worked like a slave to finish off the report and handed it in on time.

11:45 - 12:45pm - ate lunch at a nearby cafe while looking for a better job.

1pm - Boss called me in and said my report was awesome, best he'd ever seen.  He said I'm the greatest and called in the whole office to congratulate me on my efforts.

5pm - came home, had a great day, feel like such a success.

What a freaking roller coaster.... It happens though, doesn't it?

Someone noticed her hard work and then she felt value in herself.  Why do we need someone else to give us value?  Why can't we find and exhibit that in ourselves?  We need to learn to be proactive and praise ourselves.  One good thing is to remember that no one gives us value, we have to find it in ourselves.  On the other side, no one can take our value away from us either. 

Think of a time that you felt successful.

Now look and see that you still possess those abilities even when others aren't complementing you on them.  You are still valuable and good right now! 

Give yourself 3 honest compliments on what you did right today.

We all need compliments, we all need encouragement and we all need to be told that we are doing well.  We need to learn how to self generate compliments and how to pat ourselves on the back.  It is a good idea to compliment yourself AT LEAST 3 times a day.  We need it just like 3 meals a day!  If we skip a meal we start to feel slow and lethargic, the same goes for missing a dose of positive reinforcement.

Fifty four ~ 50/50

"The evidence is in (she lied to me).  The defendant has given a pretty good defense (she said she didn't really say it, and that I misunderstood) but really nothing is conclusive, how am I supposed to judge this one?"

When we are in doubt, it is best to give them the benefit of the doubt.  If we really can't find any solid conclusive evidence then we should just dismiss the case.  Perhaps we will get more clarity or proof at a later date, then we can take another look at the case and go from there.  Dropping the case now is better than dragging something on and on that you just cant prove. On the other hand, if the case really is invalid, then you did the right thing.  It isn't fair to hold something against someone when you aren't even positive that it actually happened.  Just let it go.

Is there an unfulfilled relationship/friendship you are currently in?  Are you still unsure if someone did something and holding a grudge against them just because you don't know what else to do?  Take the time today to get the facts and make a decision today.  Stop dragging it out, do it now.

People deserve the decency of being treated fairly and lovingly.  Get the facts and deliver the verdict. 

Warren, S. 2010, 7 Ancient Keys To Happiness, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Fifty two ~ Bribes blind the eyes of the Wise

Before we can hand down the verdict, we have to make sure it is fair and just.  One of the biggest hindrances to making an objective decision is personal involvement, or a bribe.  Things that can make us not really see the situation objectively and truthfully may be when:

• Money is involved
• Our feelings have been hurt
• One person involved is a relative
• One person is more likable or honourable in our eyes that the other person
• We've been bribed

In a case, the judge would have to excuse him/herself from judging under these circumstances.  Since we can't do that, we have to use the following tools to help us judge fairly.

1. Objectivity ~  We need to pretend we are not personally involved.
2. Ask Others for Advice ~ Seek out the advice of someone who is not personally involved.

When we access our inner wisdom we will discover that the quiet voice is like an advisor.  It may not have all of the information at hand, but it will advise us how to go about getting the information we need.

1. Reflect and ask  yourself:  "Who would be a good objective person to help me with my problems?"
2. If your quiet voice doesn't know, then ask "Please help me find a mentor/guide/friend that I can trust and consult" and keep your eyes open for someone who may enter into your life, or someone you already know but hadn't thought of.

We all need someone we can ask for unbiased advice.  Our inner voice has answers for us, but we have to sit quietly and ask them.  Our mind is an unbelievable bank of knowledge, wisdom and intuition.  We know more things than we realize. 

Warren, S. 2010, 7 Ancient Keys To Happiness, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Fifty ~ Hear the Defense

Once we've heard the charges and determined that it is worthy of hearing, it is our jurisdiction to start or close the case.  In order for the case to be fair, the accused should be allowed to defend the charges.  No one wants to be put on trial  without being allowed a chance to tell their side of the story.  Everything is done for a reason.  Nothing is simple.  There were things that led the accused to taking the actions that they did... or didn't do.

Think of someone who has done something wrong to you recently (took your parking spot, said something mean about you, etc)  Are there mitigating circumstances?  Find them.

The more we learn about defending people that hurt us, the less hurt we will be.  People aren't bad, they just occasionally do or say something bad.  We need to make sure it actually happened the way we were told it did.  Most people are too self absorbed to realize the impact they really make on others.  Once we learn how to defend people, we will have better relationships.  We will also discover that we are capable, effective and objective judges.  We will be able to judge each person/situation based on knowing all of the facts and then we will make good decisions that we will be confident are correct.

Warren, S. 2010, 7 Ancient Keys To Happiness, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Forty eight ~ You're on trial

Positive people try to make people feel good, negative people try to make people feel bad.  It really is that simple.  Don't be a carrier of negative energy, keep it to yourself, or better yet, let it go!

When you find yourself in a negative situation, ask yourself how you can turn it around and make it positive.  Don't get caught up in the negative, let it go.  Flip it to the good side. 

Think whether today or recently someone has said something negative to you or about you  "you are a scatterbrain!"  Ask yourself....  "What is the evidence?"  "Is it true?"  If the answer is yes, then pass judgement on yourself by asking: "What can I do today to help prevent this from harming myself or others in the future?"  ... buy a notebook and write things down so you don't forget them???

Earlier we learned to evaluate ourselves every day.  If someone else is doing the evaluation, then we have to check the evidence and figure out what to do.  Its good to remember that we aren't perfect, no one is. 

Be pro-active when working on interpersonal relationship mistakes.  Be honest, and apologize if you need to.  Not many people are brave enough to face their problems.  Doing this will train us in the art of self mastery, integrity and inner strength.

Warren, S. 2010, 7 Ancient Keys To Happiness, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Forty six ~ DEAF

When you are being subjected to others bombardment of needless negativity we can choose to be DEAF.

D - Defend ~ We can choose to defend the person being verbally attacked.  Once we've defended them, change the subject.

E - Educate ~ We can teach the person who is looking at the negative how to find the positive and look for the good in things.  Maybe say "I hope you don't talk like that about me."  Saying such a comment, may embarrass him/her, so again, change the subject.

A - Alter ~ Alter the subject.  Ask something like "what did you do yesterday after work?"  or make a statement "hey, that reminds me of..."

F - Flee ~ If you can't get them to stop dumping their negative garbage on your head, leave.  Pretend you need to go the the bathroom if that's all you can come up with.  But leave!

Discuss this with a friend and practice your techniques on one another. We don't have to be a victim of someone else's negativity.  We can turn it around or leave.  The more skilled we become at these tools the more we will have positive conversations and interactions with others.  People will stop being negative around us if they know we won't listen to it. 

In the long run, this isn't about them, its about us.  We need to steer clear from the negative forces out there and embrace the happiness!

Warren, S. 2010, 7 Ancient Keys To Happiness, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Forty five ~ Hearing the charge

The dynamics of Judging Objectively

The next sections are some ways to learn how to objectively judge other people.  They are guidelines to help us maintain a positive outlook on life and not get dragged down by other's negativity whilst at the same time not living in La-La Land where we are not prepared to protect ourselves against the negative side of humanity.

Until now we have been focusing on seeing the good, but that doesn't mean negative influences don't exist - they do.  We just want our mind to focus on what is good in the world because that will make us happy.  We cannot focus on the bad, we need to focus on the good stuff in our lives.  This section hopes to provide some guidelines to help walk the line between the two.

Learning to judge people / situations has four steps:

• Hearing the charge
• Listening to the Prosecutor
• Hearing the Defense
• Handing down Judgments

When we pass judgment we need to start a court case.  Listen to the charge and then decide if it is serious enough to warrant a court case.  (not a REAL court case, silly)  If someone were to step in front of the judge is the charge worth the judges time and attention?  In this situation, we are the judge.

1.  Does this come under our jurisdiction - do I need to know about it so I can take action?  Has this negative comment or action got anything to do with me or my life?

2.  Is it important enough to dwell on or is the accusation trivial?

3.  Is the person reading out the charges a trustworthy person?

Bottom line  - Do I really NEED to know this information?

Make a note (mental or otherwise) of how many times someone concentrates your attention on something negative, unpleasant or not to their taste, whether it be about another person, place thing or event.  Then at the end of the day add up how many of those comments you really need to hear.

If there is someone in your life that is always filling your head with negativity, it is time to turn that off.  It is time to turn on our filter and only accept necessary information.  It is a constant battle to shut out the negativity, but it is necessary.  People that struggle seeing the good in things love to share the negativity.  We don't have to see the world through them.

If we can filter out the bad and share the good, we may even change those negative people into positive people.  Stop being dragged down and maybe start dragging people up!

Warren, S. 2010, 7 Ancient Keys To Happiness, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Forty three ~ You're the judge

Up until now we have been talking about trying to see the good in things.  Through training ourselves to see the good, and by concentrating on that good and tracing back all of the good so that we can be thankful for the good.  The next step is to learn some tools to help us protect our ability to continue to think positively and see the good and the best tool to learn is objectivity.

The toughest part is learning to judge ourselves objectively.  We need to be able to honestly look at ourselves in the mirror and see us for who we are.  This includes the good things, while we generally notice the bad things.    Our lives and personal development are serious issues.  We have to want to improve ourselves, no one else can.  If we don't want to work at maximizing our potential, no fairy is going to come along and wave their magic wand for us.

The best method is to do a daily accounting.  Look at what you did with your day and figure out where you could have improved.  When we learn to honestly judge ourselves we are able to direct our lives towards good and avoid all the pitfalls of the past.

At the end of the day, think about your day and ask yourself the following questions:

1. What were the 3 best parts of my day?
2. What did I do (say or think) that was good or brought out the elevated side of my nature?
3. What are my goals in life?
4. How did my actions today lead me towards my goals?
5. What's one thing I did (said or thought) today that wasn't reflective of the type of person I want to be?
6. How can I do better tomorrow?

Don't be afraid to be honest with yourself, and don't be afraid to admit that you've made a mistake.  it's human to make mistakes but it's foolish not to plan ways to avoid making them again.  This exercise is the key to continued, sustained success and growth.  it will keep us positive, keep our eye on our goals and help us weed out anything we are doing that is destructive.  The essence of this exercise is to be able to look objectively at ourselves and our day and then take action.

  


Warren, S. 2010, 7 Ancient Keys To Happiness, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Key #2 ~ Objectivity

Learn to rise above it all, scale the mountain of self absorption, bias and subjective decision making.  (That's a tall order!)

Looking at people and their situations objectively is like being on the top of the mountain looking down at the world and seeing clearly where every road leads, every corner turns into etc.  Learning the skills of objectivity allows us to render good, fair and honest judgments about the events and people in our life.  When we choose a good path, an easy road to travel or a more direct route from the vantage point on top of the mountain of objectivity, then our life will naturally run more smoothly, have less bumps, hiccups or surprises and we will know that we are heading in the right direction towards our goals.

Learning how to be objective is learning how to be a giver.  How is that?  You might ask.  It is because objectivity is giving ourselves and others the gift of a good and fair decision or judgement.

Objectivity allows us to be a loving, fair and caring person and at the same time not be walked all over, spat on, used or abused.  Only through learning the ability to be objective can we find the happy and healthy balance between seeing what's good in everything and protecting our precious positive world against negative influences, which may destroy all the positive and good work that we have tried so hard to nurture!

Warren, S. 2010, 7 Ancient Keys To Happiness, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Conclusion

The first of the 7 Ancient Keys to Happiness is to see the good.  See how good you are, how good your life is, how good other people are and how good everything is.  We learned how to recognize the good, appreciate the good and be thankful for the good.  When we practice seeing the good and it becomes our new way of viewing the world - we will feel more than happy, we will feel the ecstasy of living, the serenity of everyday and a quiet, calm satisfaction with life.

There is one poison that can kill our happiness and positivity and that is cursing/wishing bad upon others.  if we want to be happy, we have to avoid doing this.  We have to be 100% clear that cursing others who have done good to us is the fastest way to destroy our own inner joy.

The first key to happiness is based on the first of the seven commandments given to Noah.  It is interesting to note that this was "Do not curse the Ultimate Source of All Goodness."  At first glance it doesn't seem like a key to happiness.  But if we analyze it, we see that the first key to happiness is seeing the good, appreciatei9ng it and being grateful, and the ONLY way we can achieve this is if we don't slip into negative thinking and habits.  We have to open our eyes to the good in our lives, and then we have to be careful to never repay the one who gave us their good with bad (even in our thoughts.)  However, if we are not careful to avoid ingratitude and bitterness, we will inevitably spiral into a negative loop and in a split second ruin all our happiness.

If we can rise above our natural downward pull of negativity and avoid cursing, bitterness and hate, and instead strengthen ourselves to see the good, even in the most trying of circumstances, we will make it through the Gate of Happiness dancing and singing with this key.




Warren, S. 2010, 7 Ancient Keys To Happiness, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Forty one ~ Grumbling

The biggest poison in a life of positivity is to grumble or complain.  Grumbling means looking at what is in our lives from a negative viewpoint.  Grumbling is not to be confused with seeing a situation that needs to be fixed, and then doing what we can to rectify what is not to our liking.   Instead, it is the useless expression of negativity which has no positive result.

We all have down days.  On these days, we need to look at how we feel, accept that its OK to have off days, and then know with 100% clarity that on days like this, we tend to blow things out of proportion and forget to see the silver lining in everything.  Once we know it is just one of those days, we can choose to try hard not to verbalize our grumps and moans. 

Holding back on the grumps, moans and criticisms is a fantastic way of building our positive attitude.  The more we can hold back, the higher we can climb when we are feeling up again. 

Try and squash a moan, groan, criticism or negative comment about something or someone today.  Feel your strength of character being given a work out by being able to muzzle your moan!

If we can hold it in, we can find our way to the happy thoughts.  To maximize happiness we need to get rid of what drags us down into misery.  We have to learn to muzzle our mouths, hold it firmly shut and keep silent.  Once we have learned the art of holding back our negativity, we can then tell our minds to concentrate on the good things. 

People avoid moaning, miserable people.  They can't be bothered with them.  They may not say it to your face, but they don't really care about your aches, pains and worries, they've got their own to deal with.  Sometimes you have something that you need to talk through.  Everyone needs a good friend that they can confide in and who can help them by hearing out their problems.  It is necessary to have that friend and listener to share with.  There is a difference in sharing our negativity for therapeutic reasons and just dumping our negativity on everyone. 

This exercise will help us not get pulled down by our internal negativity.  Once we learn to ignore those moans, groans and criticisms, we will fly high on the power of the positive speech that we'll cultivate instead. 

Warren, S. 2010, 7 Ancient Keys To Happiness, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Forty ~ It's so hard

It is easy to say thank you for the simple things... Thanks for the ride, thanks for the lunch, etc.  Why is it embarrassing say thanks for being given something big that I couldn't have accomplished on my own?  When someone does us a favor, deep down we know we owe them something.  If we find it too embarrassing to say thank you, it's because we really want to avoid admitting that we owe this person something that honestly we can't repay.  The closes we can come to repaying the favor is by paying our debt of gratitude.  The bigger the favor a person did for us, the bigger the debt we have.  With big debts, sometimes we would prefer to pretend they just don't exist.

When someone we don't like does us a favor it is a great opportunity to upgrade our happiness.  It can be a catalyst for us to start to see them in a better light than we previously saw them.  If they have done something kind for us then they MUST have some good qualities.  When we are strong enough to admit we may have been wrong about how we perceived another person, we are on the road to upgrading our levels of joy immensely.  Saying thank you is not lowering ourselves, its in fact being big, admitting our debts and repaying them - we are making ourselves higher and better people when we do this. 

Sometimes we overlook all the good and kind things that those closes to us do for us.  The magnitude of what our parents, teachers, siblings, spouse and children do is so great that we actually become desensitised to appreciating it.  If we could imagine a complete stranger doing the exact same things for us, we would really know how to notice and appreciate all the good our closest ones do for us.

Think of the 3 most important gifts you've been given in life - have you adequately thanked the giver for them?  If not, thank one of them today.  (If the person is no longer alive, you can still verbalize your gratitude and pretend they are standing in front of you.)

It's a fantastic feeling to go back over our lives and work out who we owe a debt of gratitude to and then to actually pay it by saying thank you.  The person who we thank will be so surprised.  (they'll never expect it)  We will feel good about ourselves, because we all love the pleasure of making another person happy.  We will also have sense of feeling lighter.  There will be more bounce in our step, song will pour forth from our lips and we'll smile more readily, because deep down we will actually feel the weighty debt of gratitude gone and instead we will feel our self worth soaring.

Warren, S. 2010, 7 Ancient Keys To Happiness, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Thirty seven ~ Seeing the patterns

When we get good at seeing the good things in life and noticing all those wonderful details that we've previously been oblivious to, we will start noticing patterns.  We will notice various people will pop up in our minds that have always been there for us when we needed it.  Or we will notice who of our friends gives us the most pleasure.  Or we may notice that we enjoy the day more when we get up earlier.  By opening our eyes to see the patterns, we become sensitized to how much good others do for us, what gives us the most pleasure and who we should appreciate more.

Seeing the patters of who gives us the most brings us a feeling of appreciation so great that it brims over, and we feel we just have to express it to the people who have done so much for us.  We can also identify where we are getting most of our pleasures and then we can get more.

If we want to increase our pleasure in life, we need to learn where to get it.  Once we find the sources we can work on getting more.  Seeing the patterns in our life and noticing who and what provide them, helps us know where to turn, or what to do to get real, lasting and continuous pleasure.

1. Trace back where you got the 5 most important life wisdom's ( work ethic, honesty, etc)  Are there patterns?  Acknowledge the source of your gifts.
2. At the end of the day, before you go to sleep, mentally review your day and make note of what were the 3 most pleasurable things about your day.  Do this for a while, until you start noticing patterns in what you find most enjoyable.  Incorporate more this tomorrow!

When we are astute enough to see the patterns of good in our life, we will be able to tap into that good whenever we want.  Happiness is not a product of random happenings, it can be worked for and planned for.  When planning for a happy and successful life, it is important to see where we've previously found the most happiness and success.  When we can recognize the sources we can go back for more.

Warren, S. 2010, 7 Ancient Keys To Happiness, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Thirty six ~ Trace it back

To learn to cultivate the most amount of seeing the good in our lives, we can learn the skill of tracing it back to its source.  If we enjoy the shoes we are wearing, we can trace it back to feeling grateful to the shoe shop, or our mother for buying them for us, or the cow that died so we have leather, or to the grass that sustained the cow so it could grow, or the farmer who reared the cow...

The more we trace it back, the more pleasure we will be experiencing because it helps us appreciate the things we have in a more detailed way.  Tracing back our pleasures helps cultivate a feeling of "I'm so important and cared for."

Physical pleasures;  Everything that we own, body parts that allow for the ability to see, smell, hear, feel, taste.  Basically anything that brings us pleasure by seeing, touching, hearing, tasting and smelling.

Emotional pleasures; the feeling of being loved, loving others, belonging, meaning, friendship...

Achievement pleasures; winning, being the best at something, overcoming an obstacle, finishing something meaningful, being in control or having power...

Awareness/ Intellectual pleasures;  understanding something deep or profound, having clarity on an issue or having direction in life...

In order to feel these pleasures more, its great to trace them back to how we got to that pleasure, who helped us on the way, what was the original trigger that lead you on this path?

Take one pleasure from each category and see how far back you can trace it.  The further you can trace it back, the bigger your awareness of the pleasures you are experiencing, the deeper your appreciation.

If we want to be happy and really enjoy life, then we have to be aware of all the pleasures we have.  Our levels of appreciation and gratitude will soar the more often we can do this exercise.  Open your eyes to the reality around you.

Warren, S. 2010, 7 Ancient Keys To Happiness, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Thirty five ~ Awesome!

Ever had one of those moments?  You're standing there in the mountains looking at this amazing creation of a world we live in.  You see all the little things, and begin realizing just how amazing each thing is and that they all work together to make this amazing place.  It's Awesome!

Look at how your hands move.  We are made up of atoms, and when we think that we want to move our hand, our brain sends a signal to the arm which is another bunch of atoms, which then makes the arm move.  And what about how complicated our eyes are - we see life through jelly!

If we put on awesome glasses and walk around, we would be so taken back that we would find it hard to just get to the end of the street.  By plugging into awe, we will be able to see phenomenal levels of goodness that we just didn't notice were there.  The more we plug into this, the more we can fly, in feelings of happiness, excitement and bliss!

Why don't we already do this?  Well, we did, at first, but then it became normal and average to us.  We stopped seeing things for awesome, but they really are!

1. Pretend you met somebody who had never seen a butterfly before.  Describe how it looks, grows, reproduces etc.  Try and do this with your "awesome" glasses on!
2. Look around the room you are currently in, focus your attention on one object.  Now look at it as if you've never seen it before - experience the awesomeness of the object.  (some people who know how to meditate, may decide to meditate on that item)

We need to re-sensitize ourselves to the joy of living.  When doing this exercise we may not feel any different right away, but if we manage to enter the state of viewing something even once in our lives with awe, we'll never be the same.  Some describe the experience of seeing something through awesome glasses as "euphoric, mild-altering, prophetic, etc"  Try it!  Put on your "awesome" glasses!

Warren, S. 2010, 7 Ancient Keys To Happiness, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Thirty three ~ Never say Never

"You're never going to change."  "He'll be like that until the day he dies."  "She'll never admit that she's wrong."

What does the future hold for us?  Will we always hold our negative thoughts?  Will we always hope that things will get better?  Have we given up hope?  It is important to try and see the potential of another person.  It is great if we can share our vision with them, in hopes that it will encourage them.  If someone believes in them, it may just be the one thing that keeps them moving forward.

As long as we can see the potential in another person that is great and positive, they don't actually have to use their potential.  We can view people in a more loving and positive way when we see something admirable about them.  Admiring potential makes us positive, encouraging and joyful people.  What they do with our encouragement is up to them. 

Think of a person who you would like to appreciate more.  Try and see that person's strengths and imagine that they used those strengths to do great things.  Now picture the person having achieved all of the greatness they are capable of.  Enjoy this person.

Learn to love people, all of them.  We have said the key to happiness is to focus on the good in life.  The key to loving people is to see the good in them and identifying them with their good.  The key to maintaining this positive loving outlook is to become a connoisseur of life.  This exercise will help us become a connoisseur of people - even those who on the outside don't look that wonderful.  The more often we can see the good in other people, the happier we will be. 

Let's go turn every interaction with people into a pleasurable positive experience. 

Warren, S. 2010, 7 Ancient Keys To Happiness, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Thirty two ~ I'll be back

Life is a roller coaster, right?  We fall down, we get up, we fall down, we just have to keep getting up.  This is where seeing the good can help.  If you can go through your mental notes, or even create a notebook that you write down all your good times, or things, or accomplishments then you can refer to them when you're down and realize that its worth getting up again.

An interesting exercise ~ sit down and write out what things happened for you in 2013.  I know, it IS 2013.  Pretend it is December 31, 2013 and write out all of the fabulous things you did in 2013.   This is a great exercise because we can get caught up in all of the good things that we are writing down and we will genuinely feel good and happy about 2013.  It is completely your imagination, but look at how amazing you can feel when you just THINK fabulous thoughts.  When December 31, 2013 comes around, get out that paper and see exactly how close you came to what you wrote down now. 

Let's do it!  Pretend you are writing about what happened in your life in 2013.  Be realistic, only write things that you can do, not something like "walked on the moon."  We want realistic wishes of what your year was like.  Make it as detailed as possible, including months and people that you were with.  You don't actually have to do what you wrote down, so dare to dream.  Then put it away and wait for December 31, 2013. 

The power of this exercise is phenomenal!  When you write down a fantasy year, you'll find that there are times when you'll make choices based on things you wrote down, and you may not even realize it.  This exercise works on our deep sub-conscious level and it ignites a desire within us to pursue our dreams. 

This will free you up from narrow minded vision.  It will open up a new world of pleasure, excitement and achievement.  For the analytical type it could be explained as the power of willpower or power of the mind and the subconscious.  For the spiritual type it could be explained as a way of sending out a message or desire to the Universe, which then creates a response or power that causes things to happen so that our vision becomes a reality.  Any way you want to explain it, the fact is this exercise is powerful and IT WORKS!

Warren, S. 2010, 7 Ancient Keys To Happiness, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform