Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself. ~ Leo Tolstoy

By Stuart Miles via FreeDigitalPhotos.net

My copy of E-Squared by Pam Grout arrived yesterday. I felt like I'd just received precious cargo. I opened the package and looked at the copy. I ran my hands over the cover, read the back and then set it down beside my computer. I wasn't quite ready to peruse the pages.

I knew the book would require me to think about myself and face up to my propensity to revert to negative thoughts. I wasn't ready to take the responsibility for my own thoughts, yet. I wasn't ready to challenge my beliefs and exorcise the negative scripts I've taken years to perfect.

A little part of me begged me to just leave it alone, to pretend I didn't already know that I am capable of changing my life by changing my thinking. I let it plead for a while. Maybe I was being a little sadistic. I mean, really, I did intend to open it soon and I knew full well that I would embrace the contents. Maybe a perverse part of me enjoyed the whining and the squirming or maybe I was letting it plead its case. I really don't know.

So far, the book has delivered everything it promised. It's well-written, to the point and right on the money. I really like that Grout supplements it with statistics, like: 1) according to neuroscientists  95 percent of our thoughts are controlled by our pre-programmed subconscious mind, and 2) that 99.9 percent of our brain is devoted to things we don't want. (Imagine that!)

I am currently trying experiment ONE. This experiment sets the base for the rest of the book, (Yes, I have read ahead to see what comes next.) In simple terms, Grout instructs the reader to test the theory that the world is made up a "field of infinite possibilities" that you can access at any time. According to Grout, all you need to do is tap into the invisible field of energy that connects us all.

This experiment involves asking the Universe (or whatever you choose to call it) for a sign that it works. This sign must be something that cannot be discounted or easily explained. For example, getting paid for the job you did yesterday can't be counted as proof the theory works - however, if you get a big bonus that was not expected it may be the Universe speaking. In addition to a sign to build your faith, you will also receive a blessing. The real kicker to the experiment is you get to set a time limit of 48 hours.

I am currently waiting for my sign and my blessing. It will arrive before Monday at 9 p.m. Eastern Time. I've tried to imagine what it might be, but stop myself so I won't ruin my own surprise. I don't know when or where it will show up, but I can tell you that I have my eyes and ears wide open today.

Check back tomorrow to find out the results of my experiment.

P.S. Today I am grateful for Pam Grout's book E-Squared and the exciting journey it promises.

Your life is your message to the world. Make it inspiring. Lorrin L. Lee

By: wallyir

Consider the message you send out to the world today with the way you choose to live your life. Often, we become so self-absorbed that we forget that others perceive our motives and our beliefs according to the attitudes and actions we show to the world.

By practicing a positive outlook, expressing sincere gratitude for all that you have, and aligning your actions with your beliefs your life you will soon take on a new appearance and the message you send the world will overflowing with positive energy.

Today, I am grateful for the sliver of the moon that glitters in the night, for stars that dance in the cold and for woodsmoke that drifts pungent and comforting in the air. I am grateful for the blue-black sky, the vastness of the universe and snow that blankets the earth below.


I am grateful to know the sun will rise again and chase away the darkness, for the changing of seasons and for gravity.


I am grateful for the people in my life who have made me who I am, today--for those who challenged me and those who lead the way. I am grateful for family that grounds me, for ideas that excite me and the courage to pursue my dreams.


And, I am grateful for you, dear reader, as you stop to share my day. May you always send out the message that expresses the wonderful being your are and you go forth in the direction of your dreams.

We all live under the same sky, but we don't all have the same horizon. ~Konrad Adenauer

by superchappie

One of the amazing things about the power of the human mind is the ability to see what it wants to see--to fix its gaze in the direction it wants to go and exclude that which doesn't fit into the picture.  Two people in the same circumstances rarely envision the same future and as a result achieve drastically different goals.

Get in the habit of focusing on all that is good and positive in your life that the horizon may be filled with possibilities and opportunities.

Let go of the tendency to see areas of lack, for there is much to celebrate in any circumstances. Show your gratitude for what you have and set your sights on what you will achieve to activate the Law of Attraction in your life.

Release positive thoughts and energy to the world, today, that your life may be filled with positive energy. Remember that like attracts like. Whatever you embrace, whatever you express, whatever you release to the universe returns to your life. Make sure you are releasing the energy you want to receive.

Today, I am grateful for oceans teeming with life, for desserts that absorb the sun and for icebergs in their magnificent beauty. I am grateful for water that refreshes the world, for positive thoughts that cleanse the soul and for laughter.


I am grateful for tiny seeds that harbor entire plants, for roots that provide support and for leaves that gather food that plants may adorn our world.


I am grateful for the changing weather that adds variety to the land, for weathering rocks and fallen logs that provide shelter to small animals.


I am grateful for family and friends that make my life full, for teachers who carry the load of educating our children and for doctors who commit their lives that we may be well.


And, I am grateful for you, dear reader, as you stop to share your day. May you see a bright horizon as you go forward in the direction of your dreams.

Chance is always powerful. Let your hook be always cast; in the pool where you least expect it, there will be a fish. Ovid

Photo by demondimum

Sometimes, we get discouraged when our goals and dreams don't come quick enough to suit our desires. Instead of exercising patience we give up and go in search of other opportunities or to test the waters in other areas. 

We will never know how many opportunities we have missed due to our lack of patience, for all things come in their own time.


If you are struggling to reach a particular goal today, use care not to give up too soon. Develop the patience of the angler today as he sits quietly casting his line over and over waiting for the big one to strike. 


Today, I am grateful for the sound of snow as it lights softly on the trees, for the silent flight of winter birds and for the fragrance of winter.


I am grateful for the muffled whoosh of cars as they travel past, for the joy of dogs as they tussle in the snow and for squirrels that prance lightly on the surface.


I am grateful for electricity to light my world, for old movies and well-loved books.


I am grateful for family, for friends and readers who share my day.


And, I am grateful for you, dear reader, as you stop to share my day. May your lines always be cast and may your catch be great.

Playing the Hand You are Dealt

Photo by Chelle

Life is not a matter of having good cards, but of playing a poor hand well. Robert Louis Stevenson

So often people fall prey to thinking that they can't accomplish their heart's desires, can't be prosperous or can't be successful because they simply were not born into the right family or haven't been handed the family money. For others it takes the form of believing they are not attractive enough, not smart enough or simply not worthy of success and happiness. They believe the hand they have been dealt is flawed.


This self-defeating trap holds hundreds of thousands--perhaps millions--of people in its grip rendering them powerless to change their lives and find joy and happiness. 


But life isn't about the hand you have been dealt by the world. Its about learning to play your hand well and succeed despite the circumstances. The Bible tells us in Romans 12:2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

The key, it seems is the renewing of your mind, not only towards God, but towards life itself. When we accept the warped view the outside world paints for us, we fall victim to comparing ourselves to some fictional image of success. When we are unable to attain it, we then internalize our failure believing that we are flawed.

Let go of the image of your flawed self and the notion that you must live the faulty hand you were dealt, today. Renew your mind by focusing on all that is good and just in your life, give gratitude for what you have and get on with the business of playing your hand well.

Today, I am grateful to live in America where my choices are many and my opportunities are great. I am grateful for the ability to look beyond what others believe and the world expects and see where I must go.


I am grateful for crystal clear skies and brilliant night stars that bid me good morning, for puffs of smoke that streams from chimneys and the occasional bark of a far-away dog.


I am grateful for the flow of ideas, the courage to listen to them and the desire to make a difference in my world.


I am grateful for family and friends who fill my life with laughter and good times, for strangers who carry on with their lives with courage and strength and those who spend their lives uplifting others. 

And, I am grateful for you, dear reader, as you stop to share my day. May you rise above the hand you were dealt, renew your mind to all that is good and just in the world and play your hand well.

Having the world's best idea will do you no good unless you act on it. People who want milk shouldn't sit on a stool in the middle of a field in hopes that a cow will back up to them. Curtis Grant

Photo by mensatic

Consider the time you spend waiting for things to happen in your life instead of actively seeking opportunities and working to reach your goals. Most of us fall pray to thinking that if the Law of Attraction really works, all we need to do is develop and attitude of faith and cultivate a positive attitude and all the is good and just in the world will suddenly land in our laps. After all, the Law of Attraction does state that like attracts like and that releasing positive energy to the universe causes positive energy to flow into our lives.


It really is a lot like sitting on a stool in a pasture waiting for the cow to back up to you. The cow, like opportunities in your life, is there--but you need to make the effort to reap the benefits it offers. To get the sweet warm milk the cow offers, you my must get off your duff. 

Life is no different. If you are practicing the art of releasing positive energy in your life the opportunities are already there. Open your eyes and look around you today. You will likely see opportunities you never knew existed or that you thought the effort required to attain them was too great. 


Get off your comfortable stool today and get ready to attain your dreams.


Today, I am grateful for the ability to see new opportunities, for the courage to pursue them and the energy to see them through. I am grateful for the opportunity to express my gratitude, for it releases positive energy to the universe and reminds me off all that God has given me.


I am grateful for photographs so I may see places I will never go, for morguefile.com that houses thousands of photos I can share freely and for mensatic a photographer who has an incredible eye and chooses to share those views with the world.

I am grateful for fellow writers who have taught me much about writing and shared their resources. I am grateful for Google who provides the adsense program  that matches ads to my readers interests and needs, so that I may earn a living when they click the ads which offer services or products that in turn improve their lives.


And, I am grateful for you, dear reader, as you stop to share my day. May your opportunities be many and may you always have the wisdom and drive to pursue them.

You are always free to choose a different future . . . or a different past. Richard Bach

Yesterday, we talked about creating new futures by letting go of the past. Let's take a look at our past today. Whatever has happened in our lives up until today has been cemented into our memories and formed the foundation of who we are. It is over. Gone. It is what it is and we are powerless to change it, or are we?

I was born the youngest of 8 siblings, but more importantly, I was born much later making me the little sister that was never really part of "their childhood" and certainly not a part of my parent's youth. I never really minded. Life was what it was and I didn't question that.

One day, when we were grown, my sister commented that I had grown up in a "different family" than she had. She was right, of course. Our parents had grown and life had changed and the world was a very different place when I came along, but I also realize it was much more than that.

Of course we grew up in different families. Our family is a reflection of our thoughts, our beliefs, our personal perception of the world. My life was different, not because of the people and events that unfolded in my lifetime, but because of my interpretations of those events.

Your life is a reflection of your individual perception, too. What you call reality is nothing more than your interpretation of a series of events you call the past. You can't change the events, but you can change the way you look at them.

If you have pain and hurt and struggles rooted in the past that are holding you back today, make a conscious effort to examine the events that created them and view them from a different light. Come to peace with your personal demons and move forward toward the future knowing you can accomplish your dreams.

Today, I am grateful for the dusting of snow that shimmers like a thousand diamonds in the morning light. I am grateful to hear, to see and to feel. I am grateful for the winter chill that proves I am alive. I am grateful for age and the timeless beauty of remaining forever young in mind and soul. I am grateful for laughter to lift the spirits, for solitude to rest the soul and companionship of family that makes life full.

I am grateful for healing of old wounds, for beginnings and for the hope of what is to come. I am grateful for a past that has molded who I am but has no power to alter my future, unless I allow it. I am grateful for the understanding that I alone can reshape my past by viewing it in a different light and accepting it for what it was and nothing more.

And, I am grateful for you, dear reader, for allowing me to share what I have learned and for joining me on the journey to the future. May you consider your past today and give thanks for that which has made you strong and view your old struggles in a different light. Take its power away today, by creating a different past that leads to a different future. May you day be filled with abundance.