So, exactly what is this “Law of Attraction”? The law of attraction is an ancient idea based on something that Buddha said. In a nutshell it is that you create your own reality through the energy (intention) you emanate.   Another way to say it is that you get in life what you’re looking for.

Some say that the idea that we create our reality is “preposterous”.  Others say that it cannot be proven.

I respectfully disagree.  The nature of my disagreement with such naysayers may split hairs, but they are important hairs to split.

We create our reality every moment of every day by the choices we make.  If I choose to act on one thing and not act on another, I’m taking steps that will have a direct (and potentially dramatic) impact on my life.  For example, if I choose to ignore a stop sign or red traffic light when I’m driving my car, I am creating a “high-probability” chance of a different reality from the alternate reality of coming to a full stop at the appropriate place.

Now, if I make an intention (an intention is nothing more than a pre-made set of choices), and if I take actions consistent with that intention I am creating a reality for myself.

At the level of the brain, we have what is called the reticular cortex.  The reticular cortex is our attention getter AND it is programmable.  For example, your reticular cortex is programmed to respond when it identifies that someone is calling you by name.  So, when you’re at a party and there’s lots of ambient noise.  You could be shouting through the din in an attempt to make conversation.  But if someone in the room whispers your name, your reticular cortex will have you up and looking around in an attempt to figure out who called you.  Your conscious mind may wonder, “Did I just hear something?” but you have already responded to it before that question was formed.

The cool thing about this is the programmable feature.  Have you ever noticed that when you decide that you want to buy a new car, say a SmartCar, you suddenly see them all over the place?  Or when you learn a new word, like “crepuscular”, suddenly you’ll hear it in two or three places.  That’s the newly programmed reticular cortex.  It’s not that the SmartCar or “crepuscular” weren’t there before, it’s that you hadn’t programmed yourself to respond to them.

SO… this means that once you’ve added a new pattern to your programmable reticular cortex, it’s going to be looking for things that match the pattern. Thus, if you want to improve your spiritual growth, or your relationships, or your money situation, or your family life, you drop it into your reticular cortex, and you’ll be seeing things that might have been there all along, but that you weren’t attuned to.

In the New Testament, in the 11th Chapter of Luke, Jesus says, “ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”  Sure sounds like programming the reticular cortex to me.

Wherever you go in this world, the family unit exits. There are different family types in different parts of the world. Not all the parts of the world experience joint families through out their lives. For example in the developed countries of the west it is very common that as the kids grow and they complete their education, they move to the places where they want to live and work. They remain in connection with their siblings but they do not necessarily live at the same place. On the other hand, in many Asian countries you observe that family units exist for a much longer time frame. In these countries people live in the same house with their sons and their families.  So you see that although the concept of the “family unit” exists in all parts of the world and all the cultures promote it, different cultures define the time frame  and scope of the family quite differently.

Your family ties are very important. Your family life will shape you as a person. What what you become in the future is very much dependent on your family life.  Your family of origin shape your values, your beliefs, and indeed your whole world view.  A peaceful family life will promote one set of values and behavior, while a chaotic family life can produce something quite different.

When you know that you have your parents and the siblings on your side and that you are not alone on the rugged road of life, it becomes easier to bear all the pain. When you face the rough and tough of life together, you are able to understand each other in a better way. You are there to comfort each other in the time of need.  It can be a very comforting thing to know that even if you are in trouble and you are facing some rough times, there are people who care about you and who can accompany you.  Belonging to such a protective environments can give you courage when it comes to facing the difficulties of life.

Family life is a major factor which shapes your personality.  Your family life combined with your experiences and the way you interpret them are primary factors that affect your personality as you grow up.  Later, when you are the adult of the household, your childhood family experiences definitely influence how your own family will function (or not).

Obviously, many things influence the dynamics of a family.  These include:

• the relationship of the parents to each other – how they love and support each other will be a model for the children
• the number of children – each child will have a different perspective on any event.  Have you ever noticed the different way people recall a particular incident years later?
• the economic conditions prevalent at the time – Often the oldest child is born when the parents are young and just starting their adult life, when money is typically scarce.  Younger children are born later in life when maybe the parents are earning more money.
• the health of the family members – if a family member has a major health issue that requires a high percentage of attention or financial or physical resources, the family members will each deal with that differently.
• the physical environment – Obviously, someone who grows up in a city will have a different world view than someone who grows up in a jungle.
• the psychological environment – harsh judgments, sharp reprimands, and emotional distance will produce an effect different from compassion, forgiveness and unconditional love.

A history of stress doesn’t have to mean a destiny of stress.  To change your destiny, click here.

Below is a list of things you can do to get your stress to a functional level.

1. Acknowledge some stress is good – An appropriate burst of energy will enhance your performance at the right moment. Use stress wisely to push yourself that little bit harder when it counts most.
2. Avoid people who cause stress – Learn to identify stress in other people’s behavior.  Just because they are stressed doesn’t mean that you have to be.  Limit your contact with them.
3. Learn from people who have it figured out – Look at people manage their stress well and do what they do.  Look for people who stay calm in crazy times.  What do they do that’s different?  Don’t just figure it out on your own.  Ask them.
4. Breathe – Your body gives a relaxation response when you use deep breathing.  Breathe in slowly (on a five count).  Hold for a five count.  Breathe out on a five count.  Repeat this pattern until you feel your heart rate slowing and you feel yourself getting “normal”.
5. Stop negative thought patterns – Stress often happens because our minds create a worrisome situation for some time out in the future that our body responds to with a fear reaction.  It funny, but usually the very thing we worry about is the thing that does not happen.  Observe your thoughts.  Stop them when you start to create negative images.
6. Know what sets you off – What makes you explode?  What’s the trigger?  Where’s your hot button?  Knowing what causes you to stress is powerful information because you can take action against it and make it less powerful.
7. Take care of yourself PROACTIVELY – Get the proper amount of rest.  Eat well.  Take some exercise.  If you take care of yourself, your body will be able to defend you from stress even before you know it exists.  If you don’t take care of your body, you’re actually adding more stress into the system.

For a really good way to let go of stress fast, click here.

Because we are physical creatures with physical needs, we respond largely to what we put into our systems.  As with many medical issues, a diet is a great place to start as a way to manage or treat depression. A well-balanced diet is key to staying happy and healthy, especially where depression is concerned. How many times have you heard that we are all supposed to drink 8 glasses of water per day?  Yet how many of us actually do that?  Proper hydration is essential to proper brain function. This is simple, easy, and inexpensive to do.

What about fresh fruits and vegetables?  How many do you consume in any given day?  Some sources say that we need 5 or more per day.   Below are a number of natural remedies and home remedies for depression that are based on healthy foods.  The cool thing is that you don’t have to more fruit and veg (unless you want to).

Asparagus has a long history for aiding with depression. The root of an asparagus is the area that you will want to look at. Squeeze or crush the bottom root of a piece of asparagus. If properly done, a powder will appear. This powder should be consumed daily in amounts of one or two grams each day.

Another food item believed to provide some relief from depression is apples. Apples are known for their vitamin B and potassium, which are often provided clinically in cases of depression. Although eating an apple each day is sufficient for many, there are others who suffer from depression who recommend supplementing the apple with milk and honey daily.

Vitamin B can also help those suffering from depression. We’ve already covered apples. Other foods with vitamin B include eggs, green vegetables, whole grain foods, and fish. Vitamin B is easily absorbed from foods, yet you may also want to examine natural vitamin B supplements.  Using supplements can give you a well-calibrated dosage that is easily adjusted.

Rose petals are used in individual cases to treat depression. When using this natural remedy for depression, you can make a tea by taking a small number of rose petals and mix them in boiling water. Once cooled, drink the mixture. Add sugar if you like.  If you pick the petals yourself, make sure they come from plants that have not been treated with systemic insecticides.  Natural, herbal teas are another great alternative.

Another natural way to treat or manage depression is to use mediation. Meditation and relaxation are two proven successful ways to cope with depression. For many individuals, sitting in a quiet room with their legs crossed, simply inhaling and exhaling is enough. For others, they choose to first learn the proper ways to relax and meditate. This is easy to do online or with an instructional CD.

A relaxing bath is another way to get short-term relief from depression. Although a bath may not provide permanent relief, it is a pleasant experience that shouldn’t be overlooked. When using a bath to manage depression, many recommend a warm water bath. For the best chance of relaxation, baths should be taken in a quite room that is dimly lit.  Candles are a nice touch.  Enhance the relaxation with some soothing music.

These are only some of many natural and home remedies to use when you feel depressed.  Recommend them to any close friends or family members that you know. With that in mind, as previously stated, it is important to remember that depression can also be chronic. This is when professional assistance should be sought.

My personal belief is that stress is always behind and underneath depression.  You can learn a lot eliminating stress here. When that’s dealt with, you can find a great tool for helping with depression when you click here.

In my humble opinion, you lead with your strengths.  You go with your gut, your instincts, your PASSION.  The trouble is, many people are content to “settle” for things in their lives.  They “settle” for a ho-hum relationship; they settle for a ho-hum, soul-crushing job; they “settle” for a couch potato life.  They think that passion is something that “everyone else” has.

What are the things you care about enough to change for?  How do you know?  How can you find out?

First of all, give yourself some space and some private time.  Start with 5 minutes. Anybody can find 5 minutes.  You can even start in the bathroom (if you catch my drift).  Take 5 minutes of uninterrupted time, and let yourself feel your way into an ideal future.  I’m not talking about fantasy.  You’re not Superman with x-ray vision and the ability to fly.  You’re not Ironman.  You’re not Wonder Woman.  You are a real person with aspirations.

In your mind, go out into that ideal future – as if there were NO obstacles; as if money were not an issue, as if geography weren’t an issue.  Where would you be (physically) in that ideal future? What surrounds you?  What to you see?  What do you hear? What do you feel?  Who are you with?  What do you do in that future ideal life?

Remember this is your ideal life.  There is no room here for “I can’t” or “I couldn’t possibly”.  This is your ideal life.  Not your husband’s.  Not your wife’s.  Not your parents’.  There is no one else here who can put limits on this picture of yours but YOU!  So GO FOR IT.  What does it look like?  What does it sound like? What does it feel like?

Have you let yourself really let go?  Do it.  Do it often.  Do it so often that it feels real.

The next step is to be in that ideal life and turn around and look at all the events between now and your future ideal life and see what must have happened in order for you to get from here to there.

Remember that it’s not going to happen all at once.  It’s going to happen in a series of steps — just like learning to walk or learning to talk or learning to spell.

In a future post, I’ll discuss making the steps real.

Overcome the stress in your life effortlessly and easily.  Find out how by going here.

What does your inner world look like?  Is it gloomy?  Sad? Stressed? Anxious? Depressed? Or worse?  Or is it cheery?  Light? Happy? Optimistic? Or even brighter than that?

Admittedly, the outside world can be a scary place.  Every time we turn around there seems to be bad news, worse news, and even more horrible news.  The television, radio, magazines and newspapers shove negative stories down our throats.  They thrive on conflict, incivility, and scandal.

That’s why I don’t watch television or listen to the radio or read the newspaper (well, except for the comics.  I love Pearls Before Swine and Get Fuzzy.)  I don’t like people whom I don’t know cramming my head full of their negative talk. My attitude has no place for negativity.

A couple of years ago I found myself face to face with some of the most challenging things I’ve ever had to deal with personally and financially.  And I stumbled upon a cool little secret: if I waited for everything to be exactly right in my personal and financial life before I could be happy, then there was a good chance that I’d never be happy.  However, if I was able to be happy in the moment and bring that inner happiness to bear on my current circumstances, I’d have more resources available to clear up my personal and financial situations. I created a new positive mindset for myself and I haven’t looked back.

To do this, I unplugged the television and started reading like mad.  I went even further and started listening to self-hypnosis programs to rework some of that “stinkin’ thinkin’” in my unconscious mind.  The change in attitude that came about gave me the confidence to take action to clear up my personal and financial troubles.

Get a free report here for learning about eliminating stress.

To make a positive change in your confidence, click here.

To those who like the theory but lack the ability, fair enough.  It’s kind of like telling a Little League batter to face off against a Major League fast-baller by saying, “It’s easy.  Just keep your eye on the ball and let the ball hit the bat.”  If you’ve never done it, it’s hard.  But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible.  After all, if you’re reading this, you’ve learned English, one of the most difficult languages on Earth.  You learned it, and you don’t even know exactly how you learned it.  Fortunately in the realm of human performance, the word “Impossible” rarely means impossible.  More often it only means, “I don’t know how to do it yet.”

To those who think that it’s completely and utterly absurd, I invite you to look a bit deeper into the part of you that says that.  Is it coming from a place of cynicism?  Is it from your own thoughts or is this something that you were taught? Tony Robbins says that cynicism is a gutless response.  It takes no guts to be a cynic.  All you have to do is sit there and wait to be proven wrong.  It’s a completely passive response.

But let’s look a my suggestion logically.  You need money. There are only so many hours in a day, and even if you worked all 24 of them, you’d only make so much money.  You can do the arithmetic yourself to calculate how long it will take to get you the money that you think you need.  However, if you invested in yourself and learned exactly how to leverage the power of the Internet, you could create a little (or big) marketing machine with minimal effort.

It comes down to this, your financial growth will necessarily come down to your personal growth.  Your personal growth comes from your mindset.  If your mindset limits you, it’s time to grow.

Making changes list this in times of stress can be a daunting task.  Go here to remove stress from the equation.

You can click here for a quick head start on how to begin to build your Internet opportunities.