Several years ago there was a lot of talk about the book 
. It was on the best sellers list for a number of months. When a friend offered to lend me her copy, I decided I was curious enough to take it. I actually enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Skeptical at first I now realize that many of these concepts have been true in my own life.
Gratitude – Thinking about what is good in my life puts me in a much happier mood than thinking about what is not good. The author of The Secret says that when you think about what is not working in your life you attract more of it. Conversely if you think about and are grateful for the good in your life you will attract more of it. All the more reason to write a gratitude journal or just sit quietly for a few minutes and feel gratitude for all that you have.
Alvah’s note: There are lots of things to be grateful for. For me it is the little things that give me pleasure-things I could miss if I wasn’t paying attention. For example my list today:
Sitting by my window as the birds come to my bird feeder. There is a cardinal that comes and eats the seed that falls to the ground. I am grateful for the cardinal who is bright red and always cheers me and the black and white chickadees that cluster around the feeder.
Thoughts are things – Your thoughts have energy. In fact your life story comes directly from your thoughts. You frame your internal dialogue and picture of yourself in your mind. You get to write the plot of your life story. It is how you interpret your thoughts that make your story. You have the ability to have the story be wonderfully positive!! It’s the only way to go.
Alvah’s note: If you have a loud inner critic as I do, this one is a challenge. It is worth the effort though to tame it so that you have a good positive story in which you are the hero.
Become Aware – To understand if you are keeping your thoughts positive start to check periodically how you are feeling. If you are feeling good, you know that your thoughts are positive and you are happy. Now you are in the right frame to start to attract what you want in life. If you are not feeling good and are not happy, find ways to change your mood.
