The biggest change in my life over the past few months is that now, unlike before, when I realize I’ve made a wrong turn, I don’t keep driving down that road!

• I’m not talking about literal wrong turns (although it’s true for those as well).
• I’m not talking about figurative wrong turns — actions that lead you someplace where you didn’t want to go. (I’ve already written a post about that — and what to do when it happens.)
• I’m talking about mental “wrong turns” — thought patterns that take you off your intended path…perhaps even into an inner “ditch.”

It’s not a big deal to have unintended thoughts. In fact, sometimes a train of thought can lead you into very interesting terrain, giving birth to ideas or perspectives you’d never considered — many of which may turn out to be breakthroughs, epiphanies, or just pleasant surprises.

Other times, however, you may find yourself habitually turning down inner roads that leave you stuck in the mud, spinning your wheels, and stranded a long way from your intended destination.

Again, it’s not the end of the world to get temporarily stuck now and then. You take a walk, take a nap, call a friend (or a tow truck), shift your focus, and eventually get unstuck — and moving into more pleasant inner territory. And oftentimes, in retrospect you realize that the “wrong turn” ended up being a valuable learning experience.

The problem for me became when I found myself taking the same wrong turns again and again and again. And even after I recognized it (“Oh, here I am heading down this muddy backstreet again — in the opposite direction of where I want to go!”), I’d still keep on heading down the same road — thinking the same old thoughts, spinning my mental wheels, and getting covered with mud!

But recently I realized that I have a choice!

More than just realized it — I began making different mental choices. And although it took a little practice to change some deeply ingrained thought patterns, I now find that I can turn on a dime — and so can anyone! It just takes a few key elements:

1. Desire (part 1) – If you don’t want to change your thought patterns, you won’t. Simple as that.
2. Recognition – You start to notice recurring, unhealthy thoughts, just as you might recognize a road you’d accidentally turned onto many times. (“Oh yeah, there’s that abandoned warehouse again — I’m definitely headed the wrong way!”) In other words, recognize a familiar thought that you know is not serving you.
3. Remembering – From your past excursions, you remember where this mental road leads — and you know that it’s not a place where you care to spend more of your time.
4. Redirection – Just as you can hit the brakes, turn the steering wheel, and make a U-turn in your car, you can also redirect your thoughts. And, as with driving, it’s helpful to know where you do want to go!
5. Desire (part 2) – Just as this process starts with the desire to change your thoughts, it ends (or continues) by focusing on your desired thoughts and feelings — aligning your thoughts with your intentions, your dreams, and your soul. In short, you focus on your (very healthy!) desire to feel good!

In my case, I had a few habitual thought-patterns that I found myself stuck in so many times that I could no longer pretend that I was lost. In fact, I knew exactly where I was and exactly where these thoughts would lead: straight into the mental mud!

I also knew that these recurring thoughts were unproductive. I wasn’t “solving” any problems — I was just spinning my wheels in the mud (and driving myself nuts!). And after 1000+ excursions into the same “thought-ditch,” I couldn’t kid myself that I was making any progress.

On top of this, the more I learned about the Law of Attraction (especially the fact that creation begins at the level of thought), the more I realized that I didn’t want to keep manifesting experiences that matched these thoughts!

So, for the past few months, any time I recognized these “muddy roads,” I’d simply mentally change the subject. I’d make a mental U-turn and head down a different road — one that I knew would lead somewhere healthier:

• I’d focus on gratitude.
• I’d focus on happy memories.
• I’d focus on my dreams and positive intentions.
• I’d focus on anything at all that felt better!

And it worked!

Simple as it may sound, I’ve been able to turn my thoughts around — and turn my life around — largely by hitting the brakes the moment I found myself on a mental “road” I didn’t want to revisit. Before too long, the tendencies to turn down those roads dwindled to almost nothing. And instead, turning toward gratitude and positive thoughts became second-nature.

And thanks to Law of Attraction, I’ve noticed these changed thoughts reflected in my improved external reality. And yes, that is a nice perk, but it’s not really why I made the shift. The real reason is much simpler:

It just feels better!

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Do you ever find yourself stuck in unwanted, recurring thought patterns? Would you like to stop heading down those mental roads? If so, the next time you recognize one of those thoughts, simply hit the mental brakes and redirect your thoughts to something that feels better.

It might sound simplistic, but it works! Not only will you feel better in the moment, but your external life will start to reflect these positive new patterns.

Still not convinced? Why not give it a try? The only thing you have to lose is a bit of “mental mud”!

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photo by Samo Trebizan

For the past few years I’ve practiced my own personal New Year’s tradition:

On January 1, I pick a word for the year and write it on my bathroom mirror — where it stays for the next 365 days.

I write the word in bold, blue Sharpie and position it so that whenever I look in the mirror, I see it just above my head (or, if I’m standing with particularly good posture, as if it’s written directly on my forehead).

Each time I see the word, it reinforces its meaning, its power, and its role in my life — so I’m careful to choose a word that I want to embody throughout the year ahead.

In 2013 I picked the word FINISH.

That was a time when I had numerous projects in various stages of incompletion. I wanted to reinforce my commitment to (you guessed it) finish them.

And, for the most part, it worked! I finished several Soulful Journals, ecourses, and other projects I’d been in the midst of.

There was one problem, however: As I focused on finishing, I kept finding myself either looking forward (to the time when a project would be finished) or looking backward (often with relief at having finished a project, but still looking back — which is not exactly the Zen-like, be-here-now approach I’d like to live by).

So I made my word for 2014 HERE.

This word (which graced my bathroom mirror until two weeks ago) reminded me that life isn’t happening in the future or the past, but right here and now. The frequent reminder served as an antidote to a tendency I’ve had most of my life: looking into the future, thinking that my “real life” was waiting just around the corner.

While there’s certainly nothing wrong with reflecting on your past or looking eagerly into the future, I didn’t want to miss the ever-present now.

And again, for the most part, the blue-Sharpied word drove home that point — again and again and again — throughout the year.

And that leads me to (once again) here and now.

I find myself in a place where I’d like to integrate the concepts from the last two years — to find a way of looking ahead and moving forward, without rushing past the present.

I want to allow my future to flow into my present — joyously and naturally. I want to appreciate the present without stagnating. I want to make progress and enjoy the process.

So my word of the year for 2015 is…

… (drumroll) …

FLOW!

In addition to everything I mentioned above, this word has significance for me on many levels:

• It embodies a core metaphor of the Abraham-Hicks teachings: downstream — going with the flow of life rather than fighting against the current.
• It offers a feeling of progress without striving — allowing rather than forcing; experiencing effortless, natural, and joyous forward motion.
• It embodies my ideal mode of work/action — getting into the flow of whatever I’m doing and enjoying the state of being “in the zone,” regardless of the action.
• And it provides a feeling of relief — the sense of “aaahhh.” 🙂

I’m already enjoying looking at my word every day, knowing that each successive viewing further imprints the meaning, the energy, and the feeling that it embodies. And I look forward to following the flow of this process — allowing it to flow into my conscious, my subconscious, and every aspect of my life.

And I hope (and expect) that a year from now I’ll be able to report that it’s done just that!

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What’s YOUR word of the year?

Do you have a one-word theme or motto that you’d like to embody throughout 2015? I would definitely encourage you to pick a word that fits the life you’d like to create, and to reinforce it in any way that feels right to you.

Get creative, have fun, and let the word work its magic on you. You’ll be amazed at how much one little word can change your entire year…and your life!

I’d love to hear your word, how you incorporate it into your life, or any other thoughts you’d like to share about this process. Let the comments flow! 🙂

HAPPY NEW YEAR! I hope that you had a wonderful end to 2014 and a happy New Year’s celebration — and that 2015 is already starting off great for you!

So, it’s that time of year again: time to turn over a new calendar page, turn over a new leaf, and make your New Year’s resolutions.

(Or not.)

When you think of New Year’s resolutions, do you think, “Yay!” — or do you think, “Ugh!”. Or do you start off thinking, “Yay!” (in January) and end up thinking “Ugh!” (by February, if not sooner).

If you’ve ever gotten excited about a New Year’s resolution — a plan to join a gym, work out regularly, eat better, or start (and stick to) any other new habit — only to lose steam within a month or so, don’t worry — you’re not alone! This seems to be a near-universal phenomenon.

But why is this? Why do so many noble and worthwhile goals start off from a place of enthusiastic inspiration and end up as onerous (and often neglected) chores?

Because so many resolutions are “upstream”!

That is, they fight the current of your natural tendencies and proclivities. They fight the current of universal laws. Or they’re too much of a stretch, too specific, or simply not fun!

So does this mean that we should just abandon our hopes, dreams, and goals?

Not at all! But I would just recommend an alternative to the typically upstream approach of New Year’s resolutions: NEW YEAR’S MANIFESTATIONS!

What are New Year’s Manifestations — and how are they different from resolutions?

Well, for starters, here’s what New Year’s manifestations are NOT about:

• They’re NOT about making a long list of resolutions…trying to FORCE yourself to do things you don’t enjoy.
• They’re NOT about willpower…trying to DENY yourself the things you truly want.
• They’re NOT about struggle…trying to reach your goals through sheer determination, extreme EFFORT, or superhuman strength.
• They’re NOT about the no pain, no gain approach to life…struggling toward (alleged) joy with gritted teeth, straining muscles, and bulging veins!
• And they’re NOT about being miserable in the moment…trying to bring about some FUTURE reward that makes all your present suffering worthwhile.

They ARE about GOING WITH THE FLOW!

They are about feeling good now, feeling good when you reach your goals, and feeling good every step of the way!

But how do you do this? What’s the manifestation process?

You may have already learned about (or used) various approaches to manifestation, but I’d like to offer three of my favorites from the Abraham-Hicks teachings…which you can use for the new year or whenever you’d like! One of them uses three steps, another uses two steps, and the last uses just one!

Three-Step Manifestation

This is an easy one to remember because all three steps start with A: Ask, Answer, Allow. It’s also an easy one to follow, because two out of the three steps happen naturally!

Asking is what you do every time you feel a desire, develop a preference, or literally ask (others or the Universe) for something you want. Most of the time you don’t even have to consciously think about this step!

Answering is the job of the Universe and Law of Attraction. Again, you don’t even have to think about this part. Which means that the only thing you really have to do in this process is…

Allowing…which is actually more of a “not-do” because you pretty much just have to release resistance to not-receiving…perhaps by focusing on that which you desire rather than the undesirable circumstance that you’re trying to change.

In a word: receive!

(Now isn’t that easier than gritting your teeth and sticking to a torturous resolution for the next 365 days? But, as easy as this three-step process might sound — and be — there’s actually an approach that’s even easier!)

Two-Step Manifestation

If three steps sounds like more than you’d like to keep track of (especially when two steps happen automatically/unconsciously), you might prefer this two-step approach:

1. Feel good.
2. Notice the good things and experiences that flow into your life.

Yes, it can be as easy as that — no need to worry about the how, when, where, or any other specifics, which can get a bit stressful when you don’t know all the answers. And after all, the specifics are usually just a means to an end: the goal of feeling good!

But believe it or not, there’s another approach to manifestation that’s even simpler…

One-Step Manifestation

This process is so straightforward that it can be summarized in a single word:

Align.

Yes, that’s all there is to it. Align with your Inner Being, your desires, your good feelings, and everything/everyone that augments those good feelings.

You can think of this as becoming a “vibrational match” to your desires, choosing better-feeling thoughts, or simply focusing the majority of your attention on what you want (rather than what you don’t want).

Or, as with the two-step process above, you can simply think of it in terms of feeling good — which, after all, is the goal of any desire, resolution, or manifestation. And while external manifestations can take a while, better feelings are available immediately.

Without waiting 365 days!

Happy Manifesting!

No matter what process you use, I hope that the approach of New Year’s manifestations helps to make 2015 your most joyous, abundant, flowing, and wonderful year yet!

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P.S. If you’d like a little support with your resolu… er, manifestations over the coming months, this might be a great time for you to check out the Soulful Life Sanctuary — because we’re just starting our group session of The Magic Formula, a course designed to help you manifest anything you want!

If you’re not already a sanctuary member, you can click here to learn more and try it for free — which gives you full access to The Magic Formula and all other ecourses by me and my wife, Jodi Chapman, as well as Soul Guides (experts in Wellness, Self-Care, Abundance, and other areas), discussion groups, live and archived classes, a book club, and much more.

* * * Click here to learn more and check it out for FREE! * * *
(Absolutely no charge and no obligation!)

I hope to see you there!  🙂