Manifesting Your Best Year in 2012

Another year is soon upon us, and so a great energy is swirling around us asking us, "What do you want to bring into this year?" If we don't consciously answer this question, if instead we focus on what we don't want this year, then we will unwittingly invite all sorts of negative "stuff" into our new year.  There are two times when the energy is ripe for you to create your best future -- the new year and your birthday.  So take advantage of this time to begin really envisioning what you want your life to look like at the end of 2012.

Where do you want to be living?  What will your home look like?

Who will you be in a relationship with?

What will your present relationships look like?

How much money will be in your bank account?

What vacations will you have gone on at the end of this year?

What will your career look like in 12 months?

What will you look like at the end of 2012?

How will you feel at the end of the year?

Really take some time to visualize, feel and see the answers to each of these questions.  Write down at least 10 goals for this year -- not resolutions.  Those get broken too easily.  Write down goals, things you plan to accomplish and achieve.  Visualize each of these goals coming true.  Make it part of your daily ritual.

And also, be prepared for some not so great things.  The universe will always test you.  Always.  When you set a goal, it will say, "Really?  Are you sure you want this?"  I'll give a simple example to prove this.  My family and I wanted to adopt another dog last year.  Our dog Gretchen was so friendly and social that we wanted her to have a little friend.  So I set the goal.  I visualized the dog and I surrendered it to the universe.  We did not get the first three dogs we put in applications for.  I was sad each time, but I knew the right dog was waiting for us.  I remember standing in my back yard and saying aloud to God, "I know the right dog is out there for us.  I give this to you.  Please send the right dog to our family."  And I'm not kidding you, but right then three coon hounds came running into my yard.  It was like the turkey stealing scene from A Christmas Story.  I just laughed and said to God, "Not these dogs."  The dogs eventually returned to our neighbor behind us and the very next day, a client called me and said she had an 8 week old Yorkshire Terrier that needed a good home.  Were we interested?  Those first three dogs we had our hearts set on were just the universe's way of saying, "Do you really want this?"  I guess it's a good thing too because we really don't want everything we think we do.

Which reminds me of the Rolling Stones song.  "You can't always get what you want, but you just might find that you get what you need."  There have been a few things I've tried to manifest without success.  And that's okay too.  Those things weren't part of my plan.  Part of being a good manifester is learning to surrender.

But first you have to have vision or you'll be like an actual rolling stone and who knows where you'll roll?  A palace?  A sewer?  Who knows?  Proverbs (29:18) says, "Where there is no vision, the people will perish."  If you don't have a vision for your life, you will slowly perish.

Of that I am sure.  You will perish -- slowly -- without a vision for your life.  How many people do you know who just exist without actually living their lives?  They go to work, sure, and pay their bills, vote in November too but they have no life to them.  Do you know how many people I had to buy for this year and had no clue what to get them because they have nothing in their life -- no interests, passions, or hobbies.  Nothing but work and family.  No vision for themselves, for their lives.  Ugh.  It's depressing.

So, take some time this week to create a vision for your life or at least for this year.  You'll be glad you did and so will your friends come the next holiday gift buying season!

Here are three things to remember when trying to become a magnet for good things:

1) Be grateful.  Turn your "have to's" into "get to's."  Instead of saying, "I have to work late today."  Try, "Thank God I get to work late today.  It means they need me and so my job is safe and secure."
Every morning, before your foot hits the grounds, try to think of three things you're grateful for in your day to come.  For example, "I'm grateful I get to have lunch with my friend.  I'm thankful I packed the kids' lunches last night.  And I am so thankful that I have nothing to do after work today."

2) Be optimistic.  Habits take time.  Try to break any negative thought programing you have.  You know my motto -- fake it til you make it.  Really, this glass half full thing really works.  Try it for 21 days.  That's how long it takes to make anything a habit.  Avoid negative people, negative movies, shows and news.  Read positive books and magazines and hang out with other positive people.  Even if you live with someone who's negative, try taking mental breaks from them.  Treat them like a boarder in your home from time to time so that you can have a break from their negativity.  Don't argue with them, don't defend your new positive way of thinking.  Just let them be and focus on yourself, your positivity, your growth.

3) Love yourself.  This is really the most important.  We can't manifest a thing until we love ourselves.  We can only manifest to the degree with which we think we deserve our good.  If you don't think you deserve that much, well, you won't get that much.  It's that simple.  Like attracts like and love attract love.  If you're feeling love and loving and lovable, that is what you will attract to you.

If you don't love yourself -- truly and unconditionally -- you will manifest very little.  So if you do nothing else this year, please promise that you will fall in love with you.