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Last month’s column was about the resolutions we all made for the New Year. Did you think about yours? I shared some of mine with you and the way I work on creating new things in my life by thinking positive thoughts about them. This month I will expand more on what I mean by “wishing things into your life.” Our words, thoughts, and the pictures we paint in our minds actually attract people, things and events into our lives. Have you ever dreamed of having something, earning an award, winning a contest, finding a particular person to help you with something, or taking a particular vacation and then out of the blue it shows up? That happened to me with the vacation out West that I told you all about in my November column. It was something I had dreamed about for years. And then my friend, whom I had never told and had no way of knowing my dream, invited me to come on a trip that was exactly my “dream come true.” And it was just too big and too complex an event to be just a coincidence. Because the trip included all of my dream – not just part of it: seeing Old Faithful, staying at the Old Faithful Inn, driving through the mountains, the Grand Tetons, Jackson Wyoming, Lake Tahoe, The Grand Canyon, Extraterrestrial Highway in Nevada (yes this really true and it is very spooky), and the balloons taking off in Albequerque. Many things were not planned ahead of time, they just “fell into place.” Like the cancellation at the Old Faithful Inn that happened when we called two days before we would arrive. These reservations are made years in advance. Cognitive-Behavioral Psychology has many studies which supports this way of thinking about things. Sometimes our thoughts are so subconscious (underneath the surface and hidden from us) that we do not even know we are thinking them. When we feel happy we are thinking happy thoughts and painting happy pictures in our mind. But when we are afraid, angry, upset or frustrated, our thoughts have become negative. As funny as that sounds, all feelings start with thoughts. For those of us who are faced day to day with the challenges of caring for our loved it is not unusual for us to sometimes feel frustrated, irritated, or angry about our situation. There is a thought that goes with every feeling. So if you are having a negative feeling, it started with a negative thought. Try to be aware of these, recognize them, and change them. Whatever negative thought you have, it has a positive counterpart. Try to identify the positive opposite and you will feel better, more positive, and will actually call that positive thought into your life. When you feel negative, try to switch your thoughts to the positive side. Perhaps focus on a small recent change your loved one has made recently. And don’t forget that the way recovery goes is three steps forward and one step back. Think “slow” and think “progress.” Tip for the Month: If you want to lead a happy, peaceful, prosperous life, then focus on having happy, peaceful and prosperous thoughts. You will be happier day to day and positive things will happen to you too. Never Give Up!! Wishing you love, patience, and persistence Barbara R. Grace, PhD, NCSP, CAHt, RoTh The Grace Center for Mind, Body, and Spiritual Healing 118 Barrington Commons Plaza, Suite 227 Barrington, Ill 60010 847-382-3232
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