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Ever wonder why some people seem to walk around with a dark cloud hovering over them and others appear to bring their own sunshine wherever they go? While one group tends to be generally unhappy, finds things to complain about, and nothing seems to go their way, the other group can walk the exact same earth finding gratitude in everything around them, keeping up a positive outlook, and easily creating the lives they want. In both cases, these individuals are very much creating their own destiny as the law of attraction is at work with the basic principle: Like attracts like. Simply put: If you focus on positive things, you will get positive results. If you focus on negative things, you're going to attract negative results.

Don't get me wrong. You can't just say, "I want a million dollars," focus all of your attention on that desire and then voila: instant millionaire. There's more to it than that. Actual hard work, for one thing! But, there is a spiritual element to it as well. Sometimes the universe has other plans for us, or we just aren't ready to receive yet. This phenomenon is also well-documented in science with the placebo effect.

I can personally attest to the power of purposefully attracting and manifesting. I have somewhat honed this skill over the years out of pure necessity. Having multiple business and social ventures of my own as well as being a mother to a young child with another one on the way, I have been forced to adopt a very Yoda-like mindset in my daily routine: "Do or do not. There is no try." Having many people rely on you for their livelihood and wanting to be there for them is surefire motivation to find a way to get things done. From scoring national press coverage and columnist spots for my businesses, to generating revenues in a tough economy and competitive marketplace, to just making sure my family gets a healthy dinner at night and mama bear doesn't totally burn out in the process are all major accomplishments that I have purposefully manifested over recent years. Reflecting back on these, I have come to realize there are some basic principles involved and would like to share with the intention of helping others get a little closer to their best potential self!

Tips on Allowing the Law of Attraction to Work for You:

• Is it meant to be? Use your inner light as a guide. The musical key of your life's symphony must be in harmony with the desire you wish to manifest. In other words, there needs to be a strong connection with what you want and what you're destined for. I have had plenty of "pouty" moments in my days after working so hard for something and coming up short in the end. But after the fact, I always came to realize that there was a reason something didn't happen exactly how or when I wanted it to. Don't let this stop you from trying, though, as you miss 100 percent of the shots you never take! You just have to trust your gut and have faith in your instincts, which will become stronger the more you become self-aware. A meditation practice also helps bring more insight. Some good questions to ask: Is this desire in line with my life's passion and purpose? Is my intention positive and for the greater good of many and not just rooted in self-interest? If the answers are "yes" and something in your gut is telling you to go for it, than chances are you on the right path. Just remember to hold ever-so-loosely to your desires, as too strong of an attachment will likely bring disappointment and suffering.
• Hold powerful visions. Now that you've identified your desires and they feel intuitively right: Imagine yourself as actually having achieved your dream already. In this visualization, really see and believe it. Incorporate all of the senses: How does it feel, smell, tastes and sound? Think about all of the important aspects of your life and what they look like when this happens. What were some of details that surrounded getting there? Writing out your vision story is a very productive and powerful tool as it helps to make your dreams seem more real, brings your vision into focus in your present situation and triggers your subconscious into action.
• Identify blocks and fears... and believe! You have to really believe in yourself and your vision. It's not a matter of if you can, but when you can. Self-doubt is a form of negative thinking that will actually prevent your dreams from manifesting. Believing is receiving! The more you resonate with your fears, the more likely you will make them come true instead of allowing your real desires to manifest. For example, if you have a fear of public speaking and focus on all the things that could possibly go wrong before your speech -- don't be surprised if you fall flat on your face when you get on stage for your big moment. Literally! To avoid this, try noticing any internal resistance or self-doubt that comes up when you think about your desire and realize that both fears and desires exist only in the mind. It is best to identify any fears or roadblocks as soon as possible so you can accept them and move forward despite them. If the little voice of self-doubt in your mind is too loud to allow you to move forward or you are not sure what is holding you back, consider working with a business or life coach to help you work through it.
• You've got to work! You've set a positive intention; now focus your energy on its manifestation for the highest good. It's not magic, though. If you want it bad enough, you'll need to roll up your sleeves and put in the time and effort to make it happen. The more systematic you are in the execution stage, the better results you will see. Start setting goals and creating new daily habits to help inch you towards making your vision story a reality. Have an accountability system in place whether to yourself, friends and family, or to a coach. Remember to celebrate all of your small successes along the way. Having a vision is a great start and often referring back to it is very powerful. However, remember, "Vision without execution is hallucination." -- Thomas Edison. Work it!
• Trust and allow. Don't get tripped up in your wants and desires. Have faith and confidence that if/when it is meant to happen, that it will. Keep your eyes and mind open for clues in the universe that will tell you if you are on the right path, or if you might need to tweak your vision slightly (or vastly, even!). Remain living in the now, while you ever-so-loosely and delicately hold onto your dreams and allow them to unfold as they are meant to. If you are totally focused on what you want for your future, than you are focused on manifesting more of what you don't have. Trust and allow that things will play out as they are supposed to while you gently help to guide things along. There is perfection in everything that happens along the way. Enjoy the journey!

10 Common Misconceptions About Money

By Stacy Johnson | Money Talks News – Fri, Sep 7, 2012 4:22 PM

I recently celebrated my 57th birthday, and have arrived at a common
conclusion about getting older: It sucks. But there’s one good thing
that comes with age – the wisdom that can only come from experience.
Experience helps you understand how life actually works, and how
remarkably different life is from the kind you so often see portrayed
in commercials, movies, and daydreams.
Prime example? Money. The myths surrounding money are numerous and
widely held, especially among the young. It’s a shame, because
pursuing myths will lead you astray, waste your time and, taken to
extremes, ruin your life.
Here are 10 popular misconceptions about money that experience has
taught me are more often fiction than fact…

1. The more money I have, the happier I’ll be.
Let’s ask Howard Hughes, Anna Nicole Smith, John Belushi, Chris
Farley, Marilyn Monroe, Michael Jackson, Amy Winehouse, Jimi Hendrix,
Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain, and Elvis about this one. OK, guys, show of
hands… did fame and fortune make you happy?
Happiness comes from liking yourself, something completely unrelated
to money. Riches buys recognition, too often confused with validation.
But respect, especially self-respect, isn’t for sale.
When you’re on your death-bed, will you be thinking about money? If
so, your contribution to the gene pool was negligible. Rather than
obsessing about money, think about what really makes you happy. Then
make only enough money to take part in those activities. Making more
is a waste of the only non-renewable resource you have: your time on
the planet.

2. A big income will keep me out of debt.
What’s the difference between someone who makes $50,000 a year with a
$100,000 mortgage and someone who makes $500,000 a year with a $1
million mortgage? Answer: nothing. Unless they have money set aside
for emergencies, they’re both a paycheck away from disaster.
Debt often rises with income. What keeps you out of debt isn’t a high
income or net worth. It’s not borrowing money.

3. Millionaires drive fancy cars, wear fancy clothes, and live in fancy houses.
Not according to the folks who did a bunch of research and wrote The
Millionaire Next Door. According to their studies, the average
American millionaire drives an unexciting American car, lives in the
same nondescript house they’ve owned for years, and avoids designer
labels. That’s how they became millionaires.
So who’s buying all the designer clothes and Porches? Many times it’s
people who will never become wealthy because they’re swapping
tomorrow’s financial freedom for today’s appearance. As I’m fond of
saying, life affords you the opportunity to either look rich or be
rich, but few live long enough to accomplish both. The younger you
decide, the better.

4. The more money I have, the less worries I’ll have.
Balderdash. Money doesn’t end anxiety. It gives you something else to
be anxious about: losing your money. Granted, those without enough
money to eat or keep a roof over their heads have lots to worry about.
But once you have enough money for all your needs and a reasonable
number of your desires, the excess will add to your concerns, not
alleviate them.

5. Money will help me find love.
In my experience with women, they’re not attracted to money. They are,
however, attracted to ambition and intelligence, especially when it
presents as humor. Everyone’s attracted to people who are
self-confident, non-needy, and able to laugh at themselves.
Like a peacock, wealthy people can easily attract attention. But
attention isn’t the same as admiration or affection. And even if it
works, do you really want to spend your life with someone so shallow
and insecure they were attracted to your money?

6. I’ll have more fun if I have more money.
When I was young, I didn’t have two nickels to rub together, but I had
a ton of fun. Today I have lots of nickels – and am happy to report,
still having a riot.
There’s no doubt that money can furnish the elements of a good time.
But if you need money to have fun, you’re boring. And should you
become a billionaire, you’ll still be boring.

7. Money means security.
When you boil it down, a primary purpose of money is to make life more
predictable. It allows you to control your environment by being
prepared for the unexpected.
While that’s partly true, there’s not enough money in the world to
completely control everything. I could have a heart attack and die
before I finish writing this, and you could have one before you finish
reading it. Accept that we’re all bobbing on a sea of uncertainty, no
matter how much money we have.

8. Money will enable me to meet interesting people.
In my experience, you can’t swing a dead cat without hitting
interesting people. But if I want to maximize my odds of meeting
someone worth knowing, I won’t be heading to the nearest country club.
I’ve met plenty of fun and interesting rich people – but I’ve also met
rich people who were vain, myopic, pretentious, and judgmental. They
weren’t that way because they were rich. They were that way because
they were born rich and as a result never had to overcome adversity.
Overcoming adversity is what makes people interesting, not how much
money they have. People without at least a few skeletons in the closet
are often shallow as a puddle.

9. I need money to travel, and travel is important.
The world is an interesting place, and being well-traveled makes you
interesting. But travel comes in many forms, including the budget
variety. If you want to see faraway places, you’ll find a way.
In my book Life or Debt, I conclude by describing the first book I
ever read about something I love: sailing. The book was about a couple
who built their own sailboat and traveled around the world, working
when they needed to and never accumulating more than a few thousand
dollars at a time. Their boat had no air conditioning, no refrigerator
– not even a radio.
What most people do in the same situation is wait until they have
enough money to buy what amounts to a floating condo: a boat that’s
luxurious, seaworthy, and far too expensive to ever actually buy. The
result is they spend their lives on the dock. What a waste.

10. Money will buy friends.
This is not only untrue, it’s the opposite of what money actually
does. I’ve got a super-rich friend or two, and what I’ve observed is
that money attracts plenty of hangers-on – but almost no friends.
People with vast wealth or fame can’t trust the motives of those
surrounding them (see No. 5 above). That’s why the people they count
as true friends are normally either people they knew before they were
rich and famous, or people who are equally rich and famous.
There’s the advantage of being judged on your personality versus your
net worth: The friends that result actually like you, not what you can
do for them.