April 28, 2008

Freedom From The Opinion Of Others

As if it isn't stressful enough dealing with the critical voices we hear in our own minds all the time, we also find we have to deal with the criticism and opinions of others on almost a daily basis.

While we can sometimes benefit from the advice of others, we can also make the mistake of letting their opinions carry far too much weight in the decisions we make and how we decide to live our lives. It is necessary to take a step back once in awhile and ask ourselves the reasons behind so much of what we do.

For instance:

Why do you have the job or career that you have? Is it something you always wanted to do? Or is it a job or career that others such as your parents, spouse or friends think is the right job for you?

I have a friend who always wanted to be a writer. After she graduated high school she intended to look for a job in the publishing industry. Her parents however had a different idea. They didn't think the writing field was solid enough. Jobs were hard to come by and easy to lose. Newspapers and magazines paid very little. Getting a book published was a one in a million shot. (This was all before the internet by the way.)

They convinced her that taking a job as a writer would be irresponsible on her part and that she should work as an administrative assistant on Wall Street instead. Plenty of positions available, good solid income, security. After enough pressure she caved and took their advice and became an administrative assistant for over 15 years. And hated every minute of it. The ironic part was when years later she decided to give her writing career another shot, it was now her spouse who didn't want her to give up the steady income she was making as an assistant.

Even though they all knew she was miserable doing what she was doing, they wouldn't or couldn't, look past their own opinions of how she should live her life.

Luckily she finally came to the realization that this was in fact, her life, and not theirs. She started writing and submitting pieces in her spare time and eventually started earning enough to make it her full time job. She is now very successful and happy! But it was only when she realized that she had been sacrificing her desires because of the opinion of others that she was able to make the move.

So how about you?

Are you in the career you want to be in? Or have you been convinced by others that it is the best thing for you?

Are you getting married or trying to have a baby because others are telling you "it is time" or because you really want to?

Are you single because you want to be? Or is it because your friends are single and do not want to see you in a permanent relationship?

How about the person you are dating or married to? Is it a person you want to be with or is it a person others are telling you is "perfect for you."

The clothes in your closet. Are they clothes you enjoy and are comfortable in, or is your closet filled with what others are saying are the "must-have" item of the season?

How about where you live?

Your religious affiliation?

Your political party?

How and what you eat?

How you look or how much you weigh?

It is important to take stock once in awhile and notice why you are making the decisions you have been making in your life. You need to remember that you came down to this Earth to live your life and to create what you want and to make yourself happy.


It is your natural entitlement to create your life any way you want to just by your being here! It is not only something we are all naturally entitled to - it is our reason for being in the first place. To create whatever we desire!

It is not your job or responsibility to live your life to please others. It is not your job to make others happy. It is their job to make themselves happy and to create the life they are desiring.
It is also very important to remember they other people do not live the consequences



of the decisions that they want you to make. Only you do. Just like the example of my friend up above. Her parents wanted her to be an assistant. And she became one. And then they went off nice and happy and didn't give it another thought, while she ended up being miserable every day for 15 years!

If you want true freedom in your life you need to remember that other people opinions are just that. Their opinions. It doesn't matter if it comes from your enemies or most loving friends and family members. They base their beliefs on their own personal experiences which could be completely opposite of what you have experienced in your past or what you believe. What decision might be right for them could be the absolute wrong thing for you.

Another thing to remember is to start trusting your own opinion more. You are an intelligent person. You've had enough life experience to know what you are wanting or do not want. And refuse to accept any guilt about it. If someone tries to make you feel bad or guilty for not following their advice, it is more important than ever for you to remember who has to live with the consequences - you or them.

With practice you will find that making your decisions based on your own happiness will bring you an incredible feeling of freedom. And after awhile others will also start to know you as a person with your own mind who can not be swayed to do anything you do not want to do. And they will either respect you for it and stop trying to change you, or move on and find someone else they can try to mold in their image. Either way, you end up living the life you truly desire to create.

Happy Creating!

April 22, 2008

If You Want To Remain Positive, Watch What You Watch

O.K. I am about to start this article with a shocking statement. I don't ever watch the news or read the newspaper. Whew! -- There I said it!

I used to -- every day. I would watch at least one full hour of news on television and read at least one full newspaper. I didn't want to miss out on a single current important news story.

Then again, those were also the days I walked around worried about everything in the world I could do nothing about. The days I would go into work cranky, or snap at my husband after work. The days I wondered why I found it so hard to remain positive and upbeat like all of the Law of Attraction books I had been reading back then were telling me to be.

That was before I realized how much of an effect that negative people and news could have on my entire mental outlook.

It is not just enough for us to only focus on the negative thoughts that go through our minds if we want to learn how to effectively use the Law of Attraction. It is just as important that we are conscious of the people who surround us, and the information we take in on a conscious and subconscious basis.

Now I know this may be hard for a lot of people to digest. I've even had people say something to the effect of "People like you are the reason why the country is the way it is today. Not being properly informed of what is going on in the world is being totally irresponsible."
While on the outside I accept the criticism with a smile and an "everyone is entitled to their own opinion" look, on the inside I am actually incredulous and laughing.

First of all, what is printed in the media is not even close to what is really going on in the world today! By the time a story has passed through the filter of what our government will allow it to print, the political party slant given to it depending on the news organization that is putting it out, the frequent errors of journalists regarding the facts, and the dramatization of the headlines and lead-ins created by the publishers in order to outsell their competitors, the real story does not even resemble what the "unbiased" truth is.

Maybe once upon a time, but not anymore.

Secondly, if I am the one who is going to control and create a peaceful life for myself and my family, I am aware that one of the first things that needs to go is the fear factor.

Fear is a great motivator used by others to get what they want. And there are certain groups that wield it well. Like the IRS, our current government administration, the drug companies, the television news shows and all print media; they dedicate all of their resources into feeding into our fears in order to get us to do or buy what they want.

Ever catch one of those lead ins for the nightly news? Something like "Is the dinner you are eating right now killing your family?! Tune in tonight at 11:00 to find out!" Heck by 11 o'clock my family could already be dead.

Then there are the drug company commercials that start with "did you know 1 out of every 3 people will suffer from this in their lifetime? Or 1 out of 2 men are



diagnosed with this? According to them, what are the chances that you are not someday going to have to end up on one of those lists?

And of coarse there are the depression commercials. I get depressed just listening to them. The low drawling sympathetic voice asking if you are tired, feeling overwhelmed, having trouble concentrating...you might be suffering from depression. Well if I wasn't before, I certainly am now after hearing your commercial.

When I first started really understanding how the Law of Attraction worked, these news stories and ads got me angry. The power of suggestion is strong, and it angered me that they could possibly be making many people ill just subjected them to these subconscious fears on a daily basis; all in order to draw ratings and customers.

Until I realized the simple solution was to just not watch anymore. I decided to experiment and give it a break for a few weeks. I would pop in dvd's like The Secret or What The Bleep while I was getting ready in the morning for background noise instead of the news. I would listen to inspirational tapes instead of news reports on the radio and I would go to inspirational websites every morning while having coffee, instead of reading the newspaper.

I can't tell you the miraculous difference it made! Where I used to walk out of the house depressed and fearful at the 8 horrible news stories I just heard, I now found myself walking out feeling great and optimistic after hearing a dvd tell me for an entire half hour that I can be or create anything I want to!

The one fear I had when I first gave up the news, was that I might actually miss out on a news report that was important and could effect me personally. Such as a food or toy recall, traffic accident causing backups, etc. But I found to my delight that Law of Attraction being what it is, if there was something I needed to be made aware of, Universe found a way for me to hear about it. Be it from a co-worker or the man at the deli. A friend or family member. Sometimes even an email. Universe always made sure (and still does of coarse) that I somehow found out about anything that might concern me directly.

What little thrill bumps that always gives me in itself!

What started out as an experiment has now become my new way of life. And I can honestly say I don't miss a single minute of it. Instead of being glued to the set when the news comes on nowadays, I find myself jumping for the remote to change it immediately. I don't want to be afraid anymore. I want to create a peaceful and positive life.

So why don't you give it a try? Even for as little as 2 weeks and watch the difference it can make in your life. See how much calmer, confident and better you feel when you constantly feed yourself positive messages instead of negative ones. I'm willing to bet you won't want to go back either!

Happy Creating!

April 21, 2008

Ten Tips To Use The Law of Attraction to Win at Casino Gambling

The Law of Attraction is the Law of the Universe that states that what you think about and focus on is what you will physically draw into your life to experience.

But what if you wanted to create more money for yourself by winning at gambling. Will the Law work for you then? The answer is Absolutely! -- as long as you are vibrating in the right place mentally while you are doing it.

You see, I know this for a fact because I have been both studying the Law of Attraction for 20 years as well as enjoyed gambling for approximately the same amount of time; and I can tell you without a doubt that as my studying and learning has progressed, so has my winnings and jackpots!

While this article will mostly be focused on winning at Video Poker games in casinos (because it is personally my favorite to play and I know the most about it) I am sure you will find a lot of tips here that can help you win at other games as well.

Here are a few simple tips to help you get into vibrational alignment with winning as well.

1. Don’t gamble with money you cannot afford to lose.

Now, this may sound like typical “moral” advice that anyone would tell you, but from a Law of Attraction standpoint it is especially important. The fact of the matter is, if you are playing with rent or bill money then you are playing with scared or guilt money! Playing with scared money will put you in a negative vibrational place right from the start and will make it much more difficult to draw more money to you.

If money is a little tight right now - start a JACKPOT JAR in your home. (Be sure to write Jackpot Jar on it by the way. This way every time you look at it you are giving yourself a positive affirmation. Eventually you will come to believe that that is exactly what it is. ) Put some money in it every week. It doesn’t matter if it is $2, $5 or $10. Just put a little aside until you have accumulated the amount you would like to bring to the casino with you. Maybe you can cash in the penny or change jar you have sitting in the corner of your bedroom that is doing nothing.

The point is to go on your trip with “guilt-free” or “fear free” money. You will automatically be in a better vibrational place knowing that it really doesn’t matter if you win or lose it, as long as you have fun!

2. Visualize Winning Before You Go

My father was one of the luckiest Video Poker players I have ever met. When he hit, it was usually for some pretty big amounts. I remember a $13,000 jackpot, a few $8,000 jackpots and too many $4,000 and $1,000 jackpots to count.

Now the funny thing is my father didn’t technically believe in the Law of Attraction per se, but a favorite hobby of his was to daydream (or visualize) about his next trip to Atlantic City and how he was going to win. He would say things like “First I am going to go to the quarter machine and hit $1,000 there, then I am going to take that money and go play the dollar machine and hit $4,000 there and then I am going to sit for an hour or two winning smaller amounts until I hit the big one.” (Is it any wonder I am a fan of Video Poker when I see someone win at it so easily?)

Now again, he didn’t do these visualizations as a “technique” to help him win, he just did it because it was fun for him think about. Regardless of the reason why he was doing it - I can tell you it absolutely worked!

It got to the point where if he won less than 3 jackpots in a weekend, it was considered a “slow” weekend.
Eventually he got so good at winning - the thought of losing didn’t even enter his mind. And Law of Attraction being what it is (what you think and believe is what you get) he hardly ever did lose.

So start visualizing winning before you even go. Start small if a “huge jackpot” seems too unbelievable to you. Say O.K. first, I’ll win $100 here, then win $300 there. Imagine the perfect hands that will be dealt to you. Feel the excitement you would feel as if you had really won. Envision yourself counting a huge wad of bills on your trip home and how good it feels. Do this as often as possible before your trip so you are already on a great vibrational level before you even arrive at the casino.

3. Practice at Home

If you are reading this, chances are you have access to the internet. The internet has tons of free sites where you can practice “winning.”

Find your favorite game free online and practice how winning feels. (Don’t pay attention to any losing hands in your free play) just focus on how “easy” it is to win. Feel as if you are playing with real money. Feel the excitement, feel your confidence grow as you get one winning hand after another.

Now that you are fully prepared for your trip, here are more tips for when you get there:

4. Watch Your Words

While negative thoughts can keep you from winning, those thoughts spoken aloud can be ten times more powerful. Be careful not to fall into typical “casino talk” that is so common for players. For instance:

How much are you down?
How much money do you have left?
Nobody seems to be hitting today (or the opposite).
Everybody seems to be hitting today except me.
I’m never lucky in this place.
I can’t get any play.
I can’t seem to do anything
I hate this place
This place Sucks!

Remember, Universe is following your lead. When you utter these kinds of thoughts and feelings, universe responds as always by bringing more of it to you.

Try more positive statements such as:

My winning machine is calling to me right now, I just have to listen.
My jackpot is waiting for me here somewhere and I am going to find it.
The right machine is going to jump right out at me.
I love coming here, I always have such a good time!


5. Truly Enjoy The Game While You Are Playing

Stop focusing on the credits that are going in and out or the amount of chips left on the table and bring your focus back to the enjoyment of the game itself.

There have been many times, especially in Video Poker where I have gone into “auto-mode”. I have been playing the game for so many years, that not much thought is needed to automatically hold certain cards that are dealt in a hand. Unfortunately this leaves my attention open to focus on the amount of credits in the machine instead, and if the amount is going down, my vibration goes with it.


I have since learned to refocus on the fun of the game itself. I now slow down my auto response. I sometimes pretend to be a novice to the game. I get myself deliberately excited over something as little as a pair of 2’s that are dealt to me, wondering how cool it would be to draw another one --possibly even two more of them! Yeah! I no longer wait for only the “big” hands to get me excited. I purposely enjoy the game. The more I enjoy, the more I am vibrating positively. The more I am vibrating positively, the more good hands I bring to myself that give me something to be genuinely happy about.

So slow it down. Remember why you are there. To have fun. If you are focused on having fun, the money will come naturally.

6. Switch Up Your Game

Did you ever wonder why “beginners luck” occurs so often? I firmly believe it is because a person who doesn’t know how a game is played, can’t have any negative thoughts or resistance associated with it.

An experienced video poker player may know that 9 out of 10 times that 5th card for the Royal Flush will not come up, but a novice has no idea. So where an experienced player might not believe it is going to happen because it is usually difficult, a novice has no such mental resistance.

If you feel you are not having any luck at your usual game of choice, go play a game you have no clue about. I can’t tell you how many times I have won money and didn’t even know what I hit or did to get it. What fun! Then I take the winnings from that and go back to my usual game with a whole new winning vibration.

7. Go on a Good Luck Charm Treasure Hunt

So, do good luck charms really work? We are talking about Law of Attraction here, so obviously they will work if you believe they will.

Does it have to be a certain charm? Not at all. My mother and I have been going to Atlantic City together for years. One of our favorite things to do when things are going slow is go on a Good Luck Charm Treasure hunt.

When someone wins a machine jackpot, the casinos place little white cards in the coin slot that says “Congratulations! You are a winner!, as the person is getting paid. Quite often people leave these lying around and I love to find them and use them as my good luck charm because they already have winning associated with them. If however, after 4 or 5 hands they haven’t brought any luck, we look for other things.

Sometimes it can just be a swizzle stick lying around. I will pick it up and hold it out as if it is the Holy Grail and claim “This is it! This is the one!” and gently place it on my machine. We’ve had more fun coming up with the strangest of charms to use and experiment with.

One time we drew a little Kilroy figure on a piece of paper. (You know the guy with the big nose and hands looking over the wall?). We put him on the top of our machine and had all sorts of fun with him. We would rub his little bald head before hitting the play button. My mom would turn him over and make him face the wall if he didn’t give us the second hand we wanted. We ended up having such a good time and so many laughs, that we ended up doing very well that day.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying it was “Kilroy” who made us win, but we were having so much fun playing with him, our mood and vibration so light and happy, that Universe had no choice but to respond in kind and matched our vibration with lots of winning hands and money. Remember it is all about the vibration you are sending out. Abundant good feelings brings more abundance in other ways.

8. If You Can’t Change Your Negative Vibe - Walk Away For Awhile

Sometimes no matter what you do, you can’t shake a losing attitude. If you find this happening to you it is time for a little mental distraction. You know the saying “No sense in throwing away good money after bad”

If you are operating from a negative place, it will only bring more negative (i.e. more losing). So it is time to walk away for awhile and change your mood in other ways. If you are lucky enough to have a hotel room go there for awhile. Rent a $10.00 comedy on the television (believe me you would lose a lot more than that if you kept playing negatively for 2 hours on the casino floor) and lighten your mood.

Maybe go window shopping in the Casino mall, listen to the live band playing in the lounge, go for a walk on the boardwalk or the strip. Go get yourself a great snack or meal you would normally not eat at home. Up your vibration, feel better and then go back and play. Again, it is all about vibration.

9. Put Your Emotion Into Your Winning Hands - Not Your Losing Ones

Let’s say you have 4 cards to a winning hand dealt to you and you do not pull the last card that you need. What is your immediate first response? Do you feel hopeful that at last the cards are starting to line up for you and a winning hand is on its way soon or do you feel disappointment or anger that you “missed” it and find yourself fuming for the next 20 minutes.

Again, your vibrational reaction makes all the difference. If you focus only on the hands you didn’t win guess what you will get? More non-winning hands. If you put your emotion into the excitement of the winning hands, no matter how small, guess what you will get? More winning hands.

Learn to change your focus and put more of your happy emotion into the winning hands only. This leads us to the last and most important tip to winning more with the Law of Attraction.

10. Gratefulness

Personally I have found that nothing helps me win more than constant gratefulness while I am playing. If I win even as little as 5 coins I will say “Thank you Universe and more of that please!“ Like I mentioned above, I purposely get myself more excited about the wins and have learned to feel little or no emotion at the losses. I also make a concentrated effort to appreciate every thing around me. I am grateful for the air conditioned casino in the summertime. The fun sounds and lights I am surrounded by. The free drinks. The shouts of people winning at the craps table across the casino ( I love hearing the excited sounds of others winning! It boosts my spirits and makes me want to win even more, so I can share in the excitement.) I enjoy the company of the people I go down to the casino with, the food in all the restaurants, the clean hotel room.

Remember the reason you went was to have fun. Make that your priority and Universe will respond in kind and make sure it is fun for you.

Happy Creating!

April 20, 2008

Relaxation Technique # 1

Morning all! Sorry for the lack of posts the last few days.

Spring Fever has hit and I’ve got the Spring Cleaning Bug. These are the first beautiful spring days in New York and I have been taking total advantage of them.

I could tell how much I have gotten accomplished by the aches and pains I have been experiencing at night and in the morning so I have been using an old technique I learned years ago to help relax my muscles, (which gave me the inspiration to write today‘s post).

Ironically this a technique I learned in 8th grade gym class (many years before my “spiritual study quest“) but it always worked so well for me that I find I am still using it after all these years.

This is an especially good technique to use before bedtime because it is so relaxing it will often put you to sleep. So it is not recommended for the middle of the day if energy is what you are looking for.

If you have problems falling asleep at night however due to stress or restlessness this is the perfect exercise for you.

It is an exercise where you tense and relax all of your muscles until you feel them disappear.

Start by lying flat on your back in bed, hands at your sides. (Your head on a pillow of coarse is fine if you are shooting to fall asleep).

Close your eyes and take a few deep breathes in through your nose until you feel your abdomen rise (not just air in your chest) then release the breathes gently out through your mouth.


Start by tensing both of your feet as tight as you possibly can as you steadily count to the number 8 - when you reach 8 slowly start releasing the muscles in your feet as you steadily count back down to 1. When you reach 1 imagine that your feet have totally disappeared and now the only body parts you can feel is from your head to your calves. Imagine your feet have disappeared into oblivion.

So it is going to be tense, tense, tense, to number 8, release, release, release back to number 1 then “disappear“.

Take another 2 or 3 deep breathes. Now tense up both your calves and count up to 8 and back down until they disappear. Now all you will feel of your body is from the top of your head to your knees. The rest has disappeared into oblivion. A few more deep breathes.

Continue to do this with your knees, thighs, butt, stomach, chest, arms, hands, shoulders, neck, head and even face.

By the time you are done with every body part, you will get the most awesome feeling of having “no body” - that you are just breath. Now just keep deep breathing and focus on “being”. As if you are simply “presence” itself. If you find your mind starting to wander anywhere just focus on the color black as you continue to breathe.

This usually has me asleep within 3 minutes time. I’ve told a few others about this exercise and they have confirmed that it works just as well for them.

So if you are looking for a quick easy way to relax and sleep at night or even if you are attempting to nap during the day, give this a try.

It works wonders.

Happy Creating!