by Jackie Foskett, CH

Many of you are aware of the Laws of Attraction thanks to Oprah Winfrey, whose television show recently featured the best-selling book The Secret by Rhonda Byrne about the power of thought. You might also remember that I mentioned these laws in my January newsletter. These laws are not new by any means, nor is the information contained in The Secret. However, it certainly seems the time is ripe for more and more people to discover them.

Currently, I am enrolled in a monthly tele-course with Rita Hovakimian of Inspiring Success called �Creating Results with Ease,� which helps participants deepen the work of the Laws of Attraction and live with ease instead of struggle. I�d like to share with you what I�ve learned and what I now teach my clients when doing hypnotherapy to access change in their lives.

What we think about or focus on expands
It all starts with our thoughts.
Thoughts are energy.
Energy moves, and is dynamic.

Do you ever notice when you focus on negative thoughts, they seem to expand? You find more things that are not right in your life, noticing all that is wrong. As a result, you might feel tense, uneasy, maybe getting into a �bad����� mood. The downward spiral of these kinds of thoughts tends to feel heavy-low in energy�depressing and defeating.

Communicating with ourselves
Thoughts are our communication with ourselves. Often, this communication or self-talk goes mostly unnoticed by the conscious mind. But the subconscious mind is more aware. When we say to ourselves, I�ll never be able to do that or that�s too much of a hassle or life is hard, things never go my way or I�m no good at that, I don�t deserve it and so on, the subconscious mind doesn�t question such thoughts, it just accepts them.

Moving in the direction of our thoughts
Acceptance becomes ever more true as the �data� of our self-talk is repeated. Since the conscious mind seems to be unaware of them, negative thoughts filter through and make an impression on the subconscious mind�guiding us to move in their direction! Another way to say this is: we attract into our lives what we have impressed upon our minds, what we give energy to, what we focus on consciously or unconsciously. How do we learn to communicate with ourselves in a healthier way and move our lives in a positive direction? Read on!

by Jackie Foskett, CH

Who doesn�t want more ease, serenity and peace in their lives? Here are the practices I have been working with personally and also sharing with my clients.

#1 Become aware of self-talk
Awareness is key to determining what you attract into your life, so pay attention to your thoughts.

#2 Acknowledge negative thoughts
Say �thank you for sharing� or something similar to acknowledge that you�ve heard the negative thought. You may also want to imagine a big STOP sign, indicating you are no longer willing to tolerate such thoughts and images taking up your mind space and energy.

#3 Replace negative thoughts with positive ones
Think of something that inspires you, enlivens you, and makes you feel good.

#4 De-stress
When we�re stressed, overwhelmed or anxious, we have low scattered energy that makes it a struggle to create the life we desire. Release stress in whatever way works for you�breathing exercises (see the article "It's All About You" from my June 2006 newsletter), a walk in the woods, talking with a friend.

#5 Give yourself some �quiet� time
Quiet time allows the endless loop of thoughts to rest a bit and helps body functions slow down. The result is that you�re able to �see� (or feel, sense or hear) things more clearly. Creativity kicks in. Your imagination becomes more fluid. Solutions come more easily. You start to feel better�and naturally attract more of what feels good into your life.

#6 Focus on what you want (not what you don�t want)
When you focus on what you don�t want, your attention follows�causing struggle, wanting, needing, dissatisfaction, frustration and low energy. Instead, keep your focus on what you do want (not on the wanting itself) and feel uplifted, inspired, satisfied and more energetic.

#7 Use your imagination
Imagine how it feels to already have what you desire. If that means peace and serenity, feel peaceful and serene by imagining yourself in a place that fosters those feelings. Hang out in that place. Relish the state of mind it inspires. If you want a new job, a loving relationship or greater abundance, get into the details of that �picture.� Sense it, feel it, color it. Make it real in your mind�s eye.

#8 Be grateful for what you already have
By acknowledging what we already have in our lives, we make room to receive more. Practice acknowledgement by doing a grateful list. Write down 5 to 10 things you are grateful for on a daily basis. When done from the heart, and not as a �should,� your energy shifts quickly to a higher level, making your life a magnet for more of the same.

#9 Acknowledge your successes
Instead of focusing on what you haven�t accomplished, spend some time recognizing what you�ve achieved. When we recognize our successes, both big and small, we see ourselves are winners. Write down 5 successes each day, no matter their significance�from winning a Pulitzer Prize to taking out the garbage. Recognize your successes and you will have more.

#10 Nurture your body
Bodies are meant to move. Do yoga, get a massage, get a facial. Eat healthy foods. Drink lots of water. Your body will love it and you�ll feel better. By giving yourself the gift of love�an expansive phenomenon that is accompanied by ease�you attract more of it to you.

Lastly, keep at it. Remember: it took a lot of repetition for your old negative thought patterns to take hold and it will take repetition for positive thoughts to do the same. Stand under your umbrella of commitment to health and well being�let it cover you when old ways of thinking rain down on you, let it protect you. With time, the practices you begin now will lead to a path of ease and the life you desire.