Manifest your Dreams in 2017

If you told me a year ago that I'd be writing a blog about manifestation, I'd have laughed in your face. A big, loud guffaw followed by some hearty knee slapping. Although I consider myself a spiritual person, and I believe in the power of prayer, I am not a new-age speak fanatic. (I do own a few crystals but I rarely say incantations over them.)

I woke up this morning realizing that for the first time in AGES--more than a decade--I now have a very clear dream for my future. Until this point, I had a murky image of what I wanted. My vision was clouded with fear: what if I made a mistake? What if I made a bad choice? What if I ended up unhappy and filled with regret? I allowed worry to get in my way. But no longer!

Like most of my friends, I've spent the last two decades raising my children. I dedicated all my waking hours to worrying about THEIR future. Will they get into college? Will they study? Will they find their passion and turn it into a lucrative career? Will the find love? Will they be happy? Will the latest piercing become infected and lead to a complete surgical removal of a vital organ?

Well, I'm guessing parents never stop worrying about their children. My 87-year-old mother probably still worries about me. (Nah, probably not. She's a very happy person.) While I was wasting my precious energy worrying, my daughters have both achieved many of their own dreams. There isn't a whole hell of a lot left to worry about there. I might as well move on.

Because step one of manifesting your dreams is giving up on worry. Giving up the negative thoughts that keep you stuck on a treadmill of inaction. Let go of those fears that keep you frozen. Stop picturing the worst possible outcome of every situation. And begin to let in the light.

Because your dreams are beautiful!

I know mine is! And it is worth it.

Your dreams are worth the mental effort it might take (at first) to release the negative thoughts and the patterns of worry. Start with this exercise: try to catch yourself worrying, imagining something terrible, or getting caught up in fear. Once you catch yourself in the act, stop and breathe. Take 10 deep, slow breaths and release the negative energy. Imagine it is a black cloud hovering over you. Watch the cloud of worry dissipate. Let it go. Let the sun shine in. Imagine a beautiful, bright light shining through the clouds.

Once you have perfected this exercise, you will be ready to move on to the next step in manifesting your dreams. Enjoy your practice!