I want to tell you what happened to a special friend of mine who for now I will call Mel. What Mel created in her life is absolutely amazing and yet it is no more than you can create in yours.
She grew up in a poor environment, worked as a receptionist and experienced the normal ups and downs of life. She experienced a broken marriage and some unhappy relationships followed by the sudden loss of her parents.
Out of her marriage she had two children who she adored and like most mothers they created in her a driving force to provide a better way for them to live. She cleaned for other people and generally did whatever she could to earn extra money. After bringing her children up on her own for about six years she met Dave, got married and had another child.
Life turned around once again, they both worked hard, bought a nice home and although they didn’t have money to spare for holidays and eating out, they enjoyed a comfortable home and were very happy.
Then Dave lost his job, money became tight and they were ordered to put their home on the market by the bank.
Just around this time Mel chose a book from the library "How to stop worrying and start living.” by Dale Carnegie. She confessed that although she liked to think she was an optimist, she also knew that she was a born worrier. If her husband or one of her children were unusually late home, for example, she would have gone through the grief of losing them in her mind over and over. She would have even experienced the emotional pain of the funeral.
I don’t know whether you have ever worried about things like that or not, but I think many of us do. Anyway one of the things she learned from that book was that 97% of what we worry about never happens!!! So what a waste of energy!
And then came an even greater life changing time in Mel’s life. As she was recommending this book to a friend who was going through some difficult times, her friend walked over to her book shelf and pulled out two books. One was “How to stop worrying and start living” and the other was "Think and grow rich” by Napoleon Hill. Mel was handed the copy of “Think and grow rich” to borrow as her friend explained that her father had bought these books for Christmas for her. They decided they each would read them and get together afterwards to discuss them.
Mel’s husband was away for a few days taking interviews for a new job so she had some early nights with her book. Dave arrived home for the week-end, tired and not very happy about the way the job interviews had gone, and so after tea Mel asked him excitedly if he would read the first 67 pages of this book she had borrowed and told him she had something really exciting to tell him afterwards.
She could hardly contain herself and as soon as he had finished Mel turned into something like a “pressure cooker letting of steam” (HAPPY, CRAZY AND UNBELIEVABLY EXHUBERANT STEAM) I might add. Mel was babbling things like, “we’ve got the power!!! It’s amazing!!! Why didn’t someone tell us? Why did they not teach this in school??? Everything is going to be fine – we don’t need to lose our home!! What use is there in knowing that the battle of Hastings was won in 1066? They should have taught us this!!!!!
Dave was a very realistic type of guy and thought Mel was off her head, and exclaimed “what are you talking about? The power!!! Nobody’s got the power!!
I THINK MAYBE DIFFERENT MAPS OF REALITY WERE AT WORK HERE!
Mel was devastated, she felt like crying but something had been awakened in her. A lifeline had been thrown to her and she was not going to let it go!
At the time she was living on a housing estate in England and the bank had given notice on her house. In situations like this people can feel stuck and imprisoned, frozen with fear about losing their homes, maybe uprooting their children from their friends and school and constantly worry about how they can get rid of the bills and debt.
Mel had discovered that whatever you constantly focus your thoughts and emotions on, good or bad, you bring about. Wherever you are right now has been manifested by your own past thoughts and emotions.
As Winston Churchill stated “You create your own Universe as you go along.”
Majjhima Nikaya stated "If you want to know the past, to know what has caused you, look at yourself in the PRESENT, for that is the past's effect. "If you want to know your future, then look at yourself in the
PRESENT, for that is the cause of the future."
William Henley also stated “You are the master of your own fate and the captain of your own soul” and Napoleon Hill added to this “because you have the power to control your thoughts.”
Mel realized that we live in an attraction–based universe, that we are like magnets and that we can only pull things and experiences toward ourselves – we cannot push them away.
She finally understood that if she focused on bills, debts and worries, with fear and anxiety she would only attract more of these to herself, but if she focused on the things that she wanted in her life with joy and enthusiasm she would also draw those things into her life.
At first she was concerned about wanting too much and appearing materialistic and greedy (this didn’t match up with her map of reality) Then she read again a poem she had noticed in “Think and grow rich"
"I bargained with Life for a penny,
And Life would pay no more,
However I begged at evening
When I counted my scanty store.
For Life is a just employer,
He gives you what you ask,
But once you have set the wages,
Why, you must bear the task.
I worked for a menial’s hire,
Only to learn, dismayed,
That any wage I had asked of Life,
Life would have willingly paid."
She once again realized there was enough abundance of happiness, good health and wealth for everyone. Mel collected pictures and photographs and placed them on her kitchen notice board.
A lovely big house in the country with acres of grounds and woods to walk her dogs – to run a family business from home to escape commuting in busy traffic - a nearby lake where her husband could fish – a safe environment for her children to grow up in – a country that was warmer and had more sunshine so they could enjoy an outdoor swimming pool and outdoor living - extra bedrooms for her relations and friends to enjoy holidays with them.
Her husband liked the idea of a nearby lake and her children thought it was really cool to see themselves super imposed onto jet ski’s. She focused on this and visualized quietly each day for months, not knowing how it was going to happen just trusting and knowing it would.
Her family were inspired and became excited about her board of dreams. Mel says she told her dream to all the people close to her, knowing lots of people didn’t really believe her.
Every family gathering she would play the songs she played so often – “A whole new world” from Aladdin – “When you believe” Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey – “Step by step” Whitney Houston and so many more. She was passionate about her dream – she was enthusiastic about the lifestyle her family would enjoy, living in such a natural environment.
She made use of the amazing gift we all have, of her “emotional guidance system.” The results didn’t happen overnight. For a long time she found it hard to visualize and put a date to her dream. People didn’t understand and some even laughed at her but it didn’t matter – what she believed was important.
In the beginning, when she used to visualize this amazing life, it was hard and her sub-conscious was always interrupting her thoughts with stuff like – what makes you think you can do this – it’s impossible – you’ll never do it – you’re not clever enough!!
Then she learned that whenever she was feeling frustrated or lacking belief, her emotional guidance system was telling her that she was not on course for what she wanted – and when she was on course she was enthusiastic and happy.
Our guidance systems are amazing – they simply define good feelings from bad feelings.
Mel had asked for what she wanted, written it down and made her dream board. she believed she was worthy of all she had asked for, understood she didn’t need to know how this would happen – the universe would work this out and show her the way – all she had to do now was imagine and emotionally feel like this new life was already here.
Mel and her family set up an internet business and moved to France this year. They have two lovely big houses and an office in the country with three acres of grounds and walkways lined with chestnut, walnut, hazelnut and many other types of beautiful trees. They have a stream fed lake full of Carp and a swimming pool.
Every morning, lunchtime and evening, just as she had visualized, she opens the patio doors and walks her dogs around the lake and into the woods. She works from home, is passionate about meditation and wants to help people to create health and happiness in their lives. She is one of the members of this community – her community name is Pollyanna.
P.S. I feel like I’ve come home - this whole new world we are living is something I will be grateful and give thanks for every single day of my life.” My family love it here. We are truly in heaven. Think and grow rich, regular meditation, quieting the constant chatterbox of negative thoughts and practising the gratitude exercises have allowed me to fulfil this amazing dream. If I can achieve this, anyone can, especially within this fantastic community of like minded people. Happiness and joy to you all. Pollyanna
How can this be?
Postcard from the edge
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