Keeping a Positive Outlook
Those of you
who follow us on social media have probably noticed that we try to keep our
posts positive in outlook, upbeat, and uplifting. We often re-post motivating
pictures and comments which, we believe, our friends will find helpful in their
daily lives.
We suspect
that some people may think we live in a kind of 'Pollyanna' world, where
everything is great and that we have no down days. Some have said that we are
just lucky and that it's OK for some people who seem to have it all. It's understandable that some could arrive at
that conclusion. However, nothing could be further from the truth. As it has
been said, people often 'see the glory, but don't know the story'.
Of course we have down times - events that
crop up and the normal day-to-day living of life presents frequent challenges.
That's part of being human - and, in that, we are no different to everyone else.
The happiness and joy that so many people comment upon has been won after a
long life-journey. Believe us when we admit that growing up with the
realization that we were different in a fundamental way to the majority of
those around us presented us with plenty of challenges along the way. Some of
our long-term friends will know the struggles we have experienced, and the
turmoil that has been present in our lives. They will testify that life has not
always been easy.
So, why do
we focus upon the positive in our outlook?
A few years
ago, we came across a concept known as the 'Law of Attraction' - which is an
attempt to understand, and explain, the phenomenon that seems to occur in
everyday life. We noticed that the more we complained about things, the more
things we got to complain about; that those who are wealthy tend to accumulate
more wealth; that those who focus on their sickness tend to become 'sicker';
that people who are joyful tend to experience more joy.
It's not a
religious philosophy, but a recognition that there seems to be a law that is operative in our Universe that
says, 'That which is like unto itself is drawn'. In other words, whatever we
choose to focus upon seems to draw more of the same into our experience. Like
gravity, the idea is that this law is operative in all circumstances, with no
exception.
We got this concept
from a movie called, 'The Secret', after someone told us about it. While we
were excited about the possibilities it was revealing, we couldn't help feeling
that something was missing.
We discovered the missing part when a dear friend
loaned us another movie, 'The Secret Behind the Secret'. This DVD introduced us
to the teachings of Abraham (Hicks). This may sound a little esoteric to some,
but Abraham has described themselves as "a group consciousness from the
non-physical dimension". Strange, indeed! (Here's a short clip from the movie).
What struck
me was when they were asked for proof of their existence, they replied that they
are not interested in proving their existence - and that there were no proofs
that could be offered that did not have the capability of being explained in
other ways. However, they recommended that people try out the philosophy for
themselves and see what happens.
This we did,
and the results were remarkable. All areas of our lives were affected and our
experience gradually transformed into one of more frequent times of joy,
together with a feeling of well-being.
This doesn't
mean that we are always feeling that way; but when we catch ourselves outside
of that 'vortex', we know how to get back in - and quickly.
When we had
the privilege of attending one of the Abraham workshops in Detroit, Michigan, I
got to sit in the 'hot-seat' and held a dialogue with them. Although I was
aware that I was sitting opposite Esther Hicks, I was also conscious that there
was something much deeper that was happening, that there was a deeper
intelligence with which I was interacting.
Getting back
to maintaining a positive outlook, we learned that, each day, we get to choose
what we give our attention to and focus upon, and we have found that, when we
are able to hold that vibration - (and the more we do it, the less effort it
takes) - our lives are enhanced and we see and hear good things which we may
have otherwise missed.
We have
found that, when we are in the 'vortex', all of our relationships improve...
doors open to us that allow us the opportunity to experience more joy and
well-being.
And one
practice that has made a huge difference is that of spending a few minutes, each
morning, sitting with a quiet mind and appreciating all that we have in our
lives - especially appreciating the challenges so that we can bring ourselves into alignment where we rendezvous with the solutions, rather than the problems.
Maybe
choosing to look at life through rose-coloured spectacles is not such a bad
thing, after all!
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For more on the teachings of Abraham (Hicks), visit these sites:
