Who Do You WANT in Your Life?

This past March, I wrote a piece here entitled “Birds of a Feather”, the gist of which is we attract people in our lives who not only think like we do, but also act upon those thoughts. The purpose of this chapter is to see how we can apply the law of attraction in a practical sense in our daily life.

By way of background, here’s some snippets from the blog post written last March: Wikipedia defines the “Law of Attraction” like this: The Law of Attraction is a metaphysical New Thought belief that "like attracts like”, that positive and negative thinking bring about positive and negative physical results, respectively. According to the Law of Attraction, the phrase “I need more money"allows the subject to continue to “need more money". If the subject wants to change this they would focus their thoughts on the goal (having more money) rather than the problem (needing more money). This might take the form of phrases such as “I will make more money"or “I will find a job that pays very well".  Now, let’s stop there for a moment for another key point about this blog. When I write, I attempt to do so in ways that the reader can identify with by sharing some of my own experiences with the topic at hand, in this case what I’d rather describe as “Birds of a feather flock together!”

Similarly, when you examine your own life, think about who and what you want in your life. Look back on the definition described above about the Law of Attraction. Personally, I don’t believe it takes a rocket scientist to figure out this simple concept: If you think and act in a negative fashion, in whatever aspect of your life, whether personally or professionally, chances are pretty good the results WILL be negative. Of course, the same holds true the other way. Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m NOT saying just because you think positively all the time your life will be perfect. We know that’s simply not the case. But by consciously attempting to do so every day, even with the simplest and most trivial of things, chances are good that eventually, your life will transform to what you WANT it to be. It’s really that simple. My own experience stands as a testament to that statement and I can GUARANTEE you that if you continue say and do the “right"things, your life WILL become far better than you can possibly imagine! As Will Smith said during one of his interviews about his views on life, “First, you decide. Then you just do it. Period. It’s that simple. There’s no need for Plan B because it distracts from Plan A.” Powerful words aren’t they?

Three and a half years ago, I was in a “place” where I thought I had the world figured out. And I was proud of it. Problem was, it was false pride. Before long, that world blew up in my face, figuratively speaking. I nearly lost it all because I was too proud to admit I had problems. I was too busy trying to be something I wasn’t designed for. I was totally lost. Lost financially, spiritually, mentally, personally, and professionally. It wasn’t until a series of tragic events occurred that I finally “awakened.” Today, I look back and realize I was a very blessed man and still am, even MORE so! In spite of losing my job, my home, my children, and financial security, today I’m happier than I’ve been for as long as I can remember. Why? Because I CHOSE to LIVE. I CHOSE to change, to seek out people I WANTED in my life. People who not only THINK positively, but also ACT positively, every day to the best of their ability.

As a result of this NEW way of living and new way of life, I’ve had people come into my life that still astounds me. People of substance. People of character. People of honor, respect, dignity, and sincerity. Many of them I’ve “met” on Facebook. People like Cheryl Maloney who lives in Oregon, page owner of Simple Steps Real Change, one that has over 50,000 members and counting. John from Australia, page owner of Spiritual Warrior, with over 13,000 members. Laura Barrette Shannon, page owner of Be Happy Now: Simple Steps to Enjoying Life, an author who lives in Florida, and who has a book to be published soon. Dennisse Lisseth, page owner of Exceptional Living, one of the fastest growing Facebook pages at this very moment, with over 60,000 members, and who also lives in Florida. Tiffany Marrufo, page owner of Beyond Yesterday and Vivaciously Designed Coaching. Lisa Blake, who lives in South Dakota, page owner of Motivation for Life, and a certified life coach. Natalie Ryan-Ramirez, page owner of Wise Widowed Parents with over 4,000 followers, a widow herself and also a single parent of a 9 and 7 year old. The list goes on and on, these people are just those that come to mind immediately, and I’ve probably just scratched the surface of the number of people and Facebook pages “out there” I’m not aware of yet. But that doesn’t mean I don’t WANT to discover them!

Why did I mention these people? All of them have something in common. Like me, they’ve encountered personal tragedies and obstacles in their lives, yet all of them have seen one form of success or another in their life at some point. For instance, Cheryl Maloney is a lady who had what appears to be an enormously successful career in the corporate world, only to lose her job a few years back because of a merger. After that, tragedies kept coming. Her husband contracted cancer and her father died. Like me, she discovered the job market wasn’t an easy nut to crack, but she also made the conscious CHOICE to seek “simple steps” to changing her life. The rest, as they say, is history. And take my friend John, the “Spiritual Warrior” from Australia. Here’s a guy who nearly lost his life in a truck accident in 1982, and who then fell victim to depression and addiction for many years before the blinkers came off in 1997. Today, he’s embarking on changing other people’s lives, using his own experiences. Laura, my author friend from Florida, lost her daughter in an accident a few years back, something that would destroy most of us, but she too, CHOSE to make something positive out of that experience. Dennisse Lisseth, a young woman from Florida who has an infectious zest for life, and who also left the corporate world a few years ago, has overcome depression, and today is a successful entrepreneur. Lisa Blake, another lady who’s encountered obstacles like most of us have, but who has also embarked on a career coaching others, utilizing her talents and experiences. Then there’s Tiffany Marrufo, who’s overcome substance abuse, and another successful life coach. And finally, there’s Natalie Ryan-Ramirez, an absolutely amazing woman, and one whom I’m honored to know personally. Less than 3 years ago, she lost her husband of 21 years after a short battle with cancer and today, has ambitions of helping other widowed parents with surviving dependent children, through the use of her nonprofit organization.

All of these people are in my life for a reason. But how? And why? First, because I created them. Yes, you heard me right. If not for the fact that I made a conscious CHOICE several years ago, a decision to make lemon meringue pie out of the lemons life left on my plate, and LONG before the creation of this website or my Facebook page, I never would have had the honor of knowing any of these people. Unbeknownst to me, the forces were set in motion long ago. Call it fate, serendipity, or divine intervention, it all means the same. I attracted these people into my life, and not just with my words, but with my actions. The reason why they’re here now is to help propel me to the next level of my journey. Hopefully, and God willing, I can help them in some humble fashion in return.

Therein is the lesson and message for you. WHO do you want in your life? Many times, without ever realizing it, we create relationships and circumstances we don’t fully comprehend until much later. The door to a new way of life and a new way of living is locked inside, at least until you make some simple CHOICES and take action. The key for each of you is to ask yourself some basic questions. Think of it this way. What personal characteristics do you value? Both in yourself and others? Make a choice and decide. It’s that simple. And if there’s something you see inside about yourself that you’re not fond of, start taking action NOW. Because until you do, you’ll never attract who and what you want in life.

Like Will Smith says, “I WANT to do good. I WANT the world to be better because I was here. I WANT my life, my work, my family; I want it to mean something. If you’re not making someone else’s life better, then you’re wasting your time.”

  

Period!

“Gusto”