I am a firm believer that books come to you when you are ready to read them. Sometimes this is on subjects that you had heard about but never paid much attention to, like the notion that "thoughts become things" or that you can make your fears become "self-fulfilling prophecies."

Probably the most popular reference to the law of attraction has been the movie called, "The Secret." While this movie gave a great insight that there is a universal law of attraction, it left a lot unexplained. It explained that we draw the things we think about to ourselves, whether we think about them in a negative or a positive way. Many of the participants later published books giving a more in-depth explanation. I read some of them.

I also read some of the transcriptions of Neville Goddard, who did lectures on similar ideas back in the early 1900's. His idea was to "think from the end," to live like you already have the thing you want. You can find out more about him here: http://www.realneville.com/

I also read a book called, "The Celestine Prophecy." It was followed by a movie, three more books, and an online website and chat room where people gathered to discuss such things. They have since closed the chat room, much to my dismay! The website is still : http://www.celestinevision.com/ The author talks about energy fields, and he does it in a story about his experience in Machu Picchu. It was such a good book that I read the second and third books, "The Tenth Insight," and "The Secret of Shambhala," in rapid succession. There is also an Experiential Guide that I found helpful as well. There is also "The Celestine Vision," and "God and the Evolving Universe," which I am reading now.

There are also books like "Think and Grow Rich," by Napoleon Hill, "As a Man Thinketh," by James Allen, "The Power of Positive Thinking," by Norman Vincent Peale, "Creative Visualization," by Shakti Gawain, and a multitude of others. They all give basically the same information. So the idea has been around for a long time. It is just recently that it has become a focus in my life. Probably the most helpful explanations of the universe have come to me in the form of the book, "A Soul's Journey," by Peter Richelieu, who is visited by a Shaman who gives him a great wealth of information to be given to the world.

Wayne Dyer's "Power of Intention" series of books is good, too.

Most notably, however, any and all books and publications by Jerry and Esther Hicks have affected my thinking in all of this. Since reading and watching their books and DVD's, my mind is so open that my brains may fall out...but what I have learned more than anything from them is that the visualization is all fine and good, but it is the self-talk that really affects things. And you have to have faith in the fact that you can obtain the thing that you are wanting, so you have to take little steps in finding that faith, as opposed to really thinking you are going to be a millionaire immediately. Your affirmations need to be believable for you.

Whatever you read to get it (and it takes awhile to really get it), it isn't that you really DO anything, other than change the way you think. It isn't sacrilegious, as the "energy source" referred to in all of this can be looked at as if it were what we call, "God." In the picture painted by all of these sources, the source of all energy plays the same role, really, as what we call "the Lord." At least that is how I have come to see it. When I pray, that is who I pray to. But I have simply added visualization to prayer. I am a Christian, so at first this whole "universal law of attraction" concept was difficult to juggle with my beliefs until I came to the realization that is was the Lord who brought it upon us. I do give the glory to God when a good thing is manifested in my life, because it is through heavy duty prayer that these "intention fields" are created and the "vibrational rocket is launched."

The hardest part to wrap my mind around has been that if I worry about something continuously, I bring it to myself. What I didn't realize is that I have no control over other people, but I do control my own attitude. My attitude is a reflection of my thoughts. My attitude is visible to others. My attitude has an affect on their attitude. Sometimes if I just think positive, positive things will happen for me. The reverse is also true.

If I want something so badly that I can't stop thinking about how I want it, I bring more of wanting it. If I imagine how life would be for me if I had that thing, with the belief that I can achieve it, even if I don't know how I will achieve it, it will happen for me. It may not happen in the way I intended it, but it happens in the way that is best for me. This is especially evident in the things I pray for. Here is an example of something manifesting in my life:

I was in a bad relationship and miserable. I was trapped financially, and had scraped pennies away for nearly two years until I finally had enough to make my move. I looked all over and couldn't find a place that was affordable and big enough for me and the children. I had been in contact with several realtors and looked at hundreds of houses online, but I had not looked at many in person. One day, I was particularly sad, and something told me to go to my "quiet place." There was a park a few blocks from the house, so I hopped on my bike (just out of the blue upon the prompting of that "still small voice within") and rode to the park. There were oranges hanging over the fence, which I picked and tried to carry in my shirt back to the house.

As I was trying to balance on the bike with this awkward load, I fell on the sidewalk. I looked up to see a big "FOR RENT" sign in front of a really cute little house that I hadn't noticed on the way in. I was thinking to myself, "I need a bag to carry all these oranges." I called the number on the sign, and the man said he wasn't feeling well, but that he would talk to me later if I wanted the house and to lift up the garage door and go inside. I did so, and the first thing I noticed was a bag on the kitchen counter. The price was right, the house was perfect in size, and it even had a shed. It had a fenced in backyard, which my son wanted so that we could get a dog. The house was a pretty green, my other son's favorite color. I fell in love with the house. Problem solved.

I also have a treadmill attraction going on, for some reason. Every time I mention a treadmill, I find one on the side of the road. It works every time. I have found two so far. I gave the first one away. I guess I felt a little resentful that I didn't have it anymore.  I let go of that, and then another appeared, as if by magic.

I always get good parking spaces. My needs are always met. I am preparing to meet my soul mate. Money is attracted to me. Everything I touch turns to gold. These are examples of good affirmations to manifest good things. There are some neat videos on You Tube about it, too. Try this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2fPkwq-tC0

And when I am worried about money, I visualize money raining down from the sky in twenty and fifty dollar bills and landing in my cupped hands. I visualize a truck backing up to my door and people coming out of the woodwork to bring laundry baskets full of money into my house and placing them at my feet. I visualize having a bed made of money stacks, and I visualize my children and I playing in money, throwing it in the air and laughing. I do notice improvements when I do this.

I do think that people need to be careful of how they word their wishes. You don't want to get your good fortune at the expense of another. Like Florence Scovel Shinn says, you need to ask for the desired thing to be brought "in the perfect way." The Game of Life and How to Play It is an excellent book. She also wrote several others, but I like that one the best.

While I haven't hit the jackpot yet, I have had some pretty good ideas for how to expand my business, and I have had a lucrative job offer or two. I am still working on this whole "think rich" thing, but I know that I am meant to have everything I have waiting for me in "vibrational escrow."