I tried LOA once over the past year – it was hard work and felt like moving a mountain to get to a positive thought about my very difficult and abusive 18 year old daughter. It kind of helped, though.  She came home for about a month, but there was another explosion and she was off again.

She came back but has barely been in the house and there are many difficult communications.  (Her ignoring texts, calls, being dismissive; me saying don’t come back till you apologize.)  Very distressing and feels like I’m reaching an empty tank of love and care.

I’m finding it very hard to work out how to do LOA in this situation. It’s very upsetting when she doesn’t respond well or contact me.

If you have any tips or suggestions that might help me generate some LOA that will bring the happy resepctful relationship I want – I will be forever grateful!

What say you wise parents?  I imagine some of you may have successfully navigated similar situations that might be helpful to share with our mom here, or maybe you’ve got a couple inspiring thoughts to help get her through this tunnel.

Thanks in advance for whatever you’re able to offer!

Within 24 hours I’d received an email from my own long forgotten cyber stalker.

Coincidence?

Deliberate creators know better.

It’s law of attraction at work – where what we hold in mind is what we bring to life.

I laughingly “thanked” my colleague for passing that particular bug along to me.

(She subsequently made up for it by detailing her experience with a handsome celebrity this week.  Antonio B. at her pizza shop!   Now that’s the kind of bug I’d love to take on!)

And I know I’m attracting this input myself – no one is infecting me with any negative thoughts I’m not already aligned to.

Fast forward to today, on Flavia’s Weight Loss in the Vortex call at GVU she mentioned a body-image thought virus picked up early on in life.

All this thought virus stuff  got me thinking …

Most people are so careful about ensuring their computers are protected from viruses, and really good at disinfecting their homes and bodies to make sure they don’t engage cold or flu bugs …

… but how much effort do we put into ensuring the well being and health of our attention?

Because when the mind picks up something that isn’t good for us, that’s just as threatening (if not more so) than bugs that can take down computers or compromise our physical health.

How can deliberate creators be just as careful in ensuring we aren’t susceptible to thought viruses?

I think it’s a two-fold practice: first being proactive with our focus, and then having a good defense system in place when appropriate.

1.  The more tuned in we are to empowering thoughts, ideas and images, the less inclined we are to attract otherwise.  So developing a habit of positive thought could be compared to taking vitamins for the mind.

2.  And for those occasions when we do run into something we don’t want to become infected with, having a reliable defense system in place (via our emotional guidance) can indicate when it’s time to switch focus.

In fact, I did this with my ex-beau just the other day.  He was starting to tell a story about a couple of kids who photographed themselves with (I’ll spare the animal lovers the details).

As soon as I caught wind of the topic, I interrupted to say “I don’t need to hear any more.”

“But they were online with …”

“I don’t need to hear any more.  Let’s hear some good news.”

It can be as simple as that.

No need to fight it or make it a big deal; just an effective disarming and redirection.

Steve Aitchison writes about virus protection for the mind here, and Stuart Goodship discusses thought viruses as well.  Which got me wondering further …

You know how some parents are criticized for being overprotective of their children with continual disinfecting of hands and toys, and that overuse of antibacterial soaps actually prevents kids from developing a strong immunity?

I wonder if it’s the same with our mind.

Maybe the answer isn’t to seal ourselves off from “negative” experiences or news of the world, but rather to have a robust mental immunity to unwanted or undesirable thoughts.

Do you have any thought virus protection in place, or systems for handling potentially infectious thoughts?  I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences!

The last thing I needed was another online distraction.

Turns out I almost missed a brilliant approach for successful manifestations!

Pinterest’s mission is to:

connect everyone in the world through the ‘things’ they find interesting. We think that a favorite book, toy, or recipe can reveal a common link between two people. With millions of new pins added every week, Pinterest is connecting people all over the world based on shared tastes and interests.

… which sounds appealing enough.

But when Coach Lisa Hayes told me that she uses Pinterest as a vision board (and encourages clients to do the same), I took notice!

Pinterest allows you to create and customize your own boards, on whatever themes light you up.  You’ll find lots of style and decor boards, along with jewelry, hobbies, books, etc.

But for those of us who never get around to cutting and pasting images from magazines to a vision board at home, Pinterest may be just the answer!

For example, Lisa has a board called “My Very Cool Life” filled with gorgeous photos of the ocean, sailboats, the beach, and tropical palm trees.

(Coincidence that she recently became the proud owner of her own sailboat?  Deliberate creators know better.)

I haven’t created my Pinterest vision board  yet (although I’ve got a couple vibe-lifting boards organized), but I’ll be keeping my eyes open for photos, videos, and such that represent what I’m calling forth.

New users need an invite in order to begin posting, but you can request one from Pinterest directly (it might take a while to receive one), or from an existing user.  (I think I’ve got a few invites to share.)

In the meantime, peruse these boards by your fellow deliberate creators:

• Jeanna Gabellini (love the title of her board: “Universe Will Arrange This 4 Me”)
• Lisa Hayes (check out her “My Very Cool Life” board)
• Louise Edington‘s well titled: Vision Board
• Laura Gevanter’s Dream Home
• Jackie Gaston (Places I’d Love To See)
• Tia Sparkles (Me & My Life – Vision Board)

If you’ve got a pinterest board you’d like to share, please share the link in comments!

And for those who want to learn more about how to use Pinterest, USAToday gives the lowdown here.  Enjoy!

Because if you’re scripting or visualizing or “acting as if” in order to get what you want so you’ll be happier, you’ve missed the point of deliberate creation.

(And many of us do.)

Deliberate creation is about feeling now how you would feel then.  It’s about managing your energetic frequency by feeling better now.  Not waiting for the thing to manifest before you get happy.

So the measure of whether your manifesting process is effective is whether you feel better for engaging it.

That’s the measure that counts.

If it makes you feel better, it works.

Don’t wait for the weight to drop or the money to appear or the boyfriend to propose before you declare it a success.

It is, however, a sure thing that as you feel better now, more good stuff happens.  That other stuff is a side benefit, though, not the main purpose.

If you need the stuff to happen before you declare your manifesting routine effective, you are doing life the way everyone else does.  Depending on circumstances for how you feel.

That’s not deliberate creation.

(I’m reminding myself this as I play with a new process this month.  I found myself thinking, “Sure, I feel great, but is it working?”  D’oh!)

I’ve read your suggestion that to manifest what you want, you should “feel now how you would feel then.”

That makes sense, but I don’t know how to feel something I’ve never experienced.  Specifically, I want to create my financial wealth, but that’s not something I’ve ever known.  All I’ve ever known is struggle and lack.  (Unfortunately, that is not an exaggeration.)

So while I understand it’s important to feel financially abundant now, I don’t have a clue what that would be like. Does that mean I won’t be able to create it?  What do you suggest I do?

It’s been a while since we’ve covered this, so I thought it due for a revisit.

Plus, people ask questions like this on a variety of manifesting subjects – whether it’s enjoying being a parent, thriving in a happy relationship, landing professional success, etc.

What do you guys recommend to someone who might be manifesting something they’re completely unfamiliar with?  (Specifically money?)  How do you vibrate something that might be a brand new frequency for you?  Or is it really even that important?

Thank you in advance for sharing your favorite tips, wisdom and insights with our friend.

Some of the goals I’ve heard from fellow creators are to pay off debt, find true love, recover full health, lose the baby fat, grow the business, get promoted, travel internationally, get healthy, grow the circle of friends, move to a new city, finish the creative project (books, portfolio, videos), etc.

We’ve got great plans for the new year, huh?!

The problem with setting intentions like this is that by doing so we may inadvertently sabotage that very success.

It may be that a more empowering creative practice would be simply to celebrate what we’ve already created.  And not focus at all on what we want next.

Here’s why:

Sometimes setting intentions amplifies our awareness of what we don’t have.  And that vibration doesn’t allow it to manifest.

The truth is that we don’t have to write it down again, or put it on a vision board, or visualize it in our meditations.  Because if putting more focus on what we want emphasizes our knowledge that it isn’t here yet, that just creates a bigger vibrational gap to the goal.

All we have to do to get what we want is match the vibration of it.  Which just means feel better.  Sometimes that is best done by appreciating what’s already here rather than intending the next good thing.

Loving where you are (or even just accepting where you are) may very well be your best ticket to an even more fabulous 2012.

Which sounds strange to say, because sometimes I feel like a “delinquent creator” when I’m not regularly engaging intentional exercises like pray rain journaling, scripting, or visualizing.

Others have said to me they don’t see how life will change if they accept what it is now.  As if resistance fuels change!

But if your intention is born out of not loving life now, focusing on that intention may just enhance the contrast, not the alignment.

Someone asked Abraham recently whether we should even be attempting to manifesting things because it’s so easy to get attention locked on what’s not here when we do that.  Abe’s suggestion was to let the feeling be the goal instead (i.e. the interest, fun, love, appreciation, passion).

Because if you feel any negativity, setting a goal (or intention) only compounds the resistance.

Well, we would never do that, right?

We only feel excitement and enthusiasm for what we want!

But it’s easy to fool ourselves.

As Abe said to another workshop participant, when you want to “take it to the next level,” it’s a sign you’re not loving the level you’re at.

They said the best way to foster your expanding goodness is to:

• accept that where you are is perfect
• appreciate where you stand
• release resistance about what is
• while acknowledging generally that there is another level and that it’s coming

… and in that you allow the next level to reveal itself to you.  You won’t break a sweat, and you’ll be filled with inspired actions and ideas, finding yourself in the right place at the right time with synchronicities swirling all around.

I like the way Jonathan Fields described it in his 2011 annual report:

I find myself holding a seemingly bizarre duality in my mind and my heart; at once abandoning hope of a cure (this frees me to build the practices and take the actions that help me live a good life), while also remaining open to the possibility that someday, something may come along. It’s a very Buddhist way of being, balancing presence, practice and acceptance with a sense of non-attached aspiration toward a different state. It’s a dance I’m still very much a student of, teetering along the fine line between acceptance and complacency, aspiration and desire.

That’s how I like to think of it, too.  As a dance where we find the sweet spot of loving what is while allowing (looking forward to) what’s next.

Look, I did set some lovely intentions for 2012.  And I know that one of the most powerful ways I can support those manifestations is by loving what’s here now.

Have to admit, that’s pretty good homework for the year.  :)

I’ve written before about how to handle indecision, but here’s another piece of law of attraction advice on the subject.

When you don’t know whether to say yes or take a pass, think about what benefit(s) you’re wanting from this experience or decision, and then get your attention on THAT.

So it goes like this:

1. Focus on the heart and the essence of what you want, and then …

2. … let go of trying to figure it out or decide.

With your attention squarely on the heart of what you want (not distracted by aspects or features that aren’t quite right), Universe will lay out your best path to it. Maybe it will be this thing (or person) you were looking at; maybe it’ll be something else altogether.  Something that’s an even better fit.

• It could be a training program you’ve got your eye on, but you don’t want to travel across the country for it.
• Or maybe it’s a house that’s perfect except for the asking price.
• Or maybe a new client that would be nice to have, except the project isn’t exactly your cup of tea.
• Or an employee that fits most of the requirements, but is missing a key one.

When you’re faced with a “close but not quite” situation, remember to get your attention on the heart of what you want, then relax and let Universe connect the dots to it.

It’s easy to get sidelined by focusing on the misaligned aspects of what’s in front of us, but when what you’re looking at isn’t exactly what you want, it’s time to redirect your attention in a way that lets Universe make it perfect.

Because we’re deliberate creators. We don’t have to compromise.

In fact, sometimes I put together a list of my favorite options from each alternative, then turn that list over to Universe to manifest in one solution.  It works!

* * * * * * * *

Having said that, it’s worth quoting Abraham when they suggested to a guy who couldn’t decide whether he should take on a day job or stick to his plan to be self employed as an artist.  Abe said:

you can always hold out for something better, because better is always coming.  But we don’t know why you wouldn’t choose whatever is more enjoyable along the way.

What this guy wanted was to be connected to fun-loving, vibrant people, working on exciting projects that allowed him to express his creativity.

Abraham suggested that his day job could be exactly that.  Taking it wouldn’t mean he wouldn’t eventually be living out the vision he had for his ultimate success, but that it could be a nice stepping stone along the way to it.

Food for thought if you’re having trouble deciding whether to plug in or pass.

* * * * * * * *

And if that doesn’t help, or you have to make a decision in this red hot spanking moment, try this tip I picked up from Boardwalk Empire the other night:

“Flip a coin, when it’s in the air you’ll know what side you’re hoping for.”

Easy peasy, huh?

This is for deliberate creators like me who are excited about what 2012 will be!

Here’s what some are saying about 2012:

Bashar calls 2012 a threshold crossing, not the “end”:

The threshold of 2012 is simply the leading edge of the collective consciousness crossing critical mass threshhold.  The idea being that on the other side of that particular moment in time there will be more positive momentum on the planet than negative.

The way you experience this transition is up to you. There are an infinite number of parallel realities all going on simultaneously.  It’s not that you’ll change the world you’re in, but that you change your frequency to be like that of the world you prefer to experience, and then experience that parallel earth that already exists on that level.  It may look as if everything around you has changed, but in fact, it’s you that has changed.

Those that are not on that frequency will no longer appear in your reality.  They will simply vanish from your life one way or another.  As time goes on even though right now you are still in a collective agreement that allows you to experience many people who have belief systems that are very different than your own, in time this will no longer be possible.  Those people will remain in the reality in which their frequency is appropriate.

‘I wonder what ever happened to so and so’ … they’re on another earth having their own experience based on the frequency they most believed would occur.

You decide how you want to experience this reality. And that’s what determines what you will experience.  You can even, for a time, be standing right next to someone who chooses to experience the transformation in a scary, destructive, fearful way, standing right next to them and not experience anything that they’re experiencing at all.

Bashar says here that 12/21/2012 is a demarcation of the collective consciousness changing (a tipping of the scale) and with that our “quarantine” is over.  After this date we are open to contact from other civilizations.  (!!)

Why am I quoting Bashar instead of Abe on this topic?

Because Abraham’s words are kind of boring.  I’m sure they were just intended to reassure, but the idea that nothing different is happening is too dull to embrace.  (No offense to any fellow creators who choose to live a normal, average kind of year.)

Abe says 2012 is simply the year after 2011, and the year before 2013, and that’s as significant as it is.  They say we dwell in these false endings to motivate ourselves.

Okay, moving on …

Lee Carroll who channels Kryon says this about 2012: “Shift? Yes.  Doom?  No.” Lee says, in fact, we’re already experiencing the shift as a gradual change in human consciousness.  (Easy to believe.)

Gregg Braden interprets the writings about 2012 and the history of previous generations who lived through similar cycles to conclude that we are indeed living in the end of a mysterious cycle of time that we can best navigate by learning from our ancestors, abandoning competition and transcending the challenges to become better people in a better world.

“This is no ordinary time … and this can be no ordinary experience,” Gregg says.  A brand new sixth world age is upon us – what that means isn’t as clear.

I couldn’t find anything from Deepak Chopra on this subject, although I am interested in his thoughts.

As for me – I believe 2012 will be what we think.

(Which is probably why I quoted Bashar so extensively.)

If you’re wondering what 2012 will bring, I think the answer is whatever you think.

What are you thinking/cooking up for 2012? I believe each of us gets to choose what this year will be.

Focus on what you prefer.

More than anything, I loved these words from numerologist and quantum energy artist Keith Allen Kay today about 2012:

This is a magically transformative year. The numbers five and three have a principle influence on the energy for this year, which creates an unparalleled opportunity for adventure, freedom and creativity.

This is not the year to shrink back, play it safe or fade into the background.

This is the season for spontaneous adventures, biting off more than you can chew, being unashamed, embracing the unknown, casting off restraint, breaking old patterns, being a bit naughty, laughing until it hurts, eating new foods, taking exotic trips, loving with abandon, going a little too far, speaking from your heart, making ridiculous money doing what you passionately love, waking up in wonder, going to bed exhausted, making new friends, letting go of old relationships, discovering new beauty in those you love and unlocking the infinite potential of your most remarkable life.

That sounds like a good year to me, Keith.  :)

Here’s to using your creative power to manifest your best dreams and delights in the year of 2012!

What were your favorite experiences?  Movies?  Books?  People?  Decisions?  Laughs?  Manifestations?

Share your favorite parts of 2011 to ring it out in the way it deserves … and to prime yourself with a fabulous vibe in 2012.

I’ll share more in the comments, but three of my favorite things about 2011:

• My relationship got better than ever with the help of relationship coach and my GVCA business partner Lisa Hayes. That girl is amazing.  (If you’re a GVU member interested in amping up your intimate relationship, be sure to listen to her Marriage in the Vortex series.)
• Ellie damn Bellie.  I loved that foster dog and her nine puppies so much!  This fall was one of my favorite foster experiences to date.  What a treat she and her pups were.  Blessings to Ellie who will soon be up for adoption through Tooele Animal Outreach.
• And I did surprise myself with a lovely time in Maui.  For a homebody who hates to travel, I surely enjoyed that place!  Thanks to everyone who told me I absolutely must go.  You were right; I was wrong; it was a fabulous time!

On our Best of 2011 call at GVU, I shared some other highlights of the year including the time I laughed so hard I cried after scaring Russ by accident one night, and my favorite new book by Mark Moffett about ants, and Crazy Stupid Love as one of my favorite movies.

How about you?  Share your favorite parts of 2011 with us!

In the meantime, hooray for us, for 2011 and for the new year almost here!!

And it’s also the week I picked up a flu bug. (Likely coming into alignment with that after watching the movie Contagion and seeing my boyfriend come down with it.)

My first thought as I retired to bed with this virus was that this was NOT good timing.  How was I supposed to fill a group if I didn’t make a web page, send out emails, prepare a promotion, get everyone enrolled, etc.?

And then I remembered the magic of “non-doing” and my commitment to practicing more of that.

Which is the subject of the class!

I realized this flu was giving me another chance to give up thinking that I have to DO something to get what I want.  Indeed, that oftentimes getting what I want works better when I don’t “work” it at all.  And that rest combined with good focus offers powerful alignment to let something good happen.

That’s the thing about powerful creation: it involves releasing our reliance on “doing” and “action” and increasing our trust for Universe to put it together.

Even those of us who know how the system works have trouble letting go of old habits of “making it happen” and “figuring it out.”

Which is what I’m committed to mastering even better.

So when I posted at Good Vibe U about doing flu in the vortex, I mentioned that if anyone cared to tell their friends about my January group, it was open for registration.

And sure enough, people shared!  And people signed up!  (Thank you, everyone!)

It never ceases to amaze me how Universe meets us wherever we decide to let it be easier. Because our true power lies in our conscious focus, on embracing empowering beliefs, and on our vibration management skills.

Not our willpower or productivity or willingness to pound it out.

And sometimes that feels like trusting “nothing.”  But really, it’s about trusting our true creative power.

The next time you’re thinking you have to “do” something to get the results you want, remember who you are: a deliberate creator and powerful manifester who knows how this system really works best!

If you’d like some support and training in growing that trust and those creation skills, there are more slots available in my Slacker Manifesting for Action Addicts starting in January.  It’s designed for deliberate creators who still have tendencies to overdo and overwork.  (If you sign up in the next few days, you can probably still get in.)

Or revisit these posts for helpful reminders about effective manifesting skills of “nothing”:

How To Do Nothing
Time For a Life Sabbatical
Without Lifting a Finger
Abigail Steidley on Manifesting

Slacker Manifesting for Action Addicts details