Manifesting your Dreams

We all have ambitions in life. We all have desires and aspirations for our futures. We all want to reach out for the stars and grasp that which we believe we are capable of. We all want something more than we have right now. It is a part of the human condition, and a wonderful part of it at that. It is actually a blessing: our desire for more than we are given when we are born. Our sense of wanting to be and to have and to feel more than we are gifted with at the moment of our birth.

Of course there are those who reading this, will say "I am happy and content with what and who I am right now", but this condition is not arrived at easily for most of us. Even those who can honestly proclaim such a beneficent state, possibly had to strive for it in some way in the past, or come to an internal and personal acceptance of this state at some stage in their lives. Very few of us are born with an innate sense of acceptance and joy at the process of our lives as it unfolds. Most of us yearn for some sort of change or improvement. This is how it should be and it is one of the reasons why we came into the world: to be and do and feel more; to strive to be all that we can be and to achieve our highest potential.

This desire springs out of a dissatisfaction with the way that things are right now. We are all prone to this, whatever the state or condition of our lives. The richest and the poorest, the ill and the healthy, the wise and the unwise, all want something that is not currently within their life experience. Ultimately, the motivating force is the perception of the lack of happiness that we have or the expectation that in gaining that which we desire, our happiness will increase or improve or indeed replace the sadness or misery that is now our lot. It is a worthy goal and one that we should not under any circumstances relinquish. Of course, the achieving of happiness is not ultimately predicated on the gaining of things and external conditions. The realisation of this truth however, is one that we need to discover for ourselves - it is a part of the spiritual path of increasing self-consciousness.

Regardless of this, there is nothing wrong whatsoever in aiming high and trying to gain the summit of your personal ambition. Whether it is the achieving of a desired for relationship, or the gaining of a better job, or the striving to be free of the restraints that a society, culture, family or other external force places upon us. Having an ambition, a goal is a worthy thing to have. The desire for happiness however that these things ultimately do not bring, will and must go on; propelling us to the next goal, the next achievement, the next great success.

Maintaining a sense that we can achieve our potential and gain that which we do not currently have is often not easy however. It depends in part on how far or high we are aiming and whether or not we have a strong enough internal belief system to keep us going when the going gets tough. Faith in our ability to achieve our potential or a commitment to keep going in the right direction is fundamental to success. A half hearted or limp wristed approach is destined for failure. Certainly, never allow others to steal your dreams. Whatever it is that you aspire too, however high the mountain is, whatever it is that you need to do to manifest your new reality, the very worst thing you can do is to give up because of the low expectations of others due to their commitment to a life that is less than it could be. Never let those who expect little from life, project their negativity or their lack of motivation on to you. The result will be that you will abandon all that you hold dear and accept less than you are capable of.

So what is the secret of success? How do ordinary men and women turn misfortune or poverty into great personal and professional achievements? There is one golden key and that is to have faith in yourself. To believe and know 100% that what you aspire too, is achievable - that you can do it. Being positive is not enough. Simply believing is not enough. These are great things and a part of the recipe of success, but to achieve the big goals, something more is needed. To get right to the top of your personal mountain, there is a need to know, deep inside of you, that you CAN make it. Don't believe it, KNOW it.

Those that push to the greatest successes in life - whatever they may be are the one's that absolutely refuse to contemplate failure. They are the ones that, through all of the obstacles, just keep going. Those that do not give up in the face of what appear to be insurmountable odds. When everyone else would abandon their dreams and resign themselves to the belief that they gave it a shot, but it was out of their reach, those that are relentless in their pursuit of their goal stand an excellent chance of achieving it. It doesn't matter what the goal is. Everything is possible. Everything can be achieved. Whatever it is that you want to do with your life, if you are determined enough and willing to put everything on the line to achieve it, then you most certainly can gain that which others gave up on long ago.

It is all down to your attitude. It is all down to your belief in yourself. You can do and have anything that you set your heart on. Just don't give up! Never give up! Keep going until you get what you want. But be flexible! Circumstances can change and a goal can become inappropriate. This can often happen. Allow life to take you in its current and be open to new possibilities, but keep pushing forward. Don't give up on your drive for success.

Goals can and do often change along the way. There is nothing wrong with this and shifting your focus is not a mark of failure...it is a celebration of the fact that you are not limiting yourself in anyway. It is an exultation of your ability to bend like the reed in the stream, to the possibilities and currents of life. The point is to just keep moving forward. Going in the right direction. Refocusing and reassessing and moving with life to where you want to be. We cannot always predict at the outset what the problems might be that we will encounter on our journey. The answer is simple: just stay flexible, and deal with whatever life throws up as you go.

All of this striving however, as I have said is ultimately not going to bring you lasting happiness. Let's not live under any illusion about this. Happiness is an internal state and not dictated by external forces. Happiness is a state of mind. Happiness can exist under any circumstances. Happiness is predicated on the right internal conditions, not on external ones. Happiness and not angst, or sadness or misery or emotional pain can be achieved with a simple change of mind. Just chose to be happy and you are. It would appear to be very simple, but if it were, we would not spend our lives in pursuit of external things. We would all simply chose happiness in whatever circumstances we find ourselves and give up all other external efforts, as what would be the point in striving anymore?

Striving is however a necessary part of being human. It is what brings joy to our day, gets us motivated in the morning, allows us to dream and to plan and to hope. It is what makes life rich and filled with possibilities. Aiming for our goals is just as much a part of the spiritual journey as engaging in meditation or mantra practice or chakra work or...you name it...these are all just different facets of the human condition, and every single thing that we do in life is a part of the journey to enlightenment or union with God. It is just another part of the tapestry of our lives.

Don't give up, don't fall at the first hurdle, don't let others put you off. Just keep striving, overcome everything that stands in your way and push forward in life. Eventually, you will succeed like you could never have dreamed.

Blessings and metta,

Steve