The Secret talks about "secret shifters" that turn your frown upside down, but I don't believe that just thinking of good memories will put you in a better mood. In fact, when you try to force bad feelings out, they often become even more stubborn. So, I have listed a few of my favorite techniques to put you in a more positive frame of mind.
The "Magic If"
I can't claim this one myself; in fact, it is an acting technique devised by none other than Konstantin Stanislavski, the father of most theatre technique taught today, and founder of the world-famous Moscow Art Theatre.
Why is the "if" magic, you say? Let me demonstrate. Listen and respond to what I tell you. Ready? Okay, right now you are no ordinary human. In fact, you are only 2 inches tall.
Do you believe it? Now try this: behave as if you were only 2 inches tall.
See the difference? If you walk around, trying to follow the Law of Attraction by believing you've received what you ask for, it can be difficult. If you say, "I have a million dollars in the bank," undoubtedly, you'll get a little voice back saying, "no, you don't." But, if you try to walk around behaving, feeling and thinking as if you had a million dollars in the bank, it's a lot easier.
The reason is that the concept of "if" opens the mind up into an imaginary world without contradicting the current one. We don't feel like we're fighting logic or deluding ourselves by acting "as if" we have all of our current dreams happening.
So, if you're feeling in a bad place and are trying to believe, try to believe...as if.
As if. :)
Live on Vacation
When I go on vacation, I prefer to plan as little as possible, which surprises my husband because in life, I feel very out of control if I don't plan things out. This started when I went abroad to Italy when I was 21 years old. Before the semester started, I traveled through England, Scotland and Ireland with my friend, Bryn. Bryn is extremely laid back but outgoing, and very spontaneous, so we just bought the plane tickets, the train tickets, and made one reservation for a hostel the night we arrived, so that we wouldn't wander around homeless the first night in London. From there on, we just went wherever the hostels had rooms. We tried Salisbury, but they were booked, so we tried Canterbury and scored, and were ecstatic we did. When I eventually got to Italy, we could take weekend trips to the best destinations in the world: Rome, Sicily, Florence, Siena, Tuscany, Lake Como, and so on.
One weekend my friend Bill and I took a plane from Venice to Sicily, the biggest trip I had made while staying for the semester. We planned so little it was scary, but to my surprise, everything worked out. We found the most beautiful little towns by accident, and got some great spots purely by coincidence. One night, it was 9pm and we had been unable to find a room for the night. We asked the waiter if they knew a room that might be available, and to our surprise, they did; a couple owned a building with a spare room upstairs for a very reasonable price, and thankfully, directly across from the big cathedral in Monreale.
Why are vacations so fantastic, anyway? I'll tell you--because we're living in the moment, and we're also trying to get as much as possible out of every single moment. Why? Because we're paying for it, but also because we've set aside time to allow ourselves to do this. Now, look at where you are right now. Now close your eyes. Imagine that instead of being at home on your computer, or at work avoiding work, you were at a cafe in France. Nothing denies it--you can't see where you are. Just imagine, and note how you feel. Chances are, you felt freer, excited, adventurous, spontaneous, and probably opened your eyes disappointed that you weren't at that cafe in France. But the only thing that changed was your perception of your surroundings.
Vacations are full of surprises and fun, and that's how life should be. So, pretend you're on vacation, even if you're walking down the same old street you've always been on. Imagine that you didn't live here and could appreciate all the beauty and character around you.
Living a Dream
Once I had done a tarot reading, and one of the cards, the Ace of Swords, told me intuitively that anything I asked for was possible, but I had to go out and get it. It spoke to me with such conviction that I couldn't help but believe it. I knew that anything I wanted was available to me--I just had to go out and get it.
This conviction let me move forward with such surety that I started viewing life as a dream. What if the real world had as much symbolism and meaning as the dream world? I began seeing everything as symbols, as signs of where I was and where I was going.
For fun, imagine this is so. Imagine that your waking life is a dream. You have no idea what's coming next, and you also have, if you choose to take control, the authority to change the reality at will. Treat it like a dream--a lucid dream.
This may seem flighty, but just try it. It allows you to live in the moment and to realize that no matter how serious something is, it isn't reality. Have you ever had a dream where you were convicted to life in prison, or something equally as serious, only to wake up and have that entire reality melt away? Life is a dream--our dream. We create everything as we go along. It might not turn into a paper crane and fly away as our dreams so creatively can do, but honestly, "reality" is highly overrated. You have the ability to interpret your surroundings as you wish.
Live in your dreams...your life is a product of your dreams anyway, no matter how paltry or insignificant it may seem. But life has as much symbolism as the dream world. Notice it.
Peace.
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