The title of this post is actually a quote from Mike Dooley of ‘Tut’s Adventure Club‘, a fun-loving group of people who see life as a grand adventure, and one that can be made infinitely more enjoyable by learning to control the power of our thoughts.
Mike Dooley is one of the many teachers who was featured in the movie ‘The Secret‘, and his club is a recommended stop on your journey to happiness and prosperity using concepts such as positive thinking and the Law of Attraction. I have singled out his name and his organization for this post due to the fact that I just watched a free clip that is available on the Tut website, and it reminded me of the need to clear up some misconceptions about using your thoughts as tools in your life.
The concept of “positive thinking” is certainly nothing new, although I think that in some ways, it may be reaching a point of market saturation because it is actually being OVER used, rather than simply being used properly.
Positive thinking falls into the same category as knowledge (see my article on knowledge) in the fact that simply having a positive attitude or a bit of knowledge is not enough. You have to use those resources properly if you want to see the benefits.
You probably know someone who is always happy, always smiling, always laughing, and seems to not even take serious things seriously! Yeah…that’s not the best way to have a positive attitude.
That person will certainly attract more happiness into their life than someone who runs around wearing a frown every day, but even the “happy go lucky” sort need to use the power of focus in order to actually get something specific out of all of that joy that they feel each day.
I could sit right here at my computer and start laughing hysterically for no reason, and the immutable power of the Universe would simply obey my commands and send more hysterical laughter vibes my way. However, I wouldn’t actually have accomplished any specific goal or task that my “positive thinking” was supposed to have helped me with.
As Mike and the gang at TUT say, “thoughts become things”. So, if you’re just laughing for no reason, and you don’t really have anything that you are trying to attract with your positive vibrations, then the Universe does not know what to send you.
It’s like walking into a convenience store, laying $100 on the counter, and then just looking at the clerk expectantly. Not the most effective way to go shopping…
The Universe works the same way in that you have to be specific about what it is that you want. Yes, happiness and laughter are powerful and should be used as frequently as possible. However, if you actually want to manifest something out of all of that positivity, you need to choose a specific goal.
If what you think about then comes about (thoughts become things), then you need to think about exactly what you want. Do you want money? Do you want a better relationship? What about a new car?
Those are all things that people wish for, but again, let’s use the example of the convenience store clerk. This time you walk in, lay the $100 on the counter, and say “Food”.
Again, not very effective, is it? By this point you are making the clerk wonder why he/she took that job with all of the weirdos in your neighborhood, but other than that, you aren’t accomplishing much.
GET SPECIFIC!
If you want money, then exactly how much do you want? $10,000 a month? $25,000? It doesn’t matter what the amount is. If you know how to focus your positive intentions to get that money, you WILL get it! The Universe is never wrong, and it always delivers. However, you have to know how to place your order by asking specifically for what you want, and then holding the image of that thing in your mind as often as possible.
What about a relationship? I’ll use a female looking for a male counterpart for this example.
If a girl wants a better man in her life, she could say to the Universe, “I want a man”. 2 hours later, Larry “plumbers crack” McGill shows up to fix your pipes. Hmmmm… not exactly what you had in mind.
How about this: “I want a man who is 6-feet tall, athletic, with striking eyes and a beautiful smile”. A few weeks later that guy moves in right next to you! Unfortunately, he is married and drives a 10 year-old Yugo with a bumper sticker that says “Nerds do it in Class”.
Uh…. that didn’t exactly work out, either. Let’s try this one more time:
“I want a man who is around 6-feet tall, has a beautiful smile, a dark complexion, and a perfect mixture of self-confidence, masculinity, compassion, and romanticism. He will be around my age, be single and available to me in every way, and he will adore me at least as much as I adore him”.
Okay, NOW we’re getting somewhere! Remember, the Universe always delivers what you ask for if you ask for it in the right way. You ask for these things with your thoughts and with your feelings.
So, whether you are trying to manifest a new car, a pile of cash, your dream lover, or just a pewter-lined pocket protector that automatically recharges your laser pointer and your nose-clippers – get specific about it!!
Once again, giving props to Mike and the gang at Tut – “Thoughts become things… choose the good ones!”
p.s. – To see the video clip that I referred to, go to the Tut site using the link above and click on “Live Recording” in the resources menu when you get there.