"Your perception is your reality."  My brother first said that to me when he was in college and I was home for a visit.  I remember thinking that was pretty profound.  I find myself coming back to that statement often over the years as I deal with people.

The police will be the first to tell you about the unreliability of the eye-witness.  It seems everyone sees things a little differently based on their history, their prejudices, and even the way they think.  Thinking is where it really comes into play.

How many of you find that you constantly attract what you don't want?  Or you believe that people always let you down despite your best efforts at trying to meet, and love, people that won't?  How many of you go through your day expecting "the other shoe to drop?"  You know what?  If you expect to find it, or even worry that it might happen, you are making it happen. 

We are all energy and every cell in our body vibrates with it.  It goes one step further--our thoughts are energy too.  When we give energy to negativity, even if it's "I DON'T want," your thoughts send out the vibration of that item and you get it back.  The Universe is a mirror--it reflects back to you what you present it.  Mother Teresa got it when she said, "I was once asked why I don't participate in anti-war demonstrations. I said that I will never do that, but as soon as you have a pro-peace rally, I'll be there."  Get it? 

Think of what you want, not what you don't, and dwell on it.  I mean, really dwell on it.  Think how it will FEEL, what you will HEAR, will SEE--use all your senses.  Be grateful and act like you already have it.  Pretend, and have fun with it.

Ridge and I used to play a game with it.  I remember one time we were at the Steamboat Springs Wine Festival.  The real estate booths were all set up with multi-million dollar properties.  We browsed, we dreamed and we'd look at each other after seeing the price tag and say, "We can afford it."  After all, money came easy and often (another affirmation we still say to each other).  You know what?  It did, and it does, and we are grateful. Now we're not in the multi-million dollar ski-in and ski-out property, YET, but we do not worry about money.  We have everything we need and want, and we are happy.  It doesn't get any better than that!  Thank you, Universe!

How do we become aware of our thoughts?  After all, it seems we have a million an hour.  Your feelings.  Monitor your feelings.  If you feel bad, what are your thoughts?  When you feel good, feel like the world is right, what are your thoughts?  I bet you they are good, uplifting, loving thoughts.  But how do we change those thoughts once we realize we are in the process of creating what we don't want?  Make a list--I have a list of "Things That Make Me Happy."  Seriously, a handwritten list.  It has things that bring an immediate smile to my face:  my wedding day, kittens playing, a good belly laugh with tears running down my face, etc.  Your list will be different, but think of what gives you joy and write it down.  Use it to turn those thoughts around.

Play with this and see how it serves you.  Enlist the help of your partner, your friend, even your children (life will be much easier if they learn this one now!), and practice.  Daydream and feel it.  Pick a couple of affirmations (positive statements) that resonate with you and say them often.  When you find your mind wandering to the negative, or you are worrying, 'ctrl-alt-del' and start again.  After all, as my dear cousin, Nancy, shared with me, "Worry is a mis-use of the imagination." 

Are you living in a state of love or fear?  Do you teach your children love or fear?  Do you approach the world through the eyes of love or fear?

Love and fear are on opposite ends of the emotional spectrum, yet every emotion, every feeling, can be classified as either love or fear.  When you are jealous--fear--fear of being rejected or considered "less than."  When you are worried--fear again.  Angry?  Fear raising it's head because you are mad about what you perceive is a slight, something that challenges your ego, or your definition of yourself.  What about acceptance?  Love.  Trust?  Love again.  Think about it.  Identify your feelings, label them and then see where they fall on the spectrum.

What brought this whole thing to the forefront of the day was a phone call I just had about a family issue.  In it, the person was planting seeds of fear in her children in order to control them.  To control them so they didn't reject her and her life choices.  There were conversations around "what if's," and "the world's a horrible place" and "they have to be here because I don't know if I can handle if they're not."  Bingo...fear, her fear. 

I wonder what would happen to her world, and her children's world (and feelings towards her), if instead she came from a place of love?  How about acceptance of their individuality, their desires and options in life?  How about instilling a positive mindset and "can-do" attitudes in her children instead of lack (another emotion from the fear end of the spectrum)? 

The world is an incredible place--full of beauty, love, opportunity, insight and depth, integrity and abundance.  Or it can be scary, violent, hateful, neurotic and dangerous.  I challenge her, I challenge all of you, to be conscious of which end of the spectrum you are coming from.