Most of us are aware by now that our thoughts are an integral part of how we create our own reality. After decades of focusing on the power of positive thinking and dealing with negativity, many of us have been there/done that with personal growth books, seminars and the latest trends in the Law of Attraction. However, we also know that we must deal with all of our feelings, both positive and negative, and accept all as if they are clouds passing by in the sky, without getting attached to any one thought. There are many disciplines to assist us in managing our thoughts so we can focus more on the positive, and while not eliminating the negative, we can allow those thoughts to flow as we build a ‘stairway to heaven’ with images of our dream life.  The Power of Now, by Eckart Tolle, speaks of the strength of being present in the moment, in each moment so that we can consciously create our future by being awake in the now. Meditation is a powerful tool to bring us to our higher selves, as well as prayer, silence and connecting to nature and the broad expanse of the universe. Whatever path we choose, being consistent and committed is the key to success.

A fun and creative exercise is to create your dream board or treasure map as a project. You can do this by yourself or plan a party with a group of friends to share in the experience. This in-depth process can be done through meditation, self-discovery and allowing your intuitive mind to guide you without using the conscious mind to dictate with logic and judgments. Imagine flipping through your favorite magazines and choosing photos, words and messages that speak to you and then assembling them onto a board to show you what is your heart’s desire! This process is necessary to experience a mirror into your soul so you can discover your heart and let go of the critical mind. The first step is to gather images, scissors, a large 18×24-presentation board, a few glue sticks and a dozen or so lifestyle magazines. This is actually fun to do with yourself and/or your other friends who are single. Look through each magazine quickly. Peruse each page, and without thinking, just cut out everything that appeals to you, without judging it. Everything that seems to jump out at you, that pleases you, that attracts you. It may be colors, subject matter faces, words. For example, you see a man that is appealing, a couple walking hand in hand, a cute puppy dog, or a beautiful hotel on the beach with an infinity swimming pool. Maybe your eye catches a diamond ring, (canary yellow princess cut with two begets, my favorite), a Tiffany box with a surprise inside, a sports car, a lush tropical garden, bright shocking pink flowers, a sexy Polo Player on a horse, a beautiful woman in a bikini, a Harley, a sailboat, an airplane, or a silhouette of a couple on the beach at sunset holding hands. Pay attention to any image that appeals to you and cut it out. Then sort through each one and decide which ones are the most attractive to you that give you the best feelings inside. Is it the baby and mother in the sand on the beach with an umbrella? Is it the Lear jet, or handsome guy in the executive suit? Whatever. Then make the choices that fit your dream life. Look over your wish list and see what fits. Lay it out on the sheet and if something is missing, go back and check out other magazines. Then use you glue stick and tack down all the images that seem to portray the life of your dreams. Put it in a place that you can see every day and then let the magic begin. At first, you may not notice anything but in a few weeks you may find that some of the stuff you cut out begins to show up in your life. It is just an amazing process.

Several years ago I watched an interview with a super successful ‘manifestor’ from The Secret, about a man who discovered a photo in a magazine of a beautiful property. It was a huge estate that had a swimming pool, tennis court and a very unique design. He cut it out and placed it on his ‘treasure map’ and then put it away. Many years later, after working hard, creating a successful business and loving family, he was going through some old boxes and found the one with his treasure map. He was amazed to discover the photo of his dream home, which was on one of these treasure maps. It turned out to be the exact home he had packed away several years before. He had recently remodeled a house he was living in and had some image of what he wanted to do.  Subsequently, the house he found in the photo was exactly the house he created from his unconscious memory of that first photo!

I had a similar experience with a house that surprised me. I was in post-graduate school getting my certificate in interior design at UCLA. We had an assignment to design simple house plan and rendered floor plan with furniture for a project. In those days, we did not use computers, so everything was done by hand. I created this very unusual layout of a mid-century-modern style ranch house, with an open plan, having all rooms flowing from one to the other. Each room moved into the next, with  floor-to-ceiling windows and sliding glass panels leading outside to a beautiful, yet odd, angular shaped swimming pool. The most unique part of the plan was the master bath with a sunken roman tub overlooking an outdoor atrium garde. I specified a very precise tub which was lined with 1/2 “aquamarine tiles.” This was very popular in mid-century modern homes, but not in the ‘80s when I was in design school.

Fifteen years later, I found a charming rental house in the hills that I shared with someone when the house went up for sale. I absolutely adored living there, but my partner at the time, did not want to purchase the house. I was getting ready to move out and found my old design portfolio, which was buried in the garage. I took out the design plan and put it on an easel in the living room to look at the design. I really didn’t study it carefully, but when the realtor came to show the house, one of the clients asked if this was a rendering of the house for sale. To our amazement, the design I had created was almost the exact layout of the house, even with the strange angular shape of the pool. The piece de la resistance was the master bath. As I gazed more closely, I realized that this was the exact same sunken roman tub with the exact same little aquamarine 1/2’ tiles, overlooking a garden atrium. Needless to say, I was SHOCKED. I am one of those skeptics, and always question this kind of stuff. Although I still struggle with my own reality, there was not doubt in my mind that this was the very house I had created in my dreams 15 years before!

Start gathering your images before hand so you can be prepared when the inspiration strikes! Then begin the process for your dream life. Include your dream mate and all other kinds of images that feel right. See what your subconscious mind is trying to tell you! And don’t forget to have FUN!