The Breathing Prosperity blog

Sometimes, when we set our sights on magnificent and inspiring goals, we place ourselves on the path of achieving them and then eventually find ourselves feeling…stuck. We have put in work, we’ve learned and changed, we’ve been doing all the ‘right’ things, and yet when we look up from our path the goal still seems so far away. Has this ever happened to you?

Fear not, it happens to all of us who have lofty goals and aspirations. As the old saying goes, a journey of a thousand miles begins with one step, yet somehow we expect our results to be more evident, more forthcoming. We forget that each of those thousand miles contains hundreds of individual steps, and that in each moment we can only ‘see’ the few steps behind us and in front of us. Because of this limited view, we tend to forget how far we’ve come, and it is this amnesia which brings about feelings of stuckness (that may not be a word…:) ).

The truth is that life is dynamic and ever-changing, so there is NEVER a time when things are exactly the same as they once were. Even if you wanted things to remain the same, they would not – it’s not possible. In order to feel better about the journey you are on, you need to look back and see how far you’ve come, and to realize that you and your life are truly evolving, whether your outer world shows evidence or not. Some tips for getting your perspective back include:

• Keep a journal or some other record of your goals and dreams, your plans to achieve them, and your feelings, accomplishments and adjustments along the way. By documenting your journey you are providing evidence of where you’ve been, and if you’ve really been learning and growing you will find there are some major differences between ‘then’ and ‘now’ when you read your journal entries from a year ago.
• As Abraham-Hicks tell us, sometimes what happens is we look around at our current situation and see ‘what is,’ and this becomes our focus (see next point as well). Instead, we need to continue looking into the future at what we wish to create, while at the same time doing those things in the now which will continue to lead us there. Hold your vision in your mind, and adjust it as you go. See it, feel it, treat yourself as if you were already living it, and then live into it!
• Remember that the Law of Attraction brings you more of whatever you focus on, so if you’re feeling stuck and uninspired, guess what? You’ll get more of the same, and who wants that? Bear this in mind always, and vow to do whatever it takes to reset your thought processes in order to keep your mind on how you want things to be, not what you don’t want. For difficult days or moments, try such tools as visualizing, meditation, EFT and creating and watching a personal vision video. You may also find that just improving your mood and emotional vibration puts you back on track; try our Inspiring Videos for an instant boost, and of course anything that makes you feel great – funny movies, a walk outdoors or other physical activity, etc. – will help.
• Almost every person who has defined and ultimately fulfilled their own vision of success says the same thing: it took lots of false starts, many wrong turns and much in the way of hard-earned wisdom to finally make it. Those who settle and never try for anything may know what’s coming tomorrow (same old thing!), but they will never know the joys of reaching cherished goals and living a life full of passion and joy. Part of that passion is the emotional roller coaster that comes with pursuing your dreams, so instead of resenting it, ride the roller coaster and enjoy, knowing it’s your own special amusement. Each hill and valley is getting you closer to your dreams, and without the learning and growing you are doing along the way, none of them would ever come true.
• One last note and that is to remember that life happens in cycles. We cannot always be ‘up’ and feel inspired, although with personal development those times can be more frequent and prolonged. Sometimes we just need to rest or spend some time incubating and contemplating, in order to bounce back refreshed and ready to go. One of my favourite quotes is “Resting is paying homage to the magnitude of your journey,” and I couldn’t agree more. Relax, have some fun and take the pressure off yourself. You don’t need to be moving forward at every moment…enjoy the wonderful adventure that is your life, and take it easy sometimes!

Some related articles that can help with this:

Personal Development: The Upward Spiral
Why Aren’t You Constantly Creating Your Life?
Law of Gestation: What is Headed in Your Direction?

Peace on Earth…and good will to all men. That’s how the song goes, right? Have you ever thought about that, and what it means to you personally?

(If you’re wondering what this has to do with the concept of prosperity, it’s simple: we cannot enjoy financial or any other type of prosperity when there is violence or deep unrest in our lives. Our planet and its people are not truly prosperous when some of us are killing and hurting others. We are all hurting ourselves as long as deep psychic wounds remain unhealed, and as long as they are passed from generation to generation instead of being dealt with at the level of cause rather than symptom.)

Do you want peace on earth? The real question is, are you willing to offer good will to ALL MEN in order to make peace a reality?

‘Who, me?’ you may say. ‘It’s the other guys who are creating wars, and acting in violent ways, and destroying lives, families and futures. Not me – I am a peaceful, good person and I certainly want peace on earth. If only those other guys would smarten up…it’s so sad.’

Are There Really Bad Guys?

The truth is, most of us are raised to WANT to perpetrate violence in retaliation for perceived or actual offences. Whether we want to do it ourselves (to hurt another in return for something they’ve done to us), or we want others to do it for us (have the police or the army or the government ‘get’ the bad guys), we live in a ‘might is right’ society and we are raised to try and protect our own little interests. Rarely do we see those other guys as tender, complex and important human beings just like ourselves, who want only the best for their families and who will vow revenge should something happen to them.

What happens in your mind when you get cut off intentionally by someone in traffic? Are there certain people in your life who rub you the wrong way? Maybe there are even folks who hurt you deeply and who you cannot stand the sight or the thought of…and what about the selfish jerks in your life? When you think about these people, do you offer them good will? Does your mind instantly forgive and do you smile with patience and love at their antics, as you would a child whom you adore? If this describes you, and there are no situations in which you feel anger, resentment or bitterness towards another human being, you are a truly aware and highly conscious individual, and it is my honour to have you reading here. You bring light and peace to us all. For the rest of us, it’s time we looked inside ourselves for our contribution to the level of peace in this world we all share.

If it’s difficult to forgive small grievances, imagine the power of collective grievances and deep cultural and religious hatreds, held by thousands or millions of people, and fueled by mass buy-in. The challenge is not a small one, but the trick, I think, is to tackle it person by person. If each of us can recognize the tendency toward separation and violence in our own hearts when it arises, we can choose to rise above it and to BE better; more loving, more open, more patient and tolerant and curious.

When we feel rage or intolerance towards another, THAT is where peace gets killed. This planet is full of people…individuals just like you and I, and each of us contributes collectively to the consciousness of the whole. The anger we feel at another is just like anyone else’s anger, and it all adds up. When we wish to seek revenge – whether it’s a small revenge like getting someone back for insulting us, or a huge vendetta against another culture for hurting our family or ancestors – we participate in the anguish of humanity. We perpetuate it and we continue creating it.

Have there not been times when you have made mistakes, and times when you’ve said or done things which now make you cringe? When you look back at your younger years, are there situations you’d like to do over, or wish you had handled differently? Perhaps you’ve hurt people – intentionally or otherwise – and perhaps you’ve been stupid and callous and selfish…and somehow you still manage to think you’re a pretty good person. You’ve grown, you’ve learned and you hope others will forgive you. Don’t others deserve those same missteps and the same forgiveness? Isn’t that rocky path an essential part of being human? There is always a reason behind another’s behavior, and there is always room for change and growth.

When we forgive, when we see that we are all the same, when we understand the actions of another because we’ve been there or we can otherwise empathise, we begin the process of healing. We can become connected and see through the veil of separation, and can raise our children to see beyond culture and race and all the other borderlines which have existed for far too long. Thoughts of hatred and revenge, no matter how petty, are poisons to us, both inside and out.

As within, so without…as long as we keep looking outside of ourselves for the solution, we will never find it, and never create it. As soon as EACH OF US takes responsibility for accepting each other as we are, for being tolerant and loving and for fostering connections instead of separation, we will begin to create our cherished ideal of PEACE ON EARTH.

Photo credit: NASA