Could it be true that our expectation to some degree decides what happens to us?

For example, if we are told we are clumsy, we start believing we are clumsy, we then expect we are clumsy and bingo we keep tripping over things, dropping things and generally being clumsy.

I was recently listening to some teaching about how we create realms around us which attract whatever we create. This is a somewhat intangible; some believe spiritual law which has in fact been researched. Some may call it the ‘law of attraction’. Could it be true that, ‘as a man thinketh, so is he’? One suggestion which follows this thinking is that to move things forward, create an attitude of expectation around what it is you desire to happen.

I’m been playing a little game for a few years now, which  I created to renew my mind and rid myself of realms of expectation I may have created around me that don’t serve me well. You can use this game on any areas of your life where hope has been more difficult to maintain. It works pretty well!

I’m calling the game the ‘What If’ game. I invite you to participate and see if it can help clear up some ‘stinking thinking’ for you like it has been for me. My ‘What if’ game is a great way of creating a realm of expectation around you that will attract good things.

Many of you have been playing this game for some time now, but the least helpful version of the game. Let me explain. The least helpful, wrong version would look like thinking, ‘what if this doesn’t work out?’, ‘what if I fail?’, ‘what if I don’t make enough money?’, ‘what if this person lets me down?’, ‘what if he/she is not attracted to me?’, ‘what if I can’t keep it up?’, ‘what if nobody is interested?’, ‘what if I never meet my soul mate?’.

In order for the game to work, you have to use positive ‘what if’ scenarios. So you have to start putting your imagination to good use instead of using it on creating negative future scenarios.

So you create positive thinking patterns like this:

1.  ‘What if I met my future husband/wife next month’? Then you actually follow that thought through. Wow this would be my last month of being single. Have I done all I want to do as a single person? If I met them next month, how would that change my forthcoming year?  What kind of activities could we be doing together? How could I prepare, mentally, spiritually, physically?
2. Or this one: ‘What if my new business venture works out and becomes a success in the next year?’! What would that look like? Where would I take it from there? How would I grow it to the next phase of success? What would I most enjoy about it working out? How will this affect my life? How will I know it’s worked out? How will I measure success? (eg What financials? What other factors make it a success for me?)
3. Or this one: ‘What if I got the job of my dreams in 2014?’ or ‘What if I followed my true heart’s desire next year?’
4. Generally, you can apply general positive ‘What If’s?’ like these to just about any situation you are in: What if it all worked out smoothly? What if I had so much fun doing this it didn’t even seem like work? What if my work/friends/family relationships improved beyond what I can imagine right now?  What if everything I turned my hand to was blessed financially? What if people I know would be willing to help me?

After all these first what if’s? Ask yourself ….’And what would that look like?

Both versions of the game work. The unhelpful version creates fear, doubt and very often completely the wrong outcomes. The positive version creates hope, expectation, desire, and optimism and helps you create fun new worlds around you. You see your brain responds to either version of the game. If I say to you: ‘Don’t imagine a pink elephant’, what can you see right now in your mind’s eye? Just like this your negative outcome ‘What If’s’ create visuals in your mind. The problem is your subconscious does not know the difference and will lead you towards whichever scenario you spend most time imagining. It’s like the movies you visualize in your brain. These very things are likely to come to you.

Ok so go pick your favorite positive ‘What If’ scenario from one of the sets 1-4 above. Now read it again, and ponder these questions over the next seven days. Observe what happens to your expectation and hope in that area. Notice what changes around you, like people’s responses, opportunities, your feelings, your relationships. I have great fun with this game, hope you do too!