Manifesting With Our Thoughts

I have long held the belief that we create our reality based on what we believe, that our thoughts and feelings are the things that manifest what shows up in our lives.   Yet, even though I hold this belief, I guess in some ways I didn't think that it applied to everything. :-)

Case in point, one of my clients and I confessed to each other sometime in the last year that the time we feel most "un-zen" is when we are in our cars.  We admitted that no matter how calm and at peace we feel at every other moment of the day, when we are out driving we become irritated with other drivers to the point where we don't like who we become . . . which is very angry.  I never thought about the fact that I could be manifesting this experience through my own thoughts and feelings.

Last weekend I was at her house giving Reiki treatments to her dogs and she asked me if I had seen Louise Hay's newsletter on Driving With Joy.  She said when she read it, she thought of me right away and all the conversations we have had about how irritated we get when we're in the car.  She promised to forward the newsletter to me, which she did a couple of days later.

Here is an excerpt from Louise's newsletter:

It is amazing how many people choose to be angry and upset when they drive. Then they wonder why there are so many poor drivers around them. I learned a long time ago not to get upset because someone else does not know how to drive. That is their problem, not mine.

The rules of the road are the same as the rules of life. What we give out in words or thoughts are exactly what will return to us. If we believe that the world is full of lousy drivers, then that is exactly what we will experience.

If we want to have a pleasant driving experience, then it is up to us to create it. The moment I enter my car, I bless the car with love and affirm that I will have a safe, happy trip, surrounded by good drivers.

I giggled to myself when I read the above portion of the newsletter, realizing that I must hold the belief that the world is full of lousy drivers since that seems to be what I experience on a regular basis.  :-)  I decided it couldn't hurt to try changing my belief so the next day when I got in the car, in my head I said, "I am surrounded by wonderful drivers" and I said it several times throughout my drive.  Much to my amazement, I didn't encounter a single bad driver on my way to the appointment.  

It was such a nice change from what I normally experience!  I tried it again on the drive home and sure enough, another easy drive home.  I tried it again the next day and much to my delight, same result!  I didn't encounter anyone on the road that made me angry or irritated - not one person made me feel like they were jeopardizing my safety.  

On the third day, I had an easy drive on the way to an appointment - I was clearly "surrounded by wonderful drivers."  It wasn't until I was on my way home from the appointment that my new belief was challenged.  As I was exiting the freeway, the gal in the car in front of me was looking at her cellphone and therefore didn't realize she was straddling both the exit lanes.  I started to feel the irritation building and I was on the verge of screaming, "Put your *$^%# phone down and focus on the road" but instead I said, "I am surrounded by wonderful drivers (deep exhale) . . . I am surrounded by wonderful drivers (deep exhale) . . . and just then, she put her phone down and moved into the right lane.  I was able to move into the left lane and miraculously even got through the intersection while the light was still green.  

It has inspired me to look more closely at the less pleasant experiences I have and see what beliefs I hold that could be creating them.  Thinking back to my recent challenging experiences with the phone company, I must hold the belief that no two people at the phone company will give you the same answer, since that was what I kept experiencing. :-)  Next time I need to call them, I am going to try shifting my perspective and see what happens.

So, if you happen to be plagued with irritation at other drivers as well, or irritation with anything else, you might try shifting your belief and see what happens.  The results may pleasantly surprise you! 

Kino's Birthday

Today, the 13th of July is Kino's birthday.  I don't know if it's his actual birthday, but when he was surrendered to the shelter, his family said he was 11 months old and he was surrendered on June 13th, therefore I picked July 13th as his birthday.

Last night, I told him his birthday was today.  I explained what a birthday was and why we were going to be celebrating.  I wasn't sure he understood me but this morning, I was pretty sure he must have understood because for the first time since he started sleeping outside the crate at night, he woke me up in the morning . . . and he woke me with an exuberance he doesn't usually display in the morning . . . by throwing his upper body up on the bed and proceeded to lick my face until I agreed to get up.

I wasn't sure how to celebrate his birthday.  The things I did with Lucky on her birthday (taking her out to breakfast and then to the beach) aren't things I can do with Kino, given that he is still leash reactive, uncomfortable with strangers and doesn't like the heat.  I wracked my brain trying to figure out how to mark the occasion and finally decided that since he loves food and his toys more than anything else in the world that I would buy him some new toys and cook him something special for dinner.

All day long, he seemed to know it was his special day.  He had an extra pep in his step from the moment we got up and put on his birthday scarf.  He even gave me attitude throughout the day, as if to say, "Well, it IS my birthday!"  Even as I type this, he is still gleefully playing with the new toys he got . . . and he was very very happy with my decision to cook him a steak for dinner.

I think we may have established a new birthday tradition.  :-)

Happy Birthday to Kino Kealohalani!