One of the greatest challenges in life is understanding just how powerful our thoughts are. Many of us learn this the hard way -- myself included. After spending most of my early life caught up in negative thought patterns, it occurred to me that I had created exactly what I had been thinking about all those years.

I worked at a stressful, unfulfilling job. I had an extremely low income, and no matter how hard I tried to improve my financial situation, I was always broke. I struggled with various addictions. I was alone, and felt I deserved to be alone for the rest of my life. Obviously, I had no self-esteem. It took me many years to realize that I was creating ALL of it. Why would a person want to create such frustration and hardship? I didn't want to, I just didn't know how NOT to. I didn't realize I had a choice in the matter.

While I do believe that there is such a thing as fate or destiny, there are far fewer instances of that in our lives than we think. More often than not, our thoughts work against us and we can live our entire lives being completely unaware of it. The good news is that we can consciously choose to have our thoughts work for us, rather than against us. All it takes is the willingness to believe it's possible, and of course, the willingness to do the work required.

Okay, so how do we change our thoughts? By purposely feeding our minds more positive material. Remember that your life as it exists today is the direct result of your past and present beliefs about yourself. You may or may not be aware of these beliefs on a conscious level, but that doesn't matter. The most important thing is to begin changing those beliefs NOW. This will eventually override the negative messages, and your life will change. Whether you want to lose a few pounds, make more money, meet your soulmate or write a best-selling novel, know that you DO have the power to do it.

The first step is to convince yourself that you deserve it. That is probably the most difficult thing to change for most of us. Know that the universe wants you to be happy, fulfilled and prosperous. Why? Simply because you can effect more positive growth for the rest of the planet also. Think about that for a moment. If you are constantly struggling to make ends meet, or feeling drained and stressed by your job, or overwhelmed by personal struggles, how much are you able to help others who are in even worse situations? Probably not much. If things are going very well for you and you have plenty of resources at your disposal, you can then use those resources to help others and make a real difference in this world. This works on two levels. First, you are able to help others by donating time and/or money. Secondly, and even more importantly, you serve as an example to others that they can also become happy, fulfilled and prosperous -- if they will only change their thoughts.

The second step is to take some time to figure out exactly what you want to create next. Be creative with it, and don't limit yourself. Dare to dream big. Even if your dream seems impossible, write it out in full detail. You can choose to work only on one aspect of your life, or several at the same time.

The third step is then to begin visualizing this dream of yours as often as you can. Don't just "see" it in your mind, really LIVE it. Feel how you will feel when it becomes reality. Know that this dream of yours is very possible. This will generate positive energy that will actually attract the opportunities and circumstances you need to help this reality form in the physical world.

Finally, begin taking action on your dream. It doesn't matter how large or small the steps you take. The most important thing is that you do what you can to create more openings in your life for the new circumstances to enter. If your goal is to increase your income, you may need to apply for a better job or start your own business. If you are seeking to meet someone, you may need to become more active socially. Again, do something to help this reality manifest.

Our thoughts create an irresistible magnetism around us that attracts certain energies, which then causes the formation of certain circumstances. By replacing old, negative thought patterns with positive, faith-filled energy, our lives will change for the better. Once again, we will have created exactly what we've been thinking about. Mind Over Matter