Tag Archives: Self-Help

Law of Attraction Success Story: “I Started Sleeping Soundly Again”

Contributor: Anonymous

After my first child was born, bad sleep was not an immediate concern; unlike with many new mothers the sleep deprivation didn’t start in until over a month later. And it didn’t happen overnight; instead, it sort of crept up on me unexpectedly. Eventually, I found myself saying more and more often to friends who asked how I felt, “I’m tired today, yes, but I’m usually fine; we just had a bad night.” But it wasn’t until about the fifth month that I was nearly limping with tiredness all weekend while trying to enjoy some time with house guests that it finally hit me: The baby and I are no longer sleeping like we used to.

Maybe it was the fact that we are co-sleeping and I didn’t want to admit it wasn’t always the easiest decision, but it wasn’t until quite a few weeks later that I finally started saying affirmations about the problem. And, to make matters worse, after I finally started I was so entirely stressed and worried about the whole thing that they really didn’t work–okay, maybe they did a little, but certainly not as well as I had hoped.

Then, finally, a change. About a month ago, my husband and I decided to spend a weekend with some (childless) friends in another state. We knew that by agreeing to take advantage of their hospitality we’d need to keep the baby’s crying under control, so we did the only thing we absolutely knew would work: We let him nurse.

All. Night. Long.

That was about three months ago now, and I have used the same technique ever since.

I still don’t sleep perfectly every night, of course; there’s only so many hours one can spend on their side before the neck pain starts in. But I have worked out most of the kinks (literally and figuratively), and now, as long as I get to bed on time, I sleep nearly as good as I did pre-baby.

I guess the lesson for me in this was about staying calm and keeping my mind at peace. Of course, that’s a whole lot easier now that my body gets its share of peace as well.

Five-day free-for all: Last day!

Best Nonfiction Book 4

Greetings, dear readers, and a quick reminder for you: Today is the last day of your five-day free-for-all!

If you’re not sure what I’m talking about, here’s how it works: For the rest of the day, everyone who leaves a review of one of my books on Amazon.com will receive a printed copy of the book they review–or any other book of mine (your choice)–in the mail. Just send me an email with your name and address plus the link to your review. Oh, and try to get the email to me within a week or so.

It’s your last chance, people, so get typing!

By the way, if you don’t have a Kindle, you can download a reader from them for your desktop for free.

Five-day free-for all: Day one

Best Nonfiction Book

Greetings, dear readers. Got some good news for you: Today is day one of your five-day free-for-all!

Here’s how it works: For the next five days, everyone who leaves a review of one of my books on Amazon.com will receive a printed copy of the book they review–or any other book of mine (your choice)–in the mail. Just send me an email with your name and address plus the link to your review. Oh, and try to get the email to me within a week or so.

Super easy, right?

By the way, if you don’t have a Kindle, you can download a reader from them for your desktop for free.

Amazon Prime members: Read my books for free (apparently)

cover - what i learned from jane

So, not really sure how or why this works, but I recently discovered by accident that Amazon Prime members (which, by the way, if you’re not one already you really should be!) are able to borrow my books and read for free! Seems strange, but I’m sure I get some kind of profit from it somehow. In any case, feel free to check it out and report back whether or not it worked.

Law of Attraction Success Story: “My Relationship with My Father Is Healing”

Contributor: Sal of www.powerfulintentions.org.

For most of the past few years, my relationship with my father wasn’t great. I was only talking to him about once a month and seeing him just on birthdays and holidays. I felt he was selfish and I didn’t call him very often. I felt like I needed an hour on the phone with him before I could get a word in.

But I did want to improve things with him. “How can I get closer to my dad?” I kept asking myself. I didn’t want to regret not doing so one day.

Then I read a book that changed everything. It is called The Power of Intention and it’s by Dr. Wayne Dyer. After reading it, I knew what I had to do: I had to get rid of the old beliefs I had towards my father and just look for the good in him.

So, that is exactly what I did. I started thinking about his good qualities and putting his limitations right out of my mind.

One night, I decided to visit my father, and before going I asked to be guided by the spirit rather than my ego while with him. I prayed that I would come from a place of love and not let anything my father did or said that night bother me.

Well, guess what: I saw a different man that night. He wanted to know everything that was going on with me for the last few months. We talked for hours, and at the end, I didn’t want to leave. We had a wonderful conversation and it opened great doors for our relationship.

Since then, my relationship with my father has improved greatly, but not only that; my father’s life has improved, too! After that night he went on to follow through with some of the goals and dreams that he had put away over twenty years ago when my mom died. He became more open-minded. He took the same spirituality-related course I took and identified the things about him that weren’t working, then started changing them. He has accomplished so much since that night that I saw him in a new light.

We are on a journey together, and it is awesome.

Sal

Law of Attraction Success Story: “I Learned to See the Good in Everything”

Contributor: Greg Kuhn, author of Why Quantum Physicists Do Not Fail, Why Quantum Physicists Don’t Get Fat and more.

An African king had a close friend who had the habit of remarking, ‘This is good’ about every occurrence in life, no matter what it was. One day, the king and his friend were out hunting. The king’s friend loaded a gun and handed it to the king. But, alas, he loaded it wrong. And when the king fired it, his thumb was blown off.

“This is good!” exclaimed his friend.

The horrified and bleeding king was furious. “How can you say this is good? This is obviously horrible!” he shouted.

The king put his friend in jail.

About a year later, the king went hunting by himself. Cannibals captured him and took him to their village. They tied his hands, stacked some wood, set up a stake, and bound him to it. As they started to set fire to the wood, they noticed that the king was missing a thumb. Being superstitious, they never ate anyone who was less than whole. They untied the king and sent him on his way.

Full of remorse, the king rushed to the prison to release his friend.

“No! This is good!” responded his delighted friend.

“Oh, how could that be good, my friend? I did a terrible thing to you.”

“It is good,” said his friend, “because if I hadn’t been in jail I would have been hunting with you and they would have eaten me!”

Greg Kuhn

Law of Attraction Success Story: “I Went From Convicted Felon to Respected Author”

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Contributor: Steve Pavlina of www.stevepavlina.com.

In January of 1991, my life was going downhill fast. I’d just been arrested for felony grand theft after a few prior arrests for misdemeanors. I got expelled from college because I ditched most of my classes. I played video games for up to 18 hours at a time. I’d fallen into a pattern of self-destructive, out-of-control behavior.

I didn’t know how at the time, but I decided I had to make some serious changes. I really didn’t want to spend my adult years wearing orange pajamas.

I began listening to personal development audio programs, and I liked the positive messages they shared. Sometimes I listened to them for two to three hours per day. This had a major effect on my attitude, thoughts, and beliefs. I gradually began setting goals, working on my self-discipline, and overcoming bad habits.

Soon I started over at a new college. Thanks to all this positive conditioning, I was able to take triple the normal course load, and I graduated in only three semesters with a double major in computer science and mathematics. At graduation I was presented with special award given to the top computer science student. I was amazed at the powerful transformation I went through as a result of exposing myself to daily inspiration.

After college I started a computer games business and ran it for ten years. For the first five years, it was a real struggle. I sank into debt and went bankrupt. But I didn’t give up because I understood the value of persistence. I kept going and eventually turned the business around. For the next five years, it did very well. Our games won several awards, and we had a write-up and photo published in the New York Times.

As I began to appreciate the amazing payoffs from investing in personal growth, I devoured many more books in the field and eventually read more than 1,000 of them. I listened to audio programs and went to seminars to keep learning and growing. Soon I was formulating my own insights to build upon this knowledge–and to connect the dots between what I’d learned from others and what I’d experienced for myself.

I felt a strong desire to “pay it forward,” so in 1999 I started writing articles to share what I learned with others.

I know that personal transformation is possible because I’ve lived it. By making a serious commitment to personal growth, I went from sitting in a jail cell facing felony charges to becoming a globally recognized author, speaker, and personal growth expert. This did not happen overnight. It took 15-20 years to reach this point. But what if I hadn’t made this commitment? I might have eventually received a much less pleasant 15-20 year sentence.

My life purpose is: to care deeply, connect playfully, love intensely, and share generously; to joyfully explore, learn, grow, and prosper; and to creatively, brilliantly, and honorably serve the highest good of all.

Steve

Self-Help Success Story: Terri Lynn: “I Chose Happiness”

Contributor: Motivational speaker and author Terri Lynn of thinkhappybehappy.com.

As a young child my mother told me that God is always watching. At four or five I went searching everywhere for that God until one day I became aware that I was not alone. I felt the presence within me. At a young age I developed a friendship with God. Later in life I made a prayerfully guided decision during my divorce. Years later that divinely guided decision led me into a living hell. My two young sons moved two hours away with their father. “How does my life look like this?” I wondered. After going through every emotion you can imagine, wanting to die rather than face the next ten years of pain, I came to accept my life and I made the commitment to live happy.

I trained my brain to think happy and became grateful for the divine strength from within that carried me through each day. I learned to play games with my mind to keep it focused on something positive. As I look back I see just how I was divinely guided to the positive side of pain. Pain is a catalyst and is a sign we need to change. Today I am grateful for those years because my sons and I are closer because of our separation. We made every minute together count, and we still do.

To be happy, no matter what, requires taking responsibility and acceptance. The decision to be happy is what creates the experience of being happy and your happiness depends on you.

Terri

Law of Attraction Success Story: Jack Canfield: “I Learned about the Power of Belief”

true law of attraction story — *Photo courtesy mike.palic of Flickr.com*

Contributor: Jack Canfield, www.jackcanfield.com. As the beloved originator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, Jack Canfield fostered the emergence of inspirational anthologies as a genre–and then watched it grow into a billion-dollar market. Here, Mr. Canfield shares a true law of attraction success story about the transforming power of one’s beliefs.

One of the best examples I know of the power of belief is an Australian named Cliff Young. Here is his story.

Cliff Young was a farmer who loved what he did; however, somewhere in the back of his mind he’d always wanted to run in a long distance race–an extreme race like a 5 ½-day 500-600 kilometer one. So, one day when he was in his 60s, he finally decided to enter and to fulfill his dream.

On the day of the race, Cliff prepared by dressing as he usually did in overalls, a T-shirt and construction boots–not even running shoes–with a baseball cap and sunglasses, while everyone around him was wearing Nike, Reebok and Asics running gear.

When he showed up and the others saw what he planned to wear, they said, “Are you serious?” They asked him if he’d ever run a long distance race before. To this, he said “no.” Then they asked if he’d run a short race like a half marathon before. To this, he also said “no,” and responded the same to a question regarding a 10k. So then they asked him what made him think he could run this race.

To this, he said, “I am a farmer. I chase my sheep around all day. I don’t have a tractor, so when I hear the sheep I gather them with my dog. Sometimes, if a storm’s coming in, we may be out running around for two or three days without sleep, so I think I can do this.”

At first, the race organizers didn’t want to let him enter. Finally, though, they acquiesced.

When everyone took off they were running fast, but Cliff ran rather slowly, doing what’s now called the ‘Cliff Young Shuffle’. He didn’t know that you were supposed to run for 16 hours and sleep for 8, then repeat that process to the end, and when everyone else went to sleep he was so far behind them that no one was awake to tell him to go to bed. Then, when they got up they were gone before he got there.

This went on for three and a half days, but on the fourth day while everyone was sleeping, Cliff ran by them again, still with no one telling him to go to sleep. The end of the story is that he ran non-stop for five and a half days and broke the old record by twelve hours.

What does this tell us? To me, this says that what you believe affects everything that you do. The other runners believed that they had to sleep every night, but Cliff didn’t have that belief. Therefore, he just continued on and ended up ahead of them all.

Jack Canfield

Self-Help Success Story: Mandy: “Dancing Helped Me Overcome Depression”

Contributor: Mandy, a professional dancer and dance, yoga and pilates instructor. Read her blog at www.breathingheart.com.

For over two decades, dance has been my passion. It began when I was seven years old when my mother signed me up for ballet lessons. She hoped that I could use up my extra energy learning how to move more elegantly, rather than using it to jump noisily around the house. (I was a little girl who could not sit still for over ten minutes!)

During that very first class, I fell in love with dance. I grew up in a family that didn’t talk very much about feelings, and dance gave me permission to feel and “speak” honestly and freely. My voice was heard through movement.

When I was in the fifth grade, my mother unexpectedly developed cancer and died shortly after the diagnosis. It was an emotional upheaval for me and my family. Later on in life, I didn’t realize that ever since that happened I had been suppressing my grief, anger and fear. Every time I felt bad, I just kept my thoughts and feelings quietly to myself. I was afraid to confront them; I was afraid even to remember them. Later, this suppression became such a problem that I had a hard time verbalizing and communicating when I was angry or upset. My inability to express negative feelings even led to the end of my first romantic relationship.

After that first relationship broke up, I was in a “functional” depression for almost two years. However, this experience taught me tremendous lessons about letting go and how to use positive thinking to change my life. It was during that period that I realized that the loss and the sadness I felt affected the physical function of my heart and lungs–I was actually getting physically weaker each day. At one point, I started having difficulty breathing and got tired very easily. As a dancer, I lost focus, stamina and even had trouble memorizing the choreography.

I knew I could not let my despair continue, so I became determined to get better and live my life again. During the process of healing, I read lots of spiritual books, did meditation, danced and journaled. It took me a while to see hope and happiness again, but eventually, these techniques worked, and now, I have my life back. I realize that nothing can hurt me, except ME. I refuse to be a victim of the past, and I choose to keep loving and to keep laughing no matter what life brings to me.

After realizing this, my life started to change. I started to attract more lovable, supportive and inspiring friends. When my mind feels good, my body feels good; I am just happy, healthy and free right here, right now. Most importantly, I know I am special whether I am on or off the stage.

Mandy

Law of Attraction Success Story: “Affirmations Have Helped My Son Cope with Autism Spectrum Disorder”

Guest contributor: Law of attraction believer Sarah Joyce Bryant, who gratefully requests help for her son at www.giveforward.com/keepcodyathome.

My son, Cody, has Autism Spectrum Disorder. When he was eighteen months old he suffered a full regression, losing his ability to walk and talk. When he regained his speech, he had echolalia, which means that he would repeat word for word everything he had heard that day. When he is in a rage state, he still has a little echolalia and will mindlessly repeat the not-so-nice things that he’s heard from other children.

Last month, Cody was discharged from an eight-month stay in a residential care facility. When he came home, I decided that I would fill him full of positive messages and love. My theory was that if I filled his mind with an abundance of positive messages every day he would start yelling out positive things when he was in a rage state.

Well, I’m pleased to say that my plan is working! During one of Cody’s recent meltdowns, he yelled out “You are very kind,” and then told me I was a stupid ass and that he didn’t love me. For him, that’s progress!

If there is one thing most ASD children have in common, it is the need to stick to a rigid schedule every day. I use this need to incorporate more positive messages into Cody’s day. Each morning we listen to Louise Hay’s Morning Meditation while eating breakfast. I sit at the table with a bin of markers and write out his daily schedule in a rainbow of colors. When I have finished writing his schedule, I add positive affirmations. I always include “I am safe,” and “All is well in my world,” but we also choose a Power Thought card from Louise Hay that is our affirmation for the day. I, too, have developed a routine for myself combining positive affirmations/meditations with binaural brain waves and reading positive life affirming books for an hour before Cody gets up.

I have found other unique ways to incorporate positive affirmations into Cody’s daily regimen. I created “relax time” for Cody which includes an hour of listening to Louise Hay affirmations or listening to music he loves. He usually will read books during this time or create amazing art pieces. He also listens to positive affirmations when he goes to bed that repeat throughout the night. Recently, after his relax time, Cody gave me a plastic bag with squares of paper in it. He had made his own affirmation cards!

Here’s a sample of what he wrote:

I love myself and others love me and I love others too
Rude comments aren’t very nice
People love other people
Have a good day
Golden Rules: Treat others the way you want to be treated
Have a great day
I love my life
If I be nice to others they’ll be nice to me
Life is great
Be sorry for your mistakes
Talk to your friends
I am in control of my life

It is clear that focusing on positive affirmations is having an impact on Cody’s thought processes … and they are having quite an impact on mine, too. I am calmer and more able to handle the stress of caring for Cody every day. Amazing things manifest in my life that I had not thought possible, such as a new equine therapy facility in our area that had an available spot for Cody. And my health is improving, too! The pain I used to feel from fibromyalgia and arthritis has significantly lessened and my blood pressure has returned to normal as well.

Though things are still not easy, I am able to handle the daily challenges better. Cody walks around saying things like “I approve of myself.” He even created his own daily affirmation: “I open my heart to love.” He begs to listen to Louise Hay affirmations even when it’s not “relax time” or bedtime.

So far, affirmations have made an undeniably positive difference in our lives.

Sarah Joyce Bryant

Self-Help Success Story: Jenion: “I Decided That Today, I Would Not Be Anxious”

Guest contributor: Law of attraction believer Jenion, www.jenion.com.

I am a word person. I always have been, though for much of my life I relegated the power of words to my heart. I didn’t know that some words could affect my daily experience, too.

And then the idea of “intention” (and it’s sister concept, the “law of attraction”) exploded on the scene. The New Age movement meets quantum physics! So, along with everyone else, I watched “What the Bleep”, read Lynn Grabhorn’s “Excuse Me, You’re Life is Waiting,” and more–there is no shortage of material out there which says that we can create our own reality and attract into our lives the things we want by “setting our intention.”

I liked these ideas, despite the fact that much of what has been written is tinged with magical thinking and focused on achieving material abundance. Although I’m not bent on earning my first million, I am attracted to the concept that it might be up to me whether any given day is a good day or not. So, since then, I’ve tried several experiments with the idea of intention. One notable example ended up with me getting free meat at the grocery store–it was a fun experiment, but the free meat has not been a replicable outcome. What has and can be replicated, though, is the intention to manage my own choices such that a positive outcome is practically guaranteed.

I remember the first time I approached an annual event, one which I had dreaded every year, with this specific intention: “Today, I will be not be anxious. I will be calm and open to every person who approaches me. If there is a problem, we will resolve it with compassion and respect.” I wrote the intention down, and said it aloud. Each time throughout the day that I began to feel anxiety or my composure began to slip, I would remind myself of the day’s intention.

In the end, it was a great day.

This may be one of the reasons the Gospel of John is my favorite. It’s first sentence “In the beginning was the Word” is perhaps my favorite sentence of all time. It’s followed by: “The Word was with God and was God.” In other words, God’s intention created everything. How amazing and powerful is that? And the light created by that intent has not and cannot be overcome by darkness.

As with every change we try to make in life, practice is called for and perfection is a million miles away. But I have more successfully intentional days now than I did five years ago, or five months ago. And that has, indeed, changed my life forever.

Jenion

Law of Attraction Success Story: “Everything Fell Into Place”

Contributor: Hanna Goss of Goss Coaching. Hanna has a great blog about mental health and alternative spiritual practices at goss-coaching.com/blog.

In 2009, I really “got” the idea of acceptance and gratitude. Consciously, I let go of struggling against my life and focused on appreciating my home, my job, my relationships, my body, me—everything!

About two months later, I was sitting at home having dinner when my husband called from a conference. After a few minutes of catching up, he said, “Some people have asked me to apply for a job.”

It happened to be in another state in an area that we loved and had dreamed of retiring to “someday.” I encouraged him to throw his hat in the ring, if that was what he wanted.

He arrived back home on Tuesday and had his application in on Thursday. The following week he had a telephone interview that went so well they invited him up a few days later for an in-person interview. A few days after the interview, they offered him the job—with a significant raise.

That weekend we saw the community that would become our new home for the first time as we looked at houses with a realtor. By Sunday we had put in an offer, which was accepted as we raced back to get our home on the market. After spending a week prepping our home to get it ready for sale, I walked out the door on Saturday morning to fly to a conference in Los Angeles just as a couple was coming in for our first showing. By the time I landed in LA, we had a full-price offer in-hand—something everyone told us was impossible due to the economy.

Three weeks later, we closed on both houses, and moved to our new home—and my bosses agreed to let me take my job with me. Not only was I able to keep a job I loved, but I was able to fulfill a dream of working from home. Everything—absolutely everything—fell perfectly into place for this mind-boggling fast transition to happen—a transition that allowed our dreams to come true.

Hanna