Looking Forward to Something

Looking Forward to Something

 What's the best way to get through rough times? Create something to look forward to in the future.

 Although it sounds rather simple (and it really is) most people choose to look forward to something negative rather than positive. While researching the Mental Codes Technology®, I discovered human beings have a natural propensity to dwell on negative, rather than positive, things in life. This is especially true when thinking about the future.

 Remember, we may not have any control over the thoughts that pop into our minds, we do have total control over what thoughts we choose to dwell upon. Since most good-hearted people dwell on negative thoughts, they continue to create negative experiences in their lives.

 The phenomenon of creating your life from what you think about has been around since the beginning of time. As a matter of fact, it is mentioned in almost all major religious books, ancient philosophical teachings, and spiritual lessons taught from the beginning of time.

 In recent times, we are just starting to remember what was taught so long ago, "Your life is a product of what you think about most of the time." If this is true, if what the prophets, saviors, and sages talked about was factual, then it would be most important that we create something positive to think about and look forward to on a regular basis.

 When you have something positive to look forward to, you will increase your general happiness and gain more confidence over your present-day trials and tribulations.

 There are some shortcuts in the process and of course, you'd expect me to share these with you. Try these recommendations and see what your life feels like.

 Start with always having two vacations on your calendar. Never go on a vacation without having at least another vacation booked. This will give you something to look forward to when you're ending one vacation. You'll be at a higher happiness level knowing that, as you end your current vacation, another is awaiting for you in the near future. I like to take a vacation every 6-8 weeks. Even if it's only for two days, you'd be amazed at what this does for your outlook on life.

1. Dream of a better life. Regardless of what challenges you may be facing, never stop dreaming of a better life. You can lose anything and anyone in this material world but nothing can ever take away your dreams if you won't allow it to happen. Reading memoirs of slaves, concentration camp survivors, and tortured prisoners of war, almost all of the survivors had one thing in common-they dreamed of a better day and freedom ahead. Never lose your dreams and remember it is up to you, and only you to maintain them on a regular basis-simply by choosing to think about them.
2. Learn to laugh in the face of doom and gloom. This is a powerful exercise I learned years ago. Regardless of what you're facing, stop and start forcing yourself into a laugh session. At first it may seem strange and awkward but keep going with the forced laughter until it becomes more natural. As you begin to laugh at your problems, challenges, limitations, and obstacles, they will change into something much less scary. Of course, you'll recognize that the problems didn't really change, you did. As you practice the Laughing Exercise more, you'll discover the reality that you're okay and everything in your life will be fine in the long run. After all, the insurmountable, major problems you had a few years ago are either gone or you made it through them. The same goes for the current challenges.
3. Help others to maintain hope. While some people are claiming the "sky is falling," I choose to stay confident that "...every little thing will be alright...." Maintaining your hope internally is important and if you want to super charge the process, help others to be more hopeful. When you coach another person about staying hopeful for their future, you'll find a strange thing will happen-you'll become more hopeful about your own future as well. It's another prime example of helping yourself by helping others.

 I ask you to stop dwelling on your Mental Codes of fear and negativity and replace them with hope and expectancy of good fortune. In turn, you will create more of it. Instead of waiting for the world to fall apart, jump in and get moving toward what you want. Stop thinking about what terrible things are going to happen to you and the world and start dwelling on the good things in life.

 Yes, all of life as we know it may end tomorrow but for today, I choose to have hope that it will continue for another four billion years.

 As the author Orison Swett Marden shared with an audience long ago, "There is no medicine like hope, no incentive so great, and no tonic so powerful as expectation of something tomorrow."

 What are you choosing to believe about your tomorrow? Yes, regardless of what comes before you, it is a choice. As a matter of fact, it's your choice to believe what tomorrow will hold. I pray you will choose something good.

 I want to thank all of you for joining me each week over the many years. I truly look forward to our weekly time together and cherish every Five Minute Mental Break we share. Until next week, I am

 In Loving Service,
Dr. Michael J. Duckett