I'm am a true believer in the Law of Attraction - of focusing attention to what it is we want to attract rather than that we wish to move away from. Shifting the way I view the world has had a profound affect on my life. I went from seeing myself as a positive person, to actually being a positive person. Each day I attempt to focus my attention on my blessings instead of my troubles...to seek goodness, and to fill my heart with hope, no matter how dark the road ahead appears. This shift has been empowering, and the results far-reaching.

I've been asked how I always manage to maintain a positive and upbeat outlook. I can tell you, I don't. I have the same doubts, the same anxieties, the same fears as anyone. What I have been able to do is to view life's struggles, challenges, disappointments, and unpredictable circumstances as a part of the human condition and as an opportunity for growth, personal evolution, and worldly transformation.

There was a time when I would find myself in the midst of one of life's overwhelming moments and think, "How could this happen to someone who is so focused on the positive." Or I would experience feelings of guilt, "if I was as focused on the positive as I should be, this never would have happened." This is when I have to remind myself there is a divine plan for each of us, and that God's plan includes lessons, periods of enlightenment, and transformative experiences...and that this is not always an easy process.

Our life experiences - the good and the difficult - are part of the human experience we are intended to have. No matter what life throws our way we must attempt to keep our focus beyond the horizon - to what it is we want to attract and to where it is we want to be. Then we will pass through these experiences stronger, wiser, and richer. ~ Andrea :-)

Once upon a time we lived in a world where people had disagreements, and though there was conflict created from these differences in opinion and ideology, at the end of the day we would somehow find a way to recognize the vast similarities we shared, and would come together to find middle ground. And then there was progress, and growth, and a spirit of oneness.

It is difficult to be an observer of today's world. A world where so many minds are closed to compromise and hearts are so filled with fear, that there is no discourse and no search for common ground. It is troubling to see that many of our leaders and role models are filled with such a spirit of hate that it is seemingly impossible for them to see beyond their own agenda, to try to view things from an opposing perspective. They have lost sight of productive discourse and mutual respect, there is no such thing as middle ground.

How is it that so many among us have become fearful of change? Who are so filled with prejudice and have hearts that are so full of hate? I find it fascinating that so many of these same people also claim to be doing God's work, or at the least, hold themselves up as leaders to the path of rightegousness. Yet from where I sit, all I can see is spiritual disconnection. Because here is the truth as I know it:

God has created each and every one of us to be unique...to be individuals who may look a little different, think a little different, and view the world through different eyes. But the one thing we all share - the one common thread - is that we all come from this same Divine Spirit...the Spirit of love, of magnificence, of perfection. We are perfectly imperfect, our mission is to learn, to grow, and become enlightened through our differences. I wonder how God views those who are so filled with hate, so filled with the spirit of "my way or no way?" My heart tells me this is not what God wants for any of us.

And so I am choosing to not participate in the spreading spirit of hate and negativity. I will not read the emails filled with fear. I will change the channel when someone is spreading a message of intolerance. I will hit the off switch when people like Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck put their personal desires above their love of country and fellow man. And I will offer all of these people something that seem to have forgotten how to give: I will choose to look for their goodness, for their true heart, that I know exists somewhere deep within them. I will search for common ground, and remind myself over and over again that we are more alike than we are different. ~ Andrea :-)

I have been so blessed to have come across so many wonderful books this Summer, and my luck has continued into the Fall as I just finished another wonderful book that I had to share with you. If you have not read The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlho, I highly recommend it.

More than 65 million copies of this book have been sold in 150 countries, and it has been translated into 60 languages. Why? Because the message of this story is universal - it is about the journey we each take in this lifetime...seeking our "personal legend." You may call it your purpose, or your passion...this fable touches each of us because Coelho understands that we all share the same desire to discover our personal calling.

As much as I loved Santiago's (the main character) story, actually my favorite part of the book is the author's introduction where he shares his thoughts about personal calling, which he defines as "...it is the path that God chose for you here on Earth. When we do something that fills us with enthusiasm, we are following our legend." He also shares his theory of the four obstacles to actually finding the courage to confront our own dreams:

1. We are told from childhood that everything we want to do is impossible...and eventually our personal calling is so deeply buried in our soul as to be invisible. But it is always there.

2. Love: we know what we want to do but are afraid of hurting those around us by abandoning everything in order to pursue our dreams.

3. Fear of defeat, fear of failure. Coelho has a wonderful explanation for the benefits of failing: "...once we overcome the defeats - and we always do - we are filled by a greater sense of euphoria and confidence. In the silence of our hearts, we know that we are proving ourselves worthy of the miracle of life. Each day, each hour, is part of the good fight."

4. Fear of realizing our dream for which we fought for all our lives...that the possibility of getting what we want fills the soul of the ordinary person with guilt. "But if you believe yourself worthy of the thing you fought so hard to get, then you become an instrument of God, you help the Soul of the World, and you understand why you are here."

Happy Reading! Andrea :-)