Wishful Believing

by Laura Interval

When was the last time you made a wish? I mean closed your eyes and thought about something you wanted?

It’s actually quite common in our culture to “make a wish” isn’t it? When you blow out your birthday candles, toss a coin in a fountain, pull apart a wishbone, or even blow an eyelash off the correctly guessed finger or thumb (remember that one?), you are apparently in a special position to have a wish granted. But, don’t say it out loud or it won’t come true . . . for a reason that still remains a mystery to me.

I’ve always done it. I’ve always been a sucker for those wishing opportunities. When I was really young, I just assumed it would work. I mean, that’s what my parents told me and I never doubted their word. And if I added my special “I dream of Jeannie” head nod, the supernatural magical birthday forces would bring me what I wanted. As I got older I began to get vaguely confused about the difference between praying and wishing, but still didn’t want to doubt the power of the wish and probably wished more than I prayed. I continued to squint and silently scream my wishes whenever one of these events would arise and hoped it would come true. Wishful thinking.

It occurs to me now as an adult that these wishes are the beginnings of intentions. They are tiny seeds of a declaration to the universe of what you want in your life. You can read books, you can spend a lot of money on seminars to learn how to harness the law of attraction, but at the end of the day, you must believe in its power. If you’ve ever made a wish, you’ve done it. You just need to turn that wishful thinking into wishful believing.

It’s like putting gas into your car. Wishful thinking leaves your dreams vague and destined to vanish. Wishful believing puts intention and belief behind your wish, giving it horsepower. The law of attraction demands that you believe your wish and you don’t wait for an occasion to manifest what you want. You think it everyday and you believe that it is coming true.

Ok… so the question is, is the law of attraction the same thing as wishful thinking for you? I mean, do you really believe that what you think will bring about you what you think? A lot of people want to believe it, but have filed it away in their mind somewhere between “aromatherapy” and “horoscopes”. With the lack of scientific evidence, it is up to you to believe it. It is up to you to take responsibility for its effects and results. No one else will be able to do it for you. You have to pump your own gas on this one.

Here are a few techniques to turn your wishful thinking into wishful believing:

Know what you want:
I say this a lot. But, it is the foundation for all self-improvement. So many people come to me and can’t tell me clearly what they want in their lives. Make it honest and make it specific. WHAT do you want, realistically, in your life? WHAT are you working so hard to achieve? Go even further, what will it mean to you when you achieve it? HOW will it change your life? It’s important to know this because I find quite often that the realities of what you say you want conflict with the realities of your life. Which brings me to the next step…

Do all that you can and don’t stand in your own way:
Are you afraid of what will happen when you achieve your goal? Are you putting your intention out there and then sabotaging yourself? Part of believing that you can achieve your goals is knowing that YOU are doing all you can to get there. Your belief starts with yourself and knowing that you can handle whatever you have to do. You can work hard enough, you can make the sacrifices. Don’t count on others; don’t count on it to happen in spite of you. Stand behind your belief!

Make it loud to the universe:
No more secrets. Say what you want loudly to anyone anywhere. Make it known what you are doing. Speaking it out loud will not void the wish. And anyway, it’s a belief now, not a wish. By letting others around you know what you are planning to achieve, you make yourself responsible for your actions.

Continue to reinforce it:
Make your wishful believing a habit. State your wishes to the universe everyday. Don’t let your belief turn into doubtful thoughts. Be aware. When your thoughts turn negative, simply stop them. Don’t give them any gas. Turn back to your positive belief of achieving your goals. It gets easier, believe me. And you will feel a shift in what used to be vague wishes.

Start over everyday:
No matter what happens, you must start again. We are human. We make mistakes. This is a process. It takes all of your focus and all of your belief. Do your best, stand by your belief and consciously choose wishful believing everyday.

I have to admit, I still do it. I still say “make a wish!” at birthday parties and still toss a penny into a well with hope. There’s a part of me that just wants to believe in the magic, I guess. But, now I know that I don’t have to wait for that special occasion . . . that this moment is just as good as any. That a million dollars would drop down from the sky, that’s wishful thinking. That abundance will continue because I am working hard at what I am meant to be doing; now that’s wishful believing.

related articles:

The Importance of Declaring Your Intention

The Law of Attraction Tune Up - Your TASK

The Law of Attraction for Dessert


return from Wishful Believing to Creative Personal Development home