To truly experience the benefits of positive thinking, you have to practice it all the time. Watching (& re-watching!) inspirational films like The Secret is a great way to keep positive thoughts in the front of your mind. Last weekend, Kelly & I watched Esther & Jerry Hicks: Law of Attraction:

Discover how the power of positive thinking applies to common, real-life situations as Esther and Jerry Hicks look at the commanding law of attraction and the teachings of Abraham, the collective consciousness channeled through Esther.

It took me some time to accept the idea that Esther was channeling "Abraham", but if you can get past that bit there is much to be learned!

1. Wouldn't it be nice if...

If you're having trouble figuring out how to make a situation better, try playing the "wouldn't it be nice if..." game. When I'm bored or depressed, I can always imagine better circumstances. Once you start visualizing what would make you feel better, you actually do start feeling better.

2. Stop caring about what others think!

According to Abraham, this is the most important thing you can do when trying to achieve joy. The only responsibility you have is to match your emotional state to the person you want to become. If you want to be wealthy, you can get there by feeling like a wealthy person. ("Act as if." "Fake it til you make it.") When you start worrying about what other people think about what you want, then you dilute your desire. If you feel guilty about what you want, you're worrying about what other people think. All that matters is how YOU feel. Don't compare yourself to others. Remove fear from your decision-making. If you worry about being judged, or looking stupid, you'll never take the leap towards your true joy!

3. Teaching is about soothing disbelief

One of the most striking conversations in the film is between Abraham & a man who does motivational speaking. The man wants to know how he can teach, motivate, inspire & heal all at once. As a teacher myself, I often wonder what my students want from me, & how I can best help them. Abraham explains that all there is to teaching is soothing disbelief. A teacher must simply help her student believe that he is capable. A teacher must inspire a reduction of resistance in her student, by helping him remove anything in the way of believing he already has what he wants.

When teaching web design & development, I often have students who are so intimidated by code that they convince themselves they just can't understand it. Changing this mindset is what teaching is all about.

Abraham continues with some practical tips on how to have the right attitude as a teacher. Before approaching your students, believe that they will summon from you what they want to hear. Think of yourself as a catalyst to open them up to receiving. Believe that you're ready for them & they are ready for you. Above all, teach for the fun of it!

4. Practice the art of allowing

The art of allowing is this: you gain control of your reality by letting go of control. Decide what you want, then leave it up to the universe to figure out how to get it to you. Let go of your plans, stop working towards goals, & allow the universe to bring you the things you desire & deserve.

5. Follow your impulses!

Part of the art of allowing is following your impulses. The universe constantly gives you feedback on your proximity to joy. When you feel bad, you are far from joy. When you start feeling excitement & passion, you are much closer to joy. You were born with intuition. Use it! Whenever you get a feeling that you should do something out of the ordinary, indulge yourself! You will be surprised at what joy can come from it. Trust yourself!

6. I'm doing everything right

Abraham says that most people walk around life beating a drum, saying over & over to themselves "What am I doing wrong? What am I doing wrong? What am I doing wrong?" Not surprisingly, those people have a whole lot of wrong in their lives. The other day I came up with a trick to combat this negative thought pattern: consciously walk around saying "I'm dong everything right! I'm doing everything right!" Before you know it, you will start to FEEL like you are doing everything right! That mindset is enough to change the course of your entire life.