There is a beautiful flow of energy moving across the nation. People from all walks of life are being swept up in the knowledge and understanding of the Law of Attraction and the ideas and principles set forth in movies like The Secret.

Each day I see and hear evidence of the growing knowledge that we are the creators of our reality. This concept isn't new we've been creating our reality all along, but now with expanding consciousness of this information, people are discovering that they can create the life they want to lead, be the person they want to be and experience what they wish by putting the Law of Attraction (LOA) to work for them.

I am thrilled at the widespread acceptance of this Universal Principle, because I use it in both my profession and personal life. For those of you who are attracting this information into your experience for the first time, the LOA is a universal law or principle that simply states, like attracts like. Which means the energy, thoughts and feelings you put out into the world always come back to you as a match; both good and bad.

If you are happy and send happy thoughts into the world, you attract more happiness into your life. If you focus on health and wholeness, those qualities are drawn to you. If you speak most of illness more illness comes your way. If you believe that life is a struggle that becomes your experience.

There are 3 basic steps to the Law of Attraction: Ask, It is Given and Receive. The asking is easy because we do it all the time with words, thoughts and feelings. The giving is easy because it has nothing to do with you; it is the Universe that sends to you what you are asking for, good or bad, every time. It is with the receiving or allowing that many of us experience difficulty.

In my belief therapy practice about 40% of my clients have never heard of the LOA. The rest are very familiar with it and are actively manifesting their goals and dreams. What I hear from them over and over again is, "Esther, I know what I want. I ask for what I want. I visualize it, write it down, feel the feelings of having it and create vision boards to support my desires. I speak as if what I want is already in my experience. I have been doing this for months and yet this thing, person, experience that I desire has not come into my life."

From my own personal experience and from my growing knowledge of the LOA and the power behind it, may I offer some suggestions? The asking is easy; as I said we do it all the time. Make sure you are asking for what you want, rather then what you don't want. The giving is the responsibility of the Universe, so in regards to the receiving, here are some things to check for to create an atmosphere which will allow the things you want, to come into your life.

Are you being grateful? Most importantly are you being grateful for whatever situation or circumstance you currently find yourself in. Even though it is not pleasing to you, even though you want to get as far away from it as possible, are you able to say this is where I am now; this is what I created with my thoughts, feelings and choices and be truly grateful? Are you grateful for the learning experience and the lessons being gained in your current situation? Recently on the Oprah show, Reverend Michael Beckwith said, "Nothing new can come into you life without gratitude. So the moment you begin focusing on gratitude, you are creating the condition for more things to be grateful for to come into your life."

Manifesting your desires is also fueled by inspired action. Many people who watch The Secret think that if they just visual what they want and feel the feelings of having it; the thing that they want will magically appear. And that is possible, that's the power of the Universe. Yet often the Universe brings to us people, knowledge, resources and ideas to help us get what we want. Many of those things require inspired action on our part. Not action just for the sake of taking action, but inspired action that takes you closer to achieving your goals and desires.

That brings us to what I feel is the KEY to The Secret and the LOA. You must hold positive, unlimiting beliefs in your subconscious mind to support the allowing in of what you want into your life. For example, if you are holding negative beliefs such as: the LOA doesn't work for me, nothing ever works for me, there is only chaos in the universe, then that will be your experience.

If you are trying to attract more money into your life and are holding subconscious beliefs such as: money is dirty, the rich are greedy, I am not deserving of being wealthy, it's hard to make and manage money, life is struggle, then as you sit visualizing being extremely wealthy your subconscious beliefs are canceling out your conscious manifesting efforts.

If you are trying to manifest more love in your life whether in a new relationship, a current relationship or in your family dynamics and are holding beliefs such as: love hurts, I am unlovable, when I love someone they leave me, families are hard to get along with, nobody cares about me, I need to please others in order for them to like me, those negative and limiting beliefs will cancel out your universal order for loving relationships.

Sometimes we are aware of the limiting beliefs holding us back from getting what we want. Most often we are unaware of these beliefs because they are buried in our subconscious mind. They present themselves to us in the form of out of balance emotions, habitual automatic behaviors and reactions which are hindering and destructive to us in life. Those negative subconscious beliefs then show up as the results we get. For our beliefs and thoughts are the root of what we create and what we manifest. Our beliefs are the root of our feelings, behaviors, actions and results. We need to fill our conscious and subconscious mind with positive beliefs that support our goals and desires.

When clients come to me and say "Esther, I know what I want and I am asking for it. I know the Universe is bringing it to me. I am visualizing and feeling the feelings of having that thing or experience, and yet it is not coming to me," I say to them but it is. The Universe promises to bring you knowledge, people, resources and ideas to help you get what you want. The Universe led you to Core Belief Engineering to deal with your negative subconscious beliefs which are preventing you from allowing into your life what you want. Changing beliefs transforms lives and manifests dreams.

Esther Bartkiw is a Certified Core Belief Engineering Psychotherapist with a private practice in Burlington. She can be reached at 905-630-4471 or visit www.changefromwithin.ca. Printed in the June 2007 Edition of the Bronte Villager.