The Women's Book of Empowerment: 323 Affirmations That Change Everyday Problems into Moments of Potential

Because we have an opportunity to choose our attitude and focus our intentions in the present moment, the world and our own personal lives are a reflection of our thoughts. It is our 360 degree review on how we think. Put simply, our job is to fully participate in life but be consciously aware of what we want to create. Then look at the results and make adjustments.

To realize this power, we must embrace the spark of divine energy that constitutes our unique and beautiful selves. Strength comes from making choices based in the present moment, not as a reaction from events, relationships, or experiences from long ago that no longer matter. Deciding to live in the now is the key to an empowered life. It is our gift from the Divine.

The evidence of these truths rests in our ability to create a life we desire. Harnessing this skill takes a great deal of focus. It's not easy to be a co-creator with God in a world filled with noise and negativity. Judging from the media's appetite for disaster and worst case scenarios, our culture does not reward present moment awareness or positive thinking. We're always drudging up the past or preparing for catastrophe.

Now, more than ever, we are being nudged by the universe to arrive at the following realization: life is so very much more than what we see. Science, medicine, and mystics have followed suit, finally joining forces to confirm what we suspected -- that when the brain-body-heart composite is fully operational, using our capabilities to the largest degree possible, we can manifest our reality. Our power lies within us to make positive change. It is this birthright, our God-self put into motion that gives us an option to illuminate others by creative design. And, in turn, by claiming responsibility for what we create, we are allowed to grow and self-develop.

Life, seen from this perspective, is a giant learning laboratory where constant feedback is provided from our personal expression, testing and expanding our limits, evaluating what works and what doesn't. So, at the day's end, we're all scientists -- data-gatherers and mini-creators interacting within this rich environment, a continuum of ideas from the past in hand, understanding more about what we can do today and tomorrow for our own self-development. It's an amazing learning opportunity. The complexity and genius of this program, all for our benefit, is enough to validate our importance. We are significant, each and every one of us, because we are all helping to evolve our souls, and the collective group consciousness.

There's something to be said for the journey of becoming a conscious observer, or pursuing a state of awareness about how you think. Because this existence has undulating characteristics, some divinely inspired and a number of the more conventional, human brand, we don't learn anything by getting our minds in the right place the first time. Often, it's trial and error in arranging a combination of emotions and thoughts around a set of ideas that create a reality. And to arrive with imagination, you need to be focused and love what you believe in. Clarity and interest, as Emmet Fox used to say, is how we set a mental equivalent that attracts what we desire. You must know what you want and have a passion for it.

Negative thoughts, or old patterns of thinking, prevent us from offering the world our special talents and doing the work we love, which can be anything from managing a home or a family to running a Fortune 500 company. Having the discipline to choose our thoughts is also a challenge, especially when old baggage gets in the way. Our day unfolds with surprises, both good and bad, but on a good day, we are able to embrace life at all levels of experience and move forward with a sense of accomplishment. On the bad days, we must deeply believe the very core of our spirit is waiting to be put to good use, then go to bed, get up, and just try something different.

Changing our perception of worldly experiences is the only way we separate the concept of failure from our vocabulary, and instead substitute a language of success and learning. You are brave for being on this planet during such difficult times, and you chose to be here to test your own capabilities to manifest change in the most arduous circumstances. There is no failure, only a greater opportunity to put your God-self to work. That includes taking change of your destiny and stop brow beating from past experiences that no longer have any bearing upon what you can accomplish today.

Since I wrote "Let Your Goddess Grow: 7 Spiritual Lessons on Female Power and Positive Thinking," I have helped a great many people change their minds to create more harmony and abundance. Many people told me they've trained themselves to process life very differently -- some even admit negative thinking is just a bad habit. Others unconsciously assumed ownership of old hurts leftover from parents, institutions, guilt and unforgiveness, unaware of old mental programming. When you start taking inventory, it's amazing how often we keep wounds open with situations that no longer matter.

How can we alter courses to reset our thinking to the self-empowerment dial? To feel productive and balanced, we can develop conscious awareness of those thought patterns that prevent us from expressing our gifts. With a little self-discipline, we can begin to reveal our divine selves, letting our light blast forth with no inhibitions or hidden agenda, other than the simple fact that our purpose is to evolve our souls with as much zest as possible. When that happens, life suddenly moves from struggle to joy.

We must also identify with the source of our power, which is the Divine, attaching our self-image to our emotions which hopefully includes a great deal of love. It's how we get things done the right way. It is our true self discovery, our spirit-power awaiting recognition. When we honor the Divine within us, we no longer await for life to begin. We jumpstart it all on our own. And women, as a unique subset of the population of soul seekers, need to realize the Divine seeks expression through us. Women have the same spirit-power as a man, and should be marvelously unrestrained in letting it loose. When it comes to working in this Department of Divine Power, the glorious, beloved female is eminently qualified.

By participating in life this way, both men and women are channels of the spiritual source. Once we resonate with that idea, our short time on earth will be spent cultivating circumstances that reflect who we are, both in and out of organizations and families. We'll resonate with values that make sense, and attract goodness. It'll move us toward a more meaningful existence.