7 Steps to Energizing Your Life

By Ann Nichols Roulac

The Power of Thoughts
"Disease and health, like circumstances, are rooted in thought... Thoughts of fear have been known to kill a man as speedily as a bullet, and they are continually killing thousands of people just as surely though less rapidly."
        ---James Allen, As a Man Thinketh

Indigenous cultures understand that a human being's thoughts, intentions, and dreams don't just influence but also control that person's health and quality of life. Every time we have a thought, whether it is positive or negative, we have started – or kept – a ball rolling in one direction or another. Repeated negative thoughts about how difficult work is, for example, will keep you in a "work is bad" state of mind, squeezing out possibilities for change. Holding a positive outlook, on the other hand, will help to create the conditions for achieving whatever goal you're pursuing.

Unfortunately, Western cultures have had little training in how to change undesirable conditions into more desirable ones using the power of thought control and the knowledge of how energy works. We are aware enough to know that when we exert too much physical energy we become tired and drained. We notice as well that certain activities deplete us more than others, whether it's a trip to the shopping mall or a lengthy business meeting.

Much of the time, though, our thoughts, feelings, and emotions are out of sync with each other, and imbalance occurs. For example, we may want more abundance, but if we carry a deep belief that we don't really deserve it, then it will be difficult to manifest that reality. Negative emotions and mindsets such as anger, guilt, shame, unworthiness, low self-esteem, or resentment prevent us from moving toward more positive outcomes in life. If we want to change our work, our lives, and ultimately our world, we need to change what we spend our energy thinking about.

When we can achieve more mental and emotional balance, we create the conditions for a greater degree of wisdom and self-confidence. The good news is that, at any time, we can turn our thoughts and inner images in a more life-affirming direction and release the ones that no longer serve us.