Five steps to living the life of your dreams

by DR. LINDA PENTON-DOUGAN

Focusing on the news — with reports of economic turmoil, unemployment, war, violent crime and disease — can make the world appear to be a very scary place. You may be personally experiencing some unexpected fallout from these conditions.
But there are people living the lives of their dreams. That doesn’t mean they are problem-free, but they have managed to not be problem-focused.
How do they do it? The answer may be in the following “Five Rs,” adapted from the work of three authors: Dr. Robert Anthony (“Beyond Positive Thinking”), Joe Vitale (“Zero Limits”) and Eckert Tolle (“A New Earth”).

RELAX. Before we can change anything, we must learn to take a break from our concerns and simply relax our minds and bodies. In the words of one author, “We are human beings, not human doings.” We need time each day to just be.

RECOGNIZE. We must recognize that we are surrounded by the presence and power of God at all times. The intelligence, wisdom and order of this divine power is exhibited throughout the universe, and can be seen in all things from the birth of a child to the sheer complexity of a vast cosmos. Most importantly, all intellect comes through alignment with divine intelligence. As humans, we are innately a part of this power. We are it, and it is us. We can never be separated.

REASON. What is the reason you want to create? Knowing “why” is essential to reaching goals. Goals give us direction, but our passion and reason provide the focus and strength required to get the job done. Our minds perform two distinct functions to make this happen: Our conscious mind provides direction, as the subconscious mind creates what we desire.

REALIZE. We are one with God and share this divine intelligence. As a result of this power, we are capable of bringing about whatever we allow to dominate our thinking. Let us be conscious and careful about what we allow into our minds.

RELEASE. This means to let go. As the old adage instructs, “Do your best and let God do the rest.” However, there is more: Trust God to perform the work in the best way. We often get so focused on whether something is working (which is really just fear and doubt), that we destroy what we want to create. When we do this, it’s like digging up a seed each day to check its growth.

You are more powerful than you can imagine. So think big and beautiful thoughts, develop your faith and build the life of your dreams.

Dr. Linda Penton-Dougan is a life coach and financial educator with more than 30 years of experience. She is also the co-author (with Phyllis Beach) of “Spiritual Guide for the Pregnant Woman.” Contact her at P.O. Box 35976, Las Vegas, NV 89133. Telephone: (702) 610-2120.
Web: www.clearvision.name.
E-mail: ylpdougan@cox.net