As I grabbed my tattered original 1980s edition of Louise Hay’s book, You Can Heal Your Life, from my bookshelf to prep for this month’s interview, I thought about all the people I have shared it with in the past 30 years and how I still regularly open it for inspiration.

Seeing Louise Hay’s 88-year-old portrait grace our cover adds to the charm. Her continuing rich, full life encourages me, in my early 60s, to look forward to creatively contributing well into my 90s. She beautifully illustrates the principle that we don’t need to accept the notion that aging must necessarily entail deterioration of body and mind. She says. “I don’t believe in ‘thinking’ old. Don’t program yourself to break down as you age with thoughts that ‘decline is inevitable.’ Time may be passing for our bodies, but because they house our ageless souls, we never need to see ourselves as old and infirm.”

Hay is one of many teachers and authors that have inspired me to explore and pursue the untapped potential we all have to create a life and world of our dreams. From quantum physics scientists to spiritual teachers, the message is the same: It is we who shape and color our experience through our thoughts and beliefs. We are far more powerful than we imagine, because each thought, word and act is a powerful, living entity.

Early on, I liked to play with ideas and affirmations, but was admittedly undisciplined. I am grateful that pivotal losses and challenges have always led me back to more diligent study and practice of the mental genesis of a life as I’ve sought to feel more joy-filled peace.

I eventually became adept at catching myself in the act of saying or thinking something that didn’t support that desire and hitting the delete button. Then, I’d turn it around as quickly as possible to reaffirming what I wish to experience. Little by little, my life began better reflecting the direction of my improving thoughts and beliefs. I’m still a work in progress, but am seeing daily evidence of success in living creatively and joyfully with greater peace.

My intention to steer a happy course accelerated a few years ago thanks to the book, A Complaint Free World. Author Will Bowen’s program opened my eyes to see how every little complaint is typically a disguise for something else, and the value to us and others in eradicating complaining, gossiping or criticizing from our lives.

Bowen found that the average person complains 15 to 30 times a day. Since it takes 21 days to form a new habit, Bowen clues people into ways to reach 21 continuous days with no complaints or criticisms. His team discovered that it takes an average person four to 10 months to make it to 21 days straight… but what a vital breakthrough.

It’s a marvelous resolution for the new year, coupled with attaining clarity about the life we want and aligning all our thoughts and actions to support that. We have the power to bring about our best year yet. You’ll find plenty of resources in this issue to support you in realizing your dreams in 2015.

Happy New Year,

 

 

 

Sharon Bruckman, Publisher