For most of our lives, we are concerned primarily with our physical reality.
If we can see it, if we can touch it, then it exists for us.
We are taught to think, rather than to feel, and are told that dreaming, for the most part, is a useless pastime.
Our world is grounded in the concept of matter, and we are rewarded for being practical and logical.
We go through life holding strong to this belief and get plenty of support along the way.
So it comes at somewhat of a surprise when we realize that things may not be as concrete as they appear.
As we come to understand that the world exists on many different levels - the physical world simply the most obvious - we open up to new ways of creating the life we want.
Our black and white world enlarges to multiple shades of gray; what we believed was possible suddenly expands.
We begin to experience the power of our thoughts and realize that if we can imbue these thoughts with enough positive energy, then they just may manifest on the physical plane.
The feeling is exhilarating, and we feel powerful.
We have stretched the boundaries of our perception and tapped in to special knowledge, gotten an edge on the competition.
We concentrate on what we want, meditate on it, and write affirmations.
We become consumed with our idea coming to fruition and press on, no matter what.
And then it happens.
We get what we want.
The process may work, but does our life? This is the question we need to ask ourselves.
After all, the will is very strong.
If we apply all our energy in a tightly focused stream, there is a great likelihood we will be successful; our thoughts will become our reality.
But unless we get a "match" (a fit with who we are), we will never be deeply satisfied.
We may get the form we think we want, but the essence will be missing.
There will be an initial burst of euphoria (we have reached our goal), but that is nothing more than a passing gratification; it will not sustain us or nourish our souls.
Thinking of our ideal man, we hold an image of someone tall, blond, with a full head of hair.
We make the picture even more specific by "seeing" no children and a big house on the water.
We believe that the more detailed we become, the closer we get to what will make us feel good, but actually, that is not correct.
The more we hold a specific image of what it is we want, the less we are able to recognize what truly belongs to us.
Our fantasy sidetracks us and blinds us to other possible matches.
If our Mr.
Right is standing next to us, short, dark, and balding, we miss him.
Rather than hold a thought, we need to hold a "feeling.
" If we want to be loved and cherished by someone, we need to ask ourselves, "What does it feel like to be cared for?" Once we connect to the feeling, we have a home base.
This means that unless that feeling is there, we are not interested.
This is the starting point.
We stop attracting men who are tall, blond, and wealthy, if they are not capable of loving.
We are not naïve; we are not expecting instant love, but rather a solid beginning that has limitless possibilities.
Once we are able to let go of the mental image (the thought form) and concentrate on the feeling, we begin to create a life that works.
We stop working at jobs we thought we wanted or staying in relationships we thought would "be good for us.
" Opening up means opening up.
As long as we stay focused on the feeling, the rest is up for grabs.
Does it really matter how someone looks if we are turned on and happy? Isn't that what it's all about anyway? Chapter 39 from Reality Works Copyright © 2002 Chandra Alexander