To this day – and for many, many years – my friend, Jack Canfield has kept a Gratitude Journal. At the beginning of each day, he takes 10 minutes to write out what he’s thankful for – both for what IS and what is COMING (because what is coming really already is . . . you understand that, correct?).

At day’s end, he pulls out the Journal again to write about specific gratitudes for that day. It can be the smallest thing. Sometimes, you have to search for it, but it’s important that you notice it and gives thanks for it. See, once you understand that you are constantly and daily supported and give thanks for that never-ending gift, you transport yourself from the wanting of something that seems to be missing in your life to the assurance and belief that it is already on its way . . . because that’s how the Law of Vibration works!

As so many of you are focused on a bright new year of possibility ahead of you, I’m copying my own blog post to this in hopes that it helps you further your dream this year.

Q for Diane Armitage: In one of your older blog posts you talked about the difference between goals and affirmations, and mentioned you write out your affirmations every morning, soo, here is the question:  Do you write them with pen and ink, or type them on the computer?  Have you found it makes a difference either way?

A: As it’s the New Year, I have a lot of clients coming to me with similar questions, so let’s do a quick review. . . . everything I’m stating here is what I’ve learned personally from Secret Teacher Bob Proctor – he’s been my client for several years now, but what a fabulous mentor he’s been through it all.

It’s important that you write down EVERY goal/dream you have for yourself in every category of your life – Spiritual Goals, Physical Goals, Business Goals, Mental Goals, etc. Make sure you don’t square yourself in with what you KNOW you can accomplish – that’s no goal, that’s just something you already know how to do! Keep the gargantuan and seemingly-unworkable in mind and write those down, too. I mean . . . come on . . . you want CHANGE, right?

Then, prioritize each goal in its own category. As I’ve noted before, don’t prioritize based on what you THINK will be the timeframe to achieve. The universe could care less about your timeline. Prioritize based on what you believe is most important for you to achieve FIRST.

Once you have your priorities, narrow down again to the one or two goals that stand out above all the others. I tell clients to pay attention to how each one feels – if you feel a sense of urgency or other emotion wrapped around it, that’s a good indicator it needs to be one of your two biggies – even if it seems impossible to achieve.

These two, then, become your affirmations. Bob Proctor taught me a long time ago to only focus on no more than TWO affirmations/goals at a time. It takes a lot of mental presence to achieve any goal as it requires serious reprogramming and movement past paradigms in your head that have kept you from achieving this goal thusfar.

Now, it’s time to begin affirming the one or two goals each and every day, several times a day. Bob Proctor taught me to get up a half hour earlier than my usual waking hour, pull out a journal and write each affirmation at least 20 times. No shortcuts. No skipping words. (I have a funny story from my own life and an ensuing conversation with a frustrated Bob that I’ll have to relay some day about skipping words.) He told me to do the same every night so that the goal would be there in my head all night long, working its magic. There’s more alchemy to this than I’m giving room for in this blog – and something I can address in a later blog. I found that taking a break mid-day and pulling out that journal AGAIN really kept me focused and in the right mindset throughout the day.

Yes, write your affirmations daily. Don’t type them. Just as you know receiving a hand-written holiday card means more than receiving an emailed holiday card, an affirmation takes on greater meaning and significance in your life through the process of handwriting. When I asked Bob Proctor about this years ago, he told me that its significance lies actually in the mechanics required for handwriting and its mind connection. Anyone can type blindly away, rushing through the project, not even seeing the letters or words. It’s a different animal when you hand write each and every affirmation 20 . . . 40 . . . 80 times a day – you’ll see what I mean.

And, before we move on from this post, remember this very important thing: You’re setting yourself up for tremendous movement forward by doing all of the above, but you’re not going to reach that goal without taking steps toward that goal. When it’s a really big gargantuan goal, you might feel overwhelmed at what, exactly to do. After all, if it’s a biggie, you don’t know HOW to do it . . . . but you have to start somewhere. It’s important that you signal all the energies out there, and all the energies in yourself that you mean business. Think through the initial action steps you can take, no matter how small. Then TAKE those steps. As Rev. Michael Beckwith so beautifully stated in The Secret, “take those steps and the way will unfold before you.”

Interested in dinner at Bob Proctor’s house in February? Click here for details.

Bob: Diane, I thought about this a long time – here’s what I have to say to you . . . Usually people get married “until death do us part.”

If you don’t have an intellectual rapport, you are not sharing ideas. Intellectually the marriage is dead.

If you don’t have an emotional rapport, then heart to heart there’s no strong vibration. Emotionally the marriage is dead.

If intellectually and emotionally it’s dead, odds are pretty good your physical life is the same way – there’s no sexual relationship – it’s also dead.

It’s possible that it’s time to give this marriage a quiet funeral and get on with living.

Bob: Kathleen, it would appear from your question that you are doing everything you should be doing. There’s one possible catch – do you really believe this is going to happen? Napoleon Hill said, “There’s a difference between wishing for something … and being ready to receive it. No one is ready for a thing until they believe they can acquire it – the state of mind must be of belief and not mere hope or wish.”

Understand that the law decrees that whatever image we hold and stay emotionally involved with MUST move into form. It must happen. The more we understand the Law, the easier it is to believe. And then, we move past belief to truly knowing.

I’ll hold the belief for you, Kathleen. I believe you will be married. There’s no doubt in my mind. Hold on to my belief in your behalf if it’s all you can do right now. But I encourage you to search your thoughts and ask yourself, “Do I really believe?” Because when YOU believe, all that supports you in this universe acts. It has no other option.

I’ll look forward to receiving your wedding invitation.

Bob: The only ones who could fall for you are the wrong ones because you’re in the wrong vibration. Why don’t you start repeating, “I’m so happy and grateful now that absolutely terrific men are attracted to me and I enjoy their company.”

Then enjoy it.

Bob: Quit listening to him. Let that be his problem. If he wants to live in the past, let him go there. Just make up your mind you’re going to live in the pleasant present. Make a list of positive experiences you’ve had with your husband over the years – be specific until you can see them again firmly in your mind. When he chooses to return to the past, don’t react. Instead, flip the switch in your mind to the positive, pleasant experiences you’ve enjoyed with him. It’s not necessary that you share these with him – it is only necessary that you remain in a pleasant vibration about your relationship. Don’t be surprised, however, when you begin to see a shift in his comments about the past.

Bob: I can tell you in a heartbeat what’s blocking you – you’re blocking yourself. Take a sheet of paper and write an “R” in the middle. This represents your Results. In the upper left, add a minus sign, and in the upper right hand side, put a positive sign for the positive.

If you feel something’s blocking what you want, you’re getting results you don’t want. Describe those results – in writing – in detail, in all their negativity. Now, take another sheet of paper and write out the polar opposite – write it in the present tense – “I’m so happy and grateful now that . . . ” and write in detail the opposite of those current results. When I have my coaching clients do this, they very quickly land on exactly what it is they DO want in a soul mate. And once you’re clear, you can begin to properly attract it. Now, burn the sheet of paper with all the negativity – it’s a symbolic thing, really. Then, begin immediately to repeat the positive one like a mantra all day, every day.

Bob: Quit trying to speed it up. Enjoy where you’re at. Move yourself into a pleasant vibration and you’ll attract what you’re looking for – another pleasant vibration.