Planting Roses

Planting roses in our garden of life is having hope through God's point of view of us.  Pull up the weeds and plant roses in the garden of your thoughts and thus your life.  Pulling weeds eliminates non-productive thoughts and mental images that keep you from the vision of things as they really are.  Planting roses is receiving light and knowledge from the heavens which empower you with the Lord's view of things.  Faith helps you see colors in more vivid hues.  God's way is health and happiness.  Your faith empowers you with hope and charity...the three sister virtues.  (These thoughts were from Brother Allred's book, Unlocking the Power of Faith.)

Rhonda Byrne said, "How do I stop my negative thoughts?...a question I have been asked many times; the answer is simple.  You PLANT good thoughts.  The stop part is irrelevant--the negative thoughts are your focus.  The truth is always simple and it is always easy.  ...just plant good thoughts!  Deliberately plant them!  You plant good thoughts by making it a daily practice to appreciate all the things in your day.  Compliment, praise, and give thanks to all things.  What you focus on you attract.  If you spend only one day speaking of good things and saying 'Thank you' at every single opportunity, you will not believe your tomorrow.  Your planted good seeds will transform into a garden of paradise....your life!

President David O. McKay used a metaphor about roses:  "Not a few of us have a thorn in the flesh as did Paul.  Perhaps to some of us a dead leaf of some past act is clinging.  It may be that there is a little dirt in our character, but each one has also a rose in his life, a hawthorn twig, or a lily. And it is a glorious lesson for us to learn: to see the rose and be blind to the thorn; to see the hawthorn twig and be blind to the dead leaf; to see the lily and not the dirt in our fellow's character."  (Conference Report, October 1967, p.8)

We grow in two ways: removing negative weeds and cultivating positive flowers.  I have an earlier post that is also about this same type of metaphor.  It's a beautiful thing to conjure positivity up in your mind as an image of beautiful roses.  How can you not feel good when you see a rose?

Gratitude: The Divine Gift

Gratitude is all-encompassing.

It is a divine gift,
     a commandment,
     a parent virtue,
     a great blessing.

To live with gratitude in our hearts is to touch heaven as
     it invites the Spirit,
     it is becoming,
     it is gracious & honorable,
     generous & noble,
     positive & optimistic.

Gratitude opens our eyes to see what is around us,
     we see our blessings,
     we see His tender mercies,
     we see all that God has done for us,
     we see with an eternal perspective.

Gratitude produces miracles
     keeps us from poverty,
     makes us rich with what we have,
     improves our health,
     enlivens our happiness and well-being.

Gratitude rejoices for that which it has,
     expresses praise,
     lifts us,
     lifts others,
     defeats Satan.

Gratitude brings light by
     chasing out darkness and despair,
     dissolving fear and doubts,
     erasing bitterness and disappointment,
     blocking out negative thoughts and feelings.

Prayer is the key to gratitude.
     humble,
     meek,
     lowly of heart.

Ingratitude is a serious sin,
     it offends the Spirit,
     it is prideful and selfish,
     initiates rebellion, fear & doubt,
     leads us to forget the Lord,
     and keeps us in poverty and misery.

Ingratitude is critical and negative,
     pessimistic and fault-finding,
     complaining and cynical,
     irritable and impatient
     insecure and unhappy.

Gratitude leads us to Jesus Christ,
     it heals us,
     it saves us,
     it cheers us,
     it encourages us,
     it strengthens us.

It is one of the few gifts we can give to Him as we live it.
May our personal lives reflect it,
May it permeate our souls forever more.

(written by me, based on President Thomas S. Monson's Talk "The Divine Gift of Gratitude.")
    

Faith Healing

The book "Unlocking the Power of Faith" is all about pain and healing.  It's really all about the Savior, Jesus Christ, whose life mission was to come and heal us.  None of us are whole living in this fallen state.  And yet there is so much to learn from pain.  Someone gave me this poem:

Pain stayed so long I said to him today,
"I will not have you with me anymore."
I stamped my foot and said, "Be on your way."
And paused there, startled at the look he wore.
"I, who have been your friend", he said to me,
"I, who have been your teacher--all you know
Of understanding love, of sympathy,
And patience, I have taught you.  Shall I go?"
He spoke the truth, this strange unwelcomed guest;
I watched him leave and knew that he was wise.
He left a heart grown tender in my breast.
He left a far, clear vision in my eyes.
I dried my tears, and lifted up a song
Even for one who'd tortured me so long.
-Author Unknown

Brother Allred gives two powerful sources of truth to help heal your pain:
1) Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ
2) Faith in your own divine nature

I could write pages on faith and healing.  But it all comes down to the simple concept of trusting in the Lord, for His will to be done concerning us.  He will take us through whatever experiences are necessary to help us earn our salvation.  Faith means trust.

Pain and the healing needed come on many different levels, not just physically, but emotionally, mentally, and spiritually, too.  Pain comes from regret.  Pain comes through sin and error.  Pain comes from heartaches and sorrow.  Pain can be inflicted on us by others when we have done nothing wrong.

"For what glory is it, if when ye be buffeted for your faults ye shall take it patiently; but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God."  (1 Peter 2:20)

"It is in the balance of God's grace and your own properly focused thoughts that you will experience miracles in your life."  -Garth Allred

Elder Dallin H. Oaks gave a talk found in the Ensign 5/10 pg 47.  He made the following remarks concerning faith and healing:
*Healing requires the power of faith.
*Healing must be the Lord's will.
*The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. (James 5:16)
*We must do all we can, using the resources available to us medically, as well as a priesthood blessing.
*When a blessing is sealed and anointed it opens the windows of heaven for the Lord to pour forth the blessing He wills for the afflicted person.
*Faith is essential for healing by the powers of heaven.  We claim our blessings through our faith.
*Faith means trust.

I came across a scripture that has helped me a great deal to keep my faith and trust in God strong:

"...if ye could be healed by merely casting about your eyes that ye might be healed, would ye not behold quickly...even all this can ye do, if ye will."  Alma 33:21, 23

As we use our faith, our faith increases.  However, there will be times when we will sink, as did Peter, as he walked to the Savior over the boisterously fierce ocean swells.  What mortal, in their weakness, does not take their eyes off the Savior, if even for a moment, distracted by the trials and adversities of life?  But Peter, aware he was sinking, cried out, "Master, I perish!"  And immediately the Savior reached out and took his hand and lifted him up. 

"Lord, increase my faith." (Luke 17:5)

"If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth."  (Mark 9:23)

"Lord, I believe, help thou mine unbelief."  (Mark 9:24)

"Faith is a force powerful beyond our comprehension."  -Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin

"Have faith, and doubt not....it shall be done."  (Matthew 21:21)

"I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not."  (Luke 22:32)

"Everything has been accomplished by faith.  Faith, to be faith, must center around something that is not known."  -President Boyd K. Packer

The Lord can make ways where there appears to be no way.  Have faith.  Expect miracles.

"You are more powerful than you have dreamed.  You have the power within you, when properly directed, to reach out and tap the wonderful healing powers of heaven."  -Garth Allred

Unlocking The POWER of Faith!

Though I have neglected this blog for a while, I have not neglected the pursuit of study on the basic context of this blog, which is to Believe in Yourself, and of the power of thoughts in our life and how they affect our feelings and our actions.

The book "The Secret" was but a small introduction to a powerful new way of living for me.  While that book opened my eyes in a different way to the precepts of the gospel of Jesus Christ and how it can empower your life by living by His teachings, I had yet to read one of the best books ever to give me the principles and concepts to help me live in the POSITIVE realm of this life.  And this book was written by one of my own faith, so everything in the book was pure truth for me.

The book is entitled "Unlocking the Powers of Faith" by Garth Allred.  First printing was in 1993 so I'm pretty sure it's out of print, but I found a nice used copy--now well used and loved--online last August.

I found out about this book by reading an article by Darla Isackson on Meredian Magazine called "Warning: Both Over and Under Reacting Can Be Dangerous to Your Spiritual Health."  I tried to find the link to the article, but was unable to.  I read this in July 2009.  It came about the time the Lord began to lead me on a spiritual journey of healing....healing both physically, mentally, and emotionally.  Today I am still on that journey and learning a lot every day as I continue to study and search and ponder on it.

I was surprised to find just how much this article described me.  I was surprised to learn that I was pretty good at both ends of the over-reacting and under-reacting.  The Lord's mission has been to help me learn to find the balance between these two things in my life.

Jesus Christ is so merciful.  He can find us even in the darkest dungeon of despair and self-pity, and if we let Him, He will lift us out of it and into His light.  His light is filled with truth.  That dark place is full of Satan's lies and deceits.  Why is it so much easier to live on the negative side of life with all it's lies than in the marvelous light of truth?  I guess because we are mortal.

Even though it took over a year later, I did not forget the book that was referenced in that article, and in August of 2010 I had the strongest impressions ever that I needed to get a copy of that book.  I spent about 4 months reading the book and studying it and writing down those statments in the book that most applied to me.  Now I try to read daily from those things that I wrote and I continue to need those words and to live by those words.  While I have made huge strides in positivity, I am not without stumbling or times of regression.

The preface to this book says, in part:
You will learn to develop faith in Jesus Christ to be healed from pain, loneliness, confusion and sorrow--whether emotional, spiritual, or physical--the important healing truths that can strengthen your faith and help you tap your own deep reservoirs of power which will empower you with greater peace and freedom from pain.

And this scripture:
"Behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom He hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance."
1 Nephi 1:20

Then Brother Allred says:
This book is my gift to you to help you stop hurting and start healing and begin experiencing the power that comes through healing faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and in your own divine nature....You are much more powerful than you have dreamed.  You have a divine nature about you that is wonderful, marvelous, and Godlike.  You have the power within you, when properly directed, to reach out and tap the wonderful healing powers of the heavens.  May the Lord bless you in this challenging and rewarding quest.

Can you see the light of truth in his words?  Is this not what God our Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ want us to know...to believe?  That light, that truth is Christ's light and truth.

"I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."  John 8:12

The light of L.I.F.E.

L ight

I s

F or

E ternity

"Come, follow me" to eternal life.
Luke 18:22

Give

I learned to sing a song as a child in Primary called "Give Said the Little Stream." It teaches a great lesson in a simple thought.

Give, said the little stream, give oh give, give oh give!
Give, said the little stream, as it hurried down the hill.
I'm small I know, but wherever I go, the grass grows greener still.
Singing, singing all the day. Give away, oh give away!
Singing, singing all the day. Give oh give away!

This little stream gave everywhere it went, and it gurgled along happily. I saw this saying that fits: "The grass isn't greener on the other side; the grass is greener where you water it!"

I only recently learned about the word philanthropy or philanthropist. Although I now realize I always heard that word in the Wizard of Oz. "A good deed doer." Or, people who live their lives and give large sums of money to help others, they who have a love of mankind. When I read the book "The Secret" (pg.107) it said that some of the wealthiest people on the planet are the greatest philanthropists. They give away vast amounts of money and money floods back to them multiplied. I was greatly intrigued by that. The Law of Attraction claims that giving brings more money and abundance into your life, because when you are giving you are saying, "I have plenty." When you think you don't have enough to give, start giving. The law of attraction then gives you more to give. Giving from a heart that is overflowing feels so good.

But why should I be so intrigued when I've been taught that my whole life in my church?! President Gordon B. Hinckley said, "Those who impart of their sustenance to the needy so generously will not lack in their own store and in their own homes, but there will be food on their tables and a roof over their heads. One cannot be merciful to others without receiving a harvest of mercy in return."

As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we pay 10% to the Lord on all our increase. In addition, once a month we fast for 24 hours and give the equivalent or more of the cost of 2 meals to the Fast Offering which goes to help the poor. Our church has the greatest welfare system on the face of this earth! Tons of food and supplies are shipped to places all over the world within hours of natural disasters, as well as helping truly needy people every day. Our members donate as they choose to the Church's Humanitarian aid fund. We also have a Perpetual Education fund which helps young people in other countries get an education. They then pay the loans back after they graduate so the money is continuously perpetuated for others to use. Thousands have helped improve the quality of living for themselves and their families through this simple program.

I recently saw an excellent documentary by Bill Whittle on his Afterburner program on PJTV "A Tale of Two Americas." He gave our church's welfare system a glowing tribute. He said if our government had a system like that it would solve a lot of problems in our country (or something to that effect). I loved this whole documentary and was quite moved by those who really do honor our country for what it was meant to be. Some truly give their all.

I really admire the words of author Larry Barkdull. He said, "True greatness is measured by one's ability to give...without giving, there can be no progress, either for individuals or for societies."

In the Book of Mormon there was a Lamanite King who was king over all the land. When he learned of the great love that a Nephite servant of God named Ammon had for his son, King Lamoni, he called unto God saying he would give away all his sins to know Him. (Alma 22:17-18) That king gave his all to the Lord. What he reaped in return was worth more than all his power or worldly possessions. In Matthew 16:25 we learn that "Whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it." Over and over we learn the importance of giving, and the value of caring for the poor and the needy.

Service is love, and the "spirit" of service is planted in the hearts of those we help. They, in turn, serve. The army of the Lord's servants grows in this way. (Women's Conference 2001 pg. 68) Giving becomes perpetual.

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf said, "The more we serve our fellowmen in appropriate ways, the more substance there is to our souls." (Ensign 11/08)

I'm learning to understanding the importance of balance. As important as it is to give, we also need to remember to give to ourselves. Women often run faster than they are nearly able, though it is amazing how much a woman can accomplish in a day. But it's important, as Dr. John Gray said, to "take a little time off to give to yourself and in a sense to fill yourself up to fullness, to where now you can overflow in giving."

Praying, scripture study time, pondering in stillness (if it can be found), exercise, eating nutritiously and taking time out to do something you love each day if possible, will give you more confidence to believe in yourself and to have more of yourself to give in good ways.

I realized one day, when the song "Give Said the Little Stream" was running through my head, how connected that song is to forgiving! As we forgive others of their shortcomings, ourselves included, we give water and life to all that is living around us. I think forgiving is the greatest act of giving that we can render. What peace we would have in our world if everyone readily forgave one another. Those living waters are mercy and truly do represent the Living Water of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  Which, if one drinks, will never thirst again.

He was the greatest example of giving that ever did and ever will touch the face of this earth. He gave His all. Truly. And because of Him, we have been given all that we have. How could we not think to give back?

I love the idea of giving.

Seeking Simple Joys!

This whole blog is dedicated to believing in yourself.  To do that brings joy, and having joy is to believe in yourself, and to believe in God and His promises.  I posted last December about "Joy in the Journey" and in November of "Happiness and Joy."  Both posts are filled with great quotes and insight into seeking and finding joy.  One thought I posted was,  "We do not remember days, we remember moments.  Think about that.  And it's those moments that are filled with joy and wonder.  Can we be cheerful for a moment?  I bet we can with a conscious effort to create cheerful moments.  Remember, the creation of it is up to us!"

I've quoted a lot of thoughts from Geraldine Edwards from her book Celebrate!  This book is simply full of ways to seek joy and celebrate life!   She gives some simple ideas for seeking simple joys in our lives.  It's something that we should seek to do every day.  They are:

1 - do something each day that you love to do
2- it should cost little or no money
3- it should be something you can do close by
4- something that can be accomplished in an hour or two
5- something that you can do alone or shared with someone else
(from page 68 of her book)

Time is such a precious commodity these days.  I often wonder and worry if I'm using it appropriately or if my choices are pleasing to the Lord.  I was just pondering yesterday on something President Dieter F. Uchtdorf said, which was quoted by Julie B. Beck in "Relief Society: A Sacred Work" from the General RS Meeting in the November 2009 Ensign.

She said, "One of the most precious commodities we all have is time. Most women have many responsibilities and never have sufficient time to do everything their hearts and minds want to do. We show respect for the Lord and the sisters when we use...time in an inspired way. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf taught: “A wise man once distinguished between ‘the noble art of getting things done’ and ‘a nobler art of leaving things undone.’ True ‘wisdom in life,’ he taught, consists of ‘the elimination of non-essentials.’” President Uchtdorf then asked: “What are the nonessential things that clutter your days and steal your time? What are the habits you may have developed that do not serve a useful purpose? What are the unfinished or unstarted things that could add vigor, meaning, and joy to your life?"

So in seeking out our joys and finding ways to "Celebrate!" life as Jeraldine puts it, and yet eliminating the non-essentials from our life in order to have more time to do the essential things, we just need to organize, prioritize and seek balance in our life.  I really do think that taking time out to seek a simple joy each day is a wise balance of our time.  If we are frantically running around trying to accomplish more than we can humanly do, without taking time for simple joys, we are going to stress out, burn out, and end up accomplishing less.  If bringing joy to ourselves helps us to spread joy to others, what could be better?

At the recent BYU Women's Conference (April 29, 2010) Julie B. Beck talked about how we should try and be at our best in the afternoon part of the day when everyone else is coming home from their day tired and hungry and spent.  If we are tired and spent then, we will not be of much help to them.  [cause when mom is cranky, everyone gets cranky!]  She said, "...part of one's mission on Earth is to choose to serve the Lord, especially through serving one's family.  Taking care of our posterity takes precedence over all other needs....Women today can be a power and influence for good."

She also said that "When our priorities are out of order, we lose power."  We can categorize our priorities into "essential things, necessary things and nice-to-do things."   Essential being to seek personal revelation through scripture study and prayer, temple attendance, etc.  Necessary includes creating an environment where the spirit can dwell, teaching our children, being kind to our husbands, etc.  Nice-to-do are recreation, hobbies, crafts.  These things are nice but cannot save us, she says.  "The ability to seek, receive and act upon personal revelation is the most important skill we can acquire in this life....Education is wonderful, but being able to feel the Lord's power upon us is the ultimate education we can achieve...with that we have power and influence."

So, if we are making time for the essential and necessary, the spirit will be with us, joy will come, we will have the guidance and direction from the Lord in our lives, and there will still be time left over for a reasonable amount of time for the nice-to-do things.  Seeking for the simple joys may very well be part of the essential and necessary.  We will find joy in doing things the way the Lord would have us to do them.

In accordance with President Monson's talk to the BYU Women's Conference in 2008 "Joy in the Journey" he suggests while we sisters often feel inadequate and ineffective because we can't do all that we feel we should, that  "Rather than continually dwelling on what still needs to be done, pause occasionally and reflect on all that you do and have done.  It is most significant.  The good you have done, the kind words you have spoken, the love you have shown to others, can never be fully measured."

I find simple joy in emailing a friend or family member, trying to send out a cheerful word, smiling and saying hello to someone as I pass by them, taking pictures and looking at photographs, reading to a child, finding something that makes me laugh, delighting in nature, thinking of my blessings and expressing gratitude to the Lord, reading a good book, and so on....

"Whatever God has blessed you with, take it with grateful hand, nor postpone your joys from year to year, so that in whatever place you have been, you may say that you have lived happily."  -President Monson (Ensign 11/08)

"He commands us to be grateful because He knows being grateful will make us HAPPY--evidence of His love."  Bonnie Parkins (Ensign 5/07)

Happy joy seeking!

What We Don't Want

LOA has an interesting concept to consider in what we don't want.  They say that we often think about what we don't want and wonder why it shows up over and over again.  If we attract what we think, then the law of attraction doesn't care whether we perceive something to be good or bad, or whether we don't want it or whether we do want it.  It's responding to whatever we are thinking.  It's a law of nature, impersonal, not seeing good or bad, just giving you simply what you think about.  The law of attraction is working whether you understand it or not.

So, if we are thinking "I don't want to be late" for example, we are attracting the thought of being late.  Or,

I don't have enough time.
I don't have enough energy.
I don't have enough money.
I don't have enough talent.
I don't have enough friends.
I don't have enough patience.
I don't want to be fat.
I don't want to fail.
I don't think I'm smart enough.
I don't think I'm good enough.
I don't...
I don't....
I don't....

President Thomas S. Monson said, "We can lift ourselves, and others as well, when we refuse to remain in the realm of negative thought..." 

So of course "what we don't want" can seep over into our thoughts about others.  We can think things like:

He's really bugging me.
She makes me so mad.
Why is that person so rude?
Why does he expect so much out of me?

Or, as parents, especially with young children, we tend to point out all the "nos" as we try to steer them clear of dangers and troubles and mischief.  Can we incorporate more "yeses" into our conversations? 

I came across an interesting article, by Paul H. Dunn in the May 1987 Ensign entitled "By Faith and Hope, All Things are Fulfilled."

He talks about how we all need to develop lenses of vision that helps us see the positives instead of the negatives, thus making it possible to perform miracles. 

He said, "Why is it that as humans we tend to emphasize the negative when there is so much to be positive about? We not only constantly criticize our children and each other, find fault, are very judgmental, and often seek out and build up people’s weaknesses and failings rather than their strengths and successes, but in our own personal life-styles there are those of us who are incessant, chronic worriers. We worry about all the negative things that could happen, but usually don’t, rather than positively trying to face problems with some amount of faith and hope of success.  In our society, for some reason, we seem to dwell on the bizarre, the tragic, the profane, and the evils of our day. So often the newspapers and television reports center attention around the negative aspects of life: teenage suicides, drugs, AIDS, murders, infidelities, dishonesty, and a host of other social ills."

He said many of us fill our days with guilt because of the pressure of trying to accomplish everything we think is necessary and to be perfect right now...negative attitudes affect us in that way...consuming us with guilt and self-destructive thoughts.

He said that in many ways life is serious, and "we can’t help but worry sometimes; there are and always will be never-ending negatives existing all around us which must be faced, dealt with, and solved. But I wonder if the constant bombardment of dilemmas and challenges and the often seemingly hopeless situations, both personal and nationwide, don’t frustrate, discourage, and depress us sometimes to the point where our minds and attitudes are distracted from the very principles that would allow us to rise above the negative and find the positive answers we need."

He said we find many of our answers in the Book of Mormon and gave an example from the prophet Ether who said,

“By faith all things are fulfilled—    Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God”  (Ether 12:3-4)

Elder Dunn said, "Throughout the whole of this marvelous chapter we are taught the wonders accomplished by faith, love, and hope. It seems to me that dwelling on negative thoughts and approaches is, in fact, working directly opposite of hope, faith, and trust—in the Lord, ourselves, and others—and causes continual feelings of gloom, while the positive lifts and buoys us up, encourages us to forge ahead, and is an attitude that can be developed, a habit that we can cultivate."

I truly feel that is the key right there...develop and cultivate the positive--work at it persistently, bits and pieces at a time that will add up to tremendous accomplishments over time.

"As critical and judgmental as we often must be, as much as we will have to correct, as truly as we must face unpleasant realities all of our days, let us recognize and praise the thousands of beauties of life around us; the many wonderful examples of virtuous living; the strengths and the courage of so many souls; the exceptional talents and achievements of our family members, neighbors, and associates; the countless blessings that we have been given."

Let us follow the example of Jesus Christ, who came to lift us up, not put us down.

A Secret Garden to Tend

I came across this in a talk by President Thomas S. Monson in the Ensign 11/08.  It's a quote by Sarah Ban Breathnach and I was in awe of how well it fit in with the LOA and the Secret and shifting your focus and believing in yourself and staying positive.

"Both abundance and lack of abundance exist simultaneously in our lives, as parallel realities.  It is always our conscious choice which secret garden we will tend...when we choose not to focus on what is missing from our lives but are grateful for the abundance that's present--love, health, family, friends, work, the joys of nature, and personal pursuits that bring us happiness--the wasteland of illusion falls away and we experience heaven on earth."

So many of the very best things in life do not cost any money and are free to all.  It's all on what we choose to focus on.

So cultivate that secret garden of positivity, and fertilize it with loads of gratitude!

Shifting Your Focus

The LOA talks about "Secret Shifters"...things that can change your thoughts from negative to positive.  They are all pretty amazing, I think.   Here are some of my favorites, many of which I added as I thought about it:

*Close your eyes and SMILE for one full minute.  Focus on your feelings as you smile.  (this works!)
*Think about what makes you feel good?  Focus on what works.
*Feel what you want, even if it's not there.  i.e. health, love, joy, peace.
*Listen to some beautiful music.
*Look at beautiful pictures.
*Laugh!  Think about some funny moments.
*Think of someone you love.
*Think of great memories.
*Think of an exciting future event.
*Do something for someone else.
*Create something beautiful.
*Enjoy nature.
*Think happy thoughts.

"A simple shifting of emotions can change your whole day."  (LOA)

In the scriptures we read about fruits of the spirit. 
Love
Joy
Peace
Hope
Faith
Goodness
Gentleness
Patience
Virtue
Knowledge
Humility
Obedience
And more.  Shifting to and cultivating a positive frequency yields these fruits.

In James 3:17-18 says, "But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.  And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace."

I came up with some spiritual shifters that I call "To Lighten My Burden Through Christ."  They are:

-stop comparing myself and start changing myself
-maintain habits and order so that my faith remains unshaken
-take care of myself
-don't keep myself in the middle of a "storm"
-concentrate on my own journey (what is the Lord teaching me through this experience?)
-be kind to myself (don't blame myself for other's choices)
-seek the comfort of my places of peace when and how I can
-read good books
-exercise
-take time to do the little things I enjoy
-toss away self scorn (feelings of worthlessness)
-refuse to be drawn into daily drama whenever possible
-actively seek for peace
-keep my spiritual reserves from being depleted
-control my own actions and reactions
-the blessings of my covenants will continue for me in the needed ways
-concern and sadness is expected: misery is optional
-feed the good, stave the evil
-walk by faith, not by sight
-become alive in Christ
-sharpen my spiritual tools/work on my testimony
-cultivate a sweet sense of humor
-keep a merry heart
-find quiet joy in small things
-look forward to better days
-keep faith and hope in tact
-accept His truths
-follow Him
-humble myself
-pray for continued guidance and keep praying
-go to the scriptures for understanding and answers
-My continued faithfulness will pay eternal dividends.

Shifting my focus to that of a positive, spiritual, eternal nature makes all the difference.

Visualize

Visualizing is considered an important part of the LOA.  I'm going to try to convey their concepts without quoting so much out of the book (The Secret) as I feel concerned about overstepping the bounds of proper copy-right.

I love this concept of visualization.  I wonder if I have somewhat taken it for granted my whole life.  But what I do know, is I love "mediums" i.e. paint, colors, fabrics, paper and so on.  I love to create.  Creation and visualization go hand in hand, because you visualize as you create.  The LOA says as you visualize then you materialize.   They also said that is how some of our great inventors invented their inventions!!  They created them in their minds first and somehow brought them about.  (explain any of modern technology and how it works!)  What a glorious age of miracles we live in when visualization can be taken way beyond anything this earth has ever experienced.  (i.e. television, internet, digital photography...)

Women are better visualizers (in my experience) than men.  (I have heard that's the difference between the right brain, left brain concept)  For instance, I can visualize a change I want to make in my house and then make it a reality.  If I tell my husband about it, he can't see it and he'll be against the idea, so often, I have just went ahead and made the change without discussing it, and then when he sees it, he likes it.  (nothing major mind you---except that time I bought the refrigerator and had it delivered without telling him, and that time I....well, never mind!)

Getting out into our beautiful world and seeing all the wonders about us is a great way to visualize and FEEL GOOD!  How can you not feel good when you watch the waves roll in at the ocean, or see and hear the wind rustle the leaves in the trees, or watch birds fly across a blue sky?  LOA says that "visualization is simply powerfully focused thought in pictures, and it causes equally powerful feelings."

Once you've seen something your mind captures the image like a photo.  You can bring images up anytime you need them to bring all those powerfully good feelings you felt when you first saw that image...like flowers, your child, animals, a painting, a spectacular view--whatever you've seen that you've loved.

When you can visualize all that good and wonderful stuff you love, and then throw in feelings of joy, abundance and love on top of that, then you have an even more powerful experience of feeling good. 

Our Heavenly Father has given us eyes to see.  They really are an amazing thing if you ever stop to just think about them, or study any written word on how our eyes actually work---it's like a miracle in and of itself.  And then Heavenly Father sent Jesus Christ to create all these wonderful things in life for our eyes to behold.

"Yea, all things which come of the earth, in the season thereof, are made for the benefit and the use of man, both to please the eye and to gladden the heart."  Doctrine and Covenants 59:18 

To gladden the heart...now there is a really superb explanation of feeling good!

Visualize it!