Happy New Year!

You have probably already taken at least a few moments to reflect on the accomplishments and frustrations of 2006 and perhaps made some mental notes of what you would like to achieve in 2007.

If you are like most people though, you will start out the new year with great intention and vision and find that by the end of the year, you are still pretty much where you were at the beginning.

Don’t believe me?

Think back to the beginning of last year. What was your life like? How much did you weigh? What was your health like? How much money were you saving? What were your relationships like? How did you feel about yourself? What were you doing for work? Did you love your work or was it just something you did? Do you, once again, have dreams that you didn’t achieve?

If you answered yes to the last question, ask yourself, “Why is it that I’m another year older and pretty much in the same spot I was last year?”

Whether your dream was to lose weight, get in shape, make more money, communicate better with your spouse or kids, get a better job or take more time off, there is a simple reason that you are wondering why, again, you failed to “get there.” It is called Habit.

As human beings we are creatures of habit. Think about your average day. Do you have a certain routine you follow as soon as you get up? Do you shop at the same stores and restaurants? Do you take the same route to work? Do you tend to eat the same foods? Think the same thoughts? These are all habits. These habits are the actions that lead to your outcomes; your results. The reason so many people fail to get different results is that, when push comes to shove, they do not change their habits. This is the process of doing the same thing over and over, yet expecting different results. That, according to change experts, like Tony Robbins, is the definition of insanity.

So, how can we create lasting and effective change in our lives? How can we actually get to our goals despite the obligations of every day living?

In order to answer this question one must first understand the Law of Manifestation.

The Law of Manifestation states that your outer world is a reflection of your inner world. Your current reality is a reflection of your current state of mind—your subconscious mind, that is. It’s the idea that you attract what you project. Put another way, you get exactly what you ask for (subconsciously), though that may not be what you want.

Allow me to use an analogy to explain…

Take a look at your life. Let’s look at the results in your life, as the fruit on an apple tree. If the apples on the tree are small, shriveled and malformed but you want large, crisp, round and juicy apples, how can you change the fruit?

Would you focus on the fruit, or would you focus on the roots of the tree? Obviously, the key is to change the environment of the roots to help the tree produce healthy fruit.

The Law of Manifestation can easily be demonstrated. Your results are based upon your actions, (your habits). Your actions are based upon your views and beliefs. Your beliefs are based upon your conditioning and experiences.

(This is where I always have someone challenge me with, “I can’t control what life throws at me!” My response is always, “you may not have control over the direction of the wind, but you do have control over the rudder and the sails of your boat.”)

So here’s the deal. If you’re looking at the results in your life and you don’t like what you see, take a look at your beliefs. How are they working for you? Are your views and beliefs serving you or not? You can answer that question by being honest about how happy you are with your results in life. Your beliefs determine the energetic frequency at which you vibrate, much like the string of a guitar. If you want to change the result, you need to change the vibration. Ever notice how depressing a depressed person’s life is, or how happy a happy person’s life is?

If you want to make fundamental changes in your life, you must change your actions and habits. In order to change your habits you have to examine and change your operating system… your beliefs, your story about how life works.

Keep in mind that most of our conditioning happened when we were quite young. Our beliefs reflect how we interpreted the actions, attitudes and beliefs of our parents, teachers, coaches, clergy and any other people of authority who had influence over us.

We all synthesized what we experienced, saw and heard from these people and created our own story. Your belief system of what you define as true and false, right and wrong, good and bad, etc. It’s what forms your world view. So again, how’s it working for you? Are you where you want to be in life? Are you in the shape you want to be in? Do you have the energy and vitality you want to have? Are you in the type of relationship that nurtures your soul? Are you making the money you want to? Are you doing a job you love? Do you wake up every day excited about the possibilities a new day brings?

If you answered “no” to any of these, take a look at your core beliefs. Are they serving or hindering you? It’s not a function of them being right or wrong. It’s a function of whether your beliefs, your “roots” are supportive or non-supportive of the type of results or “fruits” you want to produce in your life.

If you find that your beliefs are not serving you, give yourself permission to create new ones that do. Allow yourself to change your thinking. When you do, you’ll change your habits. This, and only this, will change your life.

May you all experience an abundance of growth, health, wealth and happiness in this New Year!

In Health,

Dr. Pete