Q: Why do people make such a big deal about gratitude, and how can I be more grateful everyday?

A: Expressing gratitude is one of the easiest and most powerful things you can do to manifest what you desire. This is because you are an energetic being living in a universe where your reality is a reflection of your consciousness. When you express gratitude, you are expressing a consciousness of HAVING. If you emit the frequency of I HAVE, you experience more HAVING in your life. Conversely, when you focus on lack, you experience more lack.

First, make the decision that you want to see and acknowledge all the blessings life offers you. Then play around with ways of thanksgiving. Keep a gratitude journal where nightly you list five things for which you are grateful. Play the game of giving thanks to people ten times per day. Practice saying ‘Thank You’ to the Infinite, in your heart, all day long. Give thanks out loud in the car with the radio blaring. Do a few rounds of giving thanks with the kids in the back seat.

Whatever you do, understand that gratitude is a powerful force. If you make it a top priority, your consciousness will expand. And soon, gratitude will become a way of life, creating a snowball of well-being and abundance!

Let me know how it goes!

What It Is

To “Act As If” is to imagine who you’d be, how you’d feel, and what you would do IF you were the YOU in your manifested goal. Then, as life presents you with opportunities, decisions to be made, and situations to respond to, you practice being THAT YOU. Moment by moment, opportunity after opportunity, situation upon situation, you have a CHOICE:

a) act as if you are your “future Self,” or
b) default to the familiar present day version of you.

When you choose to act as if you are the You, you are called to be, the Universe rises up to meet you and provides you with everything you need to move toward and experience your manifested goal. When you choose to default to the familiar present day version of You, you and your current reality remain unchanged.

Why It Works

The reason this practice works is that the moment you set a goal or claim an intention, you give birth to it on an energetic level. Not only that, but in that instant you expand into the bigger, better, “future” you (energetically speaking). You may not feel it. Life may not look any differently. But THAT YOU, now exists – in the energetic realm.

Additionally, once THAT YOU exists, the Universe rolls out an energetic bridge for you to walk toward THAT YOU, so that you may merge with and embody that expanded version of yourself.

How to Work It

What does that bridge look like? How do your recognize it to begin the process of walking over it? The bridge reveals itself as a series of leads. Some leads show up as next step opportunities for you to act upon in faith. (I call these stepping stones.) Other times a lead will appear as an obstacle for you to recognize as a smaller aspect of yourself that you need to outgrow and let go of, in order to expand into the bigger version of you. (I call these landmines.)

When leads appear as stepping stones, they show up as opportunities, ideas, inspiration, people, conditions, situations and insights for you to act upon as if you are already that person (i.e. THAT YOU). Sometimes these leads will feel wonderful and exciting. However, because you are not yet fully experiencing yourself as THAT YOU, other times taking these steps will require an act of faith and courage.

Note: You must take action as the YOU you are becoming. There is no avoiding it. Why? Because your dream will engage with you at the level you engage with it. Period. If you want your dream to engage with you in the physical realm, you must engage with it in the physical realm. If you only engage with your goal in the energetic realm of visualization, affirmation and imagination, it will engage with you only in that realm.

When the lead appears as a landmine, you’ll recognize it because you’ll find yourself face to face with a challenge. Landmines can appear as fear, doubt, insecurity, set-back, procrastination, and/or limiting beliefs. Sometimes the obstacle is so huge that it appears as an insurmountable obstacle, failure, or irrefutable evidence that you cannot succeed. When this is the case you have an opportunity for a major breakthrough, a chance to liberate yourself from a belief that has controlled you (usually most of your life), or a major paradigm shift. These kinds of landmines usually call for guidance or coaching, a profound spiritual awakening, and/or some degree of deeper emotional work.

Simply put, with the right understanding, “Acting As If” is a beautifully effective energetic tool for manifesting any dream. It works for this reason: You can’t be the current version of you and experience a different reality. For example:

• You can’t BE the single version of you and experience a marriage reality. You must BE your wife or husband-self.
• You can’t BE the employee version of you and experience successful business ownership. You must BE your entrepreneur-self.
• You can’t BE the homebody version of yourself and experience the life of a world traveler. You must BE your adventurer self.

Many times we don’t know how THAT version of ourselves would be. We don’t know how to act. We don’t know how it would feel. We don’t know how to proceed. For this reason role models, coaches and teachers make all the difference. When you don’t know what you don’t know, you can’t possibly Act As If effectively. But when you find people to emulate, teachers to guide you, and support to summon the courage to be the BIGGER version of you, Act As If leads to inevitable manifestation!

Choose YOUR Reality! TM
Sonia

~ You’re single and would like to manifest the “Relationship of Your Dreams”
~ You’re in a relationship and aren’t sure if he’s “The One”
~ You’re successful in other areas of life, but when it comes to relationships with men there’s “just some block” or you “can’t figure it out.”

I’m a RELATIONSHIP FANATIC! I love relationships! Always have. Always will. And one of the things that has fueled this passion is that I’ve struggled with most of the above scenarios (and more!).

Over the years I’ve coached countless seekers in their relationships – through joys and growing pains. I’ve helped people manifest successful relationships, heal or navigate difficult ones, and survive and grow beyond the losses of break-up, divorce, and death.

I am excited to share all that I know and all that I’ve learned! My relationships with men are better than ever. My appreciation of them has gone to depths I never knew possible. And the power of relationship keeps expanding!

With this, I stand before you, my heart filled with love and gratitude as I joyfully announce the launch of….

The Success for the Soul® Relationship Mastery Circle for Women™!
Discover what It Really Takes To Create and Sustain Successful Relationships with Men!

Ready to learn more go to:
http://successforthesoul.com/relationship-mastery/

This year-long membership program is for women who NOT ONLY want to learn what it really takes to create and sustain successful relationships with men, but who want to see their relationships dramatically and joyfully improve in the year 2012!

* Learn and practice no-nonsense male-female relationship fundamentals, where we will explore the differences between men and women, so you relate to men from a place of increased acceptance, appreciation and feminine power.

* Understand the Energy of Relationships to harness Universal Principles that unleash magic in your relationship with yourself and with men.

* Discover easy and completely doable practices which allow you to see results in your relationships right away.(This is a hand’s on experience. You will be transformed and so will your relationships!)

If your relationships with men are important to you, there is everything to gain and very little to lose! For less than $3 per day, you could easily tap into a consistent stream of wisdom, fun, power and connection with women to elevate the very consciousness and skill sets that determines your relationship reality. You’ll tap into a resource that soothes your concerns, opens your mind to new possibilities, inspires you toward productive action, and teaches you concrete tools to manifest wonderful experiences in your relationships!

Ready to learn more and get your membership started today?
Go to: http://successforthesoul.com/relationship-mastery/

Choose Your Reality tm
Sonia

P.S. We’ve extended our “Try It Out Program!” If you register before our FIRST LIVE CALL on January 20th, you’ll get your first month for fr.ee (details are on the info page.)

“How can I help seekers make 2012 a real TURNING POINT?” What can I offer that would be truly helpful?”

The answer that came to me was…

INSPIRE THEM with a real LIVE Success Panel, and TRAIN THEM on how to create goals in a way that really works!

In a hurry?
Click here for the full scoop:
http://www.successforthesoul.com/prime-the-pump

So, with this clarity, I’m very happy to announce my latest 2-part teleclass!

=====================================

Prime the Pump of Possibilities for an Amazing 2012!
A New Year’s Training for You:
Complete with Live Success Panel,
Q&A Session and Goal-Setting That Really Works!

F.R.E.E.

Part I: Wednesday, January 4, 2012
6:00 – 7:30pm PST

PART II: Thursday, January 5, 2012
6:00 – 7:30pm PST

====================================

Is this class for you?

Yes if…

~You’ve set goals and made New Year’s resolutions in the past, but nothing has ever really “stuck” for the long-term.

~You understand things like the Law of Attraction, energy, and the power of the mind… to a point. But you’ve never really been able to leverage these ideas in any way that made a real and lasting difference in your life.

~You feel caught in a sludgy, unmotivated, stuck sort of inertia, and would welcome some rocket fuel to launch you powerful into the New Year with inspiration and possibility.

~You’ve read a library full of self-help, motivational books, and you “know” a lot… except what it’s really going to take to create the success, healing and transformation you long for.

To learn EXACTLY what you’ll receive from this class and register go to: http://www.successforthesoul.com/prime-the-pump

This isn’t your standard teleclass. This is a training complete with hand-outs and an opportunity to talk to seekers just like you, who were not only willing to do what it takes, but they made the commitment, followed through and experienced REAL RESULTS. You’ll have an opportunity to get your questions answered and receive coaching in order to really claim the possibilities that are waiting for you in 2012!

Join me, won’t you?

Choose YOUR Reality! TM
Sonia

P.S. Need some inspiration right now? Read what just one such seeker activated in HER life!

“There is SO MUCH that I’ve accomplished this year! I’ve learned to wait for inspiration from the Universe and it isn’t necessary to work hard to achieve my goals. I have not only manifested a very solid landing for myself after ending a marriage, I’ve created a warm & welcoming living space that suits me and my needs. I’ve moved the divorce along, restarted my graphic design business AND I’m starting an altogether new business. So far I’ve manifested new clients, an internship that will support me in starting my new business, and I’m attracting quality men at a whole new level. But most importantly I have faith that I CAN have it all: an inspiring new business, a great husband and marriage, and children.”

Tamara Gronet
Studio-g
California

P.S.S.

Yes! The class will be recorded, but you must register below so that we can send you the mp3 audio recording as soon as it is available (usually within 24 hours).

P.P.S.S.

BUT! You’ll want to attend LIVE if you can for a few GOOD REASONS!

1. This is a training… complete with handouts and an opportunity get coaching and questions answered. If you’re serious about taking charge of your New Year, give yourself the gift of being present and participating fully. (Worksheets will arrive via email before the class begins.)
2. I’ll be giving away hundreds of dollars worth of “door prizes” in the form of Success for the Soul products and services (i.e. books, audios, and laser coaching calls with me) all designed to support you in claiming your power as the Ultimate Manifestor of your life!

Why do I do this? CLICK HERE to find out:
http://www.successforthesoul.com/prime-the-pump

Q: Sonia: You’ KNOW what I’ve been going through trying to manifest a very different experience at work after years of misery! Well, I called in Tuesday to tell you everything I’m learning in the UMSI program is paying off. I’d had a really good day at work Monday and it felt like I’d finally shifted. However, Tuesday afternoon and yesterday I felt out of alignment at work again, more like my usual, despite trying to release resistance via a variety of means, tapping, gratitude listing, etc.

Now on Thursday I’m feeling really good again…almost to where I was when I felt that shift on Monday.

My question is, do manifestations and shifts happen like this, with ups and downs but gradually a larger progression toward the up end? Rather than having them happen all at once, where you cross a line and never go back?

A: Great question! The short answer is YES! Transformation, expansion and shifts – in this physical realm – tend to look like 3 steps forward 1 step back, 2 steps forward 1 step back. I have never experienced, observed, or learned about a person who does not go through this.

Now, I can’t speak to what ultimate Nirvana looks and feels like in this physical realm, but according to what I’ve heard from those who are more enlightened than I (and I continue to research this)… even the most enlightened (Jesus, Buddha, Gurus etc.) in this physical realm experience and perceive the triggers of the ILLUSION. Their Egos get activated. The difference between the more enlightened and the less enlightened is HOW THEY RESPOND to the buttons being pushed. This RESPONSE is what we keep learning about and practicing in the expansion process of understanding Ultimate Manifestation.

The more you can simply welcome the reaction, see it for what it is worth, remember that you have fr.ee will and choice at EVERY MOMENT, and CHOOSE acceptance, allowing, and love WHILE redirecting to Higher Truth… the less you will suffer, the quicker the discomfort will pass, and the more your desires will be in alignment with your soul’s truth AND will you manifest more of what you desire.

Hope this helps.
Blessings,
Sonia

(This article is part of a series that began with the May 18, 2011 issue of Soul Food. To go back to the beginning , CLICK HERE)

As we bring our series on the Ultimate Manifestor’s Code of Being to its conclusion, we now move to Tenet #7: Do What’s In Front Of You

In some of the earlier tenets, we addressed the difference between DOING manifestation and BEING the Ultimate Manifestor of your life. When you make this shift, it means you’re expanding your consciousness away from the “effect” which is your physical reality, to the “cause” which is Source (i.e your consciousness – where your TRUE power rests.)

Now then, our consciousness is comprised of our thoughts, words and ACTIONS. And so, one of the challenges seekers encounter as they expand from DOING to BEING lies in understanding how to relate to the necessary actions one must take in moving through life powerfully.

The key to our Code of BEING… is that we are always striving to be one with Source. Open and receptive to the Infinite power, grace, love, wholeness, joy and abundance that is always here.

We must operate from the assumption that we are always being guided to our highest good. That the highest good is here for us always. Our job is to accept and receive the abundance that abounds. For you see, there is no lack of abundance. Source has already provided it. That’s what is meant by “Ask and It is Given”. But just because it is given, doesn’t mean we are in a place to receive it. The experience of lack is on our end. Not on the end of Source.

So… when we take action there are only 2 ways of BEING.

1. Take action on that which is INSPIRING you.This is because Divine Guidance comes in the way of inspiration, OR
2. Simply DO what’s in front of you. (Because if you are seemingly not receiving inspiration, it means that what is in front of you is exactly what you need to be doing for your highest good.

This guidance is vital because the common trap many seekers fall into regarding taking action, is that they think they “should” be strategic, figure things out, or that there is a right or wrong way to approach something.

As soon as you get into “figure it out mode,” you have shut yourself off from Source. You are now trying to “make things happen,” according to your ego’s perception of reality. And you’re resorting to control energy, which is, quite simply, a whole bunch of unproductive resistance.

PRACTICE:

When you don’t know what action to take. When you find yourself asking, “What should I do?” and no guidance or inspiration reveals itself… DO WHAT’S IN FRONT OF YOU. And practice trusting that what you’re doing is exactly what you should be doing for your highest good.

AFFIRMATIONS:

• I am willing to be guided and inspired in all of my actions under all conditions.
• I accept and receive guidance and clarity regarding which actions to take at all times.
• I am willing to trust that what is in front of me to do is for the highest good!
• I am willing to feel safe, guided and peaceful as I surrender to Divine Guidance and Divine timing in all things!

Try it and keep me posted!
Choose YOUR Reality! TM

Sonia

EMPOWERING GOAL SETTING:

As Yehuda Berg of the Kabbalah Center teaches, “The goals are not the goal.” The TRUE goal is your soul’s evolution. Your Soul Self is here to expand, evolve and create. It does NOT accomplish this by setting and meeting goals. It does this by USING goals (generated by the ego) as a short term destination, designed to UNEARTH the things that you must shed and grow beyond in order to become a bigger version of you – the YOU you must become to LIVE the reality that is your goal. When you set goals from this perspective, you can’t fail. As long as you move toward your goal and you keep growing and learning, you will EXPAND, remember more and more of who you REALLY are, and guess what? Your goal (or something better) will manifest!

SABOTAGING GOAL SETTING:

On the flip side, there are a number of problems inherent with believing that your goals are the goal. Firstly, goals are generated by the ego (that part of you that believes you are separate from Source.) So, if you are chasing goals in order to feel better, you are essentially putting out the energy (and manifesting) always feeling SEPARATE from Source (i.e. separate from your power, your well-being, your joy, your abundance, etc.) Consequently, you may manifest your goals, but…

• the satisfaction will be fleeting, OR
• you’ll fear losing “that thing” as soon as you get it.

Additionally, unless the goal manifests exactly the way you intend (the how, the when, the where), you’ll feel like a failure and suffer all the “not enough” feelings that come with unmet goals and expectations (i.e. disappointment, scarcity, discouragement, etc.), which in turn activates an Creative Consciousness that is THE OPPOSITE of what you need to activate in order to experience the fulfillment you truly seek.

ADVICE FOR EFFECTIVE GOAL-SETTING AND MANIFESTATION:

• Forget about time lines! Instead of, “I intend to manifest “X” in 3 months…” try, “I am READY to ALLOW “X” into my life in the next 3-12 months. Instead of trying to “control” your goals into being, see your intentions as “opening the door of opportunity. Walk through the door and stay on the path.
• Once you know your intention (keep it simple), make an itemized list of how it will look and feel as your dreams manifests. That way, as you travel the journey, you can see what IS manifesting, give thanks for that, and allow success to breed success. (Instead of ONLY seeing the finish line, thereby becoming unable to see any progress, and getting pulled into believing “nothing is happening.”)
• Remember: the TRUE goal is your soul’s expansion and as you become more and more of who you REALLY are, the goals will simply manifest as an expression of that. (Slip into thinking your goals are the priority and you may risk using them as a measuring stick that keeps you feeling small instead of supporting you to be the BIGGER YOU, you are already becoming!)

Choose YOUR Reality! TM
Sonia

A: Short-term relationships and long-term relationships are like apples and oranges. To experience success with either, you must understand that they have different purposes and call for different strategies.

Short-term relationships serve two purposes: fun and research. They are great for exploring who you are and who you want to be in relationships. This is where you discover what you want, and more importantly do not want in a partner. So, go ahead, choose a woman because she’s gorgeous, laughs at your jokes, is a good cook, an animal in bed, and loves football. Your criteria for choosing a short-term girlfriend doesn’t really matter because you’re here to have fun, explore and learn.

In contrast, successful, long-term, committed relationships require three things as a place to start: you must have relationship skills, have a pretty clear idea of who you are, and seek a partner who has a good sense of who she is. You must understand that love is more than a feeling, and that it must be supported by actions of commitment, compromise, and sacrifice. You must also be willing to make the needs of your relationship more important than your own needs. This means that you need to know yourself well enough to choose a woman who will not require you to compromise who you are. When dating for the long-term, ask yourself, “Does she bring out the best in me and share the same values and vision for life?”

The Law of Attraction governs what we experience in our lives. If you want to attract a different kind of woman, you must be a different kind of man. By asking yourself the hard questions and being honest with yourself and the women you date, you will stop the revolving door and put yourself on the path to long-term relationship fulfillment.

Q: My sister suggests that maybe I should rephrase some of the wording of my goals – that the subconscious mind is very literal & picks up on all positive & negative statements, so instead of mentioning my illness struggles, I might be better off saying “I’m enjoying excellent health.” And instead of using the word cancer, I could just say “my dad is healthy & well on all levels….”  Advice?

A: What you manifest in your life is based on your VIBRATION.  Period.

The physical realm is a CREATION that is birthed from the realm of pure energy.  

There is only ONE CREATIVE LIFE FORCE behind every creation and that is Source Energy.  This means that nothing in our physical realm has power above and beyond this Ultimate Power.  (i.e.  your words, your subconscious mind, the experience of cancer, anything we “believe” causes cancer).  Nothing in this physical realm causes ANYTHING.  There is only ONE CAUSE.  And the cause of EVERY effect we experience is consciousness.

Everything that you could ever want, desire or imagine already exists as energy.  So there is nothing to create, there is nothing to attract, there is only SEEING what is already here.  How do we see it?  We put our attention on it.

Our attention is based not solely on what we THINK about it. It is based, actually more on what we FEEL about.  Our thoughts, feelings, words and actions all join together to comprise our vibration.

So, if it FEELS better to say “cancer-free” than to say “whole and healthy in every way”… then you want to use those words. 

The better you FEEL, the more IN ALIGNMENT with Truth and Source you are.  The worse you feel, the more out of alignment, in resistance and disconnected you are… essentially blocking the flow of Source Energy from your experience. 

The more Source Energy is flowing through your experience, the more abundance and well-being you are allowing.

NOW THEN… what can happen is that the more we contemplate the Nature of Higher Truth, your words may change.  Why?  Because cancer is not real.  It is a creation.  And the more you put your attention on Truth vs. the things we create, the more aligned you may become with the TRUTH that your father IS ALREADY health and wholeness and that there is really nothing to heal at all.

Wherever you are… the most important thing to remember is that Right and Wrong only exist in our limited physical reality.  Yet, in the realm of Higher Truth there exists only Alignment.

Hope this helps.

Blessings,

Sonia

Would you like to learn more about how to claim your power as the Ultimate Manifestor of your own life? At Success for the Soul, all of our programs are designed to help seekers lift the illusion of fear and limitation to live their life’s highest possibility.  Apply for a complimentary Get to Know Session to learn how we can support you! I have a limited number of openings in my schedule at this time. Go to: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/VMZYJK6.

Q: My husband and I are going through financial hardship. We have two small children. We bought a house a year ago. And my husband owns a business which is struggling. Sometimes he just doesn’t get paid. I obsess about our situation and am terrified of ending up homeless. I don’t want to bring this energy to our children. What can I do?

A: When fear has taken up residence in your mind and heart, it can feel completely debilitating. Metaphysically speaking, when we feel love, trust, and joy, it means that we are allowing the well-being of Source energy to express through our lives. When we are in fear, we are resisting the flow of well-being and limiting the possibility of positive outcomes.

When you find yourself obsessing, it means you are seeking a mental solution to an emotional or spiritual problem. In trying to ‘figure things out’, your mind is hurting you, not helping. Your circling thoughts become a block to your emotional wisdom.

To access your emotional intelligence, you must first accept your fear, rather than resist it. Begin with some self talk. Okay, I’m afraid. It’s okay to be afraid. Then really honor the fear. Feel it. Talk to a friend. Do some journaling. Once you say ‘yes’ to your fear, then give it a voice by mentally playing out your fears to the last possible worst case scenario. Q: What’s the worst that can happen? A: Jim won’t get paid. Q: Then what’s the worst that can happen? A: We’ll have to buy groceries with our credit card. Q: Then what? Etc. etc.

Through this, you will usually realize that the probable outcome does not equal the possible outcome. And you’ll realize that even if bad things happen you’ll still be okay. Once you let go of the fear, not only will you feel better, but you will have released resistance, allowing more Source energy to express in your life. And, if you keep at it, don’t be surprised if you see some minor (or major) miracles suddenly showing up.

Do you have questions for Sonia? Feel free to write in to CustomerCare@SuccessfortheSoul.com. The Universe just might send you an answer through, let’s say… oh, I dunno… a blog like this one?!