What Am I Grateful For This Week ...

You don't have to be rich and famous to have gratitude. You don't have to survive a tragedy or overcome a terminal illness to be thankful. No one should wait for these moments to make gratitude matters.

It is important to count our blessings no matter where we are in our life today. Let's pause for a moment now ... not later, not tomorrow but NOW to look at our life. Note down the pleasant stuffs, the positive thoughts, the happy moments that you could feel a wee bit of thankfulness. Even if your mind's blocked, write down at least one thing that brings out the slightest positive feeling for you.

"If you concentrate on finding whatever is good in every situation, you will discover that your life will suddenly be filled with gratitude, a feeling that nurtures the soul."

~Rabbi Harold Kushner~

There's always something to be grateful for. Next, do share it with someone. If you're shy or uncomfortable, then share it with me here!

So, here's my random list of gratitude this week;

1. I am grateful for everyone in my family.
2. I am grateful for the wonderful health of my family.
3. I am grateful for the peace within my family.
3. I am grateful for the comforts in my life.
4. I am grateful to be able to see the world outside my home-ground.
5. I am grateful for the people who have touched my life.
6. I am grateful for a blissful retirement.
7. I am grateful for a joyful Christmas.
8. I am grateful for a prosperous 2011 and all its abundance.

It's your turn NOW!

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Law Of Attraction: Thoughts Become Things!

Mike Dooley, author of NY Times bestseller Infinite Possibilities and the scribe behind "Notes from the Universe" explaining the inviolate principle that gives us dominion over all things.



It is just three simple words,'Thoughts Become Things!' It is the most powerful principle ever to be discovered by humankind. We all get to choose our thoughts and then we follow our words and our actions craft the reality that we will experience next in time and space. Life is as simple as this. There are no mitigating factors, no caveats, no "sometimes," "maybe's" or "hope so's."

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A Note Of Awareness #26

According to the law of attraction, people can create their lives on purpose. Anything you want to create is possible as long as you have the desire, intention and persistence.

In every age and era, there are people who form strong desires to do something that is important or meaningful with their lives. It can be something simple or something for the greater good of everyone. These people believe strongly in what they want that they think about it all the time, and sometimes seeking help from the Infinite One through their prayers.

Desire is the key and you already possess the means to do it which is your Thoughts. Your infinite potential for manifesting is limitless!

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My Bubble: Packing Up For Heart Of Asia!

One cabin-sized trolley luggage and one camera backpack ... I'm all set to go! Hello Taiwan, here I come!!

Departing tomorrow at 10.05am, our group which includes another marathoner and his wife will touch down in Taipei after four-and-a-half hours' flight. I've never been to Taiwan yet and it was never on our travel agenda anytime soon. However, since lo kong and the other marathoner, Uncle Chew had made a pact to run two full marathons back-to-back within 2 days over New Year's eve and New Year's day, here's another unexpected destination to add to my globetrotting experience.

Lo kong and Uncle Chew will be running at the Freeway No.4 National Marathon in Taichung on 31 December followed by the Jong-liao-shan New Year Marathon in Kaohsiung City the next day. Fingers-crossed, when they finished both races within the qualifying time, we will have 2 fourth-level Iridium Marathon Maniacs!! Uncle Chew is currently the third-level Gold Marathon Maniac as he has already completed more than 18 full-marathons in the last 5 months. Any runners out there interested to be Marathon Maniacs can check it out here.

As for me, I am looking forward to the Tastes of Taiwan. Taiwan is well-known for its plethora of street food and it has been said that there is a snack shop every three steps and there's a restaurant at every five. They serve all sorts of Chinese food from roast ducks, Taiwan burgers, hotpots to stinky tofu. Anyhow, first on my list is the Oyster Mee Sua. I've tasted the Malaysian-made and now's my chance to compare with the authentic one. What better ways to find these delicacies than to visit their night markets where these snacks can be found in abundance. In short, looks like our Taiwanese adventure will be around night markets with a snack gastronomy!!

Photo taken from Nino's blog:
"my kwai-lo blogfriend married & living in Taiwan"

After four days of food exploration in Taiwan, it will be a four-month fat busting punishment back home!

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My Poem: My Heart Sings!

It's the season to be merry! It's God's blessing that I am able to be immersed in the festivities of this season of giving. I am jumping and singing with delight!

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Affirmation: I Am Joyful!

I am swamped in the magical spirit of Christmas. It is not about the presents or any other materialistic things in life but just being present in the moment of festivity and a closeness with the Lord.

This is my affirmation for the week ...

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Random Bubbles ... MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

To each and every one of my Net-Friends,
May all the sweet magic of Christmas conspire
to gladden your hearts and fill your every desire!

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What Am I Grateful For This Week ...

Christmas! The very word brings joy to our hearts. It is the gentlest time of the year again and no matter where we are, its magical spell wraps us with affections, hopes, kindliness, merriment and most importantly, gratitude.

"This is Christmas: not the tinsel, not the giving and receiving, not even the carols. But the humble heart that receives anew the wondrous gift -- the Christ." 

~ Frank McKibben

As we earnestly celebrate the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ, we are in actual fact expressing our highest level of gratitude for Him.

So, today I am so grateful for the life of Jesus and His eternal presence in my heart. I am grateful for His continuous love and guidance that lighted my path to living my life with meaningful purpose, passion and integrity. I am grateful that I am becoming aware of my divine potential and am given glimpses of being in total oneness with the Lord. In gratitude, I open myself to receive more.

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Law Of Attraction: A Formula For Success

Napoleon Hill was born into a poverty-stricken family on October 26, 1883. He started his writing career at the age of 13 and is widely recognized as the founder of modern personal success literature. His most famous written work, Think and Grow Rich has become one of the best-selling books of all time. In this best-seller, Napoleon Hill condensed his formula for success which he managed to learn from his research of over two decades.

It is interesting to note that a number of the successful businessmen he interviewed during his research which included Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, Henry Ford and Andrew Carnegie had all been documented as law of attraction followers. For this very reason, Think & Grow Rich has continued to be an influence in the mastery of the law of attraction.

Understanding the law of attraction is one of the important elements that you have to develop in order to create the life you desire. If you have already acquaint yourself with this natural law of the Universe, then you must have heard often times that everything is available for you as long as you believe strongly in it. As you delve further, you will come to realize that your belief is only the first piece of the puzzle that will form that ladder to your desired life. There are several other characteristics that you will need to develop to complete this puzzle. Here is where Napoleon Hill’s formula of success can help you find the missing pieces to the puzzle.

According to Napoleon Hill and concurrent with the fundamental principles of the law of attraction, any formula for success has to include several steps and changes as follows;

1. Identifying your precise purpose.
2. Cultivating a desire for it to manifest.
3. Recognizing opportunity whenever and wherever it appears.
4. Instilling the persistence to not give up easily.
5. Developing a success consciousness rather than thinking of failures.
6. Training your mind to perceive the advantages and new opportunities in every failure and adversity.
7. Mingling with like-minded people.

It is important to always bear in mind that success is not going to happen on its own. Having dreams alone but without any follow-up actions is merely daydreaming. When you have a dream, you have a responsibility to yourself to find a formula for success to achieve it.

“It takes half your life before you discover life is 
a do-it-yourself project.” 

~ Napoleon Hill

Each step as highlighted by Napoleon Hill teaches you to think differently from how you have been conditioned until today. They not only assist you to realize your highest potential but also prepare you to face the inevitable challenges, criticisms and doubts that come along during your process of manifestation.

These steps may not be an explicit roadmap to the successful manifestation of your dreams but they are instrumental to your mastery of the law of attraction that will unleash your power from within to attain success.


Copyright © Wenny Yap 2011 All Rights Reserved. This article may be reproduced with my written consent, provided my name and link remain intact.

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A Note Of Awareness #25

Adopting a formula for success can help you master the law of attraction. Following a successful formula can help you minimize any unexpected surprises or setbacks. When you have a dream, you owe it to yourself to find a formula for success to achieve it!

The law of attraction is one of the important elements that you have to understand to create the life you desire. According to Napoleon Hill, any formula for success has to include the power of autosuggestion. The subconscious mind must be influenced by emotionally charged thoughts mixed with faith in order to bear results. Autosuggestion develops the mindset of an achiever to become a powerful weapon for you to fend against challenges, obstacles and doubts that will inevitably come your way.

The law of attraction teachers and coaches say that these natural law is always working and once you know how to combine it deliberately with a formula for success, you can draw whatever you want from the storehouse of the universe!

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My Poem: My Life Is Unfolding In The Right Way

I wrote this poem at the beginning of my journey to redesign my life. A mindset that had been conditioned over four decades still fights back today trying to revert to its old ways but I know the course of my direction has been changed forever and I trust my building momentum is in the right direction.

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Affirmation: I Am Thankful!

Being thankful I am able to feel the abundance in my life right now. Everything is moving smoothly in the positive direction and I trust my intuition to make the right improvements to be purposeful in my life.

This is my affirmation for the week ...

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Random Bubbles ...

This is why Cash Gifting is for me as it can be for you
... we share our abundance by Paying it Forward!

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What Am I Grateful For This Week ...

"Gratitude equals wealth and wealth equals gratitude" in the words of Steve Pavlina, an American self-help author, motivational speaker and entrepreneur. I am in total agreement with his explanation that we can't feel wealthy without feeling thankful at the same time. And if we are truly grateful, the wealthy feeling exist no matter our actual circumstances.

In practising gratitude, we continually build up our positive thinking momentum in order to overcome our negative thoughts of scarcity and dissatisfaction. We learn to be more accepting of who and where we are while subconsciously reprogramming ourselves towards unconditional living. The ultimate goal is to "live simply, give freely and expect less" ... a contented life!

Another week of reflection and my random list of gratitude is as follows;

1. I am grateful that I am gradually releasing the conditioned expectations out of my life.

2. I am grateful for the continual feelings of abundance in my daily life.

3. I am grateful for each and every person, near and far who have continually influenced my existence ... good or bad I am thankful that I am able to learn from them.

4. I am grateful that I am discovering myself every day.

5. I am grateful to have reviewed and revamped my Vision Board in order to strengthen my focus and attention on living purposefully. Check out my new Vision Board below!

Reinforced direction for a purposeful life!

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Law Of Attraction: Working Up The Momentum

You are a firm believer in the principle of the law of attraction and you have been applying it in every area of your daily life. However, you do not understand why positive things do not seem to be materializing quickly. How is this so?

The simplest way to clarify the situation is momentum. The law of attraction works with momentum. What you want coming into your life may be manifested instantly or it may take a longer period of time to happen. Why?

The reason behind it has a lot to do with the strength of your desire, the clarity of your vision and the power of your intention. Before you have ever learned about the law of attraction, you have to understand that most people have been living their life in worry, doubt and indecision. These limiting beliefs breed fear that has been building up a tremendous momentum in one direction. Therefore, while the Universe is orchestrating and rearranging itself to bring to you all that you desire, it will at the same time allow you the time needed to wrangle with your choices and all the varying aspects, elements and options that may come to your mind in order to strengthen your intentions and focus. The more limiting beliefs you have will determine the amount of time you take to change course.

You need to be patient and reset your coordinates before you can start heading in the opposite direction of positive thinking. It is something like driving on a narrow street and trying to make a 3-point turn to get back in the direction you were coming from. Slowly but surely you will make it out of the tight spot.

The time you take to get onto the right direction is also determined by your willingness to make changes. The more open and willing you are to learn and grow, the shorter the time you will turn around and gather momentum in the opposite direction and start attracting what you desire and deserve in your life.

Once you are certain with your choices and intentions, you must always remember the equation to the law of attraction:  "Thoughts + Feeling + Actions = Results"

Having the right positive thoughts and feelings accompanied by inspired actions will increase your momentum exponentially. Do not be overly concerned with trying to change your life overnight. You will not be wrong to believe that with each positive change you subscribe to, a snowball effect has been activated to bring you many steps closer to your desires and more.

So be patient and do not give up. As long you keep positive and believe that law of attraction is working for you right now, perseverance is the only the way to go to maintain or accelerate the momentum that will turn your desires into a reality. Like it had often been said, “Rome wasn’t built in a day!”


Copyright © Wenny Yap 2011 All Rights Reserved. This article may be reproduced with my written consent, provided my name and link remain intact.

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A Note Of Awareness #24

The law of attraction works with momentum. Things may be manifested instantly or it may take a longer time to happen. Why?

The reason has a lot to do with the strength of your desire, the clarity of your vision and the power of your intention. Remember that the Universe will orchestrate and rearrange itself to bring to you all that you want but it will also allow you to wrangle with your choices and all the different aspects, elements and options that your mind may conceive.

Napoleon Hill, the author of ‘Think & Grow Rich’ said, “fears are nothing more than a state of mind.” He forewarned that indecision and doubt can breed fear. The blending of the two, though steady and insidious, may not be obvious to the conscious mind and the end result is fear. Fortunately, fear is a state of the mind that can be altered by conscious thought.

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My Bubble: Lassitude & Breakouts!

Eversince my return from Singapore a week ago, I have been listless and lacked inspirations to pen any articles and poems. Thankfully, I managed to complete my assignments without a hitch.

I've got a running nose, sore-throat, cough and luckily minus any fever. It's put me back for more than 10 days now from hitting the gym. Furthermore, there is these mysterious breakouts all over my face which started while I was in Singapore. At first I thought it was caused by the hotel towel but since it has been getting worse by the day, that could not possibly be the reason anymore. The only change in my daily personal care regimen is the inclusion of a new facial wash. It was supposedly a natural-based Aloe wash but I am discontinuing for awhile to see the outcome. These breakouts are really adding to the weariness of the moment. I NEED a cheer-up!!

The best way to cheer yourself up is
to try to cheer somebody else up!
'Mark Twain'

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My Poem: Are We Really The Same?

Everyone is born with the same birthright to life. It is a matter of how and when we claim that birthright that determine the difference between one and the other.

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Affirmation: I Am Plentiful!

I am grateful that everything is flowing smoothly and calmly in my life. I am continually blessed with positive energies that I feel enriched in my mind, body and spirit.

This is my affirmation for the week ...

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My Bubble: Will 2011 Close With A Bang For You?

Fourteen days more and it is Christmas. Twenty days more and it will be the close for the year 2011. Will it close with a bang for you?

So much yet so little brewed, expectations fulfilled yet disappointments endured but the unexpected never failed to save my day! While there may be many excitements and accomplishments, not everything comes out rosy all the time. Still, life moves on. As they say it, “Life is a one-way street” and we just have to enjoy every moment of it as none will ever happen the same way again.

This is how I would sum up what 2011 has offered me. As I reflect on my resolutions a second time this year (the first was sometime mid-year), I must say that I am proud and happy with my successes so far. I still have a lot to learn, to improve and to change but hey, “Rome wasn’t built in a day!”

Anyway, things will be a little different for 2012. I have decided to forego my annual resolution list for next year. Yes, that’s right! I am letting go of the list of goals and targets. I am simply going to follow the flow where the good things are currently happening in my life. However, just to maintain the clarity and focus in mind, I’ll just have to revamp my vision board to suit the dynamics of changing time and circumstances in my life right now.

I know life’s little twist and turns are not always easy but as long as I am sure where I am headed in my life, I will continually enjoy the journey and not just the end results. After all this is why I had opted for early retirement in the first place. To live life by my own design … doing what, when, where, how and with whom I so decide!

Merry★* 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
•。★Christmas★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門｜ ˚And a Happy New Year!!!

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Random Bubbles ...

Sunday | Forward this Picture

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What Am I Grateful For This Week ...

Joined lo kong and friends at the Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore over the weekend and returned past midnight Tuesday. As I picked up the daily rhythm again while fulfilling some assignments, I have gone from tired to lethargic to under-the-weather. Despite the draggy pace, the week just zoomed by so very quickly.

It's reflection time again ... let's talk about gratitude!

Gratitude is a really powerful tool that will assist us to live a more meaningful life. However, some may ask how can they feel gratitude when they do not feel like they have anything to be thankful for.

Life is precious and so is time. Sometimes we will never know the true value of a moment until it has become a memory. If we learn not to take things for granted, there will always be something to be grateful for regardless it is big or small or whether our life is good or miserable. The choice is yours!

This week I fill my random list of gratitude as follows;

1. I am grateful that the whole family had a safe trip to Singapore.
2. I am grateful that both lo kong and son successfully completed their respective races at SCMS 2011.
3. I am grateful for the variety of travels lo kong and I made this entire year and with the year drawing to a close, we will be celebrating New Year in Taiwan.
4. I am grateful that my son has successfully completed his work internship for his college diploma.
5. I am so grateful that many of my dreams have manifested into reality and many more are in the works!

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your peace that rules my heart. 

I choose Your peace today and thank You for guiding my every step. 

I choose to be thankful today and bless You for Your faithfulness. 

In Jesus Name. 

Amen.

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Law Of Attraction: Is Patience Your Missing Link?

Do you put a timeframe or deadline on your desires to get manifested? Sadly if you do, this will be a compulsion that will simply impede the progress of your manifestations. Your need to control when and how your manifestation becomes a reality tantamount to unrealistic expectations. Unfulfilled expectations within your set timeframe can lead to disappointments. Disappointment is the big ‘No-No’ that can have an unfortunate trigger to break down your belief system that the law of attraction is working for you at the moment.

When you truly believe in the power of the law of attraction, you know you can handover your trust to the Universe to know what’s best for you. You will allow time to run its course before you ‘reap what you sow’ and meanwhile allow yourself to relax and go with the flow. This is called patience!

Patience must be cultivated and it is one of the most challenging traits to be instilled as a habit. Lack of patience can have drastic effects on both your personality as well as your health. Impatience creates irritability, anger, stress, hastiness and dissatisfaction that will take away your ability to deal with instant gratification even when blessings are sitting right under your nose. You lose control of your positive thought patterns and emotions which will not augur well for the law of attraction to work in the way you want it to. All the rushing and chaotic energy you put forth will only serve to bring more of the same to you. You’ll just be like running a race that sees no ending line. You turned into a pessimist with life and end-up being a magnet that attracts all the things you do not want into your life.

You must have heard of the saying that “Patience is a Virtue.” Where the law of attraction is concern, patience is an important link to keep your belief system intact. Having patience is to believe that you deserve all the good things in life, believing that everything has been set in motion for you right now, believing that it is coming your way this instant and believing in the Universe to know the perfect time and place for the good things to happen in your life. When you realized the significant correlation between patience and the law of attraction, you will understand that nothing happens before its time. You will not be able to make things happen any faster than they are going to. You just do your part and the Universe will do its part as the law of attraction continually brings about more of the positive energies you are giving out.

Patience allows you some space for stillness and reflection where you will have the opportunity to draw on inspirations and listen to ideas that inspire you into action to move steps closer to your desires. You are more focus, productive and enjoy all the things that are unfolding before you. When you are patient enough to wait for your desires to be manifested into reality, you are in actual fact increasing your self-belief, a trust in yourself to do the right thing.

Be mindful that using the law of attraction to manifest your desires is not something that happens overnight. John D. Rockefeller, Oprah Winfrey, Richard Branson or even J.K. Rowling did not become rich and successful overnight. Each of them had adopted patience to link them to their fortunes.

“Patience is not passive; on the contrary, it is active; it is concentrated strength.”

~ Edward G. Bulwer-Lytton

Copyright © Wenny Yap 2011 All Rights Reserved. This article may be reproduced with my written consent, provided my name and link remain intact.

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A Note Of Awareness #23

You must have heard of this saying often, “Patience is a virtue.” The law of attraction rewards you for your patience. So when you practise manifesting you must wait, you must exercise patience!

In life, nothing happens before its time. You can’t make things happen any faster than they are going to. When the time is right, your manifestations will materialized, no sooner and no later. The law of attraction is unbiased and you just have to trust the Universe to do its work.

Part of working with the law of attraction is to let go of the need to control the timeframe for your desires to manifest into your life. Such compulsion can only trigger frustration and doubt that inadvertently affects your thoughts and emotions. You become hasty and your agitated mind limits the influx of inspirations, ideas and guidance that impedes your path to manifestations!

“Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.”
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~

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My Poem: I Am Who I Am Today

Life is abundant with limitless possibilities. I have chosen not to waste my time on the what ifs or the sad and hurting past but to live with the moment and improvising towards the future. Life is precious and time is precious too! The choice is in my hand ... to get stuck in the past or to adapt to my present in pursuit of my ultimate destination ... JOY!

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Affirmation: I Feel Blissful

Some outcomes may not have been my original intention but every experience in my life today is a clear indication that everything in my life is going to work out just fine. Today I am at ease with my circumstances and my eyes are opened to the good of God. I thank the Lord for all the blessings that He continually grant to me and my family.

This is my affirmation for the week ...

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Random Bubbles ...

A PRAYER FOR A SAFE RUN AT SCMS

Lord, be our guide and our protector on the journey we are taking,

Watch over us. Protect us from any untoward incidence,

Keep us free from harm to body and soul.

Lord, support Ray & Nick with Your grace when they are running 

at the Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore

Help them to be patient in their pursuits to complete their respective races

Lord, support us with Your grace when we are tired,

Help us be patient in any trouble which may come our way.

Keep us always mindful of Your presence and love,

Amen.

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What Am I Grateful For This Week ...

Gratitude is an emotion that will definitely benefit everyone. It is the key to open the door for joy to flow into our life. How can there be happiness where there is no thankfulness? Happiness begins with gratitude which leads to a sense of inner peace with an acceptance that everything happens for a good reason.

No one can be happy and sad all at the same time. It is just impossible. If we can list as many of things we can be thankful for at this present moment in our lives, we will be moving further away from sadness and a whole lot nearer to happiness. Unlock the joy in our life by adopting an attitude for gratitude and there's no doubt you will begin to see the difference.

“You simply will not be the same person two months from now after consciously giving thanks each day for the abundance that exists in your life. And you will have set in motion an ancient spiritual law: the more you have and are grateful for, the more will be given you.”

~ Sarah Ban Breathnach ~

Another week passes and it is time again for my random list of gratitude;

1. I am grateful that my blog has survived all 3 years of steadfast blogging. This week I celebrate my 3rd Blog-versary!

2. I am grateful for the tremendous increase in the traffic to my blog. I am so happy that my blog has been receiving an average of 10000 pageviews the past few months.

3. I am grateful that the whole family is now in Singapore. It's been a while since the whole family traveled together due to Nick's studies and work commitments.

4. I am grateful that the injuries to my legs are showing signs of improvement as I am able to pick up a 10km distance on the treadmill again although I am still cautious of the pain in my right knee and heel.

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Law Of Attraction: Seek Out Joy And Abundance Follows!

You are reading this article right now because you have made a choice to be here. My warmest appreciation goes to you for your interest in this read. Where do you go from here is again based entirely on your next decision.

Obviously you and I are likeminded people. We share an interest in the most powerful tool from the Universe. Your attachment to the law of attraction clearly represents your intention to use this universal law to add value to your life’s journey. You have made your choice and have chosen to intentionally and deliberately use the law of attraction to benefit yourself.

We all know that the law of attraction depends very much on our feelings and thoughts. How you feel and what you think constantly influence the state of your attraction. The Universe is constantly listening to your vibrations irrespective it is positive or negative. The more you have the feel good thoughts the higher you vibrate your positive energies to the Universe. Just like any practitioner of this universal law, you and I seek to enjoy a meaningful life where joy and abundance prevails. Therefore, all we want is to vibrate only positive energies and the higher the better.

“Joy is the ultimate emotional destination, the highest energy and vibration and 
the footsteps along the path of 

a deliberately created life.” 

~ Anne Aleckson ~

So what is Joy? Joy is a celebration of your happiness from the immense positive emotions driven by your gratitude for everything that is happening in your life regardless good or bad. Gratitude in all things makes you feel that your life is on track and being thankful changes your thought patterns from the negative to the positive. Joy elevates your positive energy to a constant state of positive attraction. The law of attraction says, “like attracts like.” So when you have found joy, you are in harmony with the Universe and you will attract all the things, people and events that are aligned with your desire. You are connected to the Source of all things to receive all the abundance that have been waiting for you.

Does this sound simple? Maybe yes and perhaps not but it is entirely up to you to decide. Life is precious and time is as precious too. The choices you make today determine how well you will live your life with every next second of the day. Therefore, it is worthwhile to put whatever matters to you most right at the forefront. For a start, you can figure out all things that make you thankful today.

The law of attraction is constantly at your disposal. It is always there whether you are aware of it or not and it works. Seek out your joy now by allowing your gratitude to grow on you and intensify your positive energies. While you enjoy life’s journey by living consciously in the present and celebrating every moment that come to pass, you are strengthening your power to attract more abundance into your life.

There are no promises that your life will instantly change for the better just by reading this article. Your actions after this will have a lot to do with your success. This is merely an encouragement for you to adopt a powerful law from the Universe that is readily at your disposal to make a big difference to the quality of your life journey.


Copyright © Wenny Yap 2011 All Rights Reserved. This article may be reproduced with my written consent, provided my name and link remain intact.

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A Note Of Awareness #22

The law of attraction opens the door to abundance and only requires from you one simple task … to seek out the joys in your life regardless of the situations that may be circulating through your life.

Joy is the positive emotion of celebrating happiness and gratitude. It has been said to be the core of every inner being. You can’t control how others feel and think but you can certainly control your own. Your deliberate choice of feel good thoughts allows you to connect with your inner being … the person you truly are. When you are connected with your inner being, your joy becomes automated and you will predominantly be in a state of positive attraction.

Find the time to write down your gratitude list and tune in with your inner being to activate those joys in your life. The more you focus on your joys, the higher your positive attraction. The higher your positive attraction, the clearer and purer your positive signal is sent out to the Universe. In return, the more abundance is delivered to you.

"Seek joy. Seek joy until you know that you cause joy. 

Cause joy until you know you are joy."

~ Cindy Teevens ~

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My Poem: Savor The Best In Life

Just like everyone else, I was part of the workforce for over 20 years. With gusto and ambitions, I held steadfast focus to build my career based on my dreams. Today, I have finally called it quits and I am enjoying the fruits of my labor.

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Affirmation: I Am Contented!

I am feeling happy and very much at ease as I am satisfied with the way my life is moving along. I am grateful that I can be laid-back and yet still filled with aspirations and inspirations.

This is my affirmation for the week ...

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Random Bubbles: The Last Chapter In Auckland ...

Despite driving our camper from Auckland down south to Rotorua, then the seaside city of Napier and across the Ruahine Range to Waitomo Caves, we did not managed a round the North Island adventure within the 10 days. As we improvised our drive, we had to forego Coromandel, Palmerston North, Wellington, Wanganui, New Plymouth and Cape Renga. It would have taken us at least a month to truly enjoy a complete and relaxing drive around the North Island. Nonetheless, it was one great holiday!

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What Am I Grateful For This Week ...

Do you know that Gratitude is an essential attitude to achieve Happiness?

Living with thankfulness can improve our life. Being grateful keeps us committed to ourselves and taking full responsibility of all our actions, reactions and the effects without the blame game dramas. There's no self-pity, resentment or jealousy but in their place, loving kindness, compassion, equanimity and joy.

"We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures."

~ Thornton Wilder ~

Another week is up for my personal reflection of all the blessings that have been bestowed on me and it is liberating to share my random list of gratitude;

1. I am grateful for the short relaxing break in Penang over the last weekend where lo kong and I enjoyed a fair bit of gluttony.

2. I am grateful that lo kong did pretty well at the Penang Bridge International Marathon and I am thankful for the improvements to his legs as there is less trauma felt on his knees this time. I hope he'll do better at the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon next week.

3. I am grateful for the opportunities and the good health to travel frequently.

4. I am grateful my son is coping well with his on-going internship.

5. I am grateful for the peace and quiet at home, the cool breeze and cloudy skies each day and the on-going inspiration for my writings.  I am thankful that I am able to do things at my own leisure, in my own space and anyhow I designed.

"As I go through all kinds of feelings and experiences in my journey through life -- delight, surprise, chagrin, dismay -- I hold this question as a guiding light: "What do I really need right now to be happy?" What I come to over and over again is that only qualities as vast and deep as love, connection and kindness will really make me happy in any sort of enduring way."

~ Sharon Salzberg ~

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Law Of Attraction: Defend Against The Self-Saboteur!

If you're struggling to meet your aspirations, despite being inspired and knowing exactly what to do, yet things still do not seem to fall in place, you may be self-sabotaging yourself. How can this be possible? What really happens when you sabotage yourselves?

Firstly, let's not forget the power of your subconscious mind. You create your own circumstances through your subconscious mind. Most persons have been conditioned to think and react negatively whenever uncertainties loom ahead due to an instilled fear, fear of the unknown, fear of failure, fear of regret, fear of change and so on. Subconsciously, you are frightening yourselves into self-sabotage!

Before anyone can overcome self-sabotage, there's a need to explore your thoughts, emotions and actions. You need to understand where these fears are coming from and how they are influencing your actions or inactions. Once you have determined the causes, you can then take steps to prevent it from happening in the future.

As an example, you want financial prosperity. You are inspired and know exactly what to do to energize yourselves and the infinite intelligence sends you leads in the form of opportunities and ideas. But subconsciously, you may be frightened by the thoughts of failure or change. You understand the risks you have to take, yet you become weakened in your actions. You react too slowly that the opportunities slipped away.

On the other hand, you may be frightened by the thoughts of regrets or missed opportunities, so you just jump right in without any evaluation. You react too quickly that you failed to realize whether you have the know-how or if you are prepared for the long haul.

As another example, you may dream of a successful relationship. You energized yourself well that you found yourself in a relationship that you always dream of. But no matter what you do, it still did not last. Perhaps subconsciously you fear making the wrong choice. Even if the relationship hits the mark, you belief the next relationship could possibly be better.

You have no awareness that there are destructive efforts from within your subconsciousness due to the uncertainties in your mind caused by your doubts and fears. Prepare to ask yourself what you are afraid of. Explore any possibilities from your past to present to help you get out of the self-sabotage rut. When you have established an insight into your inner fears, you will rein full control of your thoughts, emotions and actions. You will be able to create the outcomes the way you want and stop the self-sabotage.

I asked myself this same question very often, “Am I sabotaging myself?” Regretfully I am only human and sometimes the answer turned out to be a resounding Yes!

While I've worked hard to remove the negative spell of the past, sometimes certain situations or persons still trigger the unwanted memories and emotional reactions. It can feel as if I am on “auto-pilot” with little control over my reactions of anger, sadness, fear, guilt or even, jealousy. I have allowed myself to sabotage my own desires, denying myself from what I am capable of achieving in the shortest of time whenever I lose control.

If I do not fight the self-saboteur in me at the soonest and continue to allow myself to succumb to the failure, I am pretty sure I will be returning to the state where I first began. I must reclaim my control over my subconscious mind. I need to strengthen my psychological immune system by making peace with my past. That is why it is important to take regular time-outs to reflect, forgive and forget. You could actually liken this to a form of self-detoxification.


Copyright © Wenny Yap 2011 All Rights Reserved. This article may be reproduced with my written consent, provided my name and link remain intact.

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A Note Of Awareness #21

What is keeping you from living the kind of life you are dreaming of having? You can use the law of attraction to take advantage of your self-talk to manifest all the good things into your life.

Self-talk is constant mental chatter you have with yourself. It is the perpetual driver of your mood and behavior. Most often than not, your self-talk drives into the negative mode due to the guilts of your past or the anxieties about your future. Indulging in your negative self-talk will rob you from living the kind of life you are dreaming of having. It actually tells you the half-truths and untruths about you and destroys any seed of hope that you may otherwise have to strive for your dreams.

In order for the law of attraction to work for you in the manner you truly desire, it is time to replace your negative self-talk with statements reworded into a positive affirmation. Positive self-talk changes your thoughts to the positive. It can greatly improve your confidence and change your life!

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My Poem: Life's Circle Game

Days turn to nights and back again to the day in an ever revolving cycle. What decisions we made today determines our tomorrow. Today soon becomes a past as tomorrow arrives delivering the effects of today's actions. Let's cherish today and make the best of it for a better tomorrow!

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Affirmation: I Am Successful!

Everything has come into place. My faith, confidence and perseverance has paid off. I have achieved success in many areas of my personal development and spiritual growth. I have began to harvest the fruits of my labor and I am expecting more to come from my new seedlings!

This is my affirmation for the week ...

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Random Bubbles ...

Enjoying my Huge Strawberries from Down Under ...

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What Am I Grateful For This Week ...

Ahhhhhh ... very quickly another weekend arrives for me to count my blessings. The moment this entry is published, I am already on my way from the Penang International Airport to my hotel by the beach on the Pearl of the Orient. Yup! Will be staying here for 2 nights as the Penang Bridge International Marathon 2011 will be flagged off early ... very early ... in the wee hours of Sunday morning. Lo kong and friends will be running in the full marathon.  Me as usual ... snap snap snap!

We cannot show our gratitude without sharing it with someone ... anyone ... because when we show our gratitude, it is our way of sharing our joy and our appreciation of the treasures we have been blessed with everyone. Just as William Arthur Ward said, "Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it."

Just to sum up the week quickly, here is my random list of gratitude:

1. I am grateful for the safe journey to this beautiful island, Penang.
2. I am grateful to have won a prize (don't know what yet??? so looking forward to it!) from one of my blogger friends ... the 'Globetrotter'.
2. I am grateful for the heavy assignments received for the past few days despite having lost several files due to my own silly mistake.
3. I am grateful and motivated by the positive feedback received for my assignments.
4. I am grateful for the increased traffic to my blog and all the new friends I've recently made over Facebook and Twitter.

Thank you, Lord Jesus Christ,

for all the benefits and blessings which you have given me,

for all the pains and anger which you have borne for me.

Merciful Father and Redeemer,

may I know you more clearly,

love you more dearly,

and follow you more closely,

day by day.

Amen.

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Law Of Attraction: A Natural Law From The Source

Most of us don’t know what we don’t know. Unless we can allow ourselves to be as open-minded as possible to acknowledge new ideas, concepts or practices made available to us through whatever channels, we will reject each and every one of them instantaneously. We will not give them the due consideration much less to put in a little effort into research or to try and seek clarifications. Does our religion teach us to be so rigid and averse towards anything that we have not yet began to understand?

I am a firm believer in the law of attraction but there are friends and family members who find my belief an entire hogwash or absurdity. Some give me a funny look while some even cringed as they opined this universal law to be in direct violation of their religion. To believe in the law of attraction is to offend their God.

The law of attraction is not a religion or doctrine nor does it have any affiliation with any cults. It is simply a natural law of the Universe just as is the law of biogenesis, the law of gravity, the law of cause and effect or the topmost, the law of logic. All this natural laws exist because there is one Source of all things imposing them on the Universe. How then are we offending our God?

There is uniformity with all the natural laws of the Universe. They work together throughout the Universe right from the past to the present and everyone from every race and religion continue to look forward to the future without any doubt these natural laws will ever change or cease. We trust in the orderliness and continuity of the Universe. Whether we like it or not, it shows everyone actually believes in these natural laws from the Source of all things and of course, they include the law of attraction too.

The law of attraction is all-inclusive as it works irrespective of whichever religion you subscribe to. We may be a Christian, Muslim, Jew, Buddhist or even an atheist but applying this natural law in our daily life does not make us any less of a believer in our religion. In fact, it can help to enhance our belief system as all the natural laws are created by the Source of all things for the benefit of everyone. It is not biased towards anyone from however background we are coming from. It works equally for everyone.

The law of attraction is God’s law and applying it in our daily life is to receive all good deserving things that our God has prepared for us. To share it with others who have yet to understand this law is to spread the good of our religious beliefs.

“I believe in God, but not as one thing, not as an old man in the sky. I believe that what people call God is something in all of us. I believe that what Jesus and Mohammed and Buddha and all the rest said was right. It's just that the translations have gone wrong.”

~John Lennon~

Copyright © Wenny Yap 2011 All Rights Reserved. This article may be reproduced with my written consent, provided my name and link remain intact.

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A Note Of Awareness #20

The law of attraction is always at work with God … the Source of all things, to manifest good for the well-beings of everyone. It is how the Source of all things is giving you your very own Divine Power to create your life through your own choices of how you feel. Remember, how you feel determines how your energy vibrates to the Universe.

Your Divine Power is the source of infinite abundance. Through centuries, the great sages and saints of all religions have learned to rely on their Divine Power to attained not only wisdom , enlightenment in some cases but also taking care of the food, clothing and shelter needs of their human bodies. They had complete trust in the Source!

To work with the law of attraction is to return to the Source of all things in order to receive your Divine Power. The Source is always open twenty-four-seven. You have to trust that you can go to the Source for anything you desire at any time. Your Divine Power does not mean that you are more powerful or better than God but you are an extension of the Source of all things who deserves all things. If you do not believe you deserve all the good things in life, the law of attraction will not bestow good things on you.

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My Poem: Faith

This haiku is written to reflect my growing faith ... the trust, hope and belief I have in God as much as the goodness, trustworthiness and reliability of people who touches the life I so designed.

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My Bubble: Extended Travel Plan ...

After lo kong called a shortwhile ago, I just realized that we will be flying to Penang this weekend for a short break while lo kong gets to indulge in his favorite pastime ... running a marathon. Yup this weekend is the Penang Bridge International Marathon.

We would have been flying into Bangkok had the Standard Chartered Bangkok Marathon not been flooded out by the prevailing floods there. It's a bit of a damper since it's been several years since I last visited Bangkok. Anyway, it'll still be there next year same time!  Alternatively Penang still makes a great short getaway for a foodie marathon ... asam laksa, char-koay-teow, ice-kacang, nasi kandar, sotong panggang ... oooooo yum yum!!!

While updating myself on our travel plans, it looks like Penang will be kicking off our travelling again that will continue right into the middle of 2012. Here's where I'll be heading soon after Penang:

3 December 2011 - Singapore
29 December 2011 - Taipei & Kaohsiung, Taiwan
3 February 2012 - Hong Kong
23 February 2012 - Tokyo, Japan
10 March 2012 - Singapore ... again
12 April 2012 - Paris/London/Zurich
10 June 2012 - Phuket, Thailand

“Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.”

~ Miriam Beard ~

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My Bubble: A Dampened Expectation In Hamilton ...

A visit to Hamilton Gardens in Hamilton, New Zealand had been the first on the itinerary when you had taken delivery of our campervan. However, due to an unforseen delay we only managed to pass this inland city on the banks of the Waikato River in the dark. The bright lights of the city brought more determination and eagerness to visit on our way back from the south.

Unfortunately, timing was again an issue when we arrived at the Hamilton Gardens. As winter had just ended and spring was just beckoning, there was hardly much of an attraction to keep us excited at the botanical gardens. Faced with bared soil, replanting and closed doors at some of the areas, it was a dampening trip to the botanical gardens.

It's not to say it is not a great tourist attraction. This botanical gardens actually attracted more than 700,000 tourists each year. It is all about the timing. Regretfully, we were about 10 days too early for the Tulip Festival at the gardens which would have begun on 17 and 18 September. It would have been a colorful experience. Anyhow check out our short visit to the botanical and the city itself.

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Affirmation: I Feel Good!

I am feeling good! My positive energy is picking up and my normalcy shall resume before this week ends!

This is my affirmation for the week ...

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Random Bubbles ...

Chong Family's Mission Statement
... very well listed I must say!

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What Am I Grateful For This Week ...

Another week just breezed by but regretfully I have been slightly indisposed or should I say, 'been under the weather' the whole week.

On Tuesday, I had undergone a colonoscopy as prescribed by my doctor due to intestinal cramping. It was then discovered that I have diverticulitis, an inflammation and infection to one the diverticulum in my intestine. No worry as it is common and treatable with a strong dose of antibiotics. Unfortunately, the antibiotics comes with a range of side-effects which includes fatigue, headaches, giddiness, double-vision and trembling which depleted my energy level to the lowest.

I am glad this is just a temporary situation and I should be up and about soon within the next week. Meanwhile I am grateful that my overall colon is in good health and condition.  According to my doctor, I do not have that many diverticulums in my intestine as with the majority of people but just a little unfortunate to have an infection that's not so common among the majority of people ... duh!!!  I guess it's 'give a little and gain a little' ... cheers!!!

There are recent studies that found the inductions of habitual activities such as 'counting one's blessings' or 'practising gratitude' can successfully raise a person's positive mood and well-being. It had been reported that people who conduct certain gratitude exercises are healthier and feel better about their lives, make more progress towards their goals, are more optimistic and are more likely to help others. Here are some suggestions that could help us increase the level of our gratitude experiences;

1. Pay attention to good things, large and small. This often requires intentional thought because bad things are more salient to us than good things. We have to work a little to give positive thoughts the space in our brains.

2. Pay attention to bad things that are avoided. Just like when I tripped and fell flat on my face during one of my evening runs around the neighborhood. Thankfully, I only suffered minor cuts and bruises without any serious injuries such as broken bones or teeth.

3. Practice downward comparisons. That means thinking about how things could be worse, or were worse, or are worse for someone else. I don’t particularly like the idea of making myself feel more grateful by thinking of others who are worse off than I am. But it doesn’t have to be interpersonal. We can use downward comparison by remembering our own times of adversity or being aware of adversity avoided.

4. Establish regular times to focus on being grateful. Gratitude is a character strength that can be enhanced with practice. So practice.

5. When facing a loss or a difficult task or situation, remind ourself to be grateful both for what we haven’t lost and for the strengths and opportunities that arise from facing difficulties. It had been studied that benefit-seeking and benefit-remembering are linked to psychological and physical health. Benefit finding involves choosing to focus on the positive aspects of the situation and avoiding the feeling of being a victim.

6. Elicit and reinforce gratitude in the people around us. Negative moods are catching, but positive ones can be as well. Sometimes having someone else see what is good in our own life makes it visible to us.

Gratitude is a character strength admired around the globe. To increase gratitude, a good first step is to notice the good things that happen to us, large and small. These practices can help us take fewer blessings for granted.

“Real life isn’t always going to be perfect or go our way, but the recurring acknowledgement of what is working in our lives can help us not only to survive but surmount our difficulties.”

~ Sarah Ban Breathnach ~

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Law Of Attraction: Accelerate It With Laughter!

Do you believe that laughter can have an effect on your body? In recent decades, there have been many research carried out on the effects of laughter on the body and these are some of the interesting information found.

• Laughter can affect the blood flow – it helps your blood vessels to behave normally as they expand and contract easily.

• Laughter can affect the immune response – it raises the level of infection-fighting antibodies to boost to your immune system.

• Laughter burns calories – an estimated 10-15 minutes of laughter can burn up to 50 calories.

• Laughter can affect the blood sugar level – it lowers the blood sugar levels.

Laughter is a natural process and when you laugh, you change physiologically. You stretch the muscles throughout your face and body. Your pulse rate and blood pressure goes up and you breathe faster, sending more oxygen to your cells and tissues. You will begin to notice your feelings of anxiety giving way to optimism and euphoria.

Without the scientific vocabulary, most people will not deny the fact that laughter does help to alleviate their negative senses, even if it is only for a short duration. Laughter can be a great resource to accelerate the law of attraction by raising your energy level to enable the manifestation process to become easier, faster and seamless.

“At the height of laughter, the Universe is flung into a kaleidoscope of new possibilities.”

~ Jean Houston

When you laugh, your brain responds by opening up to new perceptions. Your amusement creates your energetic state of being joyful that dispels anger, heals pain and releases stress. You are sending a signal to your brain that you are in a state of happiness and relaxation. Correspondingly, your brain will shift your negative thoughts and emotions to the positive. The law of attraction will respond to your renewed vibration and deliver more of the same in return to you.

It may not be possible to raise a laugh when the most adverse situations are happening in your life. As an adult, you live in a world of seriousness that comes with the responsibility towards yourself, family, friends and work. The heavy burden of seriousness breeds worry, frets, rigidity, anger, low self-esteem and could sometimes lead to depression.

The law of attraction says, “like attracts like.” Therefore during these situations, you are more likely to be vibrating at negative frequencies that attract the same adverse situations again and again. However said, these situations are incapable of controlling your face and bodily muscles. Laughter can be a powerful tool to fight against negativity because you can’t be happy and sad at the same time. It clears your mind to heal your vibrations that you sent out to the Universe. It restores your hope for the goodness to flow into your life again.

Laughter heals

It doesn’t hurt any worst to put aside your adverse situations temporarily and tune to something amusing to create the laughter that will turn your vibration into positive frequencies. Think of something silly, make monkey faces at yourself or watch a comedy video to start a smile on your face. You will gain clarity of mind that allows the law of attraction to deliver the solutions or answers you seek. Having solutions can change your mood and energy level to follow through with all the necessary actions. It is good to always remember this equation:

Laughter = [Positive Energy + Energized Actions] = Change

Copyright © Wenny Yap 2011 All Rights Reserved. This article may be reproduced with my written consent, provided my name and link remain intact.

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A Note Of Awareness #19

Have a little faith in yourself … that’s what you must have to accelerate the law of attraction!

It cannot be denied that some people do achieve great success without knowing much or anything about the law of attraction, but they intuitively use it correctly. They did not know what rules they had to follow but essentially they had faith in themselves. They believe in anything and everything that they do.

Having faith in yourself builds a confidence to tackle whatever you decide to do. Confidence means a total freedom from doubt and sets the law of attraction into motion. Your confidence fuels your actions beyond any obstacles that may stand in your way. Without a doubt in your mind, you will be propelled towards the great realm of attraction.

So, do you have faith in yourself? Remember, faith in yourself can help you move towards what you want to get out of life.

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Poetry: “Where is LOVE?”

Poem By Mariel Hemingway

In sweet summer woods before hot sun overwhelms you,
In the whisper of a breeze that cools you,
On bright sunny mornings cloudless honest silent & alone.

In my lover’s eyes when he hears a song that reminds him of why we didn’t meet before,
In knowing that the pain will always go away no matter how hard you try to make it stay,
In a hug that could not have come at a better time.

In the moments you watch your kitty with his head upside down after a night of carousing,
When your dog licks you even though you left him inside all day long,
In the hummingbirds’ march to find nectar in an empty feeder you scramble to fill.

When the ocean is so cold you scream with excitement over the energy it gifts you,
Early morning cold, quiet and new,
Twilight on the edge of a cliff waiting for the stars to brighten.

A cup of tea on the porch before the sun rises over the mountains,
The rush of feeling that sun brings as it hits your eyes,
Jasmine when you cannot see the plant itself.

LOVE is feeling all things fully,
LOVE is awareness,
LOVE is in the moments between thoughts,
LOVE is endless.

Mariel Hemingway is an actress, best-selling author, health and wellness professional, and leading voice in the Body Mind Spirit movement. You can find out more about Mariel at her website: www.MarielHemingway.com & on twitter at: www.twitter.com/MarielHemingway

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My Bubble: It's A Relief!

My late Dad suffered a stroke when I was still in my primary school days. He had diabetes and high-blood pressure but he loved the bottle much more. Once in his drunken stupor, he fell and created a big hole in the wall. In the end, he was bedridden for more than 10 years with my Mom dutifully taking care of him till the end. Years later, my late Mom suffered from increased senility and succumbed to stomach cancer at the age of 80.

This is the medical history of my family and each of my siblings has already made it onto the high-risk list including myself! I've got high cholesterol and I'm diabetic. So imagine how alarmed I've been eversince one of my previous blood test showed an above normal reading for one of the cancers markers. My CA 19-9 was somewhat above the recommended range.

Finally, I did a colonoscopy today and to my relief, the doctor said that my colons are fine except for a small inflammation somewhere near my stomach. The doctor prescribed 2 type of antibiotics and I will have to see him again next week.

Colonoscopy ... this is how part of my digestive system looks like!

It was indeed a long day. I had fasted for longer than the required 12 hours period prior to the procedure and before the procedure could be done, I had to flush my bowel with the given laxative preparation. All in all, I think I went to the loo 10 times before I underwent the procedure.

Anyway whatever the length of wait I had been through, it was well worth the relief I'm feeling right now!

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Just Laughs: Perfect Hearing!

An eldery patient gets hearing aids from a doctor. After short time, he meets the doctor again.

Doctor said, "Your hearing is perfect. Your family must be really pleased."

Patient replied, "Oh, I am in a funny situation now. I haven't told my family yet. I just sit and listen to their conversations. In a month, I've changed my will three times!"

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My Bubble: Discovering Waitomo Caves Part 3

The Waitomo Glowworm Caves in the North Island is uniquely known for its population of these curiously luminescent glowworms. These glowworms can astutely spin a nest out of silk on the ceiling of the cave and then hang down. When the larva glows to attract prey into its threads, correspondingly the roof of the cave naturally concocts a resplendent “star-system” of its own.

After a short brief at the start of our tour, we entered into the cave that was almost the same as the earlier 2 caves. Our guide was an old man probably in his late 50's with years of experience about the caves. Again we were not allowed to take photos in this cave as we listened and followed him. Soon we came to a dock where it was totally dark. It was quite terrifying actually because it was really pitch black that I can't see even my hands. I could hear water sound as we lined to get onto the boat for a river ride. I could feel myself getting a bit off-balance in the complete darkness as we get onto the boat tethered to the dock. Once all settled in, the guide pushes the boat off the dock and we started to glide along the river. My eyes had since adjusted and I could look through the darkness.

Then we were told to be completely silent as we glide on. All I could see was blue lights overhead. They twinkled like stars. Like a canopy of tree branches, the lights are like a tapestry, woven together. Somehow they looked like blue-lit clovers in the sky to me.

It was truly an awesome experience although we could not capture any photos inside. Even if we were allowed, it would have been a real challenge to capture any pictures in the that darkness.

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My Bubble: Discovering Waitomo Caves Part 2

This is the second caving tour of the day ... the Ruakuri Caves, the longest underground tour in Waitomo.

According to Maori legend, Ruakuri Cave was first discovered 400-500 years ago by a young Maori hunter spearing birds for food. A pack of wild dogs inhabited the entrance way and the cave was subsequently named Ruakuri ('rua' meaning den and 'kuri' meaning dogs) Cave. The cave entrance was used by Maori as a burial ground (wahi tapu) and it is this sacred area that has now been protected with the construction of the spiral entrance a safe distance away. That's where we entered for our tour.

The tour was more exciting than Aranui within a beautiful cave with breathtaking galleries and passages of stalactites and stalagmites, easy walkway on well-formed paths and boardwalks with lighting wherever necessary. The best part of the tour was getting up close and personal with the glowworms. Imagine at one point we had to hollered at the top of our lungs to make them glow as bright as possible. You see, they are receptive to noise as it indicates source of food is close.

Photography was prohibited in some areas and even if it was not, taking photos in these darkened caves was really a huge challenge for photography novices like us. Check out whatever we could shoot at the Ruakuri Cave here.

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Affirmation: I Am Happy!

I am grateful for the gifts and blessings in my life today. With gratitude I feel peace. With peace I am happy!

This is my affirmation for the week ...

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Random Bubbles ...

I am so grateful the Lord accepts me no matter what!

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