Many years ago, I attended a workshop, and the organizers informed us that there would be a speech from a teacher whom I loved in Israel.

I would have loved to go there, but I couldn’t afford it. When my friend Athena asked me if I was going to Israel, I replied, “No way, I can’t afford it.”

Athena told me not to say that. She told me that by using positive statements and by staying focused on what we want, we can achieve anything.

I decided to make an experiment to see if it works. I was determined that I wanted to go, and when I met obstacles, I used positive affirmations and positive visualizations.

I had a few months ahead, and nothing seemed to be happening that would help me find the amount of money I needed. I was disappointed, but I tried to replace the negative thoughts with positive and keep on using my positive statement.

Eventually, one month before the trip to Israel, a client of mine called me and wanted my services for the exact amount of money I needed for my trip.

The experiment worked. It went well, and I still use these techniques.

Here are two practical ways we can train ourselves to achieve our goals:

Firstly, we can observe our speech.

Do we often use negative statements? Statements like, “I am useless,” “I can’t do it,” “It all went wrong”?

Our words have power. Every word has a vibration, so if we use positive words, we can more easily connect with the positive self. We can create a positive statement in the present time like, “I am always lucky.” When we do that every day, this means that we can attract ease and joy to our lives. It works!

This doesn’t mean that we’ll never experience difficult moments, but by intentionally choosing our thoughts, we can choose the way we experience and perceive our experiences.

This connection process is also training our mind. Our mind is what connects with negative thoughts. It works like a computer: if we give our mind the right data, it will be able to do the work we want it to do. So, if we have a higher goal, we can train ourselves to succeed by choosing the thoughts and actions that will bring us to that goal.

Secondly, we can use positive visualization.

How can love or anything else come to our lives? Is there a way to invite this feeling into our existence? Yes, there are a lot of ways. We can experience this feeling again and again, even if the external world doesn’t seem to appreciate or stimulate love.

We can visualize ourselves living a life full of love by giving and receiving. It’s another way to train ourselves to be ready for giving and receiving love.

If for many years we have lived a life in which we constantly blocked love, we need time to prepare ourselves so that we can feel comfortable with love. Be crystal clear as to what you want and then visualize yourself in that space. Don’t just do it once. Be brave enough to do it again and again. By insisting on what you want, you persuade yourself that you can do it. It’s true, you can do it!

Here is a practical visualization.

Sit in a comfortable position, and if you want, you can close your eyes. Visualize yourself experiencing love internally and externally. Maybe negative thoughts come into mind: just let them go. Don’t focus on them. Bring your awareness again and again to love. Feel the love you are receiving and feel the love you are giving. Breathe deeply, relax, and stay still.

Visualize a sun to your chest and pour light into your life like you pour water for your tea. You can connect to or see yourself in the sunlight so that you feel safe and relaxed. If you want to add sugar to your tea for sweetness, you can visualize the rays of the sun in every situation and thus add a little bit of sweetness to the specific circumstance. You can take a few deep breaths and slowly open your eyes.

You can practice these two simple techniques every day to begin to train your mind to succeed and reach your goals.

Remember, we usually meet obstacles—we all meet challenges—but we can overcome them.

Let the sun nourish you as it does for every living creature. We can say yes to light and sweetness.

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