Excerpt from "A Journey Within"

Just as the boy turned to head back to his cave, the wise man added, “If you can become successful with this tool, you will easily master the next—stay mindful, which is keeping your mind completely focused on the present-moment happenings including thoughts, emotions, and experiences without judging them.

“This little gem will bring you to places of inner peace you’ve never imagined. It will allow the universe to unleash its forces and balance and harmonize all around you in amazing ways. At first, you will find yourself fading from this practice with each distraction but then returning because you have set your intention on remaining mindful at all times. This practice is such an ebb and flow as you work through it, but mastery of it is attainable as long as you maintain your efforts on its behalf.

“The grand prize here is that your experience of life will change dramatically. For now, the universal forces can convene on your behalf, and you will not be getting in the way so much anymore. You do not have to master these techniques perfectly. Each that becomes natural to you will feed the forces of a powerful life directed by your decisions in each moment to make your thoughts create the most amazing life you could imagine for yourself and for those who surround you and are benefitting by your thoughts even without their knowing it. Tomorrow I will tell you exactly how this sharing of thoughts can become your favorite tool. And for now, I must bid you adieu.”

…The boy immediately set down his bounty and bounded over to see what gems of wisdom his master had for him that day. In the past, though the lessons were difficult at first, the child’s diligent efforts to assimilate them in his everyday activities had paid off handsomely.

He had learned to be grateful to God in the form of prayer for his meals, and he found that this seemed to multiply his food supply. His morning prayers of gratefulness served to bring him to a better place in his mind to begin his wondrous days and set himself up for a delightful day. His evening prayers of thanks were a calming reassurance that all was well though he was in this faraway land without a snip of connection with his loving family, whom he missed dearly. Instead of sleeping fitfully and worrying, he slept restfully and woke the next morning refreshed and rejuvenated.

The paving technique was astounding in its value. It helped him focus on his intentions—what he wanted to do and accomplish—and it often smoothed the way to a most beautiful outcome like magic.

Becoming aware of the voices in his head was a real eye-opener; it made him realize that whenever he followed his master’s advice on the subject, he could keep himself from spinning out of control and becoming overly upset about almost anything. Every now and then, he found he just could not shake the voices, so he would make a mental note to ask God for further help with such more difficult times.

Mindfulness was the latest thing his master had taught him, and he loved the effects of this enchanting, peace-bringing technique. He had not known that merely keeping his thoughts trained on what was happening in the moment could allow the flow of life around him to lift its wings, soar into space, and return with exactly what he needed for the next moment and the next. The concept was so simple and yet so powerful in that it could provide for him if only he willingly focused on the here and now.

Alexander had been so used to his mind taking off into the future and worrying about what might come next or revisiting the past and filling him with self-recrimination about how it could have gone better. He was amazed at how the simplest ways could bring the biggest payoffs.

That morning, Alexander was anxious to hear what nuggets his master might impart to him. He was already so full of these new ways of thinking that it was hard for him to believe there could be more. Scampering up in front of his master, he found a seat on a rock and settled in for another amazing lesson.

Here, the God one told him how proud he was of the boy’s progress. He said that the boy’s gratefulness had brought him to such heights in such a short time. That, He said, was the key to most every treasure gleaned from the pack of tools he was already mastering.

He suggested that Alexander take this one step further by concentrating on realizing when he felt the least bit grateful for something that he would thank God or the universe for it. He said this action alone would catapult the boy forward to even more amazing heights and make him realize that everything he wanted would come to pass easily and quickly. The mere action of being thankful for his bounty even in the smallest of increments was a key aspect of their manifestation.

As he was practicing this new tool of thought, his master recommended he also make lists of positive attributes whenever he found himself fussing over something or was agitated. He would usually become upset over someone he was unhappy with, thus causing an uncomfortable situation. If he could just turn his mind then to thinking about what he liked about the person, he would bring his focus back to upliftment, which would bring more positive ideas and thoughts his way. Pretty soon, he would be starting to think better again of the individual, and miraculously, that person’s demeanor would turn around almost as if he or she had actually heard what he had said.

That created another way for the boy to easily manifest the joy in life he was always seeking. And so, becoming forever grateful for the master bestowing on him such joyous gifts, he thanked God profusely.

LouAnne Ludwig has firsthand experience using metaphysical practices to give her everything she desires and more. She brings this same experience to others in a simple way that demonstrates how easy it is to change our lives for the better and infuse them with new meaning and balance. Her empathic practice in dream analyzing has assisted hundreds with cutting through their defenses, helping them to see exactly what they need to bring peace and harmony into their everyday lives. She lives in Southern California. Her new book is A Journey Within. For more about the author, visitwww.louanneludwig.com.