Beattie - Make miracles in forty days: turning what you have into what you want

A miracle is when something happens that we couldnt control, create, conceive, or do on our ownwhether by using willpower, strength, spirituality, skills, money, or any and all resources available to us. Miracles arent supernatural. Theyre how Life naturally responds when we practice universal laws, the unwritten rules governing nature, the human psyche, people, spirituality, and the world. No limits exist as to how many or what size miracles we can create. We can make miracles for almost any situationoverwhelming, large, medium, or small. No age limitations exist. Anyone can begin making miracles now.

The only qualification for it to be a miracle is that the problem or situation we want changed is beyond our ability to control or fix on our own.

There are many kinds of miracles and many benefits to creating them. Miracles can be bodacious or subtle. When you apply the principles, sooner or later previously unsolvable problems get fixed. Or our perception changes. Were able to comfortably live with a circumstance we previously couldnt endure. Grace neutralizes anguish. We find comfort in our lives. Were satisfied with who we are and what we have, feeling surprisingly content. Life doesnt get much better than that.

Forgiveness may replace resentment. That might not sound like much, but grudges can prevent us from moving forward. Bitterness is the biggest barrier that exists to joy and getting what we want from Life. While grudges can hurt the person or people we resent, our grudges hurt us the most. Sometimes were unable or unwilling to release resentments. But when that grudge finally lifts, we may feel like weve been released from prison. Consciously releasing resentments causes us to move forward in areas where we previously were stuck.

While miracles fall into the spiritual category, they are nondenominational, not affiliated with any religion. They dont discriminate or judge. Theyre here for everyone, the same as the sun. Although Im protecting peoples anonymity, the stories youll read are true accounts of peoples lives; no story is fictionalized or a composite. The stories validate what Ive known since 1978that we can each create miracles that change us and our lives.

Do the Miracle Exercise for forty days. If you havent received your miracle yet, continue doing it until you recognize change happening, even if its only beginning. Continue doing the exercise until your miracle is complete. Do the exercise as often as you want: when Life hurts and you cant stop the pain; when a problem keeps recurring no matter what you do to prevent it; whenever youre turning yourself inside out to make a decision but youre stuck. This exercise can improve many situations, such as when you cant stop doing something or stop someone from doing something to you.

You cant overdo this activity. It helps us stay present, grateful, and aware, and it takes only ten minutes a day.

I cant decide which miracle to create, one man said.

Theres no miracle shortage, I replied. You can have more than one.

This exercise will help you become more aware. Some people constantly want more, no matter how much they have. You may realize that you already have enough. This simple activity almost always helps us become more present in our lives. That equals becoming more loving. While many people think love means wanting and getting something from someone, others such as the guru Eckhart Tolle say that love means becoming more present for and aware of others. This exercise can bring us the love were seeking. Gradually love shifts from illusions of a fairy tale romance or a codependent relationship built on need to become the real thing.

When we master this technique, well be in a powerful position concerning love and romance. Well stop searching desperately for someone to make us happy. We wont create roles for people to fill, like an employer taking applications. Well stop using people like medication to calm our fears. Well be free to enjoy love, even the romantic kind.

This may be the miracle we wanta healthy romantic relationship. But our desire to be in a relationship wont be marred by frenzy and need. Well learn about true love. Yet we must be certain that well be content whether we get to have a relationship with that person or not. When we learn to do this, well draw people to us like honey attracts flies. That doesnt mean we can change people. We get them as is. But well be endowed with power that mystifies us, teaching us more respect for universal laws. Well begin to understand more about how this universe works.

Some of us may have learned the only way to get what we want is through manipulation, but ill-gotten gain doesnt satisfy. If were on our spiritual path, we wont want to use that tactic. Whats gained by manipulation is stolen; it doesnt belong to us. The gifts we receive from doing the Miracle Exercise will truly be oursas much as anything can in a world where everything comes to pass. Some things will belong to us so much that it will be impossible to get rid of them. Life doesnt take returns. Ive tried, believing I didnt deserve what I received. When Life gives us something, receiving it becomes the lesson. Whatever Life gives us is ours.

It takes time to shift from manipulating or depriving ourselves to using universal laws to create abundance and the life we want. Then it takes more time to enjoy the gifts we receive. Well learn to walk the line between codependently giving everything away and fearfully hoarding it all for ourselves. Learning to accept, receive, appreciate, and enjoy what we create and what were given is like any other lesson: until we learn it, it wont stop.