Taking Charge of Your Life

Posted on September 22, 2018 by David Lawrence Preston

Before we can take charge of our lives, we must acknowledge some basic truths:

Everything we are is the result of ‘causes’ laid down in the past; what we will become will result from what we are now and from ‘causes’ still to be laid down. This is the universal Law of Cause and Effect.

These ‘causes’ are primarily our own thoughts, imaginings, words and actions. If we ‘sow’ the right ‘seeds’ from now on, we change, and consequently our life circumstances change too, irrespective of what has gone before.

We are in charge of what we think, believe, imagine, feel, say and do. Once we acknowledge this, we know we always have choices, and we can use this power once we know how to use certain life transforming tools and techniques.

It’s not what happens out there in the world that shapes our lives, but what happens in here between our ears! This is not what most of us were taught as children, but it’s true. We cannot alter our genetic make up, nor can we go back and change out early programming and conditioning. But for most of us of sound mind, our thinking is within our control.

We can choose what we think about.
We can choose where we allow our imagination to go.
We can choose what we think, say and do in response to what happens around us.

In other words, we can consciously lay down the ‘causes’ that create our future lives and then watch and enjoy the results unfold. Indeed, we are doing it all the time whether we are aware of it or not. So learn to become aware of what you think, say and do in every moment and how it impacts on your circumstances.

Since your thoughts are the prime causes, take responsibility for your thoughts, and you literally take charge of your life.

Once you know this, the door to the best possible future is wide open. Only an idiot believes that thinking, feeling and doing what you’ve always done will bring different results!

That’s why Dr Napolean Hill, author of ‘Think and Grow Rich’, the most influential book on happiness and success ever written, said:

‘The vast majority of people are born, grow up, struggle, and go through life in misery and failure, not recognising that it would be just as easy to switch over and get out of life exactly what they want, not recognising that the mind attracts the thing it dwells upon.’

From the time you reach adulthood, nobody else can make your life happen for you. Blaming circumstances (however unfortunate) and other people (however unpleasant) won’t change anything; in fact, it makes things worse – you become a victim.

See whatever happens in your life as the world’s response to your state of mind

Here’s an illuminating exercise. Sit comfortably. Close your eyes and take a deep breath. Relax your body and let go of all tension. In this relaxed state, reflect on the events and circumstances of your life. Don’t judge. Don’t blame. Just reflect on how your thoughts, beliefs, imaginings and actions have created your life and how past decisions have affected you.

As I said,you’ll find this very illuminating!

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How To Books, 2004

The Law of Cause and Effect

Posted on September 20, 2018 by David Lawrence Preston

The Law of Cause and Effect (sometimes known as Karma) is fundamental to the universe. It is probably most closely associated with the physical sciences, for example, when a snooker cue strikes a ball, the ball moves, and when one ball hits another, the impact made by the first causes the second to move. Their speed and direction can be predicted accurately by applying precise scientific measurements and principles.

In the world of human behaviour, causes and effects are not so easily measured and may not be predictable, but are no less real. With very few exceptions (e.g. purely reflex reactions), every action you ever took and every word you ever spoke began as a thought. Your present has been shaped by your actions, which were governed by your past thoughts and emotions; and your future will be shaped by the actions you take from now on, which will be shaped by your future thoughts and emotions.

The Law of Cause and Effect describes the relationship between what we think, feel and do and what we get out of life. It states that everything we are and everything we have has been shaped by ‘causes’ laid down in the past.

Every action has a cause.

Every cause produces an effect.

Thoughts are prime causes.

Speech, emotions and actions (and their results) are their effects.

Therefore constructive thoughts lead to positive emotions and constructive actions.

Negative thoughts lead to damaging emotions and destructive actions.

Therefore we constantly contribute to our circumstances – both present and future – by the way we think. And when we decide to change our way of thinking – including our beliefs, attitudes and prejudices – and sow different ‘seeds’, we change; and when we change, our circumstances change too, irrespective of what has gone before. The world responds to what we think, believe, imagine, feel, say and do.

Some consider this a frightening prospect, because it means taking responsibility for ourselves, but it’s actually one of the most hopeful things about being alive – the fact that we can turn our lives around by choosing to think differently. Only you decide what to think – if you don’t choose your thoughts, who does?

Some would say there’s little we can do, because our futures are laid out in our genes or by fate – but our genes only account for about a small part of our psychological make up. Others argue that we are merely the product of our programming and conditioning and we can do nothing to change this – but these are learned, and anything that has been learned can be reappraised, un-learned and re-learned.

The only question is – how?

It’s not as hard as you may think!

©David Lawrence Preston 28.2.2016

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How To Books 2004

Karma

Posted on January 19, 2017 by David Lawrence Preston

Karma simply means ‘cause and effect’.

Our thoughts, words and actions have repercussions, and in the wider scheme of things, we reap what we sow.

The doctrine of Karma is often spuriously linked to reincarnation since some say the effects of our actions are carried from one lifetime to another. But whether or not this is true we must pay attention. Karma works within one lifetime. We get back what we give out, clearly and demonstrably, whether in terms of material things or emotionally (good feelings or bad).

Karma is not a punishment, but our greatest teacher. Whether it continues over several lifetimes is debatable, but we do know that we reap what we sow in this lifetime. Once we understand this, we can dedicate ourselves to growing in awareness and live from an ever-increasing perspective of service and love.

©David Lawrence Preston, 19.1.2017

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How to Books, 2007

Why are you here?

Posted on November 4, 2016 by David Lawrence Preston

Why are we here? In short we don’t really know. We know the universe is orderly and expanding, has purpose and direction, and is presided over by an organising intelligence. So where do we fit in? Why do certain waves and particles take human form? What contribution do we make to the unfolding of the universe? We are like droplets of water in an ocean of consciousness – how can a droplet possibly understand the purpose of the ocean?

As fragments of the Creative Intelligence that underpins the universe, we all have full access to energy and intelligence. The only limits to our ability to draw down this energy are our awareness and intentions. The more we want, think about and feel this power flowing through us, the stronger the link. We can choose whether to connect more strongly or not.

For example, we can choose to be loving, in which case Source energy flows freely and lays down causes which produce beneficial effects. Equally, we can choose to be hurtful, which blocks Source energy and brings negative effects. Whatever path we choose, sooner or later we will have to face up to the consequences, pleasant or unpleasant.

Life is a school

You are here is to make a worthwhile contribution to the world. You can do this by making yourself the wisest, most loving and enlightened being you can. The world is set up to enable you to do this, and every experience and encounter with others offers you an opportunity for growth. We come into this life to be educated, not punished!

We are always in exactly the right place at the right time to learn. Once a lesson is learned, further schooling on this point is unnecessary and we can move on. Train yourself to look for the meaning behind every experience. There’s a learning opportunity in every situation, but you’ll find it only if you’re willing to look behind the appearances and stop judging things ‘good’ or ‘bad’.

Learning is not necessarily effortless, but the hurdles we must overcome strengthen us and speed our progress. We should concentrate not on the effects, but on setting up the right causes. If we quickly succeed – great! If we fail, we can make changes, try again, and welcome the opportunity to correct our mistakes.

When you’re living your purpose…

When you express your purpose in your daily life, a great deal changes. You experience a greater feeling of fulfillment and well-being. You have more energy. You feel more loving towards yourself, others and the world. In addition:

Self-limiting thoughts melt away.
You take more pleasure in giving and receiving and seeing the beauty in our world.
You trust the process of life and allow it to take you where you’re meant to go.
You have a deep inner sense that there is nothing to fear, no scarcity and no accidents. Everything is exactly as it’s supposed to be and always turns out for the best.
You understand that the universe has no limits and as you are a part of it, neither do you.

©David Lawrence Preston, 4.11.2016

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How to Books, 2007

The Second Law – The Law of Attraction

Posted on June 2, 2016 by David Lawrence Preston

The universe works on energy and attraction. The mind has a magnetic quality which attracts whatever we hold in our consciousness. Thoughts of good things attract good things: loving thoughts attract love, peaceful thoughts attract peace, thoughts of success attract success and so on. In the same way, thoughts of fear, illness, poverty and so on attract according to their kind.

This has long been recognised. The Bible attribute to King Solomon the words, ‘As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.’ The Buddha said, ‘All that we are arises with our thoughts; with our thoughts we make our world’. The Roman scholar Marcus Aurelius wrote, ‘A man’s life is what his thoughts make of it.’ William Shakespeare wrote, ‘Nothing is good or bad, but thinking makes it so’.

The Laws of Cause and Effect and Attraction teach that success in any area of life comes from firming up our intentions, and thinking the kind of thoughts that are consistent with what we desire.

Focus on what you want, not what you don’t

Any line of thinking that you dwell and act upon takes root in your subconscious mind and influences your behaviour. When you focus our minds on what you want, you’ll get it.

Ironically, when you focus your mind on what you don’t have and don’t want, that’s also what you get!

The laws of flight were not discovered by people focussing on why things stay on the ground.
The inventor of steel ships, Brunel, was ridiculed by people who understood only why vessels sunk.
Early psychologists were so obsessed with mental illness they had little understanding of what made people happy.
Similarly, focusing on disease does little to help us live long and be healthy.

Breaking a negative cycle

To break a negative cycle, get your mind off what you don’t want, because by dwelling on this you’ll continue to attract it into your life. ‘This is just the way I am,’ is an especially dangerous thought. Change it to, ‘this is how I choose (or intend) to be.’

Nothing much is possible unless you align your thinking with success, believe you can succeed and then take the right actions. This is the I-T-I-A Formula.

See https://blog.davidlawrencepreston.co.uk/2016/03/i-t-i-a-formula/

Develop the power of concentration

Concentration is the ability to direct your thinking. It is the ability to focus your mind on one thought, image, sound or object. Concentration brings the Laws of Cause and Effect and Attraction into play.

Concentration can be learned like any other skill, but must be practised. Start by practising this simple exercise: When you notice your thoughts wandering, say STOP and then gently bring your attention back to where you want it to be. Each time it wanders, bring it back. You may need to do this dozens of times a day at first, but you will find that it gets easier if you are patient and keep at it.

©David Lawrence Preston, 2.6.2016

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How To Books, 2010

The Law of Laws – Cause and Effect

Posted on May 31, 2016 by David Lawrence Preston

Cause and Effect is the Law of Laws. It states that for every result or thing that exists, there is a cause, and every action has an effect. When you throw a pebble into a pond, the ripples spread out from the centre in ever-widening circles. So it is with our actions. Good actions are causes. They create good effects; bad actions create bad effects. The effects spread outwards, affecting other lives to a greater or lesser degree.

Actions are causes, so are words and non-verbal forms of communication such as facial expressions and gestures, and also non-visible things such as attitudes and emotions. However, the chief causes are thoughts, since every action is preceded by a thought.

We reap what we sow

We reap what we sow – but not necessarily where we sow. Every thought, word and action eventually returns to us.

When we lay down good causes by thinking good thoughts and acting on them, blessings return to us – love, prosperity, health and kindness etc. But actions resulting from thoughts of selfishness, greed, ignorance, malice and so on also have consequences. They set up a chain reaction which eventually returns to hurt us.

The Law of Cause and Effect reminds us that we get out of life exactly what we put into it, and when we change the causes, we get different results. We cannot get something for nothing and if we try, we will eventually be caught out. Knowing this brings order and purpose to the mind and enables us to fulfill our deepest desires.

Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you sow. Lay down the right causes each moment and the right results will surely follow.

©David Lawrence Preston, 31.5.2016

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How To Books, 2007

Take responsibility for your health

Posted on May 24, 2016 by David Lawrence Preston

Health is a priceless asset that we tend to fully appreciate only when we lose it. But how many people really take care of their health in a holistic sense? We live in a land of plenty and medical knowledge has never been greater, yet ill health and obesity are rampant. How can this be? One of the reasons is that relatively few are willing to take full responsibility for their health.

Accepting responsibility is part of being healthy, and part of the healing process when we get ill.

Those who are willing to work with their health practitioner make better recoveries than those who simply want their doctor to ‘fix’ them. But many people who turn up at practitioners’ consulting rooms are quick to blame events, other people and their genes for their problems, while indulging in unhealthy behaviours that make illness more likely.

Of course, the reasons for illness are many and varied. They may arise from the physical and social environment. However, in the material world, the principle of cause and effect is always with us. Every action has a cause, every actuality has been brought about by contributing causes, and every cause produces an effect.

The prime ‘causes’ are thoughts and imaginings; actions (and their results) are the effects. In other words, life – including our health – responds to what we think, believe, say and do.

If we are unhealthy, we have probably contributed to our situation. Not always, but usually. We may not be aware of what we are doing to ourselves, but we lay down ‘causes’ that shape our lives. Self-empowerment is about being conscious of that fact and becoming aware of what we think, say and do in every moment and how it impacts on us. For:

We can choose what we think about.
We can choose where we allow our imagination to roam.
We can choose to live healthily (or not).
We can choose what we say and do in response to what happens around us.

Self-awareness

Observe yourself. Listen carefully to your self-talk and see how your core values and beliefs affect you. Carefully note any tendency to:

Make excuses.
Dwell on the past.
Blame others.
Deny responsibility for your actions and feelings.
Put off taking the rights steps.
Allow laziness to interfere with desirable actions.
Play the ‘victim’.
Want to be ‘fixed’ without doing anything to help yourself.
Blame your genes.
Pretend that you can’t help the way you feel.

And so on.

How much attention do you pay to what you eat and drink, your breathing, exercise patterns and leisure activities, rest and sleep?

Do you live in an energy-healthy environment, full of natural sunlight and fresh air, or one saturated with electromagnetic radiation from wi fi, mobile phones, kitchen appliances and so on?

Do you have an inclination towards negativity? Negative people expect things to go wrong and aren’t surprised when they do. Then they give up.

Obviously it’s quite a challenge to stay positive all the time, especially if you’re ill, but fostering a more positive attitude to life and a belief in recovery can be an important part of the healing process.

No-one else can make your life happen for you. Blaming circumstances (however unfortunate) and other people (however unpleasant) doesn’t change anything; in fact, it makes things worse – you become a victim.

See whatever happens to your health as simply feedback – your body’s response to your habits, your environment and state of mind!

Follow me on Facebook and Twitter @Feelinggoodatt

How To Books, 2004

[1] It’s different in the quantum world which exhibits discontinuity, nonlocality and entanglement, but this is much too big a subject for this blog.

Is there one source of everything?

Posted on March 26, 2016 by David Lawrence Preston

Is there a creative intelligence that is the source of everything? What is this energy that created you from a handful of cells and grew you into a fully formed human being?

What governs the cycles of life? Cycles such as those by which water becomes steam, which becomes clouds, which condense and fall as rain, which enables plants to grow and animals to thrive, before once again turning to steam?

What governs the cycle of birth, life and death by which spent matter returns to the earth and becomes new life?

We know the universe is sensitively balanced to make life possible. A miniscule variation either way would bring life on Earth to an end (some say it is already doing so). Air turbulence over the North Pole changes global weather patterns. A burning tree in the Amazon affects air quality in London and Paris. A ball thrown into the air anywhere requires an adjustment to be made in space. A whale harpooned off the coast of Norway eventually disturbs the balance of life in the Pacific. If the conditions which sustain life were changed by the tiniest degree, there would be no animals or plants as we know them, and no humans trying to make sense of it all.

If this endless cycle of creativity suddenly came to an end, everything – including us – would immediately cease to exist!

So what is this underlying force, energy, intelligence, whatever you want to call it?

I DON’T KNOW!

And I’m suspicious of anyone who claims to have the definite answer, especially if they’re wearing a cassock! Perhaps our tiny human brains can never know! But here’s an ancient story that illustrates the dilemma:

One day a farmer came across a traveller resting in one of his fields. ‘What a beautiful farm,’ said the traveller taking in the view. ‘Just look at the fields of golden corn, the vegetables growing, cows grazing peacefully. The gods have been very good to you.’

‘Yes they have,’ replied the farmer, ‘but you should have seen it when they had it to themselves!’

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How to Books, 2007

David Lawrence Preston

Dedicated to creating a kinder, happier, healthier world

Tag Archives: cause and effect

Taking Charge of Your Life

The Law of Cause and Effect

Karma

Why are you here?

Life is a school

The Second Law – The Law of Attraction

Focus on what you want, not what you don’t

Breaking a negative cycle

Develop the power of concentration

The Law of Laws – Cause and Effect

We reap what we sow

Take responsibility for your health

Self-awareness

Is there one source of everything?