Choosing Joy, Creating Abundance

Choosing Joy, Creating Abundance: Practical Tools for Manifesting Your Desires is by author Ellen Peterson.

2005 Coalition of Visionary Resources (COVR) 1st Runner Up in Self Help category!

Millions of people give up on their dreams every day. They believe success is impossible without a stroke of luck, such as winning the lottery. Choosing Joy, Creating Abundance offers a ray of sunshine to those who have lost all hope in personal prosperity.

Offering a psychological and spiritual perspective on prosperous living, psychotherapist Ellen Peterson explores the practical dimensions of abundance. She helps readers define their ideas of personal success and overcome the hidden obstacles that often hinder prosperity. Her empowering words, sensible advice, and personal stories illustrate that inner peace and contentment are within everyone's grasp.

Excerpted from Choosing Joy, Creating Abundance: Practical Tools for Manifesting Your Desires by Ellen Peterson. Copyright © 2004. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Prosperity: Daring to Dream in Color

Star light, star bright The first star I see tonight I wish I may I wish I might Have the wish I wish tonight

Chapter one Whether you wish upon a star or quietly within yourself, you have dreams waiting to come alive. These dreams may include owning your own business, earning a college degree, driving a new vehicle, or building your own home. It does not matter what your dreams consist of, as long as you allow yourself the privilege of dreaming. Dreams inspire a person to accomplish great things.

There are two categories of dreamers in this world: there are those who dream dreams, and there are those who actively pursue their dreams. The simple dreamers talk about their particular dreams and goals, but lack the knowledge or capability to accomplish their stated goals. They simply dream for the purpose of dreaming. They lack the confidence required to take action toward achieving those dreams.

The simple dreamers often place the arrival of their dreams somewhere outside of themselves. That is, they believe that something or someone will come along and make their dreams come true. They talk of winning the lottery or landing a million dollar contract someday. And so, they wait. And wait. And wait. Consequently, their dreams remain just that, dreams. Simple dreamers live in the hope that someday I will be rich, will retire, or have my own business. They become lost in their hopes and paralyzed with fear at the thought of taking any action toward making their dreams a reality.

The master dreamers, on the other hand, are those who do whatever it takes to make their dreams a reality. They physically and emotionally push their dreams forward, regardless of obstacles or feelings of discouragement. They actively participate in the process of bringing their dreams into fruition.

It seems easier to wait for your dreams to happen than to take action toward making them happen. Most people are reluctant to take the risks necessary to make their dreams come true. They fear the hurt and disappointment that follows failed dreams. And so they stay where they are. They simply wait and hope for their dreams to come true and for prosperity to knock at their door. They settle for what they believe to be true rather than what could be true.

Often when we consider the promise of dreams, we think about having and accomplishing great things. We are curious about those people who have somehow found their way to the good life. This particular brand of life is eloquently described in magazines and newspapers, with its fancy cars, extravagant homes, and million dollar careers. The good life seems to portray a life of ease and comfort, in which it appears that people have made their dreams come true.

Every person has at least one dream, but problems arise because people do not permit themselves to truly believe in their dreams. They minimize or deny themselves their dreams. They convince themselves that their dreams are unrealistic, and therefore prevent their dreams from actually manifesting. You, too, deserve to have your dreams come true. You deserve to live a wonderful, exciting, and rich life. Permit yourself to dream.

Most of what exists in life originated as a dream. The process of manifesting dreams begins with imagination. Dreams begin in the invisible. I have always dreamed of having . . . I always wanted . . . I knew someday I would . . . We all have dreams. We all have desires. We wish upon stars while blowing out birthday candles. We throw pennies into fountains. Making wishes and dreaming dreams is fun. We like to dream, and we hope that our dreams will someday come true.

It is a universal desire to live a happy and content life.

Children are natural dreamers. They dream with ease and use their imaginations to the fullest. They are not intimidated by reality, and therefore immerse themselves in fantasy. Some parents go to great lengths to preserve the wonder and excitement of life for their children. They want them to hold on to the belief, the wonder, and the spirit of life for as long as possible.

They want them to believe in Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, stardust, and the man on the moon. These friends encourage childhood dreams and foster imagination and creativity. Adults dream as well. State lotteries and scratch off tickets offer the dream of winning and striking it rich. Adults dream about having the good life and basking in the land of good and plenty.

They dream about owning a nice home, driving a luxurious car, or retiring at an early age. Most adults do not admit to having dreams, as they think that dreams are silly or a waste of time. The wish list is replaced by the to do list.

Adults are practical. They learn to surrender fantasy and embrace realism. They live in the real world, where life is serious and complex. They exchange the wonder and excitement of dreaming for the fear that their needs will not be met and the belief that they must struggle. Adults abandon the wonder and spirit of believing. They surrender the most significant tool for living a...(Continues)

About the Author
Ellen Peterson is a licensed and certified social worker in the state of New York. She has been in private practice at Avenues Counseling Center in Ithaca, New York for eleven years. She has developed and facilitated many groups on a variety of topics, and also facilitates weekend retreat programs and workshops, all of which serve to enhance participant's personal growth.

Ellen is often called the "queen of manifesting," as the ease with which she continually manifests her own dreams and desires has been widely observed and she takes great joy in teaching others how to do so.

Ellen Peterson has been interviewed on radio as well as on television and has been a presenter at the International Heart Centered Hypnotherapy Conference. She is a member of the National Association of Social Workers and the Association of Heart Centered Hypnotherapy. Choosing Joy, Creating Abundance is Peterson's first book with Llewellyn.

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