You can be anything you wish

According to many scientists we do not live in just one universe, but in many.

One concept I have believed since my early teens is that those universes are parallel universes, and that every decision we take moves us into one of an infinite number of parallel universes.  I thought I was alone in believing this, but quite recently a number of physicists have come up with the same concept.  This is perhaps still not quite mainstream science, but it is certainly no longer considered the loony fringe, and some scientists believe this is the only way they can explain some of the apparently contradictory evidence they have collected.

If you will excuse the pun, there is a parallel between the "multiverse" concept and the Schrödinger's cat concept which I explored in an earlier article (http://iwanttoimprovemyself.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/schrodingers-cat-and-law-of-attraction.html).

What does this mean in practice?

What it means is that somewhere there really is a "you" who has achieved what you hope to achieve.  That "you" already exists.  If you are trying to get slimmer and lose five pounds, you have genuinely already done so.  It is just that at the moment you do not recognize the fact.  You cannot think it is impossible, as it has already happened anyway.  You just need to catch up with the fact.  If you are trying to develop into such a good, loveable person that you attract a really good and loveable partner, again just recognize that this has already happened.  Not yet in this universe, but in another parallel universe.  You simply need to recognize this person already exists and it can happen.

Imagine life is like a very large building with lots of rooms.  As you travel through life you open different doors and enter different rooms.  Each room you enter has lots of other doors which will lead you into lots of other rooms.  If you think this sounds familiar, then perhaps it should.  "My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." (John 14:2-3, New International Version)

Some people might take this as an excuse not to do anything good in their life, taking the view that there will always be both good and bad futures no matter what they do.  That is a bit like saying if you believe in reincarnation rather than in heaven and hell it doesn't matter what you do, as you can always come back another time and correct it.  In both cases you would be missing the point.  This "multiverse" has a lot of good in it, but also a lot of bad.  You should want to open doors that lead to good futures not to bad ones.  Why would you deliberately choose unhappiness in a bad future rather than happiness in a good one?

Notice how Jesus, in the quote above, says you can be where he is.  I know most Christians would interpret that differently from me, but I interpret that as saying if we listen to our inner voice we will choose to open the right doors which will put us in exactly the right future for us.

The next time you are depressed with the lack of progress you have made, the next time you are pessimistic about what the future holds for you, remember this concept of "many rooms" in our "multiverse".  Remember that a future exists where you have achieved all you ever wanted to achieve, and there is nothing to stop you opening the right doors to reach that wonderful future!

The beginning of the universe

Recently I watched a documentary about the latest scientific studies of the beginning of the universe.  So many things the scientists said struck a chord that I read the relevant section of my Bible again.  Take a look at the two different versions:

Big Bang

The Big Bang theory is not universally accepted by scientists, but still has a large and respectable following.  Here, more or less, is what the proponents of Big Bang say happened:
 

1. In the beginning of space and time was the Big Bang.  The Big Bang resulted in a hydrogen fog.
    
2. Now the hydrogen fog was a formless, empty cloud.  Darkness covered the universe.
    
3. After millions of years, atoms of hydrogen coalesced and began fusion reactions forming the first stars.  And the stars gave out light.
    
4. There were bubbles of light in the primordial universe, separated from each other by the darkness of the hydrogen fog.
    
5. When the bubbles of light burst through the hydrogen fog, this was Cosmic Dawn, which came after the dark ages of the universe.

Genesis

Now here is Genesis 1: 1-5 (New International Version):
 

1. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
    
2. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
    
3. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
    
4. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.
    
5. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.

Comparing Big Bang and Genesis

These two versions are so close!  The only major difference between the two is the word "God", and there is absolutely nothing in Big Bang theory that says it could not have been planned and co-ordinated by God.  The purpose of science is not to prove or disprove the existence and role of God, but merely to discover the rules of the universe which those of us who believe in God believe He created.

When I realised just how close these two versions of the creation of the universe are, it sent a shiver down my spine.  It is almost as though the author of Genesis 1 was a gifted astrophysicist thousands of years before the first astrophysicist was born!

So much of the Bible is not intended to be taken literally as scientific fact, but should be read for its inner meaning just like the many parables Jesus told.  It is good to know, though, that many scientists now at least agree that the first 5 verses of the Bible are indeed scientific fact, stating in a matter of fact way what scientists have only in very recent years been able to piece together as the most likely way in which our universe was created.  I will never again read Genesis 1 without feeling that shiver; a good, comforting shiver.

I believe adherents of Hinduism will find something similar in their own holy writings.  Probably other religions too.  I would be really interested to hear from my non-Christian friends of any similarities they can find in their own religion.  Please feel free to get back to me on this, or with any thoughts of your own, in the comments section.

What This Should Mean to Us

Our distant ancestors knew so much about the basic truths of this universe.  Not from conducting scientific experiments, but by listening to what something other than a cold and logical mind told them.  We can still see this when we look, for example, at some of the beliefs of Australian aborigines.

I hope my readers will take time to meditate, study their own religious writings (of whichever religion that may be), and listen to that small, still voice within - the voice that wants us all to develop ourselves, know the Truth, and grow into better human beings.

The Elixir of Life

219 years before Christ a Chinese alchemist, Xu Fu, took 1,000 young people on a trip to discover the secret of immortality.  He never returned.

In 1567, Ming Dynasty Emperor JiaJing is believed to have died from an overdose of the poison mercury.  Jiajing believed that mercury was the elixir of life and would enable him to live forever; instead he died aged 45.

In 18th century Europe, the Count of St Germain claimed to have found the elixir of life and to be 500 years old.  He is believed to have died in 1784, probably in his 70's rather than 500 or more, although some Theosophists and Rosicrucians claim he never died and is still living even today.

Throughout history people have been searching for the mystical elixir of life, for the magical anti ageing secrets that will help them to live forever.  I may not have quite found that magical elixir, but I do have perhaps the next best thing - knowledge of changes you can make in your lifestyle which could significantly extend your life.  And you can relax in the sure knowledge that my anti ageing medicine is not going to give you mercury poisoning!

According to Rose Anne Kenny, Professor of Medical Gerontology at Trinity College Dublin, the three most important factors that will help you extend life and live longer (obviously subject to you not having a fatal accident, suffering a terminal illness etc) are:

1 Properly managing your health;

2 Working on your personal development, continuing to develop your skills and abilities no matter what age you may be;

3 Getting involved in your community, doing things that are a real contribution, helping those around you.

Managing Your Health

I guess everyone knows they should do this and that if they do they have a greater chance of living longer.

"Eat and drink healthily" is important if you want to live to a ripe old age.  But I do not mean you have to be extreme about this.  To me, moderation is the key here.  If you enjoy certain foods that you have been told are not healthy, then I think you should continue to eat them, but only now and again rather than all the time.

Many people get confused by the concept of eating healthily and think this means you have to pick "healthy foods" and only eat those.  The reality is that there is no such thing as "healthy foods".  Yes, read that again!  The concepts of "healthy foods" and "unhealthy foods" don't really exist.  Any food would be unhealthy for you if you ate it to excess.  There is no such thing as a "healthy food", but there is such a thing as a healthy diet.  Try to maintain a good mix of foods that will provide you with all the nutrients you need, and keep a good balance of those different types of food.

Although I have just said you cannot talk about healthy and unhealthy foods, there are, of course, some foods that are not particularly good for you.  Processed foods come into this category.  Especially the packs of "TV dinners" you can buy in supermarkets.  Fresh food is far better for you.  But again, if you are particularly fond of something that is processed (perhaps a fast food hamburger or hot dog) then by all means eat it - just not too often!

Likewise with what you drink.  Don't drink an excess of coffee for example, filling yourself with caffeine.  But unless your doctor has told you to avoid caffeine I do not suggest you drink decaffeinated coffee, and nor am I recommending you give up coffee altogether.  Again, moderation is the key.

Drinking alcohol is exactly the same.  Yes, alcohol is a poison, so you certainly do not want to drink too much.  But there is nothing wrong with drinking moderately.  In fact it is believed that very moderate drinking can keep you healthier and extend your life.

Try not to be a "couch potato".  Find something you enjoy doing that doesn't involve sitting or lying down.  In my case, that hobby is Ballroom and Latin dancing, which for me combines pleasure, exercise, and a social activity.  It also sometimes stretches my mind, forcing me to remember long combinations of steps.  All this is good for maintaining youth!  In your case, maybe it is a sport.  Or going for a nice long swim, run, or cycle ride.  Perhaps a combination of these.  I certainly enjoy cycling from time to time as well as dancing.  Whatever it is you choose, make sure it involves a good bit of exercise.

Be aware of your body and the signals it may be giving you.  This is a wide category.

For example you should remain alert for any signs that could indicate cancer.  If you are female that particularly means regularly checking your breasts.  If you are male you should check your testicles.  For both sexes, stay alert for any lumps anywhere in the body that start to change shape or size, or that start to bleed.  Also stay alert for any changes in the way in which you urinate and pass stools.  Be particularly alert for any blood in your stools or urine.  I have really only touched the surface here, and I suggest you do some research yourself on ways to detect signs of cancer early on.  If you spot anything that disturbs you, contact your doctor.  Doing this can identify a cancer at an early enough stage for it to be stopped in its tracks.  I am speaking with experience, as I suffered from prostate cancer, but recognized the symptoms before it had progressed far and received treatment that completely eliminated it.

These are not the only signals your body gives you.  If you start to overdo something that could impact badly on your health, your body will often tell you.  Perhaps you will start getting more frequent and more painful headaches than you would normally expect.  If so, this is almost certainly your body trying to tell you something.  Slow down and try to listen to what it is saying.

Personal Development

If you want to stay young, then you should do all you can to develop your personal skills and abilities.  This will really make a huge difference to the way you age.  The more you do this, the slower you will age.

This is a very wide field.  It certainly includes doing things that will help you challenge and expand your intellect, even if they are as simple as crosswords and other word games.  But it also includes finding what makes you really happy, and focusing on and developing that.

This entire site is devoted to personal development.  Browse through it and read or re-read articles that strike a bell with you.  If you are not already one of my subscribers, take the time to subscribe now - in just a few seconds you can ensure I will keep in touch with you giving you many different ways of improving your own personal development.  You can do this at www.beallican.com.

Getting Involved

The more you get involved, whether this is with family or the wider community, the slower you will age.  Give of yourself.  Spend time helping others less fortunate than you.

There are many reasons for this.  Firstly, it has been shown that this type of activity automatically makes you happier.  Secondly, the more you are involved, the less lonely you will be.  Thirdly, there is a real sense of fulfilment when you get heavily involved.  And finally, I believe the law of karma is operating here too - by helping others you find good things come to you.  Those good things include a slowing of the ageing process.

You Are as Young as You Feel

This really is true.  Do not be taken in by all the stereotypes about ageing.  If somebody says "You are too old for that!", don't believe them!  In fact, take that as a challenge to do whatever it was you were thinking about doing!  If you do believe the stereotypes you will tend to live down to them.  You may stop doing things you enjoy doing simply because you think older people cannot do them.  Do not allow this to happen to you!

This is not just me saying this.  "The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing" proved that the more people believe they will lose their abilities as they got older, the more this actually happens.  The reverse is also true - the more you believe you can continue to do what you enjoy, the longer you will physically be able to do so.  There was also a study by researchers at Yale University which found that a group of elderly people who had a really positive attitude were able to function physically as well as another group that had undertaken a six month exercise programme.

The Irish study also found that people who had positive expectations about the future as they got older lived on average 7 years longer than those who had negative expectations!  Read that again - it is very important!  What are your expectations about your future as you get older?  Are you resigned to dying younger than really need be the case or are you ready to enjoy that future to the full?

Positive thinking really works.  This is just as true about ageing as it is about such things as getting more money, finding love etc.  Start thinking more positively now about your age.  Change how you feel about ageing and you will actually change how you age!

None of us can avoid getting older.  Every day you are older - you are one day older.  That is a simple fact, and nothing can change that unless you have some way of travelling at or close to the speed of light, in which case Einstein tells us you will age slower.  But we can all delay the onset of "old age".  Use the anti-aging techniques I have outlined above.  Don't just do exactly what I have said, and nothing else, but rather use this article as a springboard to research all the ways you can stay young and healthy.  That is the real elixir of life.  Use it well, have fun, and live long!

The Power of the Unconscious

Just how powerful is your unconscious mind?

Perhaps before I try to answer this I should clarify what I mean by "unconscious".  It is everything in your mind of which you are not conscious.  Some people try to call this the subconscious mind, but that is not the true term.  "Subconscious" is a part of the mind which is accessible, but of which you are not aware at the time.  Another way of putting this is that it is the "non-mindfulness" part of your mind (if you are not familiar with this term, I will be producing an article about Mindfulness later this year).  For example you may be so used to walking from your home to your office that you do so automatically, without being aware of the journey at all.  This is the subconscious mind controlling your journey.  The unconscious mind includes this, but also includes parts of your mind that are not normally accessible at all.  You may be completely unaware of what is happening in your unconscious mind, but it is still happening.

To a degree, I tend to follow Jung's view of the unconscious mind.  That is, we have both a personal and a collective unconscious.  In our personal unconscious are our personal memories.  Things we have thought about and that are now permanently a part of us but of which we are no longer consciously aware.  In our collective unconscious are what you might think of as cultural "memories" and even memories going right back to the origin of mankind.

But the unconscious is more than just memories.  It is a real force.  Restricting it to just memories is missing the real power of the unconscious.  It includes what Hindus and some Buddhists refer to as "Atman", an absolute and essential "self".  The true self.  What Paul Brunton referred to in his works as the "Overself".  Almost God-like.  In fact, I believe it IS God expressing Himself through us.  When we sit in silence, listening for the voice of God, we hear that voice.  It comes from within, and yet it is all powerful and not really "within" at all.  It is not restricted to the "archetypes" of the collective unconscious, as Jung called them, but is really the power of the entire universe.

The Overself is the perfect being you are intended to be.  Somewhere along the road you lost that perfection, but it is still there within you waiting to be found again.  Hidden in your unconscious mind.  All the personal development work you do is really one small step in that journey to finding and releasing the Overself that is right there waiting to be released.

So how powerful is your unconscious mind?  The answer is, it is all-powerful!  There is absolutely no limit to its power - or rather the only limits are the limits you place on it yourself.  Keep going on your personal development journey, knowing that the power of the universe, or the power of God, is waiting for you and helping you to reach your goal!

Vision Board

Do you have a vision board, or what I personally call my treasure map?

If you have followed many of the free webinars and ready many of the free e-books I have sent to my subscribers then you probably have your own vision board.  Hopefully you also use it regularly.

But if you are not one of my subscribers, and have not studied much material on manifesting then perhaps you do not know what a vision board is.

A properly created vision board is a way of really motivating and exciting you about whatever it is you want to achieve.  It is also a way of communicating that desire to the Universe, which makes it far more likely you really will achieve it.

Actually, there is something even more fundamental than this happening when you create your vision board.  So many people do not really understand what it is they want to achieve in life.  They have never thought about it properly.  But when you start to create your vision board this forces you to focus on what you want.  Sometimes when you do that you realize that what you thought you wanted is not really something you want at all.  Perhaps it is something your parents, friends or partner told you that you should want.  Or you have been taken in by the commercialism that surrounds most of us every day, and believe the adverts that tell you this is what you want.

If you already have a vision board I want you now to focus on it.  Does it excite you?  Does it make you feel really happy knowing what is on there is coming your way?  It should.  If it doesn't, then I suggest you go right back to the drawing board and start over.  Create a brand new one that does excite you, and that does make you really happy.

If you don't already have a vision board, and if there is anything at all that you want to achieve, then take some time right now to make one.

Begin by deciding exactly what it is you really want, and write down what that is.  This can be anything at all.  Maybe true love?  Perhaps a career that really excites you?  The chance to make a real difference in the world?  It can also be a collection of objectives that are linked.  For example a lovely house right on the beach in a hot climate, plus a lamborghini car, plus your own private jet ... that list might go on for a bit, but don't stop it.  As long as these are things you really want, then list them.

Make sure whatever it is you have listed really does excite you.  Does it feel right to you?  Is it really what you want?  In other articles in this blog I have written about the importance of making sure you are properly aligned with your inner purpose.  This really is key, so do not leave this step out.

Once you are certain you have the right goals listed, the next step is to state them in a single phrase set in the present tense, showing you have already achieved them.  In other words, do not say something like "I want to have a lovely house right on the beach in a hot climate, a lamborghini car, and my own private jet!".  Instead, in this specific example you would say "I have a lovely house right on the beach in a hot climate, a Lamborghini car, and my own private jet!".  If these really were your goals you would be even more specific than this.  You would probably say how many rooms that house has and exactly where it is.  You would say the make and model of the private jet you want.  If your response to this is "I don't really know!" then go away and do some research.  Make sure you DO know!

Now find the right pictures illustrating those goals.  Look far and wide for these.  Cut them out and arrange them on your vision board.  If there is not enough space to fit them all on, then get a bigger sheet of paper, write your goals at the top again, and arrange your pictures on this new vision board.  When the arrangement feels right, get some glue and stick those pictures down.

Don't just use pictures though.  Write down some other things about each goal that really excite you.

Now at the bottom of your vision board, write this, or something similar:

"I choose to create all this or something better!"

Finally, draw a thick line all around the edges of your vision board.  This is the limit line.  It tells your subconscious mind, or the Universe, that once it has given you what you desire, it doesn't need to keep giving you more of it.  If you have entered a "Cessna Citation Hemisphere" as something you really want, then I imagine you don't actually need or want a whole fleet of Cessnas.  If you do, then that is what you should put anyway!  So you put the limit line to clarify that you don't want to keep adding that particular thing.  Why is this necessary?  Because of the power of a vision board!  It really is that powerful!  Some people have put "money" as their goal, and not limited it on their vision board.  The power of the vision board brings them money.  Lots of it.  Far more than they need or want.  But it brings them no enjoyment as they keep wanting more and more money and are never satisfied.  The limit line can stop this happening.

Now that you have your vision board, use it properly.  Every day, in fact several times a day, look at it and allow the warm feeling of achieving everything on it to flow through you.

Create and use your vision board properly and you can achieve everything you really wish to achieve.