Positive thinking. It can lead to better health, less stress in life, and improved relationships with people you know. So if I just tell myself it’s a nice day outside and put a smile on my face, is that enough? Am I going to achieve great things from making a few small changes? Will I be abundant?

The answer to all those questions is a giant MAYBE. Yes, if you have a smile on your face it can make you feel a bit better throughout the day. Putting your best foot forward is always a good idea. Making small changes every day will lead to a big change in the near future. Everything must be in place first before you can move forward.

One of the biggest things people forget is that you have to be precise about what you want to accomplish. If you have ever gone through a performance review at your job, you know I’m talking about goal setting. Your boss is always asking you to be specific about the goals for the coming year so that they have a benchmark to base your performance on.

Manifesting your dreams is the same idea. You must ask for something specific and tangible.

For example:

If you are tired of your current work situation, you can’t just say “Universe, I want a better job!” The Universe doesn’t know what you mean by “better job”. Instead, say something like “Universe, I am blessed because I have a career with amazing benefits. It pays me well. I like the people I work with. I’m happy with my job and I have a great boss.” Notice the difference in the tone and phrasing. The tone is present tense as though you already have it. Then you must believe and feel that you already have it. Imagine what it feels like to have this dream job. Visualize the space, the coworkers, the location, how happy and excited you are to be there. Go ahead and tell the Universe how much money you want to make. Do this exercise every day until you begin to believe it’s real. Next the universe will catch up to you (rather quickly) and everyone will be shocked that you were so fortunate.

Except you weren’t fortunate or lucky. You worked to make it happen through the power of your mind. Thoughts are incredibly powerful. Books have been written about the subject. Your mindset is so important if you want to have a rich and abundant life.

Last month, I was feeling really down on myself and things hadn’t gone as I had planned. I encountered a bit of emotional conflict and wanted to reach out to people to support me but I didn’t know how. I’d lost touch with a lot of old friends and I wanted to reconnect. Would they even welcome me back since I’d been so lazy staying in touch? I asked the Universe for help and phrased my goal in this way: “I’m reconnecting with my old friends. We are going out for dinner, drinks, hanging out, etc. I’m feeling so blessed to be surrounded by my friends and they are exactly where I need them to be.” The Universe responded in a big way. All of a sudden, my social calendar was filled up with girly dates! We went for dinner, coffee dates, walks by the river, wine nights, and dancing! I was going out and having fun. Friends that I’d lost touch with for months and even years were getting in touch with me. My texts were filled with notes from beautiful souls! I would say that from the time I requested being surrounded by friends till I manifested it into reality was maybe a week. It’s been a month now since the request was made and the manifestation is still happening!

My life has been so enriched by a simple request that was specific and real. If you haven’t tried this little mental trick yet, give it a shot and see what happens. What have you got to lose?