Manifesting Our Dreams

Reality is a peculiar and unusual place, and if one fails to pay attention, they may miss out on some pretty incredible things.

During my upbringing, I was raised in an extremely conservative religious household and taught to believe that “God” played a part in everyone’s life. The belief was that if one behaved and followed God’s commandments, they would be blessed, and if they did not, they would be cursed. I was taught about prayer and the concept of asking a higher being for assistance. If the prayer was granted, it was believed to be because of one’s righteousness, but if not, it was assumed that the request was withheld for a greater purpose.

Fast forward to the present, where I am on the brink of my 42nd birthday, no longer a member of that religion nor do I subscribe to their beliefs. However, that religion served as a stepping stone for my personal belief in spirituality. Whether one calls it God, the universe, or anything else, I do believe that there is some sort of order to the universe, and we can manipulate the world around us with our thoughts, feelings, and willpower. Many books I’ve read, such as The Secret, The Compound Effect, The Alchemist, and Siddhartha, have touched on this subject. They all speak of how individuals have the power to shape their reality.

I discovered this power at an early age. Something I have kept to myself is that when I was still a member of that religion, anything I prayed for came true. At first, I believed it to be coincidence, and even experimented with prayers, but every time, the things I earnestly prayed for with genuine desire were granted. Sometimes, the request took years to come to fruition, but it always happened.

However, the results of my prayers were not always beneficial. More often than not, the very thing I prayed for turned out to be detrimental to my mental and physical wellbeing. This is where the age-old adage of “Be careful what you wish for” comes to mind.

After leaving my upbringing and seeking my spirituality, I stopped praying altogether. I refused to bow down to any deity or God that required subservience from its followers. I discovered that most spiritual practices do not require kneeling as an integral part of their faith or practice. So, with that worry out of the way, I continued to learn and study different ideas, spiritual principles, and the very idea of magic itself.

One of the things I have come to believe is that reality as we know it has an overall energy to it. An energy that moves and sways in its own wonderful and magical ways. And if we can tap into that flow, incredible things can happen.

At the beginning of this year, my wife and I shared a plan with the universe. It was not a well-crafted plan, and the details were hazy, but the end goal was clear. We had been discussing this plan for several years and decided, at the start of 2023, to commit ourselves to make it happen. Obstacles, hardships, and difficult times came our way, but we remained resolute in our choice. We were determined that our will would not be ignored, and our choice was firm.

Now, five months after we made that choice and stayed true to our desires, I am amazed as I watch the universe conspire to make our dreams a reality. It is happening, and nothing can stop it. I want to take a moment to express my gratitude to the universe for assisting us in reaching this point, and we eagerly anticipate what the future holds.

I Will Never Understand Christianity

Having a piece of content you created go viral is always a surreal experience. It’s usually unexpected, and the reaction from the audience is never what you think it will be. Over the years I have had 1 or two things go viral, and overall I can’t say I have ever really enjoyed the experience. When it happens you are filled with an intense sense of vulnerability as hundreds of eyes are watching you, and deep down you know you are being looked at by predators.

That is all the internet really is these days, a hunting ground for predators.

So I was not really surprised when one of my latest Instagram posts started attracting the attention of the right-wing, conservative, religious zealots. Desperate to save our Hell-bound souls through Jesus Christ and his forgiving love.

I will never understand how Christians can talk about God’s love and devotion to the human race, and in the very next breath belittle and name-call those who behave or believe differently than they do. I don’t recall ever reading any stories in scripture about Jesus doing such things. In fact, I seem to recall Jesus asking God to forgive the very men who crucified him. So where did Christianity adopt intolerance? When did Christians choose to behave as cruel people hell-bent on condemnation and punishment?

I don’t understand it, and I am not sure I ever will.

101. My Tattoo

I have always found tattoos beautiful, and works of art. I actually really like art. Most people don’t know that about me. I am not sure what it is about me that makes people think I don’t appreciate art, but I do. The idea of finding that one piece of art that you want to carry with you for the rest of your life and having it placed upon your skin is just a cool idea. I have looked for the tattoo I have wanted for years. A couple times I thought I had found the one I wanted, and then after much thought and consideration decided against it. A few months ago I started thinking about the idea of getting words for a tattoo. Words have power, and if done right can be made into something really cool looking. Once i decided I wanted a phrase as my tattoo I started looking around for what I wanted. Now it wasn’t an active search, and I was not spending very much time on it, but I was looking around. I thought about many of my favorite quotes, but dismissed them for several different reasons.

A few days ago I came across the perfect phrase! When I read it I was blown away at how much it spoke to me, and how much I wanted to live by those words. I even have it taped up on my wall in y office now. I would want an artist to play with the words to create a design I would like to have, but the words are perfect.

Here is the problem. I am Mormon, and in my religion we are counseled not to get tattoos. The reasoning behind this are many, but the bottom line is your shouldn’t get tattoos in my religion. Just a few weeks ago one of the leaders of my church was here, and I had the opportunity to hear him speak. Straight out of his mouth he said “Dont get Tattoos!” But I want one, and always have!

I have been having a hard time with this, and to some I know may find this stupid and petty, but for me its been a struggle to deal with the fact that I want a tattoo, and my religious duty side saying that I should follow the counsel of a leader and church I believe in.