We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world. - Buddha

Whether we realize it or not, we are all dreaming the world into being. What we’re engaging in is not the sleeping act we’re so familiar with, but rather a type of dreaming we do with our eyes open. When we’re unaware that we share the power to co-create reality with the universe itself, that power slips away from us, causing our dream to become a nightmare. We begin to feel we’re the victims of an unknown and frightening creation that we’re unable to influence, and events seem to control and trap us. The only way to end this dreadful reality is to awaken to the fact that it too is a dream - and then recognize our ability to write a better story, one that the universe will work with us to manifest.

One of the many reasons why we are here on Earth is to learn. Our experience of life can be likened to a kindergarten for souls where we naturally learn valuable lessons through the consequences of our free will. The main idea is to advance life forward as a whole from knowledge gained primarily through our own personal experiences.

Upon gaining a certain level of awareness, the wise and the fortunate realize that there is a wealth of information which has already been discovered and validated by geniuses of the past. It makes no sense to them to “re-invent the wheel” per say.

When it comes to manifesting intention, there is a misconception about the principle of what you think about is what you get. Some people have the idea that in order for their intention to manifest, they need to focus on it as much as possible. So they make it almost a habit of thinking about their intention all the time. But then they learn that in order for any intention to manifest, there needs to be a period of temporary forgetfulness so that spirit can do its work uninterrupted. This makes them feel confused.

We all have those friends that we love to hate. You know the ones I’m talking about - the friends that Lady Luck always seems to shine upon. They can do no wrong, and they have a great career, a great family, and a great life in general. Happiness just seems attracted to them like a magnet.

Have you ever considered that happiness doesn’t just seem attracted to these people - that maybe happiness really is attracted to them like a magnet? That’s the theory behind the law of attraction. With the right outlook, manifesting happiness is fairly easy!

We have been taught that to use the law of attraction to create the reality we desire, we must focus more on what we want and less on what we don’t want. But yet there are times when the things we don’t want continue to be created even though we try not to focus on them. The truth is that there are times when we must focus on what we don’t want so that we can attract it out fully and see it for what it is. What we don’t want could be part of what we want and that is why we are still creating it unknowingly.

There are no secrets, just truths and powerful laws of creation that remain hidden from our awareness until we are ready to hear them. The law of manifestation is just as concrete as the laws of physics - in fact, the law of manifestation incorporates the laws of physics and chemistry.

We have the power within us to clearly imagine what we wish to achieve. The more often we focus our powerful thoughts on our dreams and goals, the closer we come to realizing those dreams.

The great secret of fulfilling our heart’s desires and living in joy and abundance is an open secret. It is a power to be claimed as soon as we awaken to its existence and adopt the tools and habits required to bring it through.

The lesser secret involves the law of attraction: whatever we think or feel strongly, the universe says yes. If we carry around feelings of failure or dread, the world will give us lots of reasons to feel those things. If we follow our creative passions and are willing to make a leap of faith, the universe will support us and will bring us resources and opportunities in magical ways.

One of the fallacies that people make when it comes to utilizing the law of attraction is that they think all they need for manifestation is simply their intention. That is the reason why many people fail to manifest their intention. They are not taking one of the crucial steps in the process of manifestation. Taking action is not for the purpose of creating something we don’t yet have. Everything we intend is already created, action is a means by which we receive it into physical reality. Action is the act of receiving.

This is the text of the Commencement address by Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios, delivered on June 12, 2005. You can watch the full length video here.

I am honored to be with you today at your commencement from one of the finest universities in the world. I never graduated from college. Truth be told, this is the closest I’ve ever gotten to a college graduation. Today I want to tell you three stories from my life. That’s it. No big deal. Just three stories.

The first story is about connecting the dots.

Sooner or later in our explorations in consciousness we all come across the idea of manifesting as an indicator of spiritual attainment, as if our worth as spiritual beings depends upon our ability to manifest.

Lousy manifestor? Must not be very spiritual.

Great manifestor? The universe bows to the light of your divinity!

NOT!

Great manifestation is an inevitable outcome, not a forgone indication, of spiritual prowess. However, not all manifestations are created equal. The ones that are the easiest to give validity to are the ones that are the densest, like great material wealth or being the head of a multinational company - both of which Bill Gates (for example) has manifested in his lifetime, but neither are any sure indication of spiritual attainment.

Sometimes we hear people say, “I can’t afford this,” or “It’s too expensive,” which of course then becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy of limitation. Remember to hold only the thoughts and vibrations that reflect the world you choose to participate in. The Universe is always ready when you are ready and it is standing by, waiting for you to choose and commit to your heart’s desires. Remember, abundance is not something you create, but that which you ATTRACT AND ACCEPT.

You can flow energy toward the joyful experiences that you desire, which attracts the money magnetically. What are you now ready to ask for intensely and receive expansively?

Your intention, is the source of the creative process for turning your thoughts into reality. Do I truly believe that my thoughts are that powerful, that I in fact possess the power of my beliefs? We live in a society and culture that in many ways keeps us confined to the status quo, that mundane way of looking at and accepting life for how it is, rather then what we actually want it to be. For many we have traded in on what really matters, our own interpretation of a meaningful life made manifest.