You’ve probably heard the expression “you are what you eat.” This is logical… if we eat well, we become healthier, proactive and energetic. If we eat badly, well… garbage in, garbage out!

Let’s take this a step further. Did you know that you are also what you think? Thoughts are invisible to the naked eye… nobody can see or hear them (or so we hope!). What if I told you that, over time, these thoughts have such a profound impact and manifest so clearly in our lives that they might as well be put on a display buffet, spotlights blazing? Scary and a little disarming, isn’t it?

I didn’t come up with this idea. I grew up listening to my parents’ stories and advice that pointed to it: “if you think you can do it, you will,” and “what you think, you become”. I connected the dots much later in adulthood when I started recognizing the dramatic shifts in my luck relative to my state of mind. This encouraged me to read more about the power of thought. Our thoughts shape our characters, behaviors and habits, so why is it so far-fetched to believe that they also shape our luck?

Have you ever met someone who seems to always get whatever she wants? Have you heard someone proclaim “my prayers are very powerful! I’ll pray for you”? On the other hand, have you ever met the walking cursed? Everywhere he goes, trouble follows. What about the perpetual victim? Year after year, her luck seems to worsen and bad things always tend to happen to her.

What is the difference between these two types of people?

Is it true that one simply won the jackpot and the other got a basket of misery?

No. I don’t believe so. These people are the products of their compounding thoughts, manifesting in a very real and visible way in their lives.

You might say… “but, some people are born in war and are starving, while others are born to the wealthiest 1%, so how can you refuse to accept that it starts with dumb luck?”

I am the product of two genocides. Arguably, children born to families like mine are destined for difficult lives, inhumanity, and death. That is why I refuse to acknowledge dumb luck. Why did I survive, see the world, learn, and find freedom? Because my parents thought, dreamt and strove for freedom. Because I quietly packed my bags every time we had to go, and followed through with faith that the grass would keep getting greener if I participate in watering it. Because I was trained from a very young age to believe in my human worth, to believe in a better world, to believe in God, and to believe that the odds will be in my favour. In this way, my parents’ thoughts manifested in their life and their children’s lives, and we have always been able to overcome.

When things were difficult, and they often were, I never heard them complaining… not once. The words I grew up listening to were: “if you can think of it, you can be it,” and “God will always come through,” and “those who are kind of spirit will find kindness everywhere.”

Our thought patterns and narrative, as a family, allowed us to hold onto a very powerful faith that we will successfully overcome the oppression that we were once destined for.

Helping hands always urged us on the way too. I don’t believe this is a coincidence either. Whatever you put out into the universe, you will get back two-fold.

Cursory research on this matter will yield insurmountable testimony to the truth in it. Long gone are the days when people believed that you must be a shark to win. There is no longer respect for that kind of success, except from those who are weak of spirit. Today, successful people around the world affirm that they earned their success through hard work, good will, and a positive attitude. What does this mean?

Think big, and you will act in such a way that will allow you to win big.

I’m not talking about passive thought manifestation. If I think I can build a robot, I won’t magically know how to build it. I’m talking about active and intentional thought manifestation. If I think I can build a robot, and I choose to take action with that faith nudging me along, then I will become adept at robotics through formal or informal education. This is not the easy way to become successful, but it does add a beacon of light to the journey, and is arguably the only sustainable path to success.

The power of thought is a big key theme in the Blueprint for Intentional Lifestyle Design. It certainly cannot be covered at length in one post. We will revisit this theme repeatedly because everything begins and ends with a thought. It is the root of everything.

Can you recall a time when a powerful positive thought seemed to manifest in your life in an unexpected way? Please take a moment to share your story in the comments.

And remember… we design our own luck!

M.