It’s 7:30 in the evening, and I’m sitting down with a cup of tea. Earl Grey, my favorite. I pull out a magazine and immediately the phone rings.

It’s one of my coaching clients, Marcia, and she’s in tears! “I don’t get it,” she says. “I watched the secret, I’m trying to stay positive, I’m thinking about what I want. But I’m in the same financial situation I was in a year ago – what am I doing wrong?”

If this sounds like something you are experiencing, this is the perfect template for you, giving you guidelines to follow in order to change your thinking, release your blocks and create and receive the prosperity and abundance that is all around you.

1. Take responsibility. Realize that you are energy, and that you have spent your entire lifetime creating what you now have. It’s easy to see what kind of a creator you are – simply look around you – what is already in your life? Step number 1 is to take responsibility for yourself and the life that you have created. All of it.

2. Forgive yourself. Yes, you have created your life as it is…but you have not done it consciously. You created what you have based on old beliefs that may not be serving you well anymore. “Money doesn’t grow on trees…money is the root of all evil…and we can’t afford it” are probably deep seated beliefs that may take some time to effectively uproot and change. Stop blaming yourself and start taking steps to pay attention to every thought that you create. If you need help with forgiveness, we have resources that can help you.

3. Take 10. Commit to at least 10 minutes a day of deep meditation or self hypnosis where you can visualize the life that you desire. This is vital, and if you do not do this, then you need to take a look at how committed you really are to having a life that you love. When visualizing, put your self in the picture…you want to feel how it is to live that life, have that house, be a member of that community, spend that money and relax on the beach. The more intense you can make those positive feelings, the more power you put into your communication of what you want. Be clear, be detailed and have fun with it. Focus on the end result, and don’t be concerned with how it will be delivered to you.

4. Be consistent. For most people, this is the hardest step. “How can I pretend I’m rich when I can’t pay the power bill?” You have to train yourself to look for the good, the prosperity in everything. Are you sitting in a comfortable chair? Do you have entertainment in way of a TV or radio? You hear beautiful sounds and see beautiful sights around you all the time – look for them and acknowledge them. Practice feeling the way you want to feel. Remind yourself that everything in life is temporary…even though it may not seem so, it will pass. Focus your energy on the positive as much as you possibly can in the life that you have. With practice, it becomes easier and natural.

5. Give up need. You don’t need anything. If you are alive and breathing, clothed and fed, you simply have all you need. EVERYTHING else is luxury. Power is luxury. Phones are luxury. We have so much more than we really need…think about all the stuff you have that you don’t use. You probably don’t even know all the things you have. You have everything that you really need already, and more. When you visualize and think thoughts, remember that you are already taken care of, and that now you are going for what you really want. Now you are consciously creating your life – a life that is prosperous and good.

6. Give up guilt. Guilt is a very strong emotion with only one purpose. To motivate. If guilt is not motivating you to get what you want, give it up. If you feel guilty about having money or asking for money, take a look deep inside and see if you feel like you deserve to be prosperous. You may have to wrestle with your belief system here, but get to the core issues behind your guilt, forgive and let go.

7. Be grateful. One of the best ways to keep yourself in a positive emotive state is to practice being grateful. Do it all day long. Be grateful that your hair is cooperating today. Be grateful that your car starts, be happy that you can walk, talk, eat, read…there is so much to be grateful for. Don’t just say it…feel it. Be grateful already for the results you want. Always focus on feeling how you will feel when you have what you want. It doesn’t matter how you get it. Feeling grateful sends out powerful vibrations that draw what you want closer.

8. Be patient and take action. It took a while for you to create your world as it is. Be patient with yourself and the Universe while you re-create it. Simply take the actions that you feel are right – always moving in the direction of prosperity. Action is crucial…nobody is going to get rich sitting on their couch watching soaps. Get out and meet people, help others, and work to your highest and best potential. Maybe you don’t like your job, but treat it as though it were the best job in the world anyway so you can create those positive feelings. You might even find that you are enjoying yourself more than you think!

9. Love yourself unconditionally. You are a part of all that is. You belong. You deserve to have prosperity and abundance in your life. You are moving forward. Accept yourself for who you are and who you are not, and as you do, you will find it easier to love and accept others unconditionally as well.

10. Believe. That’s right – it’s the key factor. You must believe that prosperity is in your life and that you are creating and manifesting more. Look for signs that help you believe – little things that are out of the ordinary, experiences that help you learn. Pay attention to resistance – that means that you have beliefs that are out of alignment with what you want. Isolate those beliefs and resolve them – find a good coach to help you if you need to.

Consistently follow these guidelines, resolve your past conflicts and beliefs that are out of tune with the vibrations of prosperity, and very, very soon you will begin manifesting the prosperity and abundance you desire in your life.