'The indispensable first step to getting the things you want in life is this: Decide what you want." Ben Stein
It sounds easy doesn't, but very few of us really know what we want from life. I mean, truly want in life, in details.
You see, I do believe lots of things are possible when you truly believe you can do. However there is a need to be realistic and understand that just because I dream of it will happen. In my case, for example: One of my dreams is to travel the world (Greece, Australia, Japan, Tibet, Italy, Belize, Greenland, Ireland, Scotland, Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Holland and many other places). The reality is I am 50 years old, have to work in order to live a reasonable and somehow comfortable life. I have also other dreams that are more important than travelling. Unless I win the lottery, leave all the other dreams behind and spend the next couple of years traveling, this dream is nothing more than that, a dream. True that I might be able to visit few of those countries, true that I might even get a couple of other people with the same dreams to make me company, true that I can manage to take a couple of weeks off and make this fantasy a reality, true that I can manage the necessary funds to make this an enjoyable and real life experience, but I must be realistic and understand that chances are, I will not be able to see every and single one of them. So I have to choose which ones I really want to see, which ones I believe will make my life experience a better one.
Well, in my case I don't have to think much, Tibet is it for me. Is one that I have always dreamt of. To spend a couple of weeks with the Monks, meditating and complete the journey inside myself that I have started many years ago. Then Greece; the history, the myths, the power, its ascend and decline, the culture, the fascination it always enticed my mind and soul is my second choice. I know that I can live 
without visiting all the other countries and I will be fine with it. I still can learn about them, watching travel shows, reading and looking at photos. Like many other times in life, we must make choices and let go of the things that are just extra load, that serves no purpose in the big scheme of our own lives and learn to travel light, focusing on the ones we trust to be the most important. That works the same way when choosing what dreams are the ones that will make you a better person, that will guide you towards your life dream and objectives.
The first step in finding out what is that you want in life is - finding out what you want in life - separate fiction from reality, find our which dreams are most important to you. How is these dreams related to the other ones? Will this dream bringing you closer to or further down from your life dream? Now set up a plan, find out what are the things you need in order to perform this plan, what tools, what acessories, what features, what steps will you need in order to achieve it. Like planning a vacation or a hiking trip: list all the things you might need in order to make this experience a success.
The second step is - make sure that attaining your dream is not contingent on causing pain, losing respect, based on lies and deceit, generates emotional, financial or moral damages to self and others. The Law of Attraction principles are very simple: Either you do Good or Bad actions, thoughts, behaviors and feelings it will attracts same like actions, thoughts, behaviors and feelings. As Einstein said, it's all energy, not philosophy or if you wish call it Karma - What goes around it will, eventually, come around. Is just a matter of time. Yes, in the end it's all as simple as that.
Now that steps one and two are clear, let's move on to the third step of the process: get ready and do 
your part. Be positive, proactive, open minded, change and motivate yourself, act with dignity, keep your head straight and your heart pure to the truth that is within, don't give up when obstacles come. Yes they will come; no, it will not always be smooth path; yes things will happen and some events might happen that make you think you should stop; and yes it will test you to see if your desire is truly that strong.
Your dreams will not happen just because you dreamt of them. They will not happen just because you are a good person, they will not happen if they depend on someone else's actions and behaviors to change, they will not succeed if you just sit and wait. They will only happen if you take action, change, improve, battle, learn, love, respect and have faith in yourself, in your dreams and in the universe.
Once you do what is you must do, so will the Universe. The Universe will bring you the associations, the master, the lessons, the servants and the tools that will allow you to reach your dream. It will, at the same time, remove things, people and obstacles that crosses your path. In short, the Universe and the force within you, your soul and your mind will provide a practical plan to be followed, it will conspire and bring everything you need, will teach you all that you must learn in order to walk on the path you have chosen.
If you are not sure, take a little more time on the planning, getting to know who you are and what you want as well the things you don't want. Avoid a wondering mind and heart, it can lead you to an infinite maze, or prevent a good dream to become a reality. So, focus on your goal, don't get distracted by what others are doing or that something else might be better than what you are doing, don't be like a donkey walking towards the carrot tied to its own head, as we all know, it will never reach it. Don't worry about other possibilities of someone else's dreams, focus on the choices you have made and move on.
No, you are not bound to the path you started walking, of course you can change your mind. You are, as have you always been, free and you are, after all, the master of your own life. You can to go anywhere you wish, take a detour if you so desire, it's your life after all. Whatever you decide, you can do. Off course like in anything in life, you must be responsible and aware of consequences, losses, and lessons each and every choice will bring.
Be aware that there will be people and lessons that will come into your life and you might not understand why at first. That's okay, don't worry about reading too deep into every single one of them. Learn and save the lesson, even when it seems like the lessons have no immediate use or purpose, engrave it in the back of your mind and heart, you will see that, suddenly, at one point or another, they will - like a puzzle does when the pieces are finally put together, and each piece fits perfectly with its match - it will come to reveal its importance when its finally necessary and needed, it all will make sense then. You will, then, see that the Universe is always in tune with your most profound desires, providing everything you will need in your road before you know it.
You must follow the path you have chosen and trust. Trust, have faith and it's okay even if you don't see the whole road ahead of you. You can't walk the whole road at once anyway, you just need about 15 inches in order to take the a step, once you do that the next inches will be clear enough for you to move yet another step. Sometimes you will be able to advance faster and sometimes you will have to move only one inch at a time, it doesn't matter, the point is that the road moves always forward and one little step after the other will allow you to reach your destination.
The dream is engraved in your heart and faith is walking forward even when you can't see the objective nor the path you are walking on. The universe will work with you to guide you to the summit, even when you can't see the road that leads you to it.
Believe, and the way will find you and guide you there. Have a Happy Journey!
Noemi Cardoso 03/12/2012
