Act as If

One of the best concepts I have learned in life is the concept of "act as if". I first read about this in Norman Vincent Peale's book, Dynamic Imaging. When you need/want something in your life to change, you simply act as if it is already done. A dear friend of mine used this technique successfully many years ago to repair the relationship with one of her parents. She simply continued to act as if that parent loved her dearly, act as if she loved that parent dearly. In time, and long before the parent's death, the principle had worked. They shared a loving, compassionate relationship for many years. Does this mean she was in denial? No, it simply means that she treated her parent as if the parent was a treasured family member and eliminated negativity from her part of the relationship.

This concept works for other challenges also. If you have a room to decorate, and no money to decorate the room, creating a plan with pictures of every detail will help that room to create itself. The reality of what happens with this kind of "act as if" project is discussed thoroughly in The Secret. When a project is in our minds, then we are drawn to items that will fit our plans and those items are drawn to us. A friend might say, "Do you need some furniture? I am remodeling and have some pieces that will not fit." You might be shopping and find exactly what you want on sale at a price you can afford. "Acting as if" opens your heart and your mind to receive what is available in your world to create your project.

And of course, "acting as if" can also work in the negative. If you enter a room expecting people to dislike you, to ignore you---that is exactly what will happen. The "act as if" principle is about attitude.