When we begin to get uncomfortable with the status quo, it's a message from the Universe that it's time to start expanding our thinking. Sometimes, people stay at that level of frustration, and never go beyond it. To actually begin to make improvements, we have to decide that what we've been experiencing is no longer acceptable.

Many years ago, I had a friend who got fed up with not having a social life. One night, he stomped around his house, yelling that he wanted friends to invite him places, he wanted people to call him, etc. Within two days, he had invitations to three parties. He'd finally decided that he no longer would accept being isolated.

The same thing is true of someone who irrevocably decides that they want to make a change: in health, lifestyle, relationship, career, etc. It's like coming to the end of one's rope, and saying "I won't accept this any more," and making a decision to do whatever is necessary to change it.

Once that decision is made, along with the commitment to see it through, the subconscious must change what its been attracting. The inner mind will then draw a new set of circumstances to them. A person will leave an abusive situation, stop smoking, start exercising, eating better, or look for another position.

So, how do you raise your consciousness? It depends on the area of life you're wanting to change. For lifestyle changes, make definite steps to change, as well as visualizing the result, feeling it, affirming that you deserve to be healthy and happy. To have better relationships, learn to say "no" when you don't want to do something, treat yourself the way you want to be treated, and demand that people treat you with respect.

For more income, begin imagining more money flowing into your life. I visualize my bank balance being at a certain level. In the past couple of years, it has increased to the amount I've envisioned. And I've gotten uncomfortable with it being below a certain point, one that was my normal balance a couple of years ago.

To effectively expand your consciousness, you have to be persistent. Every time you think of the area you want to change, you have to consciously affirm or imagine what it is that you want. Imagine what it would be like to have it as you're going to sleep at night. This is one of the best times to make deep changes in consciousness, since the subconscious is very receptive at that time.

Think of times you've made definitive improvements in your life.

• What mental or physical changes did you undertake?
• What decisions did you make?
• How did they feel?

Answer: Some people say to only use one phrase as an affirmation for a goal. I disagree. I like to write what Ernest Holmes, Joseph Murphy, and Catherine Ponder call a "treatment." It can sometimes be a couple of pages long. In it, I identify with the Source of all good, know that it's mine, then state my desire, taking the time to convince my mind why it's possible and why I deserve it, then give thanks that it is done. Since what I'm "treating" is my consciousness of good, I will read this at least twice a day (usually first thing in the morning and before bed), with some reinforcing phrase(s) for use during the day. That's the way I've written my "Affirmation Ebooks."

I received this little jewel for Christmas, and it's a wonderful book to start my New Year with. Ernest Holmes founded the philosophy, Religious Science (which is my spiritual foundation), teaching practical spirituality for richer living. The individual readings from this book are from his early Science of Mind magazine daily guides. Each month is dedicated to a specific topic, such as love, faith, renewal, fulfillment and more.

Only when you change your thinking will you begin attracting more good into your life. By starting out the morning with these inspirational ideas and reinforcing them all day long, your consciousness of good will expand. Old mental patterns will begin to change as you persist through the year. Each day has a quote from a spiritual text at the top, a short essay to focus your mind, and then an affirmation about the subject. Dedicating only a few minutes a morning to your daily reading, you can transform your life within a year.