When you look for good, you draw out good

“The past cannot be regained, the future is not yet here, and you only have today, so embrace it and give thanks in it. Praise God, thank Him for His goodness in your life, for I have found that praise sets in motion more of His blessings.”

A New You reader

I like what Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote: “Great hearts send forth steadily the secret forces that incessantly draw great events.”

Like attracts like, good produces good. And joy generates more joy. Thus, be determined to center your thoughts on the goodness and loveliness of life, and speak aloud the things you desire.

Do you know that you will attract what you exude, what you give out? What you send forth comes back to you. Therefore, never speak “lack” or “limitation.” And by no means think of yourself as “inadequate” or “incompetent.”

You control the doorway to your heart and mind. Therefore, instead of thinking, “I have so little,” ponder on “I have so much!”

Some time ago, a friend of mine told me that when her dad comes home from work, the first thing he asks is: “All right, what happened today?” as if he expects the worst.

Worn down from his negative thinking, my friend asked, “Catherine, do you have any thoughts that I can pass on to my father?”

I suggested that she ask her father to try this approach: When he arrives home from work, the first question he should ask is “What good happened today?”

Be sure he always “looks for the good,” I said.

Then, I recommended, have him thank God for His faithfulness and ask your father to say aloud how he wants his life and his family’s life to be.

A few weeks later, my friend told me that just that small adjustment in her dad’s outlook has made all the difference. Now, he looks for the “good” — and more and more, he finds it.

I love to recall the Scripture “You will declare a thing and it will be established for you” (Job 22:28). The key? Choice!

Will you choose to expect, speak of, and focus on good things or bad? Will you rise above your circumstances? Are you going to go over or under? Remember, the decisions of the mind are very private, but the whole world sees the results.

So never expect the worst, refuse to dwell on problems, and reject talking about difficult times. Do not allow conditions out of your control to rob you of your peace and joy.

In its place, search for the good and surround yourself with people who are cheerful. Encircle yourself with those who inspire you. And realize that nothing can stand in the way of the good that you radiate outward, that you express through your positive thoughts, hopeful words and loving, kind deeds.

When you look for the good, you draw out the good. Keep believing, keep hoping, continue to work hard and persevere.

Each new morning, speak faith to your situations. Declare, “I can’t wait to see what good things

God is going to do for me today,” “God is working to wonderfully transform my situation right now” and “I will be brought out way ahead.”

Believe for better circumstances, expect that something great is about to happen, keep hoping that your dreams will soon come about, and anticipate a future full of abundant blessings.

A woman I am acquainted with told me that as she deliberately and persistently put forth an expectant outlook, and daily looked for ways to help others, she literally walked into and received wonderful blessings, plentifully meeting her needs.

Keep in mind that you are a creator, and your situation can change as quickly as you alter your thoughts.

We all have had our share of trials, hurts and unfair situations. But we must not focus on the regrets of yesterday. “Forget about it,” says Ray, a wise and dear friend, “You can’t go back. Deal with problems, then put them where they belong — behind you.”

A reader wrote, “The past is the past. It is over — and there are only good things yet to be.” The past cannot be regained, the future is not yet here, and you only have today, so embrace it and give thanks in it.

“Praise God, thank Him for His goodness in your life, for I have found that praise sets in motion more of His blessings.”

Optimism is the attitude of God. So let us believe in Him, always be positive, and convince ourselves that good things will happen. Then, they will, for we most often get what we expect.

I like to recall the sweet poem from Ellen Wheeler Wilcox:

“I’m going to be happy today, though the skies are cloudy and gray.

No matter what comes my way, I’m going to be happy today.”

This is a new day — and it’s your day to be happy.

Email Catherine Galasso-Vigorito at cgv@anewyouworldwide.com. To order a copy of her new book, “The Open Window, 8 Weeks to Creating an Extraordinary Life,” visit www.anewyouworldwide.com or bookstores nationwide. Follow Catherine on Instagram @Catherinegalassovigorito.