Seven, eleven, 15, 17… numbers in general elicit my child-like curiosity. I add a string of numbers together and look up their meaning. I save the slip of paper from the deli-counter* and look at the number when I return home, I see messages in numbers on a license plate – you name it, I am intrigued by them and I always need to know the interpretation of that number.
Years ago I purchased Doreen Virtue’s book, Angel Numbers 101, and to this day, I constantly refer to it. Recently I found myself thumbing through the pages to look up the number 25, as a friend of mine was celebrating an anniversary. The angelically guided meaning of the number 25 stated “As you go through major life changes, expect the best and your optimism will be rewarded.”
This immediately brings to mind advice I received during my first AA meeting, over two decades ago…“If you never have expectations, you will never be disappointed.” I’m not sure the angels are suggesting that with their guided meaning of the number 25.
I do believe the statement, “As you go through major life changes, expect the best and your optimism will be rewarded.” is in keeping with my Dad’s philosophy of life, “we will cross that bridge when we come to it”, and even more in keeping with the power behind positive thinking. I further believe positive thinking coupled with good intentions yields powerful results.
You may have heard these expressions, “like attracts like, what you focus on grows, your beliefs create your reality” and so on. How do you interpret those expressions and have you applied any of the power of positive thinking principles to your life?
My Dad, Woody, lived by his favorite expression, “we will cross that bridge when we come to it.” He lived in the moment and did not allow his fears to govern his decisions, nor did he allow his concerns or fears to take hold in his mind. He would believe in a positive outcome and in doing so, focused on a desirable outcome and for the most part, a desirable outcome is what he would manifest.
This philosophy is simple to adopt, but you must first believe in yourself and have faith in your own abilities. Norman Vincent Peale** states in his book, The Power of Positive Thinking, “Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers, you cannot be successful or happy. But with self-confidence you succeed.”
He reminds us that a peaceful mind generates power. A suggested exercise for achieving a peaceful mind is to practice emptying the mind. How do I do that, you may be asking. Imagine your mind as a bucket in which you store your thoughts. Then imagine that bucket is full of fears, insecurities, regrets, hate and guilty feelings. Empty it. Then immediately fill it with healthy, loving, creative thoughts so there is no room for anything else. As you go through your day focus on those positive thoughts.
Go forth in life and simply expect the best and not in the sense of setting yourself up for disappointment. No, expect the best and focus on your healthy, loving, creative thoughts and in doing so, you plant the seeds of belief which will reap your desired results. William James, the famous psychologist said, “Our belief at the beginning of a doubtful undertaking is the one thing that ensures the successful outcome of your venture.”
Remember what the angels said, “As you go through major life changes, expect the best and your optimism will be rewarded.” Yes, when you expect the best, you release a magnetic force in your mind which by the law of attraction tends to bring the best to you.
*In full disclosure, although I have been a vegetarian for decades I still partake in eating cheese. I know, I know, but it is so addictive – I mean literally, and I do, after all have that addictive personality. Be gentle with me my friends, I do my best.
According to Dr. Neal Barnard, author of The Cheese Trap, fragments of cheese protein, called casomorphins, attach to the same brain receptors as heroin and other narcotics and can act as mild opiates. As a result, each bite of cheese produces a tiny hit of dopamine. He calls it “dairy crack”.
** Norman Vincent Peale was an American minister and author known for his work in popularizing the concept of positive thinking, 
especially through his best-selling book The Power of Positive Thinking.
© 2019 ALL Rights Reserved. Listen To Thyself with Diane Marie Ford. Share this article to your heart’s content, but please do not use it without my written permission. Thank you.