Do you want to be healthy and happy? Prove it!

I thought I was under a lot of job stress, and I felt it daily.

I thought I was somewhat healthy, and I became that way – only somewhat healthy.

I thought I was failing financially, and I did.

In the past couple of months, my view of the world, my place in it, and my self-esteem have been turned in a new positive direction. Since I made this change, the following things have happened for me:

* I have found my dream job
* I no longer have chronic stress headaches
* I have more energy and sleep better at night
* I have started my own part-time business and am supplementing my income nicely
* I have a better relationship with my wife
* I have time to play with my two toddlers and am a more loving, understanding father
* I am on track to be free of all credit card debt within the next two years

And the best part is, ANYONE who wants success and prosperity in their lives can do what I have done. You don't have to have a college degree, be able to write well, or become a salesman to have enough money to have the comforts you deserve or have optimum health.

It all begins with a simple concept: how you think about your own self-image and what you were put on this Earth to accomplish.

It amazes me how many people wander blindly through life without a mission. Why are you here? What excites you? When are you the most happy? Are you in a mindless job where you put in your hours and get out of there as quickly as possible to go do what you really like? What will it take for you to be able to do what you want when you want?

Do you truly believe that you deserve success and health in your life? Many of us have been buried by negativity. We try and try and fail and fail. We have been beaten down by life so many times that we begin to believe that we are just meant to be a failure.

My father taught me to "play the hand I was dealt." Change the things I could, but don't waste your energy on things that are outside my control. I now understand that by guarding my thoughts carefully and allowing only positive messages to get in, I can literally ATTRACT success, health, and prosperity to myself.

The famous quote "It is done unto me as I think." is 100% true!

* If you believe you will be successful, you will attract success to yourself
* If you believe you will have money coming into your life, it will appear
* If you believe that you will lose weight and have the kind of physique you've always wanted, it will happen

Notice the key word that belongs to all of these bullets, the word BELIEVE.

If you DESIRE something and repeatedly tell yourself hundreds of times a day that you HAVE that thing, you will attract it to you as sunlight attracts flowers and leaves.

Dr. Robert Anthony, an expert on the concept of the power of positive thinking, states in his book "Advanced Formula For Total Success" that all human beings are spiritually whole and perfect. It is our perceptions of the world around us and our perception of ourselves that causes us to behave in ways that are not perfect. When a person chooses to create positive energy with their thoughts, they attract other positive vibrations from the universe.

I have seen this power we all possess in action.

* A friend of mine visualized winning a BMW in a contest for 60 days before the contest occurred, and he WON!
* Another friend left behind her life of drinking, smoking, and self-abuse to become a successful business owner, attracting wealth and powerful business-minded people to herself like a magnet!
* Another friend lost over 50 pounds and put on 20 pounds of muscle in 12 weeks with a regimen of exercise, dietary supplements, and POSITIVE SELF-IMAGE!
* I myself have applied these techniques to claim my dream job, a high school band directing position in a fantastic school district that has a teaching philosophy that matches my own.

This stuff works, folks!

If you are tired of being stressed out, pushed aside, worked to death, and living from paycheck to paycheck, there is a way out. You must start by accepting yourself as you are and finding your true calling in life. There is no doubt in my mind that I am here to change the lives of many people through my band directing and through articles like this one.

You CAN have the kind of life you've always dreamed about. You CAN get your body into the peak of physical efficiency without spending thousands of dollars on diets and personal trainers. You CAN accept the prosperity and peace that is out there in our society today. It all starts within your own mind.

So I say to you again: do you want to be happy? PROVE IT!
Author Tom West is a successful high school band director, husband, father of two, and home-based business owner. He lives in Downingtown, Pennsylvania and enjoys contemporary a cappella music, drum and bugle corps, health and wellness, mentoring people to success, and spending time with his family. http://www.health-team.com