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What do we do when the gap between where we are and what we want isn’t closing fast enough? If you find yourself in this situation currently you may feel anxious, impatient, stuck or hopeless—or a combination of all of them. In the worst case scenario the gap may appear so wide that it feels impossible to bridge. This is where your doubts become so overwhelming that giving up seems like the easiest thing to do.nnAn example of this might be your dream to be a world-renowned pastry chef with their own show on the Food Network. From your vantage point as an accountant behind a desk this can seem like pure fantasy. And it is—for the time being. To even think of making a change of this magnitude is enough to shut anyone down. Do I take classes? Practice all night at home? Start a blog? Try to sell products? Stalk Gale Gand?nnAction is of course something you will need to employ if you are serious about giving your dream some traction. But I have found that there are two strategies that are even more crucial to the process when you are just beginning to “follow your bliss” as it were. Personally, I find them simpler to do than the somewhat more arduous methods traditional self-help materials often advocate. That’s not to say you are not going to have to put in some work, but starting the process off using these techniques can be a nice way to ease into it.nnThe first technique involves gratitude. I never gave this word much thought until I saw the movie The Secret back in March 2006. That topic could fill several other blog posts but suffice it to say that the idea of gratitude did not hold much meaning for me until it was explained in the context of that movie. Without going too much into the law of attraction or metaphysics, I will attempt to explain this in practical terms. Yes, I believe that when you are in a state of being grateful you are more likely to attract more to be grateful for. But why? When you think about it at first it almost seems backwards. "Ok, I am not where I want to be. If I had what I want I could be grateful for it but I don't have it yet!" nnThe answer is because it makes you feel good! Take a minute and think about something you are truly thankful for. Everyone has something-most of us many things-to feel grateful about. Just concentrate on that feeling it brings. When I do this myself I feel a happy, almost tingly buzz. If I remember to focus on these things on a regular basis I notice that more things to be grateful for seem to flow into my experience. A bonus is that not only do these emotions benefit me but those around me as well. For example, if I express gratitude for something a friend or my husband has done for me this in turn makes them feel acknowledged and appreciated. Mutual good vibes abound.nnThink you don't have a lot to be thankful for? Remind yourself of what you take for granted. Reading this? Good, you can read. Sitting in a cube bored and surfing the net? Awesome, you've got a job. Not living in a cardboard box? You lucky duck, you.nnThe second technique is all about imagery. If there is something that you want and do not currently have, then clearly in your wanting you have pictured this certain thing in your head. You may look at this activity as simply wishful thinking, but examine it closer. As discussed in my last post, you've already got the desire for what you want. How clear is it? Can you picture it vividly in your mind? If so, great. But there is one more thing you need and that is belief. You see, you can dream and visualize all you want, but if deep down your mind ultimately rejects what you want as too impractical or far-fetched or impossible to achieve then you are ultimately sabotaging yourself. This sounds like we are talking about self-confidence but it actually goes beyond that.nnDr. Maxwell Maltz, late author of the famous book Psycho-Cybernetics said it best: “Whether we realize it or not, each of us carries about with us a mental blueprint or picture of ourselves...when you see a thing clearly in your mind, your creative 'success mechanism' within you takes over and does the job much better than you could do it by conscious effort or 'willpower.'" This is why Olympic athletes visualize their entire event from start to finish in their minds over and over long before the event even begins. They are instructing their minds what to do with their bodies.nnCan you see how you could benefit from this? You are essentially setting yourself up for what is taking place in your mind to occur in reality. Your success starts with your self-image. When you are building a strong, successful self-image in your mind through visualization on a consistent basis, you are cementing in your subconscious the belief that you can and will have what you desire. It then has no choice but to manifest in your experience.nnI realize that not everyone is comfortable with this type of "woo woo." Just try it though. Start by being grateful for what you do have and welcome more of it. Then make a habit of picturing yourself as already having what you want. Notice any shifts, however subtle, that occur in your daily life. Then go get back to that pâte brisée.n