(Exercising Your Mind) It is probably not a good idea to sit around on your ass all day long, visiting the land of make-believe, building castles in the sky, thinking happy thoughts, while NOT engaging in some activity that is based on a clearly defined and well planned course of action or goal.

I must state and re-state this opinion because of the fact that too many folks who encounter the ideas of metaphysics, or mental practices of any kind that promote personal development are either taught, or somehow get these foolish ideas into their minds. The study, practice and teaching of metaphysics is a wonderful thing indeed, but anything that promotes laziness or inactivity in any form is to me, ridiculous and degrading.

It is true, from my personal experience, that certain opportunities, conditions, people and emotions can readily be attracted or drawn into your life through contemplation and desire. However, without personal, physical action in the material world, one can  not make much good use of even the best opportunities.

In this essay I will cover some very useful and simple ideas and actions including, Metaphysics, Metaphysical Sciences, Desire, Imagination, Immediate Action, Breathing Exercises, Enthusiastic Goal Activities, Behavior and Persistence.

Metaphysics
Metaphysics is the study of that which goes beyond physics, or that which is above or comes after physics. It is a branch of philosophy that deals with the foundations of being and the nature of reality and includes cosmology, which is the study of the origins of the Universe; epistemology; which is the study of intelligence and how do we know what we know and how we know these things; and ontology, which studies the existence and nature of our being and the being of other entities.

Metaphysics is fundamentally concerned with those things that are not covered by the physical sciences and those aspects of nature and being that may not be visible or tangible to the senses, but which do eventually bring about all things visible and tangible. Metaphysics is a Natural Science that is the active investigation of Source or Creator, or the Eternal Being that always was, always is and will always be.

The most direct means to communicate and operate in the realm of metaphysics is through our thoughts, imagination, emotions and visualization. We may empty our thoughts or focus on a single idea when we meditate. We might visualize, emotionalize or imagine by using one or more of our commonly known 5-senses. And if we decide to concentrate or consider a thought, emotion or idea with prolonged attention, we would be in the state of contemplation.

Metaphysical Sciences
Some of the most practical, scientific applications of metaphysics to me so far have been the ideas presented and tested through the Science of New Thought. Although I have adopted and adapted these ideas in my own way, New Thought basically forwards the idea that everything around us in our experience is the Universe or God, which is composed of Infinite Intelligence; a Formless, Neutral Substance that responds directly to the Nature of our Thoughts. Therefore, we become what we think about or, thoughts become things.

As an example, suppose you were not happy and you wanted to be happy. What you would then begin to do is focus the majority, if not all of your thought-energy upon experiences, feelings and emotions that you desired and feel happy to you. Doing this would replace the thought-energy that was most likely focused before upon experiences, feelings and emotions that you did not desire and felt unhappy to you.

Happiness is Within, not in the outside world. Everything outside of you is but a reflection of your inner, mental (spiritual) states. What you think inside is CAUSE and what you see outside are merely EFFECTS and may be changed by changing your thoughts.

This is certainly, again for me, a case of “easier said than done”. I have not attempted, studied, practiced or applied anything in my life so difficult and potentially discouraging as the efforts to direct the majority of my thoughts upon that which I truly desire. However, due to my own research and investigation, I have determined that this is also the case for many other people as well.

Indeed it is very difficult to contemplate, imagine, visualize or meditate upon things that we want when all around us is a world full of apparently undesired and discouraging conditions. Especially if our families, friends, co-workers and others we encounter every day have a primarily negative form of communication. But this is the Master-Key: When we are able to master our minds and think about that which we want to think about as our own mental origins within, regardless of conditions or appearances outside of us, then we are Master-Minds.

Desire
To desire something means to want something a whole lot. You must want something so fully and totally that you are inspired by it and enthusiastic or energized into joy and activity just by the thought of it. As a Master-Mind, you are able to know the Truth. The Truth is knowing that as long as you have a worthwhile goal that does not destroy yourself or violate the rights of others, you can be anything and have anything that is good for your self. Desire is the Spirit that gives energy to the unexpressed possibilities of your imagination to come into life.

Imagination
As soon as you have determined that which you desire, you probably should start gathering all of the information that you can about your goal and imagining what it is like to be fully engaged and successful in that particular activity. Everywhere that you are and at all times, it is a very effective practice to take notice of all of the things around you that are pleasing to you and are compatible with your goals and desires. Then simply work them into your imagination as often as you desire.

Imagination does not only mean images or pictures and visualization. Your grateful, loving and joyful emotions are a very important part of imagination. You would likely feel these things if you were right now in the midst of living your dream life so it is valuable and effective to begin feeling grateful, loving and joyful right now as you contemplate the living of your objectives. The more you imagine all of the details about your goal, the more you will begin to recognize opportunities related to your objectives in the world around you. It is a very productive, self-sustaining practice that feeds itself.

Immediate Action!
This is the point at which immediate action is required on the material and physical plane. Feeling the effects of stress on our physical bodies, such as tight shoulder muscles, shortness of breath and shallow breathing, fatigue and lethargy, anxiety, restlessness and depression are quite distracting. It is these sorts of things that must be dealt with in the here and now in the physical world before or during our metaphysical musings.

So much can be said about tuning up the physical body, but I will focus simply on breathing and relaxation as shallow breathing and anxiety are the primary villains that I have discovered to be terrorizing the masses of people I have had the privilege of interviewing, consulting and training. Even a very small degree of enhanced relaxation s quite noticeable and very beneficial to anyone who would take the time to apply a few simple techniques, regardless of the current level of discomfort.

Breathing Exercise
Begin with the thought that breathing in as deeply as you are able to will feel great. Then slowly begin to inhale while relaxing the muscles in your stomach or abdomen. You might notice or see your stomach inflating somewhat like a balloon although this is not necessary. Next, pause the breath for one-half second or one whole second and then release it as slowly as you can. Repeat this process twice more for a total of three inhales and three exhales.

If you are new to any form of breathing meditation or relaxation techniques, this is all that you should do, once or more each day as you have the time and desire for. Eventually you may increase to five breaths then up to ten or as many as you like should you have time and desire enough for such extended practices. There is nothing more to this practice of allowing your body to nourish itself with more oxygen.

Enthusiastic Goal Activity
The discipline of even a small degree of the simplest form of self-directed breathing exercises, requires a very specific type of focus and concentration, which is highly valuable and quite a treasure to discover in yourself. Therefore, once you have adopted and adapted the immediate action of breathing meditation and achieved the goal of basic breath control, you will have proven to yourself that you are ready to begin more enthusiastic goal activity.

The next thing you can do all on your own is to write about that which you desire to do. This form of contemplation immediately brings into the physical world, through your own actions, on paper with pencil, pen or crayon if you wish, the object of your desires. Even if other folks are already doing what you want to do, no one will do it quite like you. It is a great idea to begin at once writing about what you would do, be and have while experiencing what it is you have set your heart upon.

Making a list is a great way to go about the writing of what you wish to accomplish. This way, you may then use your list as a catalog or checklist for the actions and activities required to move you closer to bringing your dreams into a more fully interactive reality.

Behavior
The discipline to breathe yourself and write an inspiring line or two are quite fine things indeed. but if you really wish to get something accomplished in your life even remotely resembling your concrete and worthwhile goals that are based on clearly defined and definite plans, you absolutely must begin right now to BE that which you desire. To really BE a Musician you must sing or play music; to BE a Medical Doctor you must heal people; to BE a Martial Artist you must train every single day in the physical exercises and conquest strategies of the combative arts.

To BE what you want to be requires immersion in your chosen goal. You must contemplate, write about, read about, speak about and actively engage in activities that are directly related to the realization of your goals in any form that is reachable by you in this very moment. This means that even if you do not find the opportunities that you want in your environment, for whatever reason, you must create the opportunities. It does not matter if you have not the money, or the time, or the location or whatever. If you can not find a way to do some small thing every moment that you can related to your goal, then you really do not desire it so much.

Behavior sounds like BE + HAVE + YOUR. Once you can BE something in your heart aka subconscious mind then you HAVE it because you are it and it is therefore already YOURS!

Persistence
This comes full circle back around to desire. Experience has taught me that desire will keep you going if you really believe in something. I have failed over and over again to obtain certain predetermined results. But my desire has kept me in the game, constantly re-working my plans and moving ahead. My desire to reach my goals has remained so powerful that it has taken the form of Faith. this Faith has proven to be a most energizing force of persistence, moving me over, around and through all potential obstacles.

In our lives, I have come to the understanding that we can conform to the idea that we are limited by something or things outside of ourselves if we choose. We can also choose to be inspired by the ideal of Infinite Possibilities and seek every goal directed opportunity that in the least improves our lives; and at most benefits all whom are effected and obeys the energetic Law of Mutual Exchange.

Summary
It has been proven quite clearly through experience, that understanding a little bit of metaphysics as a motivating factor behind personal action, can lead to a powerful desire that turns imagination into effective behavior and a persistent, goal-directed faith. Far from being an airy-fairy philosophy of mere wishful thinking and positive thinking, real metaphysics or metaphysical science when rightly applied will certainly lead to the realization and achievement of the goals through constructive planning and enthusiastic action.