Last time we connected, I mentioned a favorite aphorism of mine: Shift Happens. It’s an amusing turn of phrase, a wondrous truth, enlightening concept, a guide on your path of realization.

Following are two of the hidden principles that allow your shifts to flow effortlessly. Ancient and mystical, today we have the power of modern science to confirm them.

The cardinal principles behind every comparative philosophy and world religion are briefly summarized in a small book called The Kybalion. It reveals seven immaculate and universal laws, among them being the Principle of Vibration. This principle says everything moves; nothing rests.

Ask a physicist and she’ll tell you it’s true. She knows that even a seemingly inert substance like rock is teeming with activity, as the sub-atomic particles within it swirl about in perpetual motion

Stir in the Principle of Rhythm, which says that everything must flow in and out; all things rise and fall. A “pendulum swing” manifests in everything; the measure of the swing to the right is commensurate with the swing to the left.

We see the Principle of Rhythm realized as the second law of motion in classical physics: for every action, there is an opposite and equal reaction.

Or, as I like to say—shift happens.

A friend of mine once said if you’re being run out of town—get in front of the crowd and make it look like a parade! Realistically and pragmatically we could say that, rather than resist the inevitable, anticipate the shifts and make them work for instead of against you.

Small shifts used wisely bring great benefits. Here’s where the rubber meets the road: is there something small, a humble gesture, a modest change in your activities, a slight shift in behavior that leads in the direction you intend to go?

Maybe it’s getting out of bed 20 minutes earlier than usual. Use that time to exercise, meditate or catch up on your reading. Taken cumulatively over a month or a year, the outcome is literally life-changing.

Truth is, we manifest the circumstances upon which our minds dwell. I ask you this: where is your attention most of the time? Consider this thoroughly, and wake up to the facts.

To live a happy, healthy and useful life, you will direct your attention to only that which you intend to experience. Lay the groundwork, follow your heart and prepare for its arrival.

Your assignment is to find ways to see and feel your intention, and experience it in ways large and small many times each day. You don’t have to know how or why this works, but you do have to trust the process.

Remember that personal growth is a path, not a destination. In the garden of earthly delights, the process can be even more fun than the outcome.

Love be with you –

Peter