Imagine your fairy godmother standing before you, ready to wave her wand and make every wish come true. Suddenly the world appears a place full of possibilities and magic!

This is how manifestation works—based not in magic, but in science. The recent blockbuster film The Secret (at www.TheSecret.tv) vividly explains the power of the underlying universal principle known as the Law of Attraction. Simply stated it is this: like attracts like.

Whatever we think, feel and put our energy into, positive or negative, we magnetize to us. Like a fairy godmother, the universe responds.

Sounds easy enough. So why don’t we all have everything we want? The answer lies in awareness of and persistence in applying the law. So here it is in three easy-to-remember steps.

Intention — Be clear about what you want.
Attention — Experience the thoughts and feelings of already having what you want and take the action steps needed to manifest your intention.
No tension — Let go and relax. Shift from being tightly focused on a specific desired outcome to being wide open to all possibilities. Trust that your highest good will come to you, and feel the happiness of that.

A lot has been written and spoken about the first two steps. Many have mastered them but stopped there. We end up hanging on to one carefully outlined and defined outcome like a terrier chewing a bone. Although we must take action toward our goals, when we push and struggle and hold on too tight, we end up getting in our own way.

The nut of the problem is that we haven’t taken that last step. We haven’t let go and surrendered to the possibility of “Okay…this or something better.” The third step of “no tension” frees our mind, opens our heart, and most importantly, lets us be happy in each moment. If we skip this step, it’s like having a closed fist. How can we receive anything when our hand isn’t open? In today’s “gotta get it” culture, this is the crucial step that most people miss or dismiss.

As we trust that all is ultimately working out for the best, we will inevitably feel happier. Happiness attracts more happiness.

Source: Marci Shimoff, co-author of Chicken Soup for the Soul and featured expert in the DVD and #1 bestselling book The Secret, shares tips from her upcoming book, Happy for No Reason: 7 Steps to Being Happier Right Now (Free Press, Jan. 2008). Visit www.MarciShimoff.com.