How to get what you want out of Life

In order to get exactly what you want out of life, you will need to develop three fundamental qualities, and then learn to operate in seven universal laws. Note, without possessing these 3 basic attributes, you will never use the 7 laws effectively.

Here are the three qualities you must possess first:

[1] You must have a sense of destiny. If you are to succeed and get what you want out of life, you must first define your dream. You must have a vision for your future. Your dream is usually what creates the highest level of joy and excitement within you. Defining a dream always starts with a practical question – “Why?” Why do you want to achieve your goals? Why do you want to build your life that way? When you know “why” then it’s easier to be specific [to make it plain to yourself and if necessary to others]. In Habakkuk 2:2-3 the Lord says, “Write the vision [the dream] and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time… Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come to pass.” And remember this; you’ll never leave where you are, until you decide where you’d rather be.

[2] You must be disciplined. A key to getting what you want out of life, and being rewarded in the process, is personal discipline. A productive life is not an accident. Almost without exception, life’s achievers succeed because of self-government. Such people handle their lives correctly. Personal discipline gives birth to successful habits, and successful habits build a successful future! In Corinthians 9:27 Paul said this, “I keep my body under and bring it into submission.” You will never reach your full potential until your priorities become habitual. Therefore, you should endeavour to become an industrious ‘self-improver’ – in your personal behaviour and development.

[3] You must be prepared to pay the price. Count the cost, and then, take the strain! No pain – no gain! Discomfort is often the bridge that takes you out of failure and into success. In the New Testament this is referred to simply as “endurance.” Never letting up on your dream! Endurance is an absolute necessity, as you will never stay the course without it. God’s word says you have great need of endurance [Hebrew 10:36]. Endurance is ‘the capacity to bear up under difficult circumstances, not with passive complacency, but with a hope-filled fortitude that actively resists weariness and defeat’. “Staying power” seriously affects your faith [for the better], because when weariness walks in faith usually walks out. And remember, you’ll never possess what you are unwilling to pursue. Proof of desire is pursuit!

Now, I must reiterate, if you haven’t developed these three fundamental attributes the “seven laws” we’re about to examine will be of no effect. So here are the seven laws that will help you get what you want out of life:

[1] The Law of Sowing and Reaping. Galatians 6:7 says, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.” This is often referred to as the Law of Cause and Effect. Aristotle asserted that we live in a world governed by law not chance. He believed that everything happens for a reason; for every effect there is a specific cause. This law says achievement, wealth, happiness and prosperity are all the direct and indirect effects or results of specific causes or actions. Quite simply, you reap what you sow – whether good or bad! If you are clear about the result you want, you can probably achieve it by doing the right things.

Success is not a miracle, nor is it an accident, nor is it a matter of luck. Your life today is very likely as a result of the things you did yesterday! Your life today is the tomorrow you sowed seed for yesterday! When you are absolutely clear about what you want, you need only sow the right seed and you will eventually get the results you desire.

[2] The Law of Choice. In Deuteronomy 30:19 the Lord declares, “I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing, therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live.” It’s your life – It’s your choice! You are always free to choose. Not even God Almighty forces you to think, feel or behave the way you do. Rather, you choose your emotions and your behaviour by the way you choose to think about the world around you [and about what’s happening to you]. Your thoughts are primary creative forces in your life. You can create your entire world by the way you think. All the situations in your life have only the meaning you give them by the way you think about them. And when you change your thinking, you change your life, sometimes in seconds! The choice is yours. You can continue doing or thinking the way you’ve always done, or you can make a quality decision and choose change. Remember, it’s your life – your choice!

[3] The Law of Belief. In Mark 9:23 Jesus said this, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Whatever you truly believe can become a reality. You will always act in a manner that is consistent with your beliefs, especially your beliefs about yourself. Your beliefs act as a set of filters that screen out information that is inconsistent with them. You do not necessarily believe what you see, but rather you see what you already believe. The worst beliefs you can have are “self-limiting” beliefs.

These self-limiting beliefs act like brakes on your God-given potential. They hold you back. That’s why you must be focused on God’s infallible word. Seeing yourself through the word of God provides you with a self-belief system that has no boundaries. Nothing is impossible to him who believes. “For with God nothing is impossible.” [Luke 1:37]

[4] The Law of Expectations. In Psalm 62:5 the psalmist said this, “My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him. He is my rock and my salvation; He is my defence; I shall not be moved.” Your expectations have a profound effect on the people around you. What you expect from people and situations determines your attitude toward them more than any other factor. But if your expectations are from God, you will see the best in every person, and as a result, they reciprocate and give you their best in return.

It is the same in your relationship with God. What you expect from God will determine your attitude toward Him. If you confidently expect God to be doing good things on your behalf, good things will always happen to you. However, the Law of Expectations also works in the negative. If you expect negative things to happen, you are usually not disappointed. Remember, whatever you expect, with confidence, becomes your own self-fulfilling prophecy.

[5] The Law of Attraction. Proverbs 23:7 declares, “For as a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” Your heartfelt attitudes will invariably attract into your life the people, situations and circumstances that are in harmony with them. Like attracts like! Everything you have in your life, you have probably attracted to yourself because of who you are, that is, the way you think in your heart. Accordingly you can change your life by changing the way you think in your heart.

You have heard it said, “Birds of a feather flock together.” “Whatever you want, want’s you.” These are common ways of expressing the Law of Attraction. But the Bible warns you about bad associations [people you may become attracted to], “He who walks with wise men shall be wise; but a companion of fools will be destroyed’ [Proverbs 13:20].

[6] The Law of Increase. When God blessed His creation in Genesis 1:22 He said, “Be fruitful and multiply.” The Law of Increase is the Law of Life. All healthy organisms grown and multiply – they produce of their own kind. Exodus 1:7, “The children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly, multiplied and grew exceedingly mighty.” If you are to live the abundant life that Jesus has promised, you must experience growth. If your child still weighed nine pounds at the age of five, you would know something is wrong. Yet, there are Christians who never grow and it doesn’t seem to bother them. But abundance is vitally important in a believer’s life – an abundance of energy, an abundance of health, an abundance of wisdom, an abundance of favour and an abundance of influence. For a short time the children of Israel had it all; they were fruitful and increased abundantly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly mighty. You have a better covenant!

[7] The Law of Release. In Luke 6:38 Jesus said, “Give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom.” This is the universal law of divine reciprocity. You give; and God gives in return. When you release to God what’s in your hand, God will release to you what’s in His hand! When you give what you have – time, talent, finances or love – it will come back to you in good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over. The degree to which you share your life is the degree to which you will enjoy it.

Chris Demetriou, 22/01/2006