Our beliefs not only affect our physical health but also events and even aspects of our physical world. For many this will be hard to accept; however, there have been numerous documented stories that give credence to the theory that we can literally bend reality by changing our beliefs.

There have been many instances during my own life where I have experienced what can only be termed as miracles that have challenged my whole view of what we call reality.

After being made "redundant" and let go from my job, I used a goal-setting process to secure a new position for exactly the salary and career path I wanted, within three weeks--despite the fact that the unemployment rate was at record levels and the country was in deep recession.

On another occasion I purchased a home that matched the exact details of my goal--including the price, the location and even the size of the rooms--within two weeks.

Another amazing example of the power of manifesting occurred when I secured contracts for my training firm within 20 minutes of setting a goal (that one still sends shivers up my spine).

Despite having these experiences I was never quite able to create these results on a consistent basis. Only after studying a variety of texts on metaphysics was I able to finally connect the dots and discover the true cause.

The universe and the world in which you live is made up of matter. This matter can take the form of solid matter such as plants, trees and human beings, liquid matter such as water, milk or blood, and gases such as oxygen, methane or hydrogen.

If we examine each of these different forms of matter we will discover that they are made up of molecules, and if we look deeper still we will find that these are made up of atoms, which are made up of subatomic particles (pure energy).

Everything in the world around you is made up of these subatomic particles: the ground you stand on, the body you have, the food you eat and the stars you gaze at in the night sky. This energy is all around and you are affecting it simply by existing within it.

Thoughts are also energy, which registers as electrical impulses within the brain. This energy not only has an incredible impact on our body's physiology, it also affects our external world.

As the universe is merely a giant hub of energy interacting with itself, we are all on some level connected. Think of lights on a Christmas tree and imagine that every living being on the planet is an individual light powered by a central energy source.

It is this deep connection that allows us to create the circumstances to manifest the results that we desire in life, and it is our beliefs as the creator of our thoughts that directs the flow of energy to create positive results or negative ones.

Our beliefs are like lightning rods attracting events, circumstances and people into our life experience. It doesn't matter if you wish to achieve great wealth, develop a new product idea, or see an improvement in your health--if your beliefs are not in alignment with what you consciously desire, you will experience immense difficulty in having what you want in life.