How To Create The Life Of Your Dreams

Six years ago, I was suicidal, running with gangsters on the streets of London and ready to murder those who did me wrong. I had no respect or sense of value for life, either mine or anyone else's, and no regard to the law. With a deep sense of self-loathing, I could barely stand to look in the mirror. Unable to form loving relationships with my family, I sought affection and approval in all the wrong places and often put myself in compromising situations. My family was certain I'd end up in jail before the end of my teens, and sometimes I wished for jail myself. At least then I wouldn't have to make decisions or deal with this big, bad world.

But now, I live in the sunshine of the Caribbean and work on my own terms, from home. If I want to work on the beach, I can. If I want to work overlooking the Caribbean Sea, that's no problem, in fact, my living room has a view over it. I have a husband who adores me, financial stability and am looking for large acreage to start an organic botanical paradise for tropical agriculture and eco-tourism. Most of all, I have inner peace and a deep sense of fulfillment. I am living a life beyond what my former self would have ever thought possible, and I would love for other people to benefit in the way I have and see their lives transformed into something beautiful.

Here I have listed what I think were the major factors in my transformation. I hope others can take some inspiration from my experiences.

1. GET TO KNOW A HIGHER POWER

There were many times I tried to transform my life, but with little success. I tried exercises to improve my self-esteem, positive thinking and about every self-development exercise I could get my hands on. These all made small improvements, but none of them really stuck. I would feel better for a little while, but soon slide back into my old ways.

Change only made a real foothold in my life when I got to know a Higher Power. I was raised as a Christian but didn't believe in it much when I was younger, and not at all as I got older. I was resistant to the idea that there was a God, but there was definitely some kind of power I saw in life that attracted me. I couldn't understand it at all, but I felt it sometimes when I was very happy, or when I spent time with children, or when I watched inspirational movies. Whatever that force was, I decided I wanted to tap into it. For simplicity, I called it 'God', but I didn't mean an invisible man in the sky.

I always wrote a diary, but now I addressed this diary to 'God', and poured out all my deepest emotions and experiences.

2. PUT YOUR TRUST IN THIS HIGHER POWER TO CARRY YOU THROUGH

Soon, I noticed good things happening in my life. They were often very small, but I noticed. This gave me faith that I was on the right track, and I started to have a little more hope about my future. I used to feel that my life would always be awful and there was no chance for change, but hope was growing in me.

As my faith grew, I felt the need to make a commitment to it. I decided to put my whole life in the hands of this Higher Power. Before, I used to feel happy when good things happened, but felt worried and depressed when bad things happened, as most of us do. But I knew that this had to change. I decided to cultivate gratitude for everything, good and bad. My life was now under the protection of this Higher Power, so I developed trust that everything that happened to me was for my ultimate good, however it appeared at first.

Though it was sometimes very hard to believe this, I have found it to be true again and again. Whenever something bad happened and I held my faith strong, I found I was rewarded - something good happened right after. Soon the good things were outweighing the bad things and my life was rapidly improving.

3. WAGE WAR ON YOUR NEGATIVITY

I found that my negativity about myself and others was holding me back. I discovered that I had a negative commentary going on in my head that constantly criticized me and my abilities and judged others harshly. It was seriously affecting my self-esteem and relationships.

But with the new found faith I had in the Higher Power, I was determined to change around these thought patterns and create new positive thoughts that reflected the positive life I was trying to build.

4. BECOME AN INSTRUMENT OF THE DIVINE

One of the most important things I did was to put all my hopes, dreams and goals to the side while I tried to find out what the will of God was for my life. I realized that the Higher Power had a plan to transform the world into a more positive image, and I wanted to be a part of that. I had loads of ideas, but wasn't sure which path to follow.

I tried many things, some of which worked and some of which failed spectacularly. These successes and failures shaped the path to my positive future, and I knew each and every one of them was the will of the Higher Power, guiding me to my destiny.

As I explored my inner world and learned more about myself, I discovered that being an inspiration to others and uplifting them was what made me truly satisfied and helped me to live my purpose. I knew that the positive power I got through the Higher Power I could pass onto others through my words and actions, and this became my top priority.

5. KEEP YOUR PRIDE IN CHECK

All the glory goes to the Higher Power, and all the blame lies with me! Now, that seems mighty unfair, right? But the truth is, I have to give the glory of my successes to the Higher Power, because the transformation in my life didn't begin until I put my life in the hands of God. I continually have to work on my personal growth and self-development to make sure I am in line with the Higher Power, enabling its power to shine through my life and into the world.

- Iman Mohiki