Think good

Whatever good we do to others is ALSO done to us ... Some persons claim, that the whole world is a kind of a "wish-fulfilling-place", adding an interesting word of warning : "therefore we should be very careful about what we wish or strive for here in life, because it COULD become a reality" Surely, it's the law of Karma stated in a positive way, yet there is also more to that - WE are the active doers and responsible of the causes of every action in life having the potentiality to shape and create the future reality.

Having good intentions, thoughts and actions toward others will bear wonderful spiritual (and material) fruits sooner than we might think ! Indeed the entire secret of Ve-Ahavta is predicated on the law of cause and effect. One teaching that really resonated with me was - Why does the law say LE-RE'ECHA - and not ET? It is because we basically *gift* our love. i.e. the best of all things that we would most desire for ourselves - health, wealth, happiness, peace of mind etc. we are told to ask that these things be done for our ~fellow~ as an altruistic (no strings, just enjoy!) gift from us to them.

The Baal Shem Tov and later the Tzemach Tzedek (the third Lubavitcher Rebbe) said "Tracht Goot v' zein goot." - Think good and it will be good. Unfortunately, people didn't know how to think good when faced with such adverse conditions. More recently, the last Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, of blessed memory said "Tracht Goot V'zicher Zein Goot", Think good and it will surely be good. This is a sacred promise and instruction from the Rebbe. Since he was a Tzaddik (a Jewish saint) and did innumerable miracles, we take his promises and instructions seriously. But the Jewish people are still overcome with their living conditions and just don't know how to "think" good.

There is only one way to live with a joyful attitude and that is to have good thoughts, those that make us feel good. Our heart, which is directly connected to our soul, knows if our thoughts are in accordance with our soul's desire. If our thoughts are in accordance with our soul's desire, we feel good. And if not, we feel bad. The heart is a sixth sense for knowing if we are on our own personal path of our souls desire or not. The only good feelings that last are those that are in accordance with the Holy Torah. In addition to the Baal Shem Tov and the Rebbeim of Chabad, Rebbe Nachman of Breslov also concurred with the reality of this concept.

The Power of Thought--Sichos HaRan 62

Human beings possess wondrous powers. Through thought you can actualize what you concentrate upon. Even the inflation of a country's economy is a consequence of people's thoughts. Your power of thought must be focused upon one thing - that is, all aspects of consciousness, internal, external, and all other aspects, must be focused upon one point. When you have eliminated all mental diffusion and nullified any inclination toward other thoughts, you will be able to bind your mind entirely to the idea that a certain thing should take place. Thus, you actually can make it happen. However, this requires that you conceive the object of concentration in all its details. If you do so only in a general way, you will create "incomplete vessels" (cf. Keilim 12:6). Thus, you may go astray, as did Nevat. This practice can help you in your Torah study. If your power of thought is strong, it surely will produce the desired result.

All this requires is intense concentration. For example, you may bind your thought to the idea of completing all four sections of the Shulchan Aruch (Code of Jewish Law) with its major commentaries. You must vividly imagine how you will go about accomplishing this task, and how long it will take; e.g., you must study five folio pages per day in order to finish the entire project in one year. You must channel your thoughts into this very well, until your mind is strongly bound to this idea. Similarly, you may apply this technique to all other areas of Torah study: the Gemara with the commentaries of the Rif and the Rosh, the Arba'ah Turim, or Tanach (Torah, Prophets, and Writings), etc.

You should long to accomplish your goal, binding your mind to it strongly, and then you will accomplish everything. There is a hint to this in the Talmudic dictum: "Thought helps, even for the study of Torah" (Sanhedrin 26b). Even though Rashi explains this remark in a different context, nevertheless, this allusion is also true… The Rebbe did not explain this further. However, "both these and these are the words of the Living G-d" (Gittin 7b). http://www.nachalnovea.com/breslovcenter/articles/article_thought1.html