Years ago, the idea of creating one's dreams by using the power of intention manifestation was reserved for religious intellectuals and folks on the New Age fringe. Nowadays, the idea of taking charge and creating a full and rich life by tapping the power of the unconscious is becoming a possibility in wider circles. The once opposing worlds of physics and metaphysics are finding some common ground, or at least both sides seem to be realizing that the more truth that is discovered, the more mystery it creates.

Being open to the idea that our reality is our own creation is powerful. The simplicity of performing daily tasks, whether it be cooking a meal or running an errand, can be seen as part of our mental picture before it reaches the physical world. Expanding that concept to include creating more of what we want in our lives, seen in this way, is not a huge stretch.

When Napoleon Hill wrote "Think and Grow Rich" in 1937, he had studied the lives of hundreds of successful people and found that the shared thread of their riches involved exercises in affirmations and attitude that have been rewritten in many different ways since. From Shakti Gawain's "Creative Visualization", to the more recent explosive success of "The Secret, " these works share the common theme of achieving one's goals through developing a winning attitude.

Over-simplified? Maybe. But for many, this seeming simplicity has led to happiness and success, in whatever way those words are defined for them. Not everyone considers monetary gain to be a measure of success. For some, it's a rich and full family life, or involvement in their communities, or feeling that what they are doing is making a difference in the world. However it is defined, discovering the best way to achieve our goals is a driving force.

For so many more, taking responsibility for their lives seems daunting. They feel no control in their lives and no power to change them. The ways to turn this attitude around could fill a book store, and if it were easy, we would all be living the lives or our dreams. There doesn't seem to be a magic trick to all of this, as each person's life unfolds in a unique way.

So what is the key? Perhaps there is more to this life than we know, deeper levels of meaning that we have yet to discover and understand. Or perhaps there is not deeper meaning and it is all random. There is no way to know, but to improve one's outlook on life seems to be one way to improve that life. The old adage "attitude is everything" rings true.

It could be that we hold the key to our own happiness. Perhaps our best adviser is our own intuition. Certainly developing a positive attitude, even when the chips are down, can help smooth out the rough patches. Even if the world is a random place, there can be some peace in taking responsibility for how we respond to it.

However we wish to define our lives, intention manifestation is a compelling concept. Learning to tap into the power of our own minds is a growing and compelling notion, and taking responsibility for how our lives are working, or not working, is a challenge worth taking.