You can manifest joy, enthusiasm, confidence, love, and every other great quality in your personality. In order to do so, you must use the “act as if” principle. Whatever quality it is that you desire, act if you already have that quality and begin to express it now.
William James, often referred to as the Father of American Psychology, said that if a person desires a quality of personality and persistently acts as if he already has it, then eventually he will.
If you wish to be a confident person, then act as if you already are confident. The same is true with any other quality you wish to manifest. Why is this so? Jesus taught that the Kingdom of God is within you. A king’s kingdom is full of great riches; therefore, all of God’s own qualities are within you. In order to activate them, we must think thoughts that are conducive to these qualities and act if we already possess them. Try it—and watch what happens!
Perhaps you are familiar with the old story, “Stone Soup,” in which hungry travelers, not being able to solicit any food from the villagers, began stirring a pot of water into which they had tossed a few small stones. They began telling of how wonderful this soup would turn out to be. Sensing that this would be some delicious magical concoction, the villagers then became eager to add their hidden vegetables.
They had a feast and took the weary travelers in. Was there really a secret magical recipe for making this soup, as the travelers claimed? Well, of course—it was imagination! For whatever can be imagined does come forth.
Are you longing for friendship? Imagine yourself enjoying the company of others. Friends will be drawn to you. Are you eager to become good at some sport? Practice it in your mind! See yourself performing successfully. To be successful, we must image ourselves as being successful. Picture yourself successfully doing that which you wish to do. Then give thanks for the wonders that will happen in your life.