In my childhood and adolescence, I was skeptical. If my brother was born without being able to walk – how could my attitude or outlook change anything?

As I got older I continued to reflect on a youth seemingly filled with disappointments and doubts. And in talking to my friends and family, I realized I wasn’t alone; we’ve all experienced them. Then, I started taking a good, long look at myself and my feelings:

I realized that my deepest feelings were ones guiding me forward; challenging me to reach to depth of what I was able to feel – happy or sad – and allowed me to explore dimensions of my being.

So, why do I share this with you? Through all laughs, disappointment and sorrow I’ve learned: We can use power of our feelings to build a stronger, happier, positive life. I’ve also discovered a secret way to facilitate this process: Affirmations.

How Affirmations Work How do affirmations work? They are a simple exercise that can tap you in to this positive, creative part of yourself.

This place is free from your ego (the part of all of us that is a leaky tire in constant need of being filled up from outside sources).

Affirmations are different. They allow you to tap into secret, powerful, depths of yourself and care for your being by affirming what is there.

Do you feel a calling toward a particular feeling you have been having? Is there something in your life that you need and desire to manifest?

If you can use you mind's eye to creatively visualize you can bring forward all that you desire. How? Simply by “affirming” that it is already here.

Creating Affirmations The key to success of an affirmation is its potential or potentiality of your creative thought.

The laws of universe will respond then not to your “asking” for what you wish – for it does not respond to begging or supplication. The universe responds to affirming statements:

When Lazaro Hernandez was a fashion student at Parson's School of Design in New York, he had a chance encounter in an airport with Anna Wintour, editor in chief of Vogue Magazine. In fact, she was getting on his airplane. Lazaro wasn't so sure he had nerve to approach, but one hour into flight, he could stand it no longer.

Lazaro wrote a humble note on an airsick bag, which explained that he was a fashion student who would soon be looking for an internship. He noted that she probably got requests like this all time, but wondered if perhaps someone had given her a chance at beginning of her career. He also wrote that he knew she had power to help him. Then, trembling, he approached.

Lazaro stood before Ms. Wintour's seated figure, and said her name. No answer. He repeated her name several times. No answer. He even crossed uncrossable boundary and touched her arm. Still no reply. Finally, he left his plea under her martini glass and crept back to his seat. Several months later, he received a call from a major designer who'd gotten Lazaro's letter from Ms. Wintour with instructions that it was not to be ignored. A subsequent interview proved that he had talent, and Lazaro was hired for his first internship.

Lazaro not only had great luck to get on an airplane with most powerful woman in fashion industry, he had savvy to make use of opportunity. He was ready when his break came with a portfolio of samples he'd worked hard on, making it best it could be. Then he did most important thing of all: he sent Ms. Wintour a thank you note, which prompted a fax from woman herself saying she was glad it all worked out.