A long time ago a shopkeeper was opening a package of merchandise from England. He always admired the efficient way the British pack things as it was done with meticulous care.

When he opened it, there was a card on top. It said, Expect a Miracle. He almost threw it in the trash and thought, What does that mean? How did that get there? but stuffed it into his shirt pocket.

That night he was emptying his pockets and showed it to his wife, Look at this, Expect a Miracle. What is that supposed to mean?

Maybe that is what we need, she said. Our problems seem so overwhelming. Wonder what would happen if started expecting great things instead of always expecting the worst? Could miracles take place?

They decided to try it for a few days starting with small problems. Maybe we will get some new ideas. Maybe there is a solution. Anyway, what do you say? Lets expect a miracle, really expect it for a few days and see what happens.

Then something changed for them. They began believing that not only could their problems be solved but that they would be solved and more importantly, the solution was even then being worked out. Miracles, little miracles, started happening. Strange coincidences began developing. All kinds of experiences began coming one after another. They became different. Hopeful, optimistic. The little problems began giving way and the big ones became less formidable.

When anyone starts expecting a miracle they become so conditioned that they begin actually making miracles happen. They get on the miracle wavelength. Abilities become positively focused rather than negatively. Creative forces are released in the mind. The flow away tendency is reversed and life now flows toward them. The negative expectations that drove away the good are replaced by positive expectations.

With a clear goal that is a sharply focused objective and embraces good not only for you but all of those around you, what you want to do, what you want to be and where you want to go one activates the law of successful achievement.

The law of attraction is activated positively and instead of sending out negative thoughts and activating the world around us negatively, the positive thinker with clear goals for good will activate the world around him positively. He works and keeps on working. He thinks and keeps on thinking. He believes and keeps on believing. He never lets up, never gives in. He gives the effort the full treatment of positive faith and action. Result? He can because he thinks he can. His dreams come truehe attains his goalsmiracles happen.

Miracles come in all sizes: big ones, medium-sized ones, and small ones. Start believing in small ones and work your way up to big ones. Think and believe and work and treat people right and give it all youve got and you will find yourself doing the most amazingly constructive things in this life.

Maybe there is someone you know that could use this story, too. If you would like, pay it forward as I am doing now to you. Pat Hicks

* The title and much of the text is exerted from, You Can If You Think You Can by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, Copyright 1974, Prentice-Hall International.