All of our problems, as well as our successes in life, are rooted in our consciousness. We have and we are whatever is in our consciousness. Like the way our bodies are—our health, our financial conditions, our love conditions—all of this first exists in our minds. During the times when I wasn't holding the correct mental thoughts to bring me what I desired, I used to meet a lot of shady individuals, especially here in Cambodia. But that has changed. In fact, it has changed to the point that these individuals have left entirely.
The reason is that, as metaphysicists say, “like attracts like,” and whatever is inside of us materializes in the outer world. We can't cheat nature, and our thoughts attracting what happens in the outer world is nature. What I started doing—and perhaps you can do too—is simply to think the positive of whatever negative thought you're having and keep it changed. In life, we get all sorts of problems, but these problems can be seen as an adventure, and when we figure out how to solve these problems, we grow wiser.
The Buddhists emphasize being present. To maintain our thoughts on positive things, we can borrow that perspective and always be present with our thoughts, since thinking about the past often materializes negative thoughts, as does thinking about the future in some cases. When being present, we need to guard ourselves against any negative thinking. What I do is that, as soon as I wake up, I follow what I call the metaphysicists’ morning: I read some parts of any book that elevates my mental awareness and wisdom, then I meditate, and I go through some visualizations. Throughout the day, I try to guard my thoughts and keep them as positive as possible while staying present.