I played the Game of Life in Las Vegas – and won. A long weekend getaway for my husband, Brad, and I proved not only to be relaxing and rejuvenating, but also became a great illustration of how living with intention makes each day a playful, joyful adventure.

We’d been craving some time alone, having never taken a vacation without our four-year-old son. My parents were willing to take care of him and we had some extra vacation days, so we decided on a whim to take the trip. I was about to book a hotel and airline tickets online when Brad uttered that awful question: “Can we afford it?” Technically, the answer was no. We hadn’t saved up for a last-minute trip to Vegas and I didn’t want to feel guilty throughout the trip for every penny we spent. But then he said the magic words: “Let’s not worry about it. We’ll just expect the money to come.” That sounded like a much better plan than not going to Vegas! So I sat down with him and looked him in the eyes. We agreed to go to Vegas and, more importantly, we agreed to not let any negativity or worries creep in. We imagined ourselves there without a care in the world – enjoying shows, eating well, and relaxing fully. Rather than stress about how to pay for each little thing, we chose to believe without a doubt that the money would come some way, some how. I booked the trip.

And then, we forgot about it. We let it go, allowing our intention – easily affording a fantastic getaway – to drift off into the Universe. Letting go is critical to the process. If you set your intention and then continue to think about it frequently, wondering about the outcome, the Universe gets confused. It’s like ordering a restaurant hamburger and then repeatedly interrupting your server to ask when it will come, how it will be cooked, what will be on it, how it will taste, what it will cost and whether or not you should have ordered the veggie wrap instead. All that noise and indecision is only going to annoy and confuse your waiter, increasing the chances of getting your order wrong. The same applies to placing your order with the Universe.

That’s why, as my husband and I planned for our trip, neither of us mentioned the money issue again. The very next day, a check for $104 arrived in the mail from our insurance agent – completely out of the blue. Then, I decided to follow up with a client who had never paid me for past work. To my amazement, they sent me a hefty check within three days. This is another key point; once you set your intention, you have to take action. Consider what part you can play without forcing the issue. I followed up on an outstanding payment with a single email; I didn’t waste lots of energy scrambling to find a brand new client or revenue stream that could help pay for the trip. Yes, sometimes the results do flow in without any effort. But if something as simple as a phone call or a little research might get you going in the right direction, it’s important to listen to that voice in your head telling you what to do to help manifest your intentions.

It’s also important to keep your eyes open and then be truly grateful when opportunities present themselves. In Las Vegas, money appeared for us in many different ways. Rather than appearing as one big win at the slot machines, money showed up in many small but magical ways. For instance, we had two taxi drivers turn OFF their meters for no reason before our rides were over, which obviously saved us money. I rented $5 earphones on the plane to watch a movie, but part of the movie skipped a little. I still saw the whole movie, but the flight attendant offered to refund me my money. Brad even found a shiny penny on the floor and stuck it in his pocket with glee. Abundance comes in all shapes and sizes, as long as you’re willing to see it, receive it and celebrate it. We came home from Vegas well-rested and happy, with our trip paid for in full, just as we had intended.

Author's Bio: 

Liv Lane is a successful writer, radio host and founder of Choosing Beauty™, devoted to helping others live with joy by learning to redefine, recognize and appreciate the beauty in their midst. Her "One Year of Beauty" blog has received worldwide media attention and multiple online awards. For more information, go to www.choosingbeauty.com and visit the blog at www.oneyearofbeauty.com.