Recently, I received a postcard from Ireland. Without reading the message, I knew who had sent it. Several months earlier, I had met a charming woman named Jessica. We discussed the poetry of William Butler Yeats, and Jessica expressed a strong desire to visit the Lake Isle of Innisfree, and other places in Ireland that Yeats had loved.

When I said she should go, she explained that she could not afford it, and besides, had never travelled overseas. I suggested that she inscribe the word "Innisfree" on a blue candle.

"Blue represents travel," I explained. "And writing down where you want to go on the side of the candle means, that as it burns, you send your desire out into the universe."

Although Jessica seemed interested, I doubted she would do anything about it. Consequently, I was delighted to receive her postcard. In her message she explained that within days of burning a candle a friend had suggested they take a trip together. The friend arranged part-time work to help pay for the trip, and three months later they visited Innisfree.

Over the years, I have heard many accounts of people fulfilling their dreams in the same way. No matter what your desires are, you can manifest them in a simple four-step process.

The first step is to decide exactly what it is you want. If you want more money, decide on the exact amount that you desire. If you want to make new friends, decide on the types of people you would like to meet. If, like Jessica, you want to travel, decide where you want to go. It makes no difference what your desire is, as long as you sincerely desire it and it will hurt no one else.

The second step is to write your desire down. Until you write it down, your desire is only a daydream. Writing it down forces you to think of something specific. Jessica did not write down "travel". She wanted to visit the Lake Isle of Innisfree. Her desire was specific.

The third step is to send your desire out to the universe. Jessica did that by burning a candle with her desire inscribed upon it. Other ways to send your desire out into the universe are covered in Write Your Own Magic.

The final step is to become a magnet that attracts your desire to you. You do this by remaining positively expectant that your desire will become a reality. Visualize yourself enjoying life once you have achieved this goal. Repeat positive affirmations that relate to this goal. Keep a copy of your request on you at all times, so you can read it several times a day. Be kind and generous to others. This generosity need not have anything to do with your request, but it is a basic law of the universe that every good deed you do will be repaid with interest. Finally, even though it has not happened yet, give thanks to the universe for granting your request.

This four-step process may sound too simple to be true, but I know it works. My writing career took off once I starting using these principles in my own life. Jessica is enjoying her vacation in Ireland, a country she never expected to visit. I know many people who have used these principles to achieve their goals. You can too.