By Kathryn Barney

In The Lost Prince by Frances Hodgson Burnett, young Marco suddenly finds himself in a desperate situation.

“‘What will it be best to think about first?’

This he said because one of the most absorbingly fascinating things he and his father talked about together was the power of the thoughts which human beings allow to pass through their minds — the strange strength of them... He had known, and reasoned through days with men who believed that when they desired a thing, clear and exalted thought would bring it to them. He had discovered why they believed this, and had learned to understand their profound arguments” (p. 67-68).

What a beautiful way to describe how our thoughts shape our reality.

My husband has always had a naturally cheerful and light-hearted disposition. As a child, he once decided that being sad just wasn’t fun—and from then on, he would live his life happy. Over time, he came to understand that for many of us, it’s not quite that simple. Some of us have to consciously choose happiness every single day. It takes effort. It takes practice.

But here’s what I’ve found: the more I choose happiness, the easier it becomes. Not only that—happier things begin showing up when I do.

For over 25 years, I’ve taught piano. I’ve been deeply involved in music teacher associations, even holding leadership roles, and I’ve earned national certification. This has never been a side gig or a way to pass time—this is work I take seriously. It’s a calling.

And yet, oddly, I’ve never been able to fill my studio.

Through my professional network, I know many other teachers—and I’ve never met one who didn’t operate at full capacity (whatever “full” looks like for them). But no matter what I did, I couldn’t seem to get close.

I prayed—many times—about whether teaching piano was really the path God wanted for me. Surely, I thought, if this is where I’m meant to be, wouldn’t it come with a little more visible success?

And still, the answer to every prayer was a clear and unmistakable “YES.”

At one point, I even changed careers entirely. I earned a professional educator license and began teaching elementary school. I loved it, but between health challenges and heavy family burdens, I couldn’t sustain the demands of full-time teaching. So, I returned to piano.

I’ll be honest—it felt like failure. I was embarrassed. Was I going backward?

But here I was again.

I’m really good at teaching piano. I love it. I’ve been given a gift for it. So why couldn’t I get students?

I knew my thoughts had something to do with it. I just couldn’t figure out how.

Through studying the Rare Faith principles and connecting with others in the group, something began to shift. I realized my thoughts had been focused on what I needed—new students, more income, more success.

So I made a conscious choice to focus on what they needed.

I started praying every day—not for students, but for the ability to share light and love with those who needed it most. I prayed specifically for students I didn’t yet know, who might be looking for exactly what I had to offer. I asked to be a clear and open conduit of God’s love, and to let that love flow freely through me.

And then—students began showing up.

Within a matter of weeks, my studio was full for the first time in my entire career.

More importantly, I feel something different now. I feel the light and love of God flowing through me. I can sense that He is reaching these students—using me as an instrument in His hands.

And in aligning my thoughts with something higher, in tuning my heart to service and love, my own version of “clear and exalted thought” brought the very thing I desired.

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•   To discover how to start choosing more effectively now, read The Jackrabbit Factor (FREE!)  
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