On the Abraham stuff, I'm still very much in learning mode, and this stuff is sinking in more and more over time, so let me see if I can articulate it in a way that makes sense:
What I believe Abraham means by "focus" is "to think about, and to give your energy and attention to," which can also be done by visualizing. In an attraction-based universe, Abraham says, there is no such thing as "No." Therefore, if you are focusing on something you want, you are attracting it into your experience. But likewise, if you are focusing on something you don't want, you are also attracting it into your experience. Therefore, Abraham says, it is very important to focus on only what you do want, on what makes you feel good.
By "doing-based effort," I mean taking concrete action in order to try to create things in your experience. Abraham says that if you could hold a pure positive focus on your desire for as little as 17 seconds, this would accomplish as much as 2000 hours (or a full year of 40 hours per week!) of taking concrete action to manifest your desire.
By "pure positive focus on" or "being in vibrational alignment with," what you desire, I believe Abraham means feeling only positive feelings, like anticipation and certainty that what you want to manifest is on its way, without any resistance or contradictory vibration (that is, without the negative emotions caused by focusing on the lack of what you desire, allowing doubts to creep in, and so on), often trickier for us than it sounds - often we think we're focusing on what we want, when we're actually focusing the lack of it, without even realizing it -- therefore, we have to become very aware of our emotions in order to discern the difference -- The better we feel, it is an indication that we are focusing positively on what we want, and therefore attracting to us what we desire. The worse we feel, it is an indication that we are focusing negatively on the lack of what we want, and the more we are resisting it, or blocking it from coming to us. Therefore, the very most important thing we can do, is to feel good.
As soon as you have a desire, says Abraham, it is already broadcast into the Universe, has in fact already manifested for you, and is being held for you in your "vibrational escrow" until you can achieve vibrational alignment with it, at which point, according to the Law of Attraction, it must manifest in your direct experience.
Abraham categorizes all emotions on an "Emotional Guidance Scale" from positive to negative, from #1 at the top of the list, the most positive,"Joy/Knowledge/Empowerment/Freedom/Love/Appreciation, to #22 at the bottom of the list, the most negative, "Fear/Grief/Depression/Despair/Powerlessness. Your "vibrational setpoint" is the point along this spectrum where your emotions tend to reside, on average, over time. Over time, by absorbing these types of teachings and practicing the various exercises they provide, you can raise your vibrational setpoint, and the higher your setpoint, the more quickly and easily you can manifest your desires.
They give specific exercises that you can do when you're feeling badly about a specific subject, that can raise your vibrational energy, which will immediately make you feel better in the now, as well as helping to raise your overall vibrational setpoint over time. These exercises are the "Processes" that have been mentioned earlier on this thread.
Whew, I hope that made at least some sense!
Of course, this is only a fraction of all that Abraham explains (and much better than I can explain it) -- the best way to learn more about all of this is of course to get it directly from Abraham's books, tapes and videos, but as a start, here's one pretty informative website that explains a lot of Abraham's teachings and several of Abraham's processes: http://whatanicewebsite.com/Connee/Lessons.htm . And here's a link from that site to more information on the "17 seconds" discussion above in particular: http://whatanicewebsite.com/Connee/17seconds.htm .Love and Blessings Everyone
,Debbie/Aqua Deb
My hubby got a wonder-full promotion to a manager! 
and Sunshine 
to All !!!!!!!
Sorry dear friends.
Truly I just want all of you to be happy. And that includes you! You deserve to have your feelings taken into consideration as well, don't you think. 
)
I can't speak French. Just your usual: "Un grand verre du vin rouge, s'il vous plait?" 
hehehe! 
There I go!!
These kinds of life changes, which we seem to have been making frequently in the last few years, serve to keep us ever awake, growing and changing, which is healthy, even though they can also be kind of exhausting at times! 
In the meantime, yesterday I bleached my hair up to a lighter reddish brown (or is it now brownish red? 
), so that it'll be a little lighter to begin with when I henna over it, which I intend to do later today. So even my hair is going through a transition as well! 
In fact, I'm so hyped up due to all the ongoing changes that I can't sleep 
(it's going on 5:40am or so here), so I figured I may as well get up early and at least make productive use of the time! Here's a picture, by the way, of my hair in this intermediate state -- I'll wait until I've completed the whole process to change my "avvie":
(Well in th U.S. anyway...we are just into Wednesday now.) 
....Looking good... 
as am I....sort of!