Understanding the Law of Attraction
If you are like most people, you are hearing the buzz about the Law of Attraction (LOA). And if you are like most people, you get the gist of it… kind of. Let’s get clear right away about what the LOA is and what it is not. The LOA states that your focus determines your reality. The focus of your thoughts, feelings, and actions cumulatively determines your reality.
The LOA is not some incomprehensible force that mysteriously manifests your every thought into certain reality. This is very important to understand for several reasons.
First and foremost, the LOA is not 100% responsible for every event that happens in your life. Crazy, unexplainable things sometimes happen. Planes are late, cars get broken into, people get sick for no apparent reason and the weather will do what the weather will do. You don’t have some wacky subconscious control over the entire universe.
Second, many people hold the belief that “life is 10% what happens to you and 90% what you do about it.” This is a wonderful starting point to deeper understanding of the LOA and developing positive momentum.
Where the real power of the LOA comes is in understanding this 90/10 ratio. While you don’t, and never will, have control of either the elliptical course of the earth around the sun or some of the random events that happen in your life, what you do and always will have control over is how you respond to those events.
Here are two suggestions that when implemented, will create positive momentum and help break though belief barriers.
1. See the Good in All Situations
I know that you’ve heard this before, but are you DOING it? Are you really looking for the good in your co-worker’s mistakes? Are you actually seeing the good in the extra weight that you are trying to loose, or your credit card debt, or your lower back pain, or your boss who is a pain, or the zero sales day you just had?
Understanding this concept isn’t going to do you a bit good. Actively DOING it will. So the next time that you find yourself in a situation that isn’t going the way you think it should, stop and identify at least three reasons why this situation is actually a good thing for you to be experiencing. If you don’t, you will simply be reinforcing the situation you are trying to escape.
2. Anchor to the Present Moment
All stressful thoughts are a result of anchoring to the past or are a projection into the future. When you stop and actively anchor to the moment that you are in right now you will find that things are not nearly as bad as your mind will lead you to believe. You don’t really need that money that you thought you needed, you haven’t lost the client yet, your spouse isn’t angry, etc. The things that you are worrying about right now aren’t happening right now. If they were, you wouldn’t be worrying about them; you would be dealing with them.
The next time you find yourself stressing about something that hasn’t even happened yet or something in the past that is impossible to change, take a deep breath and simply anchor to the present moment and you will have incredible power to create a new picture. This new focus, repeated and held onto, can change the course of your life.
Understand that whether you do these things or not does not impact the Law of Attraction, it only impacts your focus, and thus, your reality. We are all masters of the LOA; some people are just in the habit of persistently focusing on the things that they don’t want to experience, and, ironically, that is the experience they end up with.
Specific stories were intentionally omitted from this article to allow you the opportunity to write your experiences. Your success stories can be a wonderful example to others, and if you are finding it difficult to implement these suggestions, put your situation out there; one of the 35,000 subscribers to this newsletter certainly has something helpful to say.
Be Free!
Eric Plantenberg
President
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Thanks for the reminder. I can attest to the fact that when i focus on what i don’t want i only get more of it and when i focus on what i love, then i find that in abundance. My wife and I are currently doing an exercise where each night we write down three things that we are grateful for in our marriage and we have been getting along with much greater harmony. We focus on what we are grateful for and magically it is all that we see in each other.
Comment by Tom — June 12, 2008 @ 5:32 pm
Hi Eric, I couldn’t agree with you more. I have been reading and studying positive mental attitude and laws of attraction for over 20 years. It has helped me in every aspect of my life. I have tried to help numerous people try to understand the power of the mind working with the universe. It takes practice and focus but it is well worth the time and effort. Thanks for sharing. Sincerely,Bill
Comment by Bill Farragher from NJ — June 13, 2008 @ 1:18 am
Holy cow – right on! I lived this LOA this past Sunday in a very clear experience. I was doing a triathlon and came in from a strong bike in 2nd place (originally out of the water in 12th and hammered my way to 2nd) and had a 3.1 mile run to go. The gal in the lead was a gal that I passed last yr on this same run course. So I’m thinking confidently I can catch her, but it is a matter of when… it would be a challenge as I was 30-40 seconds bihind her. Well my mind said run strong enough to get within 10 seconds then when getting close enough to the finish line… then give it a kick. Problem was i thought about the pass for 2.75 miles (and was gaining on her) that my heart was just pounding with anticipation…. I thought what if my heart gave out or another thought was what if i trip cuz my legs are so tired? I was so caught up about the future that I could not follow thru with the execution to pass. Looking back, I know I could have done it if I would have relaxed and lived in the moment. Thanks for the great write up.
Comment by Julie Hull — June 13, 2008 @ 12:30 pm
Julie,
That is a great story… I find it amazing how the situations that we don’t want to attract into our lives become so amazing clear AFTER they are over.
I know that you are a world-class athlete. I would love to hear some of your ideas about how you have relaxed and stayed present in other big races… and tips?
Be Free!
eric
Comment by Eric — June 13, 2008 @ 1:09 pm
Thanks for the reminder Eric, Sounds like another great book I will check it out.
Live Well,
Terry
Comment by Terry Alby — June 14, 2008 @ 12:14 pm
Yes! So clear AFTERwards. I woke up at 2:30 in the am SO wanting to re-live those last 30 seconds of the race. My biggest disappointment in racing that I can remember (or maybe it
Comment by Julie Hull — June 16, 2008 @ 1:04 pm
Hello Eric and Julie–
Great to read your comments. Thanks for the stories and the clarity about the LOA. Great stuff!
Comment by Leah — June 23, 2008 @ 10:45 am
Thank you, Eric, for the clarity of this article and it is a huge reminder!
Comment by Anna Rubio — July 8, 2008 @ 8:28 pm
I am a true believer in the LOA. I was introduced to it during a very down period in my life, and basically had nothing to loose by listening, and viewing, the “Secret”. Little did I know I was actually living it, but did not realize that was what I was doing. As I would set my goals, and achieve them, I would simply move on to the next goal. Ignoring my achievements was my mistake. Eleven years ago I had a heart attack, and was determined to recover. By following my many doctors orders, and advice I recovered, to the extent that scar tissue was not perceivable. A miracle by some views. An ignored goal by me. Now due to the LOA, I recognize, when the LOA, is working, and am more in control of what I want, VS what I need. I now have new close friends, my career is much more rewarding, and helping others is a priority. I did take the workshop, and believe it or not that too, was a goal. Life, Freedom, health, are all good. Critics, don’t waste time on me!
Comment by Michael McCloud — July 31, 2008 @ 11:50 am
I appreciated very much the article on loa.
It gave me things to think about and be thankful for.
I also enjoyed the additional comments about the article
Comment by Francisco Lugo-Pagan` — September 19, 2008 @ 7:54 pm