Just because an observable process cannot be proven or defined with current methods, doesn't mean it won't be. Early theories of evolution hinged on "spontaneous generation" then we invented microscopes and realized, the tadpole eggs were already in the water.
All images presented are under the Creative Commons Zero license, most can be found at gratisography.com
When many, who consider themselves rational thinkers, are confronted with metaphysical ideas, they come away asking for proof. This is especially true with "The Law of Attraction" so I thought I would take a few minutes to explain it from a more rational point of view, as it acts in the real world, without any "spookiness" attached to it.
Simply stated, the law of attraction says, Whatever you give your focus to, you will have more of.
Those who teach it as a "place your order, receive your manifestation" process are often being hyperbolic for the sale of books, seminars and training materials. Others of them seem to believe it and some get surprising results, most of which I still think have real world causes.
The law of attraction is taught in many cultures, in many ways.
The ancient Greeks believed in a closed "system" where what you did eventually came back to you, known as ma'at. "What goes around, comes around."
The Hebrews believed in a sort of fate, established on the past actions of a person that could be interrupted through Divine Intervention, but otherwise played itself out.
Hindus and Buddhists both call it Karma. In the Hindu tradition, it is also the name of a god that carries out punishment/reward, based on your deeds in life. It's in part what determines, in their belief, where you go next and your path to "elightenment".
Here are some phrases we use to describe it:
- What goes around comes around.
- You get what you give.
- You reap what you sow.
- Karma's a bitch. (said primarily of people acting like jack wagons)
- He had it coming.
Then, there's this proactive statement, known as the Golden Rule, first recorded by Jesus.
"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."
Suggesting that one can circumvent reaping negative results by engaging in positive behavior.
Or, this one:
"Judge not, unless you'd like to be judged, for by the same measure you measure out to others, it will be measured back to you."
So, I promised not to get spooky, how does this thing work?
Here are some ways in which ordinary humans, without getting metaphysical, engage with the law of attraction:
- Study for a test, you get a better grade.
- Work harder, you're more likely to get that promotion.
- Show up late to work consistently, and that job might not last.
- Treat your spouse like crap, they might not last.
- Think of, and act as if your car is an important investment, and it's likely to keep running well through continued maintenance.
By placing our focus on things in life, we get more of what we focus on.
The first person wants to be a better student and as they focus on their studies, they get closer to that goal, a good worker will either get promoted, or find a better job, a bad husband will likely end up divorced, since he didn't really want that relationship anyway. It's really that simple.
The difference is, those who practice LOA, set about it intentionally!
Whether you like the phrase "Ideas become reality" or not, it's true. Before you build, buy, destroy, do, or avoid anything in life, you think about it. Even if it's just a brief moment of realization before you duck an incoming punch. Everything you do is preceded by a thought.
- Everything that has ever been manifested (built, manufactured, designed, etc) into physical reality, was preceded by thought, often long, complex, focused thought.
- That thought then turned to language or a pattern of images in the mind, spoken, or otherwise, and became a focus. Things that get talked about, often have a better chance of being manifested.
- Depending on how complex a manifestation is, it will require more or less focus. If you want breakfast and have cooked it before, it won't take much focus to turn eggs into an omelet.
- Thought, becomes an expressed idea (Whether the expression is internal, or external) then turns into an action.
- That action, through repetition, becomes a habit, or pattern of behavior.
- That pattern changes your reality over time, so that your original idea, becomes an actual part of your physical reality.
Whether you acknowledge this or not, you are doing it every single day. You can't help but.
Let's take that silly breakfast example for instance.
A person makes breakfast once. The first time, it's hard and messy, they may even give up and buy a professionally cooked breakfast. If they are in a sitcom, they'll just settle for toast. They may have to look it up, or ask for help. The next time it's easier. Eventually, it becomes almost automatic.
*Before you know it, they are cooking breakfast on a regular basis, maybe every day, or just on the weekends, but it's happening over and over. *
Over time, they begin to stock ingredients for the breakfast they enjoy. Then, they find new tools that make it easier, or allow them to do things they couldn't before. They might even invest time and focus, and money, on classes, or practice, until their breakfast making skills improve.
There you have it, the law of attraction at work.
- Thought: I'm hungry
- Words, or images: I want breakfast
- Action: Gathering indredients and cooking breakfast.
- Continued focus: Cooking breakfast regularly
- Changing reality: Ingredients and tools at the ready
- Manifestation: You become a better breakfast cook.
Through thought and applied focus of attention, you brought more of what you wanted into your physical reality and manifested a change. It's literally that simple. You probably won't be ready for your own cooking show anytime soon, but who knows, through continued focus, you could manifest something like that into your reality.
This can work in almost any area of life.
Think of LOA as a layer of "gamification" on top of self improvement. You purposely focus on something you want to change, for example, your job. You want to make more money. Remember, this can work to attract, either positive, or negative realities.
NOTE: intentional living requires you to own the power to change the outcome. Blaming others for your circumstances, or attempting to require them to bring you what you need will not end well. Focus on yourself and what you really want.
Negative
- Thought: I don't make enough money
- Words: My job sucks, they don't pay me enough
- Actions: lack of attention to detail, leads to slacking
- Continued focus: Comparing yourself to company owner's son, etc, reinforcing the idea that you are being taken advantage of
- Changing reality: Supervisor, and then boss, become aware of the change in your effort and start to bring correction, sometimes even in a helpful way, which, in your negative state, you see as an attack and confirmation of your bias
- Manifestation: You get fired, or "rage quit" stating that you are not getting what you're worth, when in reality, your actions made you worth less than you were getting.
Positive
- Thought: I would like a more prosperous life
- Words: I'm going to improve my lot in life
- Actions: Work hard, and learn new skills, look for new opportunities and begin to dream about what you want.
- Continued focus: Improved self value, giving more than minimum for what you are paid, because you want more and you expect more from yourself. Not only that, but you see it as part of a process and you'll likely find you don't mind.
- Changing reality: Supervisor and boss see more value in your work. Or, you continued to build your self worth. You become increasingly aware of new ways to improve your income, because you are looking for them.
- Manifestation: You make more money, perhaps through a promotion (if that opportunity exxists) or through finding a new job, starting a business or side gig.
In both cases, you attract the reality that you receive.
It is not an exact science. Attention and focus is not like money. You don't meditate for five minutes a day and receive a dollar raise, while an hour will get your pay doubled. But, your focus and attention will improve, or deteriorate your reality. It will. Not it can, it will. Every single time.
PRO TIP: Just because one possible scenario seems like it should provide what you want, open your mind to other possibilities. Limited avenue thinking tends to end poorly, while the greatest things in life tend to come in unexpected ways, from places we never even thought about before.
But what about people who...
Yeah, there are those that seem to have all of this lined up, and still, things don't go their way. But, I bet a million bucks, you'd find one or more of the following things are true.
- What you see is not reality and their focus is on something other than a positive outcome, things like fear, or negative beliefs can often block progress.
- You simply have a limited view of their story arc. Either they are digging out of the results of a negatively focused, or unfocused life, or they haven't seen the shift yet and it will happen.
- The positive changes are happening, they are just in such small increments you, and possibly even they, don't see them. Often a monumental shift seems to come over night (like those musicians that become overnight sensations after playing house shows for 20 years) when in reality, they've been in progress for a long time.
Any of these can be true and you might not see it, even if it is your own life. But, if you track the story closely enough, you will find that what you focus on, you get more of. Not "your fill of" or "everything you ever desired" necessarily, but your life will shift toward what you want.
There are realities involved as well.
- Wanting to be a famous actress, but refusing to leave your tiny home town of 1000 people to do it, is going to take a lot longer than if you go where the opportunity exists.
- Wanting to be an interstellar traveler, when that technology does not yet exist may never happen, but you can move towards it.
- Sometimes external partners, or technology have to be applied to get where you want to go. If you don't actively seek those out, you're going to have a hard time.
The LOA is not automatic magic. It's not Burger King, you can have more your way, but it won't be handed to you in a paper sack through a drive through after a two minute wait.
If you want to engage with LOA, here are some things you should expect.
- Positive focus and forward momentum require attention. If you get complacent, or focus negatively, expect setbacks, just as you would expect a D if you never cracked your history book.
- Expect a shift in focus that presents more opportunities, more reasons to love what you love, more people who have what you want, etc. This is finding the path to your manifestation. Want to cook breakfast? Ask a short order cook to teach you.
- People will call you a freak if you share this with them, do it anyway. The more you focus on it, the more you'll see a shift.
- Expect normal life, bills, your spouse, your kids, etc to still have expectations and be ready to meet those responsibilities, you may, however, find these things become easier as you become more intentional in your living.
- Expect to see results, and look for them. Celebrate even the slightest shift. When you recognize that you stayed positive and kept your focus through a situation that would normally send you off the rails, congratulate yourself.
- Expect the unexpected. As you begin to be intentional, your focus will inherently shift to the moment and you will find your life has all of these amazing little things in it that you just failed to recognize before.
So, there you have it, the Law of Attraction for rational thinkers. Remember, whether you choose to do it on purpose, or not, your ideas will continue to become reality, in big and small ways. I hope you choose to shape it intentionally. It's fun.
excellent post congratulations, beautiful words, a real invitation to reflect thank you very much for this brilliant post
There's so much about The Law of Attraction that, I think for me personally, felt like empty mush and just "nice words" and thoughts that were meaningless... before I really lived it and saw it at work so powerfully.
Some of the things people think are cheesy nice-isms or bullshit things that are said to make us feel good are only meaningless to those people because those people have not yet lived the meaning in the words. Words are wind before you live them out, and only wind, and often they feel like a harsh counterintuitive blast in the face when reality feels so different. But if you stay wide open, as I have and as I did, and you look for the meaning in life, it seems you'll come back around to things you heard said as a child... and you'll have the meaning that your own experience has given those words.
Excellent post, thank you so much for addressing this topic and speaking up about it. More, more, more, we need more of this. Humans can bring about so much goodness, love, connection and light in the world, but we have to believe in it first and then focus and act on it consciously-- every goddamn day.
You nailed it, Mark. Excellent analysis and articulation. Keep up the great work!
amazingly explaines, loved reading it in the way you put it! :)
Are you familiar with Abraham Hicks?
I am, not sure how I feel about it. Interesting stuff though. I'm tempted to think that Esther just needed that mechanism to validate her own voice, but, who knows?