Have you heard stories about the law of attraction? Have you ever wondered… What is the Law of Attraction?
…or wondered is it real? Or maybe even wondered something like… Is the law of attraction just something that caters to my wishes and simple pleasures? Or is it deeper than that?
Let’s explore the law of attraction and whether or not there’s any truth to this popular self-help philosophy.
It is rumored that the law of attraction says that if one thinks positively about a goal and envisions it clearly, it will come true.
There are several ways this idea got popularized, with its roots in deist belief to the book The Secret, but when it comes down to it, is there any truth to it? I actually got introduced to this book (or the movie actually) back in 2010 related to one way to overcome limiting beliefs.
The law of attraction is basically priming the brain to do the things you have to do in order to reach your goal.
You still have to put in the work, no matter what. You can’t just sit around and expect things to happen without doing anything yourself.
But if you are willing to put in the work and use the law of attraction to help you visualize or see your desired results more clearly, then you can definitely achieve your goals.
I am no expert in this space, but I know from personal experience that it can work in certain ways…
So for example in my own life, I meditate as soon as I wake up. Why?
Well, because it sets the tone for my day.
Do bad things still happen from time to time? Of course, BUT by meditating each morning for as little as 3 to 10 minutes a day I am creating a more positive life. A less stressful life. A more balanced life.
So much so, that I not only meditate in the morning but often do many forms of meditation and informal mindfulness practices all throughout the day. I have been working on this 2013 and it gets better the more I work on it and the more I DO.
Now, this isn’t about getting rich per see, at least not in the financial sense, but I am much richer in the mindset, and relationship, and emotional intelligence space. What if these are the true measures of wealth?
Often when asking what is the law of attraction we are on a quest for those simple pleasures in life or wealth or fame or whatever. I think some of these things can be a byproduct of putting in the work and having a positive mindset.
Let's Take a Look From a Different Point of View.
As in many religious texts, as well as examples in life, the simple answer to the question in its
most simple point of view is no.
No, just thinking and concentrating on your objective won’t force “the universe” or God, for that matter, to align reality, so you achieve your dreams.
However, positive thinking, in a broader sense, might just really help you in the long run.
Here’s how:
We’re all probably aware of the placebo effect – the tendency for people to act as if they are
under the influence of something, even when they aren’t, just because they think they are.
The most common example of this is in medical trials, where people are given sugar pills
instead of the drug being tested and them displaying effects as if the medicine really worked.
This isn’t the only use of the term, however, and this effect really does work in a lot more
ways then just medicine.
Multiple scientific studies have proven that “fooling” ourselves into being more confident,
hopeful, and upbeat can actually give us a boost to those qualities.
Anything from thinking the girl you’re into already likes you to having hope there are better days coming ahead is a real, tangible effect where nothing has changed except for a person’s beliefs.
Another study confirmed that people who believe they can change their character actually do display positive changes throughout their lives, while those who think everything is
predetermined from birth on average do not.
Keeping It Real
Regardless of some of the above mentioned blessings, sometimes things won’t work out.
No matter how much you wish for it, envision it and even train your body, for example, it’s
impossible to jump off a building and fly by yourself, so to speak.
This shouldn’t be taken as a disheartening fact, though; instead, knowing our limitations and
realizing the right attitude is only a tool to help us get to the finish line we have to cross
ourselves is the best bet people have for fulfilling their dreams.
As much as positive thinking can help us, becoming naive and thinking we can do anything
without any sacrifices whatsoever turns around and becomes what we would call in the field of psychology a “maladaptive schema.”
Being optimistic is a great thing, but as with all things, if left unchecked, it can become toxic and unhealthy.
No one can succeed on hope alone, for even in most major religions, nothing comes from only ever praying.
If you are so inclined, almost every Abrahamic religion, for example, requires you to do
everything in your earthly power before you pray for the big man/woman upstairs to “tip the balance in your favor.” I might also add that this is not a tool to meet and fulfill your simple pleasures and desires. It isn’t a magic gene ready to grant 3 wishes.
On some levels, it is really easy to poo-poo these ideas. It is easy to see these ideas as woo-woo goofy stuff for just trying to get rich, chasing wealth and/or gaining simple pleasures from life.
Much of The Secret movie talks about wealth and monetary gain (cars, homes, increased income) BUT it actually does go deeper to share the key to the law of attraction comes from our own internal joy created from self-understanding and self-love. I’m all about this and self-mastery in life.
One of my favorite meditations I do regularly is called Metta Meditation or Loving Kindness Meditation. This meditation helps us practice ways to improve our own self-love and love for others both easy and difficult people. I believe this one meditation could change your life, grow your empathy for others, and create more positivity in the world. This is why I practice it often.
I also love challenging myself to send love and positive thoughts – even to those very challenging people in my life and/or even politicians that I struggle with. Often these folks, like the politicians, may not be directly in my world but influence they it.
Practicing sending love to others HAS brought back more love in my life and love that kind of washes over me at random times. It is pretty amazing. This Secret movie also talks about what we all REALLY want… HAPPINESS.
Below I share one of the first Loving-Kindness Meditations I recorded live on Facebook. It’s a bit rough, but the idea is still solid. I’ve done the Loving-Kindness (Metta) Meditation hundreds of times since this recording and have led it with several people since this recording, and probably have done a few better recordings of similar versions of this meditation.
The Verdict
The law of attraction is one of the most popular concepts in recent history and for good reason.
It’s simple, it makes sense, and it has the potential to change your life for the better. Who doesn’t want that?
But does it work?
Well… From a different point of view, yes.
Building a healthy and positive mindset can help ward of stress.
However, it isn’t as easy as wishing and visualizing and then not doing anything about the
goal…
As Nike says… Just Do It!
Now if you have a different real life experience I would like to hear your thoughts. How has the law of attraction served you? Share below in the comments.
Lastly, if you want to get busy WORKING for what you want and you want to improve your mindset, maybe you should look into how self-limiting beliefs might be holding you back. Try downloading the free Limiting Beliefs Assessment Test below. Overcoming limiting beliefs can actually change your life in big ways. Who knows, before you know it your dreams might be coming true right before your eyes by making some changes in your beliefs.