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The Law of Attraction
For an active law or principle, and one which we all have experience, the law of attraction is frequently overlooked as a practical vehicle to aid in the fulfillment of desire. When I speak of the Law of Attraction, I am not limiting the discussion to the attraction found in relationships. While the Law of Attraction plays a key role in determining who we attract into our lives, there is vast application for anything that we desire. Physical and emotional health, wealth, career, creative inspiration, family, friends and intimate relationships are all examples of wishes affected by the Law of Attraction.
When I want to jump from the fence to the ground, I don’t spend much time wondering what will happen when I make the leap. I’m confident gravity will help me get the job done. If I’m swimming and duck under the surface, I am not worried if buoyancy will work so I can get back to the surface when I need a breath of air. Unlike gravity and buoyancy, however, the law of attraction patiently waits for our acceptance and understanding to make the best use of this extraordinary fact of life.
When I talk about comparing our beliefs in these laws, some point out that we have an abundance of experience with gravity. We have watched apples at the moment the stem weakens enough to disconnect from its branch and fall to the ground. We have also held objects underwater and know which ones will come bobbing to the surface. We have proof about gravity and buoyancy and therefore we believe. When it comes to attraction, however, we do not treat this law with the same kind of trust and belief that allows us to fully utilize the benefits. Understanding attraction as a law, and the nuances of that law, will help us when it comes to practical applications.
Understanding Forces we cannot See
Without a lot of explanation, we all get the idea of the law of attraction at work in the physical realm, If I see something on the floor that I want to hold, my desire, packaged as an intention, (I want or intend to pick it up), sends electrical impulses from the brain to various control centers in my body that tell my knees to bend, my arms to move, my hands to grasp. I do not plan my actions or their order. I count on them. As I bend over to pick up a ball, let’s say, and see it in my hands as I stand upright, I do not review the process to ensure the outcome. There are a multitude of things that have to happen in a precise order to produce the intended result and I fully expect that through intention alone, the appropriate sequence of events will follow to fulfill my desire. This same power of intention we faithfully use within the body works outside the body and beyond the realm of the physical.
How many times have you answered a phone call from an old friend and began the conversation by saying, “I’ve been thinking about you so much this week!” Given some thought, we all have a pile of examples about how the power of intention works outside the body. The harmonious connection between our intentions and our experience is the Law of Attraction. Our thoughts, in effect, are what give order to our reality. As one great teacher said with eloquence, … what you sow, you will reap. This message has been repeated many times, in many forms through the ages, and we have all begun to understand that what we put out there, we can expect to see in return. Karma, is much better understood now, than even 10 years ago.
When I think about the Law of Attraction, I picture myself sitting peacefully in a rowboat resting in the middle of a pristine alpine lake. The surface is motionless and I drop a small rock into the calm water that produces a ripple that becomes concentric circles moving away from me, in the middle, and towards the shore. While I may not be able to physically see the entire journey of the ripples, I know the energy continues to the shore and then returns to me in the center. Even though I cannot see the energy causing the ripples, or their motion as they dissipate, I know that it is there. So it is with every intention I drop, like the stone into the water, sending a ripple across our universe and in perfect time, returning back to me. As we continue to discuss the law of attraction, I am going to reference Dyer and Chopra’s thoughts and add my own as we look together at how to make practical use of the power of intention and the law of attraction.
In Wayne Dyer’s, Manifest Your Destiny, he tells us of Albert Einstein watching the movement of a compass needle as it changed directions. What unseen force caused the movement? St. Paul is quoted as saying, “Things which are seen are not made of things which do appear.” The energy that silently moves the needle of a compass, a ripple to shore or desire to person, is something we cannot see. We can, however, see the results of the Law of Attraction and so, something with form, (our reality), follows something without form, (our thoughts).
In many ways, Dyers work on the Law of Attraction in Manifest Your Destiny is the perfect compliment to Chopra’s thoughts in Ageless Body, Timeless Mind. Interestingly, Chopra recently described Dyer to me as his, “spiritual brother,” and as we reflect on the work of both, we will see why. Both books were written in the mid 1990’s and speak to each other like two musicians that play together so well that, even with clearly distinctive styles, the result is melodic perfection. Spiritual brotherhood is an apt description of what binds the work of these two incredible men.
Chopra observes that, “whenever a desire comes true, the mechanics have certain similarities for every person.” When I first read about these similarities, it occurred to me that if these observations were common to the process of a desire coming true, it would be a good idea for me to see if I were using them. I discovered that, more times than not, I was either altering things or working in a parallel universe. Seems I was leaving out something all together or changing it beyond recognition. I’ve divided my thoughts on the Law of Attraction using the six similarities Chopra pointed out. You can find the complete text of the similarities on pages 107-108 of Ageless Body, Timeless Mind. The headings below are either direct quotes or condensed statements of what you will find in his work. The similarities are:
1) A certain outcome is intended
2) The intention is specific and definite
3) Pay no attention to the details of the physiological process involved
4) Expect the result
5) Self-referring feedback will increase your confidence
6) In the end, you are certain about what happened
A certain outcome is intended
As I considered the idea of moving from an intention, something without form, to an object of desire, something with form, I was inclined to view the process as one of creation. For me, creating has always been God’s work and so I asked, are we really talking about making something from nothing? Wayne Dyer was a big help, “the same energy that is in what we desire is also in us and vices versa.” We are not creating because what we want is already there. Dyer continues, “It becomes a matter of alignment and will.” In other words our work is to put ourselves in a position of being able to see, (align with), what has already been provided.
When something that you desire shows up in our life, you have been successful in seeing what has been there for you all along. As the title of Dyers book suggests, you Manifest Your Destiny. Manifest is something that becomes “clearly apparent to sight or understanding.” When we align ourselves with the object(s) of our desire, we can see or understand what has been there for us all along. For many of us, this process of alignment is not a conscious process. We have all realized goals and therefore we know what manifesting is like. If you look back, however, you will see the combination of your will and the synchronicity of time and space allowed you to see what was already there and waiting for you. There is no accident here. Your will was active in moving towards your goal until you were in the precise place at the exact moment for your line of sight to say, “there it is!” The good news is that now that we know how manifesting is accomplished we can become a more active participant in future occurrences.
Manifesting, then, can happen in one of two ways. If the objects of our desire, our wants and wishes are already present and we cannot see them, it is like they are hidden from our view in a darkened room. With our will active, we move around the room until we find the proper spot that allows us to see what we seek. Moving around in the dark has its challenges but, given time for our eyes to adjust and a stumble here and there, the task is not impossible Alternatively, we could turn on a light as we enter and move with more ease to our goal. Dyer and Chopra can help us find the switch, tells us how it works and, even with the lights on, help us move more efficiently around the room.
Dyer says, “Your thoughts and visualizations are your source of manifesting.” In order to manifest, form a picture of what is it you want. Visualize the outcome. Chopra adds, “Whenever a desire comes true…A certain outcome is intended.” Dyer tells us to use our thoughts and Chopra defines those thoughts as intentions. The combined message suggests that we use thought in the form of an intention as starting place for adding light to the darkened room.
This article will continue with the other 5 similarities discussed.
Everyday Enlightenment* - Revisited
Today I wanted to pass on to a client some simple strategies for starting over; finding direction and beginning again. As I prepared for our meeting, I outlined what I have found useful when faced with that recurring first day of the rest of my life. What I came up with were these often discussed and generally discarded basic elements of remembering who we are and why we are here. I say generally discarded as most of us know or have heard all of this in one form or another. However, when we need the knowledge the most; we simply go the other way.
I do not need their love anyway. I never liked the job. I am not angry. I will not allow them to hurt me. Maybe I just don’t want to forgive. These thoughts and the thinking they represent are good examples of the diversions we employ that pretty much guarantee we will stay stuck and continue familiar patterns of insalubrious behavior. So, here’s a reminder; a summary of practical information for everyday use…Everyday Enlightenment – Revisited.
*Everyday Enlightenment is the title of Dan Millman’s wonderful book outlining the 12 Gateways to Personal Growth. Dan took on a much larger project, I just happened to find the title appropriate for these articles.
Meditation & Prayer
Close your eyes. Take a couple of deep breaths. Listen. If your experience is anything like mine, you are now hearing a lot of noise. Like the chatter of teletype, we process one thought after another in a continuous flow. With this much incessant activity, it is unlikely we will ever hear something as soft-spoken as intuition while our attention is diverted by the louder voices of what I don’t want and have yet to achieve. As the multitudes shout, I am a worthless sinner, it is hard to hear the more melodic sounds of, I am a magnificent expression of God’s love.
Listen to your thoughts and notice how they are all, apparently, connected. What’s next? Why did that happen? Where am I going? Where have I been? What does this all mean? During an interview with Deepak Chopra many years ago, he reminded me that although this flow of thought appears constant, in between each thought no matter how “infinitesimally small,” there resides a space, a “gap,” to use his precise description. I have found, within this gap, the silence, the peace, the rest we need to nourish and replenish the body and mind. For some, entry into this space is also an opportunity to glimpse and touch the unseen self…the soul.
Chopra continued to explain the practice of meditation allows us to gently slip into this gap, if even for a passing moment. With continued practice, we are able to expand the space between thoughts, increasing the silence and giving additional dimension to the gap. As the gap grows, we are better able to sink into this space, soothed by the peace as we connect with our inner being.
Through the ages, we have been given many maps to the gap; directions for returning to our source. While the precise methods may vary, every path shares the common element of reducing thought activity by stemming the tide of constant noise. Give focus to a single thought, it is suggested by using a mantra, our breath, the flame of a candle or prayer. By contracting our divided attention, we quiet the distractions and can more easily slip into the elusive space between our thoughts and peacefully rest within the gap.
Residing in the gap is tricky as this is a place without thought. After years of noise, finding yourself in this peaceful state is cause for celebration, “Wow…this feels great!” And, with this thought you have already made a hasty retreat from the bliss you were just about to experience. Darn! As the Buddhists say, Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. Learning to move with grace asks for our patience, understanding and forgiveness and all of these qualities must be turned inward before we can make use of them with others. In the silence we grow as we meet our highest self.
As we become better acquainted with who we are, light begins to illuminate our path. The answers we seek are all within, the path obscured by the noise, the distractions we will now learn to set aside. You cannot ignore the snow storm for as soon as you say to yourself, don’t think about the storm, you have just given the snow your full attention. The most you can do is gently set aside distracting thoughts as any struggle gives them counterproductive power. What you resist persists.
There is a multitude of research on the benefits of quieting the mind and I encourage you to seek out this information if it is unfamiliar or as a reminder or update. Most appropriate for this discussion, I ask you to reflect on vast amount and variety of historical references to the value and practice of seeking the silence I describe. In the west, we have Biblical accounts from Old Testament to New Testament citing the value of prayer. We have contemporary demonstrations of success with hypnosis. Yogananda and other western teachers of eastern thought have all carried messages of meditation rooted in Buddhism and other old world religious and spiritual practices. The Mayans, the Incas, the American Indian and groups representing diverse civilizations and geographic locations through time all present ritual that honors silence. Further, this silence is a vehicle to self-realization that is commonly achieved by a reverent practice of paring down diverse thought to single thought and then to no thought or a silence referenced to as bliss.
We all come to places in our lives when we want to make a change...a Shift. In the movie trailer above, Wayne Dyer introduces us to an awesome expression of his life's work only this time he offers us a movie instead of a book or one of his many PBS specials. Now you can see Wayne's work illustrated on the big screen with a moving account of his, always passionate and practical, advice. If you would like to learn more about or purchase the DVD click here for information. I will be sharing more with you about affecting change and making The Shift in upcoming articles here on the site. For now, enjoy the trailer, watch the movie and, as always, let me know what you think!
Check out Wayne on his most recent PBS special for insights into...what would it be like if you were free from the excuses that are holding you back from the life you want to live? Or, as Dr. Dyer will tell you, "all excuses are misalignments." For more video and additional information, visit Wayne at his web site.
Check out this video and let me know what you think. I will have a new article for you based on my reactions to the content right here on the Personal Growth page. |
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