You are 100% RIGHT about the State of Your Life!

I was just watching an old episode of Oprah which featured a British psychologist who created a foundation called the "Happiness Project". On the show he was discussing how the Law of Attraction works to give us each one of us the experience of creating our own life circumstances based not so much on how they "really" are, but on how we perceive them to be... I think what he has to say is fascinating:

"We have beliefs about life, and our perceptions gather evidence to PROVE that our beliefs are correct. So an "optimist" believes that good things can come from bad situations... So then the perception now works over time looking for [evidence to demonstrate] "what is the good that can come of this?" ...That's the function of perception - to teach us that we are RIGHT about EVERYTHING! Hence "pessimists" are RIGHT about life, AND "optimists" are RIGHT about life - it's about how YOU perceive it!"

Wow! So now that that has been said, here is an interesting question to get you thinking a little more about your own perceptions...

Rate the following statement on a scale of 1-7 based on how true it is for you right now, with 7 as absolutely true, and 1 as not true at all:

"If I could live my life over to this point, i would change almost nothing."

Think about that. Really think about it. If you could live your life over and change anything you had complete control over, what would you change? Bear in mind that you cannot get all magical now and live your life over changing what influence other people had, or change situations which were not under your control - it doesn't count to say "if I could live my life over I would make my dad be at home more when I was a kid" or "I would have a better relationship with my mother and help her not to be addicted to pain medication" or "I would have a spouse who didn't cheat on me". As debilitating and challenging as those examples are, they are not within the sole control of the person wishing it had been different. I am ONLY talking about experience, situations or choices that you have made along the way, which were (for the most part at least) exclusively within your control... What would YOU change about the way YOU have lived your life thus far?

When you really think about it, is there really that much? All of your choices up until now are what have made you who you are right now! Anything that you are grateful for in your life right now is, in part, because of the cumulative effects of ALL your past choices - do you really want to take those things out of your life? Talk about perceptions! Take a look at your life from the perspective of what you have learned, and who you have become, and the people who bring joy to your life now, and try to see how past "mistakes" have contributed.

It's really amazing to realize that nothing needs to change for me to be happy about who I am... Try it. I think you'll agree.

LOVE of SELF is the KEY to Attraction

Did anyone see the Oprah Winfrey show from last week on the subject of "Raising Happier Kids"? I sure did, and, though I do not have kids yet, boy am I ever glad I watched! On it, Martha Beck (...One of my heroes - Author of Expecting Adam and How to Find Your Own North Star) was talking about how children learn to love themselves by watching how their parents love themSELVES - not by how the parent loves the child - how the parent loves him or her SELF!!! Wow!

"The ONE thing you can do to teach your children to be happy is to love your OWN life! And then, love for others comes as a natural out pouring after that. If you raise kids and you only love THEM, and NOT YOURSELF, then they grow up to be people who cannot love themselves! ...They don't treat themselves the way YOU treat THEM, they treat themselves the way YOU treat YOU!"

-Martha Beck

Because our children (and everyone else, for that matter) are reflections for and of us, and they are constantly patterning what they see us do (to ourselves), if you demonstrate that you only love them (but not really yourself), then they cannot learn to love themselves (or you, very well), because they've watched you not love yourself!

...And it works this same way for everything! EVERYTHING! Not only the way our children, family, friends, co-workers, and all other people "love" us... But, this same idea also applies to how the UNIVERSE loves us! That is the essence of WHY the Law of Attraction works at different rates (and for different things - positive and negative) for different people!

We HAVE to learn to LOVE ourselves! ...It's the key to everything!!!

If the Universe sees and experiences US loving OURSELVES more and more, then, by the Law of Attraction, the Universe has NO choice BUT to love us more and more - give us even more to LOVE to love about Life and ourselves! It is LAW. ...And, in taking the "action" of actively loving ourselves more, we are effectively living the Law of Allowing as well - opening ourselves up to receive more and more because we are focused on LOVE!

Start RIGHT NOW! Think about something, anything, you love about yourself. Now think of another. And another... Think about it as much and as often as you can! Go to bed tonight thinking about it - try to get yourself to drift off to sleep while you are listing items you love about YOURSELF in your mind's eye... I guarantee that if you do, tomorrow will be a better day. I'm not quite sure HOW it will be, but I guarantee you it WILL be! It may even be a miracle - just like YOU!

Watch the BUT...

I have been thinking about something for weeks now, which plays off the theme that Karen brought up in her 4/19/07 post about 'chasing comfort with money' (kudos Karen!) I have been noticing my own (and others') tendency to qualify any contentment and gratitude with "..., BUT [followed by a statement about what ISN'T YET RIGHT and could still be better]."

It's really quite uncanny - even in the solitude of my own mental conversations with myself, I seek to moderate my attention toward what is not quite right, or what is still a "work in progress" as to my experience in the moment... Just a matter of minutes ago, I was very happily watching an episode of Oprah from the DVR, but rather than simply enjoy it for 30 minutes as I had planned to, even though everything was fine, and there were no pressing issues, I couldn't stop myself from feeling guilty about the "to do" list which was still "to be done". Or, there is just that little hint of a sinus headache that whispers more concretely than the sound of an old friend's voice on the phone. Even when an accomplishment is finally achieved, my mind is instantaneously 'on to the next thing' without a mere moment to savor the joy of "what is" now.

So, for myself, I am starting to watch my own "but"...

Every time I answer: "Things are pretty good, but..."
Every time I feel or say: "I'm feeling okay, but..."
Every time I hold back my own contentment with the thought: "..., BUT the this, or the that, or the whatever, isn't right / done / fixed / finished / certain yet!"

Why can't I seem to notice, and just be perfectly fine with exactly "what is" right now - enjoy it if it is good, and know that it will pass if it's not - without the stress and anxiety of trying to MAKE the next (ostensibly even better) experience occur immediately??!

What is it that makes it SO EASY to focus on what isn't fantastic yet (and then give power to that which I don't want) by verbalizing it or even thinking about it?

Is it the "don't count your chickens before they're hatched" syndrome?

Resistance.

Resistance is the problem... Resisting what IS. Resisting the acceptance of my immediate experience as perfect the way it is - however it is. (Or maybe, in my case, INSISTING that what it IS, is NOT quite what I want... (and subtly refusing to acknowledge what IS good about it because it is not exactly what I want??)

Unfortunately, the Law of Attraction tells us that what we focus on expands; that that which is likened unto itself is drawn -- that like attracts like. Therefore, my attention on what is "not quite right yet" is creating more of the same -- an experience of "not quite right yet"!

Perhaps what I really should be asking myself is: "What is this trying to teach me?", or "What is good about this?" What I REALLY should be asking myself is: "What do I want to experience instead??!! ...And WHY??!!" "Why" is the most important question, because the answer to it is the FUEL for the creation of what your attention is on. The Universe doesn't care if the energy and emotion is positive or negative, it only draws on the intensity of it, and seeks to manifest more of the subject on which your emotion is strong.

What do I want to feel instead of guilt for watching a favorite program? I want to feel relaxed, happy, content that I have scheduled a little "guilty pleasure" time for myself, open to inspiration from anything that pleasurably holds my attention... WHY? Because I want to feel good, I really like watching that show, I want to feel peaceful, happy, and grateful that I can take that time for myself to do something I enjoy... Suddenly the guilt and tension seem to wash a way a bit, and give way to inspiration, happiness, and a clear consciousness about the "bigger picture" reasons that are (at least partially) behind my actions and choices, and peace. Suddenly I am feeling more of what I want to feel - simply by asking myself what I want to feel and why.

Perhaps there is something to this "Law of Attraction stuff" after all! ;-)

So, watch your own "but..." When you catch yourself saying, thinking, or noticing it - begin to acknowledge what you do like about your current experience, as well as what you may ALSO be wishing to experience instead, and WHY!

(BUT beware: By interrupting the pattern, you will cease the creation of "more of the same" and start moving more quickly toward your inner hearts' desires (even if that desire is a smaller but (derriere!))

God has ONLY 3 possible answers...

There are only 3 possible answers from the Universe for anything we want to create:

1. Yes.
2. Yes, but not right now.
3. I have something even better in mind for you.
   

Notice that "no" is not an option. There is NO "no" in the Universe!

The Universe is a big "YES" machine... The answer is "YES" to anything and everything you intend to create! It may not be right this minute, or it may in fact be leading you to something even better (as yet unknown) in store for you, so it may not seem like that sometimes, but...

The answer is effectively "YES"!

...So keep dreaming, keep imagining, keep visualizing, keep creating!!! What IS in your mind IS what you are creating! The answer is "YES!!" (...or EVEN BETTER!)

An Inverse Corollary???

Karen's great post on "UN-linking cause and effect" got me thinking about something that often comes up in philosophical discussions about the Law of Attraction, and it is this: the attempt to explain anything that doesn't work out the way we want it to with an inverse corollary to some aspect of the Law of Attraction or the application thereof.

We want so desperately to find meaning and see the bigger picture, or to know why something didn't work out, or, even worse, want to discover what we must have done wrong, that we try to use the principles of the Law of Attraction to account for and decipher the results in hindsight.

Unfortunately, it just doesn't work that way. The Law of Attraction does not function in a vacuum any more than we do... If something doesn't manifest the way we'd hoped, despite our purest and most joyful intentions, despite absolutely pure positive deliberate focus, it is not necessarily an indication of faulty application of the principles of the Law of Attraction (or that the Law of Attraction is faulty)!

If you are reading this, I KNOW that YOU know that already... But humor me here.

Because, even I, a long-time student of the metaphysical principles which include the Law of Attraction, the Law of Allowing, the Law of Deliberate Creation, etc., a professional working expert in this stuff, still catch myself occasionally "throwing the baby out with the bathwater" when I try to analyze why something didn't go my way, and draw conclusions based on that (oversimplified) analysis.

We ALL know that life is more complex than that... And, actually, even the Law of Attraction is more complex than that. Just because the essence of the Law of Attraction lies in seeing something as ALREADY true - imagining it SO FULLY that the sub-conscious mind TRULY believes it to be REAL right now (thus creating a vibration of that reality which magnetizes events, meetings, happenstance, and inspiration to right action that serve to make it true in actual experience) DOESN'T mean that that is ALL that is going on!

In the same way that a person who dies after falling out a window was not killed by the Law of Gravity alone, the Law of Attraction is not SOLELY responsible for what we do (or don't) manifest for ourselves.

Still, that doesn't mean that we won't benefit by learning more and more about it, and honing our skills to apply the principles deliberately. Then, rather than blame the Law if we fall, we might instead be able to use it more effectively to help us to FLY!

More on "The River" of Life...

I have been thinking of the metaphor that Karen brought up in her last post, about life being a river rather than a road (well done, Karen!) I have heard that idea before, as I am sure many have, but, it has only begun to be more useful to me when I put it together with the concept of REALLY being IN a river!

I have been river-rafting a number of times, and I have spent my fair share of time overboard, OUTSIDE the boat... One of the first things you are taught as a beginning river-rafter is what to do in just such an occasion:

"...keep your feet up near the surface to avoid them being trapped in rocks and logs -- never try to stand up in a rapid or fast flowing water. Swim down the rapid on your back, arms folded over your chest, feet first to fend off obstacles."

The idea is that by making yourself as sleek as possible, head up so you can see where you are going, arms crossed and feet first, you are reducing the possibility of getting caught or stuck on something in the river - like a rock, log or debris. Somewhat counter-intuitive though it may be, holding on to something else in the river is the worst thing an overboard rafter could do! If it is a log, and could possibly break free, then it could end up smashing you into some less movable object. If it is a big rock, and you get pinned there, the water pressure could hold you there indefinitely, or worse, force you into a position where you cannot get air. If it is a bunch of debris, you can get tangled, caught, or pulled under...

This is not meant to frighten anyone away from safe river-rafting (because it really is fun!) but rather, to illustrate how futile (and frequently truly unsafe) it is to try to grab on to anything in the current. The best bet for safety is to make like a water snake and flow WITH the river, over and around the obstacles, letting the water carry you, as IT works to make it's way downstream, and then swim to the side at the next wide spot where the water pools and slows...

Grabbing onto anything else will only get in your way, tangle your movement, or drag you down.

I think that is how we get into trouble in the river of life as well. I know I am right now - I have been frantically grasping at twigs, rocks, ropes, and the map to try to help me control my way down the particular set of rapids I am in right now, and it's not working. It's tiring me out, wearing me down, and making me feel like the whole thing is hopeless and hard. I know that I should take my own advice here, and make like a water snake, for an easy ride, and let the river take me where it wants to go - but how do I keep my head up, cross my arms over my chest, and go feet first into the reality of life?

...And what if I don't want to go where the river is taking me? What then???!!

I think that'll have to be another post! I'll let you know how it works out!

Testing your Mettle

The Universe has a way of testing your mettle at the VERY moment you are on the verge of something you have been waiting for, wishing/hoping/dreaming about, or are just about to manifest for yourself.

As soon as you have definitely committed to a goal, or, even worse, right when you are "on the brink" of something good, or something great, or something perfect, or EXACTLY what you want/need for where you want to go in life... It happens - the Universe will toss an obstacle, or a distraction, or a temptation your way, and typically make it VERY EASY for you to back out of the opportunity or settle for something else that's "not quite right".

"The Universe will ALWAYS give you EXACTLY what you are WILLING to settle for..."

Unfortunately, I have seen this time and time again, both in my own life as well as in the lives of my friends... Just this week I have first-hand knowledge of 3 or 4 occurrences in the lives of people I know well!

• My mom, having recently made an absolute commitment to getting healthy and trimming down, and having carefully built up a good habit of exercising every day for a month or so (to the point where results are just visible) slipped and broke her shoulder...
• A friend, hemming and hawing over whether he is going to move from NY to LA or not, finally decides "YES! I am going to move to LA!" and is visiting to interview and make plans today - the ONLY day it has rained in months...
• A client whose primary intention is to be in a good, loving relationship, who is focused on that ONE aim in our sessions together, has an opportunity to attend a class with a very high probability of being the EXACT thing she needs to further her goal, decides she is too tired to attend after having car trouble earlier in the day...
  
• Another friend is building up his business in the healing arts, is making really good progress, and then gets a tempting job offer that pays really well in his OLD industry...
  

Now all of these examples may seem like coincidences, they may even seem like "messages" or "signs" from on high that the original goal/intention/aim is not the right one for us, that perhaps we 'really should be' going a different direction...

I don't think so!

In my experience with consciously using the Law of Attraction and the power of intention, I say that it is EXACTLY the opposite! I say that when the Universe throws us these curve balls it is actually an indicator for us to RUN EVEN FASTER toward the original goal - be EVEN MORE DEDICATED to the results you are consciously creating and attracting! In a way, the Universe is testing us to see just how committed we really are to our own visions!!!!

Do NOT be deterred!

These "tests" are not malicious - it is more like forging steel to make it stronger. The loving and abundant Universe is actually TRYING to give you exactly what you want. You may say that you want more money, a relationship, to lose weight, more business, to have more fun, etc., but, somewhere in your subconscious/unconscious mind, maybe that isn't quite accurate. So, when you start to take action toward that goal (or any goal) that action (or progress) upsets the equilibrium of how 'it has always been', the stasis, our comfort zones... Now the part of us who is afraid that there may be 'no turning back' wants to put on the brakes and slow it down a bit (if only subconsciously) and starts to attract occurrences which give us the opportunity to bail out. Literally, giving us a "legitimate" reason to stop short of the goal and declare it "good enough". It takes energy, effort and focused attention to align our intentions with our subconscious motivations. Unfortunately, it is VERY DIFFICULT for us to see or know WHAT our subconscious/unconscious motivations ARE...

THAT is what the "tests" are! These obstacles, temptations, and challenges that the Universe gives us to test our mettle are the physical manifestations of our subconscious motivations coming to light (coming to LIFE) - manifested to focus our attention to how WE are unconsciously blocking OURSELVES from what we consciously think we want!

The real question is what are you going to do about it? So what if the Universe gave you a flat tire? Can you ask a friend to drive you to that important event? So what if you have a sprained ankle? Are you going to do sit-ups and work out with dumb-bells anyway? So what if I have a big expense right when I was trying to manifest more money? Can I find a way to clear the part of me that is attracting it? So what if a friend is doing something you wish you were doing instead? Are you going to go out and do something even better yourself?

Yes. There IS something in your way... But you have the power to go around/over/under/through or clear that obstacle and use it as a cue to focus your intention even more clearly - strengthen that vision, clear your unconscious, take an even more courageous action to honor your heart's desire. Strengthen your determination!

Don't negotiate with yourself by allowing the "curve balls" to re-negotiate your desires for you!

The more we exhibit determination and commitment to our goals and intentions, the more we use the feedback we are being given by the Universe to strengthen our focus and vision on what we truly want to be experiencing, the faster is HAS to come! The Universe is giving us exactly what we need to be able to forge our dreams into physical world reality - the Universe is pointing out where the weak spots are and where we may not be in complete alignment so we can do something about it!

...Literally SO we CAN have the vibrant life we TRULY dream of!

How to both "let go" AND "be receptive"??

It has been so long now since I posted anything on the blog that I was starting to get really cold feet, building up all kinds of pressure, feeling like I had to post something incredibly profound to be worthy of having waited so long to do it!

It was getting serious... All kinds of old perfectionist patterns started to rear themselves and pop up again... Thoughts of: "I can't write that" or "nobody will care about that" or "that is not a fully formed idea!" I was trying to motivate myself by forcing some big and monumental idea out of my brain. Even little glimpses of brilliance in an e-mail to a client, or a quote from a friend which would ordinarily stir up quite a nice little riff were leaving me cold.

What's a girl to do? Where is my life coach when I need her? How am I supposed to manifest a brilliant blog entry when I feel so confused in my own life right now??? What would I say to me if I were my coach?

I'd say: "let go and do something, anything, toward your goal!"

Huh?

How am I supposed to do THAT, when my goal (to write something on the blog) is the VERY thing I can't seem to do right now!!??!!

"Make an attempt. Try. Just try."

The word "try" gets a lot of bad press in some circles these days... If I had $100 for every time someone quoted Yoda to me with all the "there is no try, only do, or not do" stuff, well, then, I'd have more than a few hundred dollars. But, seriously, we often hear that there is no such thing as "trying", and I wholeheartedly disagree!

I believe that it is in the very act of "trying" to make progress toward our goal - taking some little action or putting something out there BEFORE it is perfect or fully formed - that actually communicates to the Universe that we are serious about attaining the goal! [Warning: Bad analogy approaching!] In other words, I could meditate on a pizza all night long, set intentions, and visualize myself having it, and still probably go hungry. But, if I do something to TRY to take action to get it, even if that attempt is not perfect, I'll have a MUCH better chance of getting it! (Like at least calling the pizza delivery place (even if I don't yet know exactly what kind I want yet!) [See, I told you it was a bad analogy. Oh well.]

But I left it in to illustrate my point. Making a lame attempt at what we want to try to experience is our way of meeting the Universe half-way... A cosmic way to sort of "prime the pump" and make a gesture that symbolizes that we are ready for more action, more assistance, more inspiration, more synchronicity, more gifts... Any one of which may be the very thing we have been waiting for!

How do you let go? Focus on a successful outcome while you try to do any little thing you can to make it real yourself, and then watch God rush in and finish the job. Try.

Ohhh, You Gotta Believe!

(...AND, believe LONG enough for it to actually manifest!)

I have been hearing a song lyric in my head for a number of days now, and the only part I hear is "Ohhhh, you gotta believe..." I don't even know what the song is, but I just keep hearing "...you gotta believe!" And, it is apropos, because I have a story to tell about that very idea (faith, believing in your own power to manifest your dreams, etc.) that happened to me a couple of weeks ago...

I was en route from Seattle to Las Vegas, booked on a flight that was due to arrive at about 11:30pm, but all of my friends were already in Las Vegas, and I wanted to get there sooner. The ONLY flight I could take that would make any significant impact on my arrival time was due to depart Seattle at 3:30, and was already 3 seats OVER sold!

But I had faith - I was going to get on that flight!

I sat down and took a few moments to do my own version of a formal manifestation technique (a combination of Intention, Meditation, Theta Healing, and Success Visualization), being sure to include that my manifestation was 'for the highest good of all concerned' and would come about in the most benevolent fashion. I combined it with a heaping cupful of faith that my "order to the Universe" would actually work, and I set about taking action AS IF I was DEFINITELY getting on that flight!

I went to the airport early and checked in my bags, got on the official "stand by" list, headed toward the gate for "my" flight, double-checked with the gate agent to let them know I was there, etc. I continued to have faith with every action, every word, every thought, that though I did not yet know HOW it was going to happen, I was definitely getting on that flight. Now, as I write this, it sounds like it was easy to have faith that my manifestation worked... But, this is precisely when the Universe tests us to see what we are willing to settle for, to see at what point we are going to give up and throw in the towel, thinking that it didn't work...

The Universe will ALWAYS give you EXACTLY what you are WILLING to settle for.

There were countless "encouragements" from the environment indicating that I should give up and start making other plans: The raised eyebrows of EVERY airline representative we spoke to that day, the actual words "I don't know what to tell you" and "well that one is oversold, but there is a flight at 7:30pm that has open seats", or "I don't know..." (with accompanying non-verbal subtext of "fat chance kid"!) as they looked at the mighty computer screen! The gate area was overflowing with hoards of people rushing the gate to get on to the fight, so determined themselves that they were not even sitting down to wait for the aircraft to arrive (not that there was a place to sit close by anyway) It wasn't even Southwest Airlines, and still I have never seen so many people so anxious to get on a plane when it wasn't the holiday season! Through it all, I kept mentally repeating to all the naysayers "that's not my reality - my reality is that I am getting on that flight and going to Las Vegas early!". Even as they were boarding 100's of people and the gate area was emptying, I still had faith and was not willing to even look at the gate information for the later flight (because I still believed (against all odds) that I wouldn't need it) and therefore, I did not need a contingency plan! When I talked to my friends, I said "the airline may not know it yet, but I am getting on the early flight!" I held on.

Then, after hours of waiting, when there were only a couple of people left to board, the airplane obviously full, there was an announcement indicating that they needed to hold boarding the last few passengers to attend to a passenger who needed assistance. Lo and behold, 10 minutes later, off come a woman and her husband who were unable to take the flight for which they had already boarded! I know it was not a medical emergency (because they were ushered aside to seats right in front of us where we could overhear their discussions about next steps) but I sent them prayers all the same. As the airline announced our names, I knew that not only had my manifestation worked, but also, because I included "for the highest good of all concerned" to it, I was confident that it was going to work out even better for the couple who vacated the seats too!

When we stepped up to get our boarding passes, the gate agent said "today is your LUCKY day, because that NEVER happens!" I smiled, and thanked her in agreement, even though I knew that "luck" is something we manifest for ourselves!

So, all that to say: Hold on to the faith! It IS working (even when it feels like it is taking a long time (or more time than you'd like)) and...

You gotta BELIEVE (long enough for it to actually happen!) Happy Manifesting!

Missing the point...

I am starting to see a disconcerting phenomenon with all the "buzz" around The Secret on the talk show circuit - more and more, it is coming up in casual conversation on shows such as The View on ABC, and of course, as the topic of the day as seen on Oprah or Larry King Live, and others.

What is happening is this: Someone will mention it, and then try to summarize the concept into one sentence, something like...

...It says that if you think about something long enough, that thinking makes it so, or
...It's just about positive thinking and imagining what you want to get it - you imagine a bike and then you get a bike, or
...You can have it all by thinking about having it all, or
...It's about positive thinking - you just have to think about something you want, and poof!

(I am actually paraphrasing Barbara Walters from The View this morning with that last one - she went on to say that she "wants to look like Angelina Jolie, but it hasn't happened...")

For those of you who are regular readers, I know I don't have to tell you, but, THAT IS NOT THE POINT!!!!

That is not what the Law of Attraction is about! Yes, thinking about something you'd like or an experience you intend to have IS a component, but the real essence is in seeing it as ALREADY true for you - imagining it SO FULLY that your sub-conscious mind TRULY believes it to be REAL for you right now! Then, your vibration of that reality literally magnetizes events, meetings, happenstance, and inspiration to right action that all serve to make it true in your experience. It is about experiencing joy, love and gratitude for life NOW and attracting more!

But you all know that.

What I am wondering is what, if anything, can be done about it? Can anything be done to influence to burgeoning global MIS-understanding of a principle that WE all know to be so powerful?

I suspect that those who are spreading around the inaccurate representations of what is being communicated in The Secret either haven't really seen it, or, have given it a try but have done so incorrectly, got frustrated and gave up, and are now justifying themselves by calling it a "flash in the pan" (see my 3/18/07 post). Another possibility is that the current version of The Secret (which is the only one readily available, and, most likely, the one that the majority of people are exposed to (see my 3/5/07 post)) IS actually watering it down, and not communicating the actual principles as well? It's hard to say, because we can never know what someone else is understanding, or even specifically what IS working and what is not. But...

My intention in speaking out by crafting this post is to encourage everyone who reads it to cultivate the faith in the process: Learn about using the Law of Attraction effectively, read, ask questions, meditate, ALLOW it to work for you, adjust the "recipe" for what your current thoughts are manifesting in your life rather than giving up... Time is an essential ingredient in the process! Let it work for you and then BE the walking example of how it REALLY works! Quietly SHOW the naysayers that their "rules" don't apply to YOU! Use this powerful Law well, and HAVE the joy-filled life of YOUR dreams! Let your example be the teacher to all who wish to understand!

...And then, if we are all living our own versions of heaven-on-earth, it won't matter what "they" say anyway!

Why doesn't "The Secret" work for me?

Larry King did another show with some of the folks from The Secret a couple of weeks ago, this one specifically on The Secret (3/8/07). The first two broadcasts were entitled "Beyond the Power of Positive Thinking", but all the shows explored the ideas presented in The Secret surrounding the Law of Attraction and answered questions about how to use it in one's life. (If you did not catch one or more of the shows, you can watch any or all of these episodes online for free at JamesRay.com, or you can purchase a DVD of the CNN broadcasts from Voxant for personal use.)

Although the shows were provocative, informative, and quite thorough, there is one question that seemed to come up in various forms, again and again, without ever being fully answered, and that is: Why isn't The Secret working for me?

The truth is that there are many, many reasons why it might not be working even if your are actively applying the principles. It could be conditioning, bad habits, the presence of unconscious beliefs that are working against you, competing intentions, the influence of naysayers around you, a negative environment, a lack of action, or a lack of right action, timing, the lure of the safe comfort zone, tuning out your intuition, disbelief, or not believing long enough, or simply not being clear enough about what it is you really want... But I believe that a big reason why it may not be working is the tendency we all have to inadvertently be focusing on NOT having it rather than truly focusing on having what we want!

This is a very subtle but essential point. Allow me to try to explain:

• When you think of money, what is the very first thought that pops into your head?

...Is it your credit card balance, the bills that are due, or the car repair you can't afford? Or is it the absolute utter joy you feel at the piles and piles of cash you have lined-up in your bedroom closet?

• When you think of your body, what is the very first image in the mirror of your mind?

...Is it that you need to lose 10 pounds, the cellulite and the love-handles, or the chronic back ache and tension headache you are feeling these days? Or is it how very HOT you KNOW you look today and how great it felt to smile sweetly at ALL the compliments you've received?

• When you think of love and relationships...

You get the point.

The experts on the show, including Lisa Nichols and James Ray talk about the necessity of applying action steps when you are struck with an intuition or insight, and that IS absolutely true! Action IS necessary, however, action steps taken in the wrong direction (in answer to the thoughts about the LACK of what you want) will most likely serve to bring you more of that lack - more of what you don't want!

Take a good look at what you want to manifest for yourself, and WHY... Now, when the ideas that come forward seem to illustrate images of not yet having what you want, begin to turn them around, one by one: What does the opposite of what you don't want look like? What is the opposite of "in debt" and what does it look like? What would 180 degrees from "overweight and in pain" feel like? What are some antonyms for "looking for love"? Begin a practice of being vigilant with regard to the images you are creating for your future!

Make sure you are truly picturing and imagining HAVING what you DO want - *NOT* NOT having what you DON'T.

Sweet bread toasts faster...

I was toasting a piece of very sweet bread this morning, and I noticed that although the toaster was on the same setting it always is, the bread toasted MUCH faster!

You may be wondering, "yeah, so?" like I was when I made the startling discovery, but then I thought that perhaps this is a parallel, or metaphor, for how we attract what we want into our lives...

We attract we we want by creating and envisioning a sweet imagination of ourselves actually experiencing that which we want - by imagining it so completely that we are awash in sweet, happy, warm, toasty feelings that make us feel happy just to know that our desired experience IS on it's way!

Try taking just 3 minutes or so, RIGHT NOW, and imagine yourself having something you want - imagine yourself REALLY having it, experiencing it, and feeling it as already true in your life right now! Add in sweet details: how it feels, tastes, smells, what it looks like, feels like in your hands, or how your skin feels in that environment - imagine the experience fully.

When you can really feel the sensation of that sweet experience, your manifestation will toast faster too!

The Secret: "Original" vs. "Extended" edition

Many people have been confused lately about the two different versions of The Secret DVD that are floating around out there in circulation now...

Well, I have the answer! I took it upon myself to get the skinny on the facts and bring them to you!

Sometime late last year, the producers of The Secret re-edited the film to replace scenes that were originally done by Esther Hicks (The Teachings of Abraham / Abraham-Hicks) with scenes featuring other teachers from the film. This new version is the only version currently available when purchasing the DVD or streaming from the web site devoted to the film, and it is classified as "the extended edition" when purchased through other vendors (including the Applied Inspiration resources page.)

The "Original" edition of The Secret is the one that we are most familiar with, and it includes large portions which feature and/or are narrated by Esther Hicks, including many of the basic principles of the Law of Attraction as explained in The Teachings of Abraham. This version is still available, but only in the secondary market (used) and, considering it is no longer being released, it comes at a price. If you do want to purchase the original version of the film (or check the best going rate) you may also do that from our resources page. It is the The Secret icon with no image available, and Esther Hicks listed as the primary author.

And, just to clear up the last bit of confusion, the "extended" edition is not really extended - it is just different. It is the exact same length as the original edition, and has the same ideas/images/information, it is just that some of the wording, phraseology, explanations, and narration has been changed.

UPDATE: The newer edition of The Secret is actually 1 1/2 minutes longer than the original edition. I have gone through it to try to summarize the points throughout where the differences occur, but they are numerous, and a significant portion of the narration has been changed.

The long and the short of it is this: If you DO ever have a chance to see the original edition, I highly, highly recommend it!

Also, so you'll know it if you do get lucky enough to come across the original edition - you can tell which is which by looking at the box as well as the disc:

• The original edition is © and ™ 2006 PRIME TIME PRODUCTIONS
• The version without Esther Hicks / Abraham is © and ™ 2006 TS Productions LLC, and, it has the words "extended edition" underneath the "The Secret" logo on the back of the case, just above the language options/Dolby Digital logos as well as on the disc itself
  

The shortcut to attracting anything!

The shortcut to attracting anything you want is simple: Be happy now.

This is the key for two reasons:

1. If you are happy, you are automatically, simultaneously attracting more of your heart’s desires (without even consciously focusing on them) – the Universe will just keep giving you MORE of what makes you happy.
   
2. If you are simply happy now, you don’t NEED anything else to MAKE you happy, so you are happy.

Now that may sound flippant, but it is actually good advice – the shortcut to attracting more of what makes you happy is to look for reasons to feel happy now! It is the essence of the Law of Allowing – make yourself a vibratory match to that which you are seeking.

Look for the good things in your life, try to find reasons to feel good, list the positive aspects of situations and people around you, think of the ways in which your life is “just right” right now, search for examples of good news, collect stories and memories of the good things that have happened in the past and are happening still, all around you. Ask the Universe to give you experiences to feel really happy about…

I’d be willing to bet that not only will you feel really good, but you’ll be having more happy coincidences come your way too!

What are you focusing on?

No, REALLY, what are you focusing on??!

Try this little exercise: Think of a couple of areas in your life in which you have goals and/or ideally you wish some improvements were made… Perhaps your job, the state of your home (I mean its organizational appearance as opposed to the area of the country you live in – but either, if a problem, will do), maybe how much fun & recreation you are getting these days, your health, your social life/personal relationships, money, money, money, finances, money…

Now, for each one of those areas that you’d like to improve a bit, what is the FIRST image that pops to mind when you think of it?

Be really honest here – it is a matter of life and death to your true desires! ...WHY does that aspect of life need improving?

If you are like most people, myself included, the chances are that the VERY FIRST image that comes to mind when you think of those areas (on the subjects that need some improvement) is what is wrong with them, or, what you DO NOT have.

• When I think of my house, the FIRST thought that comes to mind is that it is a mess…
• When I think of money, my mind instantly races to the bills that need to be paid…
• When I think of my body/health, I can just feel the little roll over the top of my jeans and my sore back…

…And I am not alone! I have many a friend, who, when asked about his or her love life, will almost instantaneously reply that there isn’t one before I have even finished the question!

THAT is what you are focusing on! (And, THAT is what you are creating more of!)

The Law of Attraction states that like attracts like, and that what we think about expands. If you have seen The Secret, you have heard the expression that "where attention goes, energy flows". Well, those pictures, images and feelings that flash across your mind when you think of a subject ARE where YOUR ATTENTION is going! …THAT is what you are focusing on, and, consequently, it is what you are getting more of in your life. Bummer.

The antidote is to start to form pictures in your mind of what you DO WANT in those life areas… Each time you catch yourself snapping to the depression inducing woes of what is wrong, say to yourself: “That is not my reality! My reality is ______” and form a vision of what it might look like if it already WAS they way you DO WANT it to be!

• Envision what your house would look like if it were neat and organized…
• Picture your “accounts payable” box as empty and a lovely sum on your bank statement…
• Imagine what it would feel like for your clothes to be loose, and to be totally healthy…
• Compose an image in your mind of being with that special someone and filled with joy…

It’s easier said than done, I know. But it has GOT to be better than spending the kind of time I have been spending picturing (focusing on) exactly what I don’t want and expecting the opposite of that to suddenly just appear!

...I'll let you know when my house is clean.

The key to $$$$...

The key to Money is knowing what you want TO DO with it!!!

Money energy needs channels to flow into and through your experience... In other words, instead of focusing on the money you want, think about what you intend to DO with it!

Picture and visualize what you will be doing, having, experiencing, and FEELING **AFTER** you have the money you would like to have.

Nothing is more important than that I FEEL GOOD!

"Nothing is more important than that I feel good!"

This is a quote you have no doubt heard if you have listened to any of the Abraham-Hicks recordings or been to any of their events. But, even if you have not, it is an excellent quote to commit to memory and say often!

In terms of the Law of Attraction, there is NOTHING that is more important than FEELING GOOD!!!

In a nutshell, there are four reasons for this:
1) The deeper longing underneath almost every goal, wish, dream, desire or wanting is usually happiness, joy, fulfillment, satisfaction, wellness, peace - to feel better than you did before - to FEEL GOOD!
2) What you think about expands... When you feel good you are simultaneously attracting more of what your inner self (true self, higher wisdom, heart of hearts) wants for yourself! Even if you are not feeling good "because" you are making progress on whichever goal is foremost in your mind - just feeling good is making ALL of YOUR wishes and desires manifest more quickly for you! This is a part of the Law of Allowing - when you FEEL GOOD you are ALLOWING your desires to manifest FOR you!
3) Even if you do not know why you may not be feeling that hot, simply stating the desire "I want to feel good! Nothing is more important than that I feel good!" will begin to bring your attention to that which can make you feel better and better, and begin to raise your vibration.
4) Feeling good JUST FEELS GOOD!!!

So, go out there and FEEL GOOD today! Look for reasons to FEEL GOOD! Try to find things to FEEL GOOD about, and more GOOD will find you! (And, best of all, when you are FEELING GOOD, the particular good that you like best of all is the GOOD you are attracting more of!

FEEL GOOD and prosper!

Start BEING it NOW!

I just heard from a friend of mine who FINALLY booked a co-starring role on a prime time NBC show...

I have been coaching him in his career for quite some time, and for the last few months, I had been asking him what would be different when he finally "made it"?

The one point that came up again and again (other than to simply focus all of his attention on the ONE career aspiration of acting rather than scatter his energy with multiple career possibilities) was that he needed to be a member of SAG. He had almost every excuse in the book for why he wasn't yet a member, even though he finally became eligible well over a year ago. "...It's too expensive! ...I can't afford it until I book a big job! ...I might not get as many auditions if I am limited to SAG auditions! ...What if I join, and then never book anything? ...If a director really wants me, but needs me to be SAG, then I'll join!" And on, and on, and on...

I tried to explain to him that FOR HIM joining SAG was going to have to be a pre-requisite to his success, rather than something he would do after said success! Because the SAG membership was so important to him, in order to ATTRACT "the holy grail" of his goal (the SAG membership), he was going to have to start BEING it (a SAG actor) BEFORE it could find him. In other words, he had to take the leap of faith and assert to the Universe that he believed in his own heart that he was ALREADY a SAG caliber actor, and join, on his own, before the Universe could reward him with the benefits of that membership. ...He had to BE a member in his OWN belief system (and for him that meant taking the leap of faith and paying for the membership himself for it to be official) before the Universe could then say "YES! You are a SAG actor, and now you will receive SAG parts!"

Who or what are you waiting to anoint you as "ready and qualified" to BE the person you want to be or to be having the experience you want to have?

What can you do to "take a leap of faith" and start BEING it NOW?

Money is a by-product, not a goal...

What if money were just a by-product of doing what you love?

What if the ONLY way to get money was to BE DOING what you loved, and the more you loved it, the more money you got??!

What if that REALLY is how it works? What would YOU do? How would you "spend" your time?

I say that is EXACTLY how it really works!!!

Ask people what they want, and most of them will say "more money". ...They want it to pay bills, buy more stuff, take a trip, get a new car, to quit that stinkin' job, whatever.

But, in actual fact, money is not what they REALLY want - the money is just a means to an end. What they REALLY want is what they believe the money will do for them (or free them from...) What they REALLY want is the security of knowing that the bills are all paid and there is more where that came from, the ease or entertainment that the latest gadget can bring, the relaxation of time away from worry, better health, more joy, fun, warmth, comfort, beauty, freedom, or even just permission to live the life they have always wanted! (...and usually a combination of all of the above!)

The trick is that THAT is EXACTLY how money is manifested - by focusing on that which you want the money FOR!!!

Then, DO THAT thing!! Think about what the money would do for you (or allow you to do) and DO THAT!!! Take any action you can toward that thing as your goal rather than waiting for the money before you do it, do something, ANYTHING! Start doing anything you can to go in the direction of what the REAL goal is NOW!

What do I want a whole heap of money for? To pay-back any money I owe to anyone, to landscape the little tiny patch of soil I call my front yard, to hire a professional organizer to help me clean, to take some time off to write a book... How can I start doing these things, or at least take steps toward having the experience I want for my life right now? I bet you can think of many possible steps I could take! ..I can pay-back just one person, I can plant one plant a week, I can clean out one drawer, I can write for 15 minutes a day - and that is just a few things! If I were to do any of these regularly, I would eventually have what I wanted even without extra money. But my REAL message here is that as soon as you START taking action to make the experiences you seek a reality, you are simultaneously manifesting the money at the same time! When you are "spending" your time doing something you value, and taking action toward your goal, or doing something you love - you ARE attracting more money!

The truth is you are not poor - you have everything you need right now! You just need to start to take action based on the BELIEF that you do...

What if the ONLY way to get money was to BE DOING what you loved, and the more you loved it, the more money you got??!

What would you be doing?

As best you can - start doing THAT now.

Life starts now!

It doesn't matter how old you are, but life starts NOW!

I am visiting a friend right now, who is turning 40 tomorrow, and I am not far behind her. We were talking about all the friends we have in common who are still "the same" no matter how old they are getting, how many birthdays come and go...

I started to wonder about when they are going to decide to start taking action to make their lives what they WANT them to be? When are they going to DO SOMETHING to make their own life the experience I KNOW that have always wished it would be?! What are they waiting for?!!? They still talk about what they want to have, do, or be at some point in the future, as if they will do it when they grow up??? When is THAT?

Now's the time. It doesn't get any easier to turn your life around and go a different direction the older you get - it gets harder! With every passing day passing the time in your life, waiting until tomorrow to really GO FOR IT and put your energy into what you have always wanted to have, do, or be, you get more and more entrenched in how it has always been...

What do you really wish your life was about right now?

I suggest we start now.

Swinging through the goal

In sports, golf in particular, we are taught by our coaches to "swing through the ball". By thinking of a full golf swing as going both through and beyond the ball, we can maximize the power generated through momentum to propel the ball as far as possible.

The same principle applies to attracting our goals/wishes/desires in life...

We move forward in life most effectively when we "Swing THROUGH the goal"!!

If you are aiming for a particular goal, or in the process of manifesting a desired experience, the Law of Attraction is working with you, behind the scenes, arranging all manner of circumstances, coincidences, and synchronicity on your behalf. The full power of the Universe is striving to support you in your goal by lining-up necessary events and meetings, relationships and occurrences to bring your desired goal about. This is a tremendous force, and with each passing day, it is moving faster and faster in the direction of your thoughts toward the goal.

This is fantastic!! ...That is, until you reach your goal, if you do not have a clearly articulated goal as a follow-up to the primary goal.

The very moment you reach your goal, the force of the Universe is effectively asking you: "Now what?", and if it doesn't have a new, bigger goal to continue using its energy on, it will dissipate in a smoldering heap. The creative power you have at your disposal, in ordering the power of the Universe to work for you, is a tremendous force - it takes a tremendous amount of momentum to get it going, and once it is working for you, it takes minimal energy to KEEP it going in that direction. But it needs to know what to work on next...

The way to keep it going in the right direction is to always have a follow-up goal, a bigger goal, and an even bigger goal after that, so it keeps working for you even when you think you've made it - to "swing THROUGH the goal"!

What is your most desired short-term goal right now?
What might it feel like when that goal is achieved?
When that first goal is a reality, what is something you will want after that?
Then what might you want?

Take out a piece of paper, or a notebook or journal and write down a brief answer to each of these questions. Then, continue to think about not only what you want right now, but what you think you will want after that - a month from now, 6 months from now, a year... Think about each goal you have as a step on the path to something even bigger or more magnificent, and you will also be maximizing the power of the Universe generated through momentum to propel your dreams as far as possible.

Ask for it ONCE, then just focus on why...

When you continually ask for a thing, or pray for a new experience/situation repeatedly, the effect is actually contributing to its NOT being manifested yet...

Repeated asking indicates a lack of faith - the message you are sending out to the Universe is: "It's not here yet... Where is it? It's not here!!!" ...And that is precisely the effect which is created - the experience/situation you seek is NOT being manifested.

The solution is to ask ONCE. Clearly write out, affirm, visualize, and/or speak your intended outcome ONE TIME, and let it go (knowing that it MUST now manifest).

After that, if you feel you absolutely must be doing something to "help it along", then concentrate on WHY you want it, and list the reasons that you are aware of that you believe it IS on its way to you now.

You can list the reasons why you want that new experience or situation again and again, over and over, all day long, every day, until the cows come home and it will be continually adding energy to your manifestation - affirming to the Universe that you DO know it's coming and that you are exceptionally excited about it!