The Law of Attraction: Can you manifest your success?
The mainstream popularity of the Law of Attraction has grown over the last decade with the release of books like The Secret that break it down into its simplest ideas. While I certainly don’t claim to be an expert, there are certain elements that do seem to have some real value, especially for professionals wanting to grow their business. Let’s take a look:
What is it?
Again, I’m no expert here, so this is just a general glimpse at what the Law of Attraction is all about. From what I know, it’s a belief about the way the world works. It suggests that we’re all energetic beings and that our thoughts and feelings have energy too. The real power of it is that the Law of Attraction suggests that we create our own reality through our thoughts. This is called manifesting. What we think about, we draw into our experience (or attract), and that is then the reality we experience. Let’s dive in a bit more:
Thoughts
Experts believe that we think an average of 50,000 - 80,000 thoughts every day. According to the law of attraction, when we think positive thoughts, we’re more likely to experience a positive reality. When we think negative thoughts, we’re more likely to experience a negative reality. We can’t control our minds completely, but we can bring more awareness to our thoughts and work to cultivate ones that are more in line with what we want. If we’re thinking that business is on a steady decline, there aren’t enough prospects, our competition is going to beat us, that coworker isn’t doing a great job — the list goes on — according to the Law of Attraction, those are the things we’re going to experience. On the flip side, when we have positive thoughts, that business is growing, prospects are out there, we have something valuable to offer, and our team is strong, that is closer to what we experience. It sounds simple, but when you realize how much thinking goes on every day, it’s not necessarily easy to manage the quality of your thoughts — it takes effort to notice the ones that aren’t serving you and to cultivate the ones that are.
Resistance
Ok, so you’re thinking that you’re going to be highly successful, double your salary, and take your business international this year. And then it doesn’t happen. Is the Law of Attraction just a myth then? This belief about reality has been highly simplified into ‘what you think, you’ll experience’. And while this is an essential part of it, it’s not the whole story. We also have resistance working against us. When you’re thinking those things, do you actually believe them? Or are you just trying to trick the system? Did you grow up believing there was a limit to your success? Are you subconsciously afraid of growing your business to that extent? For all of us, there are these more subtle beliefs and fears that can work against the things we want. To create the reality we desire, we need to address and maybe dismantle some of these as well.
How it works?
Like I said, this piece isn’t meant to a breakdown of the Law of Attraction. I’m not even suggesting it’s something that I subscribe to. But what is interesting is that even these most basic principles hold value. It doesn’t really matter if you believe that we’re energetic beings or not.
Let’s look at an example. If you cultivate thoughts that your business is going to be highly successful, work to reduce thoughts that suggest the opposite, and start breaking down beliefs that you don’t deserve success or that too much success could be too overwhelming, what happens? Sure, the Law of Attraction may suggest that you energetically start attracting that success, but let’s be even more simplistic. When you’re thinking positively about your potential for success, what’s your attitude like? Where is your confidence level? How motivated are you? These things directly influence the way we work. When we have a positive attitude, healthy confidence, and high motivation, we tend to work in a way that promotes success.
Now, let’s think about the opposite. What about when you feel like success is always out of reach, that achieving it is impossible, and that work will always be difficult. What is your attitude, confidence, and motivation like then? Chances are, they are all making it more difficult for you to be successful.
The Law of Attraction suggests the power of our thoughts and our ability to create our own experience. Whether you dive in and believe it on an energetic-level, or you simply take away the idea that our inner thoughts can influence our outer world, it’s a fascinating way to approach success. Have you heard about the Law of Attraction? Could it hold any value in your professional life? I’d love to hear your thoughts.