About The Law of Attraction
July 7th, 2008 |
By Sarah Jenkins, MC, LPC
Click here to contact Sarah and/or see her GoodTherapy.org Profile
Maybe you can relate to this. I know a lot of folks who are learning about or working the law of attraction into their lives. The principles, just like the law itself, have been around for many years; they do work to manifest our intensions. I would also bet that many of you have read the books, focused your thoughts, and written them down. How many of you have felt disappointed if those goals didn’t manifest as you had hoped they would?
Maybe this sounds familiar: “this law of attraction crap doesn’t work.” Well, it’s not crap; it really does work. But, isn’t it interesting that it is also a Law of Attraction? You still have to do something. The universe still needs to see that you believe in it. Focusing on the law attraction, alone, to manifest goals is just one piece of the puzzle.
Action As The Energy
I believe that the universe listens to thoughts and feelings, as well as the actions that follow from your intention. If you want something, show the universe that you are doing all that you can, really can, to get there. Action is the energy behind your intention; it is the gas that drives that law of attraction. In other words, it is not just enough to solely focus your intention. You must also act from a place of “what I want is on its way.” Even if you have fear, move in the direction of doing it anyway, to challenge it.
As you would probably agree, focused positive intention to reach a goal is necessary. Yes, we must focus on thinking positively, write down positive goals, and stay future focused. You must also take action, demonstrate that you believe in it, by doing whatever must be done to reach that goal in reality.
Unfortunately, and maybe you can relate to this, folks may believe that the universe has not heard them if they fail. Then it becomes “something is wrong with me,” “I can’t do it,” “I’m not important enough.” Then, ironically, those beliefs are fed back into the universe, via that law of attraction. The negative experiences, sense of lack, and struggle to manifest continues because the perception is that “I thought positively, and it didn’t work.” Then the cycle of negatively continues, and there is sense of lack. You see, unfortunately, we can’t just receive; we must also balance it with doing something as well. This is also how we manifest a healthy balance between our masculine and feminine energies.
I Think I Am A Little Like You
Course, you may be thinking that this is more easily said than done, right? What do I know? But, I may be a little like you. I had a goal and knew that I had to put my “money where my mouth is” about this law of attraction stuff. I had believed in it for years, and saw life through that lens. But, when it came to my largest goal, I was afraid that the fear would take over.
I’m sure you can relate to this, whatever you goals are. I wanted desperately to be in private practice. I finished my graduate degree, got my licenses, and worked in the public health system. But for me, and maybe even you, it wasn’t where I wanted to be.
I’m sure that you can relate to this, too, no matter what your job is. I sat in my small dingy office (that of course I shared with every other damn therapist), stared at the mismatching furniture, and the piles of ridiculous paperwork. I started getting burned out, but dreamed of what that private practice and the freedom it would give me. I could see what that my practice would look and feel like. I had the intention. I also had a ton of fear. I’m sure you can relate to that as well.
Finding Freedom
I did have enough self-awareness to know that something wasn’t working for me anymore. I knew that I could experience a sense of freedom, and enjoy my life like those private practice therapists I saw.
So, I finally got off of my butt, and decided to jump in with what little information I had. I also made the silly choice to tell my supervisor that I was going to start a part-time practice as well. We had budget cuts. I got laid off the next month. Course, so did many others. To make it worse, the small practice I started, also tanked.
It was dreadful at the time. In hindsight, it was the best thing that ever happened to me. In that moment, I realized that I had passively expected my goal to just “arrive” because I wanted it. Ironically, that assumption was completely driven by ego, and not based in reality. I hadn’t done what I needed to do to make it work, completely. It was my responsibility that I failed, not the universe’s. I had to own my part in it.
Course, my goal kept nagging at me. I tried again.
Don’t get me wrong; I don’t think that I am any different from you. I was still terrified. I also knew a lot more because I had failed once. But I had to make that decision to really, I mean truly, dive in, wholeheartedly. I had to create action, even with fear. Then I was free, and I knew it.
It was when I actually dove in, even though I was terrified, that the universe saw my true intention. It paid attention to my doing it anyway, despite that fear. For example, even when I looked at my bank account, fearing that it wouldn’t fill again, I still paid myself. Otherwise, I was telling the universe that I wouldn’t be successful.
I won’t bore you with all of the experiences I had to go through, resources I had to find, risks I had to take, the ups and downs, and the mistakes I had to make. I mean, who really wants to know all of that stuff? But, I must have done something right. I made it, successfully, and have my freedom. So can you, whatever it is.
Oh yeah, if you are one of those therapists who want to do what I did, to start a private practice, and feel that freedom, drop me an email. I have some free stuff for you!
©Copyright 2008 by Sarah Jenkins, MC, LPC. All Rights Reserved. Permission to publish granted to GoodTherapy.org. The following article was solely written and edited by the author named above. The views and opinions expressed are not necessarily shared by GoodTherapy.org. Questions or concerns about the following article can be directed to the author or posted as a comment to this blog entry.
13 comments so far
Hi Sarah, I love this topic about the law of attraction and I really liked how you used an example from your own life to demonstrate how we can get in our own way of manifesting what we want. Have you read the secret? I didn’t read it, and maybe I’m wrong, but I don’t think the authors accounted for the influence of one’s inner world or unconscious mind. My experience is that one can believe in oneself, practice creative visualization, speak positive Affirmations, and even take action toward goals, and yet still harbor unconscious parts of oneself that believe or feel otherwise. And it is because of the law of attraction that the parts of us that hide in the shadow and out of our awareness will have just as great, if not greater influence on the outcome of our lives. So I think that the real secret about the Secret is that the authors really don’t know what the secret really is: healthy psychotherapy. Besides getting it wrong, the Secret seemed like one big greedy and commercial money making ploy that led many people astray and cause lots of harm. Are there any other thoughts on the Secret or about the Law of Attraction?
This article was so inspiring! It is the power of positive thinking, just in a manner that is a little more motivational for me. I have always believed that in order to achieve it you have to believe it, and this just sealed the deal for me on that. Thanks so much for those words- you have made me want to continue focusing on my goals and working to achieve them and make them a reality.
David you are right. Many times the paths that we lead in life are very much determined by thinking in a positive manner and then pursuing those. There are many times when it is admittedly easier to give up than to remain in a forward thinking mode but this article really hits home in that it encourages everyone to continue pushing toward their goals and making something of their lives. I think this insight is great for anyone and every age group no matter where they may be in their lives at this point in time.
The statements that refer to just passively expecting the fulfillment of goals to arrive applies to so many young people today. I see that a lot and I think that those who do this are only setting themselves up for future disappointment.
Abraham says to let your every thought, word, and deed be about what you want, and it must come. And if you can’t do that, then let your every thought, word and deed LEAN in the direction of what you want. :)
Thanks for the comments on the article. I am truly glad that several of you found it inspiring, for your own lives. Therapist Anchorage, I am familiar with The Secret. But, not as well versed in it. I got into the Law of Attraction through the Abraham Speaks series (Esther and Jerry Hicks). I remember reading it and it immediately resonated with me. I adopted the principles quite early on in my life. Certainly, it’s not always easy, and there are bumps along the road. Yet, I believe that we can shift out of that unconscious process and being “hijacked” by those thoughts that attract what we don’t want.
There is a lot of good reasonong out there about this thought process and the idea of attracting the things in our lives which are positive through the power of positive thinking. Great article.
I have experienced many clients who come in wanting to know exactly what happened in their marriage to lead them to the point of seeking counsleing. One big issue that I have noticed time and again is that the couple has simply gone in two different directions, with one who is willing to sit and quietly watch life go by while the other partner yearns for so much more and is wiling to do the work to make it happen. That is just one scenario that this article reminds me of. People often want different things from life and there are only so many divergent paths that you can take to make these things happen. I encourage everyone to be a go getter and to not let life passively go by you. There is so much more to be gleaned from it when you and your partner are both active participants.
Sorry guys but I am not all that sure about this law of attraction stuf. I truly do believe that for the most part we reap what we sow, but by the same token I do feel that there are some people who just downright sometimes get lucky and with no work at all they attract good things. Fair? NO. But that’s the way it is sometimes.
Shannon,
Trust me, that is a truly common statement about the law of attraction. That is a lot of peoples’ experience of it. But, even if that feels true, perhaps trying the Law of Attraction stuff out can’t hurt, eh?
I agree. Why not just live a more postive lifestyle and see if it makes any difference in your outcomes? I bet that after a while you will really be able to tell a difference.
How do you encourage someone who makes a habit of living in the negative to just do a complete 180 and in turn begin living with more positive thoughts instead of being negative all of the time?
Stephanie, it seems that working with internal dialogue is often a key to turning around a soul who is working in the negative most of the time. Often helping a client change what he or she says to himself or herself is a huge step in the right direction.