Law of Attraction and the Role of Action (Blog)

[Erin Pavlina]

Use this thread to discuss the following entry from Erin Pavlina's blog:

Law of Attraction and the Role of Action

[OlderWiser]

To me, this isn't any sort of law of the universe or manifestation or anything else. It's just common sense. Yes, if you want fresh fish for dinner, you need to go get some fish. There's nothing magical or mystical about it, nothing whatsoever.

That's not attraction, it's acquisition.

By the same token, it's not manifestation or LOA when you get a job after pounding the pavement for weeks or months, handing out resumes and filling in applications (something I've seen LOA coaches talk about). Yeah, if you apply at enough places, you'll eventually get a job, assuming you're qualified for the positions you're applying for.

The same is true for most of the LOA things I've seen. This "take action" thing is the part that always makes me laugh, because it's always just common sense. Yes, put in applications to get a job. Yes, go fishing to catch fish. Yes, get a teaching degree to be a teacher.

I really WANT to believe in the Law of Attraction, but I've been reading about it for months and months now, and trying to practice it and as far as I can tell, it's nothing more than old fashioned positive thinking, some self confidence exercises, and a lot of hard work that has very little to do with the universe, and everything to do with personal effort.

[Leon64]

Thanks for this post, it has reminded me of some things about myself. not too long ago I was in a severe depression, hated everything, never had a girlfriend etc. Now after some help, im feeling great, and ive gone from never having a girlfriend to being in a great relationship, as well as having more girls than i can remember telling me how they like me. It must be noted that I have never had anyone tell me this when I was in the depressed state. I wanted love, and received it once I became the vibrational match.

[rubelin]

what about when you have no idea what action to take?? Or when your negative thoughts (fears) are so thick that you can't stop thinking them?? Does that mean it really is hopeless that you will become, and stay, a vibrational match for your intentions??

[moonrambler]

This is where it gets frustrating for me too, because I feel like OlderWiser said above . . . and I realize this is a Personal Development forum, but when I'm thinking about what Intentional Manifestation is, I'm not thinking of it like this: Somebody wants extra money. He gets a part-time bartending job. Wow! LoA works!

You want some fresh fish, so you go out and catch some fish. I don't see in any way how that is LoA at work. It is somewhat IM at work, because IM may spur a person on to effective action.

LoA to me, would be, a person wants some fresh fish, so she gets her fishing equipment together to go over to the lake. Just as she's about to get in the car, a neighbor stops by and says "Hey! I just caught a whole bunch of fresh perch! Want some?"

This is LoA and IM working together, as far as I can tell.

And I would love to hear more, and more, and more of these types of stories.

[Erin Pavlina]

For some people LOA is very easy and straightforward. But there are apparently a lot of people who misunderstand LOA as just wishing and hoping. "I wish I could win the lottery," but then they never even buy a ticket. LoA is not magic. It's being clear about your goals (difficult for some people) and then preparing yourself to receive that goal by taking strong and consistent action towards it.

And yes, someone could come along while you want some fish and say, "Hey, I just caught some fish would you like some" and that's great. But if you don't even know you want fish, the opportunity to have fish may pass you by.

When you have no idea what action to take or what you really want then you are at the mercy of other peoples' goals and desires, at the mercy of what your guides or higher self want for you, or at the mercy of what nefarious beings want for you.

I do believe it's important to get clarity on what you want because it then also defines what you're not willing to settle for.

[Mato Kinze]

Originally Posted by OlderWiser

To me, this isn't any sort of law of the universe or manifestation or anything else. It's just common sense. Yes, if you want fresh fish for dinner, you need to go get some fish. There's nothing magical or mystical about it, nothing whatsoever.

That's not attraction, it's acquisition.

By the same token, it's not manifestation or LOA when you get a job after pounding the pavement for weeks or months, handing out resumes and filling in applications (something I've seen LOA coaches talk about). Yeah, if you apply at enough places, you'll eventually get a job, assuming you're qualified for the positions you're applying for.

The same is true for most of the LOA things I've seen. This "take action" thing is the part that always makes me laugh, because it's always just common sense. Yes, put in applications to get a job. Yes, go fishing to catch fish. Yes, get a teaching degree to be a teacher.

I really WANT to believe in the Law of Attraction, but I've been reading about it for months and months now, and trying to practice it and as far as I can tell, it's nothing more than old fashioned positive thinking, some self confidence exercises, and a lot of hard work that has very little to do with the universe, and everything to do with personal effort.

I guess you have to start defining "magical" and "mystical". A pocket cigarette lighter would have been "magical" 1,000 years ago. Sticking someone in the arm with a hollow needle and squirting some liquid into them and curing The Plague would have been "magical" 500 years ago. Hell, saying the Sun was the center of the Solar System was not only "mystical" but heretical 500 years ago. But understanding certain principles and how the Universe works has redefined our terms for us.

Who's to say that what we term "magical" and "mystical" now are no more than principles we have yet to understand? And, just because some choose to call them "magical" or "mystical" doesn't make them any less real.

On the flip side of that coin, denying that they are "magical" or "mystical" doesn't make them any less so. Just because we know HOW something works, doesn't mean we know WHY it works. The two are not mutually exclusive and - IMHO - actually support and defend one another.

[OlderWiser]

Originally Posted by Erin Pavlina

It's being clear about your goals (difficult for some people) and then preparing yourself to receive that goal by taking strong and consistent action towards it.

That's not any sort of Law of Attraction. It's simple common sense. Set a goal, prepare for it, work your butt off until you achieve it. No attraction necessary.

I honestly don't meant to be negative, but this is something I've known all my life. It's not a law of anything other than "cause and effect".

Originally Posted by Mato Kinze

Who's to say that what we term "magical" and "mystical" now are no more than principles we have yet to understand?

No, you misunderstand me. I apologise if I was unclear. Let me put it another way.

I DO understand the principle at work here. It's very simple: Set a goal. Figure out how to achieve that goal. Work toward it until you achieve it (or until you give up and go another direction, I suppose). Voila.

There is NO spirituality involved in that. None. And that's what disappoints me. It's all EGO based.

Originally Posted by Erin Pavlina

When you have no idea what action to take or what you really want then you are at the mercy of other peoples' goals and desires, at the mercy of what your guides or higher self want for you, or at the mercy of what nefarious beings want for you.

Yes, exactly. So if you're out of ideas, you're out of luck. Or at least, it seems that way.

Like I said, I honestly WANT to believe, but there's nothing there to "believe". It's common sense. Want more money? Get a better job! How do you do that? Put in resumes and applications until you get one! VOILA! LOA at work.

As I said, that's not LOA. It's just cause and effect. Simple goalsetting and planning and carrying out of action. There's no "higher self" involved at ALL. It's all ego based. YOU come up with the idea, YOU plan for it, YOU execute it.

And that really disappoints me, because it's not "spiritual" in the least. I had real hope that there WAS something spiritual going on that I could tap into, but I find that, like everything else, it's all up to me and my puny little ego to figure it out.

Again, I'm sincerely sorry to sound so very negative, but it's just how I feel about the situation after a tremendous amount of reading, soul-searching, thought, meditation, and, yes, prayer... If it's really up to me and my little ego to figure it all out and put it all into action, well, let's just say that's not encouraging.

[moonrambler]

Originally Posted by Erin Pavlina

For some people LOA is very easy and straightforward. But there are apparently a lot of people who misunderstand LOA as just wishing and hoping. "I wish I could win the lottery," but then they never even buy a ticket. LoA is not magic. It's being clear about your goals (difficult for some people) and then preparing yourself to receive that goal by taking strong and consistent action towards it.

What I'm looking for is the stuff that makes me go "Wow." The stuff that has no real logical explanation, or at least less of one than: decide you want a job, send out resumes, go on interviews, get a job offer. I agree with OlderWiser -- that isn't really LoA. I mean, it is, but only at its most basic. That is the sort of work that we can find information on anywhere.

Personally, I'm looking for the magic. I'm looking for this sort of thing: Somebody applies for a ton of jobs and doesn't get any offers. He explores IM and LoA and begins visualizing, meditating, dreaming, writing affirmations, whatever feels right for him. He begins living this new reality of this new job, accepting that it's already a done deal and now he's just calmly waiting for it to appear. Maybe not always calmly. Maybe sometimes he's frustrated, upset, ready to throw it all out the window, maybe sometimes he's afraid he'll never find what he really wants. But most of the time he's calmly going about his life, still sending out resumes, still going on interviews, still doing his resarch, and still working with his IM.

At some point, out of the blue, he gets a call from a place he'd been turned down by several months ago, long before he ever started his work with LoA, and now they want to offer him a job. In fact they want to offer him an even better position than he had originally applied for.

That's where I go "wow."

[rubelin]

Originally Posted by Erin Pavlina

When you have no idea what action to take or what you really want then you are at the mercy of other peoples' goals and desires, at the mercy of what your guides or higher self want for you, or at the mercy of what nefarious beings want for you.

I do believe it's important to get clarity on what you want because it then also defines what you're not willing to settle for.

I'm afraid this will get lost in the shuffle of where this thread is heading but I wasn't saying what if you don't know what you really want. I'm talking about knowing exactly what you want, very clearly, but have no idea what actions to take and are held back from taking some actions by great fear.

Of course, I had a great biz meeting today for work that would fulfill most of what's on my list, so maybe I already have taken whatever action it was that brought me more in alignment with my intentions

As for those who don't get how the LOA works, it's really not about working hard to get what you want. Maybe a better way to describe it is having an intention for a specific kind of relationship and writing it down then joining a couple of dating websites and having the first person make you a favorite be just about everything on your list. Or having the intention that you will move into a house by X date and having your dad's neighbor mention to him that a house is available and it's just what you were looking for. Or having your spouse want a divorce and you are really committed to having your kid's parents live close together and then your next door neighbors move out a couple of weeks later so your spouse can move in next door. Or you are committed to working from home doing something you love that will give you enough money to expand you current tiny business and the first job that you see on Craigslist turns out to be with someone who will not only hire you to work for her but also wants to help you with your business and market your products.

Those are 4 things that happened to me in the last 4 years (actually, 3 of them happened in the last 7 months). There's dozens of other similar ones.

Hm, maybe I've answered my own question. The hard part about the LoA for me is that you never see it in action until it's happened. You just keep intending, sending it to the universe and heading in that general direction and suddenly you find that it's happened. For me it's becoming more about really trusting it's going to happen enough to remember to include important things in my intentions (like specifying that there be 2 bathrooms in the dream house, lol!)

[Erin Pavlina]

Moonrambler, let me share my experience with you.

Years ago I decided I needed to bring in more income to help out our little growing family. I wrote down my intention. I wanted a job where I could work from home, for about 20 hours per week, making a minimum of $25 per hour. I decided I wanted it to be through web consulting and that I would either want one client who could give me the 20 hours or a bunch that would add up to 20. Then I went on about my merry way.

I did not solicit anyone. I didn't even tell many people what I wanted. I think only Steve knew.

one day, out of the blue, I got an email from a woman at a magazine telling me that their current webmaster was going on maternity leave and asking if I wanted to take her place for 3 months at a rate of $25/hour at about 20 hours per week. Dream come true. How did this woman know about me? Many months before I was on their website and noticed a few programming errors so I emailed their "webmaster" and told them about a few problems I saw. I wasn't asking for anythign and can't believe they even thought to ask me.

I took the job, the woman decided not to come back after maternity leave so the job was mine and I kept it about a year before moving on.

That was a great example of Law of Attraction in my opinion. I was clear about what I wanted, I had the skills to handle what I wanted, and I believed it was possible to get it. And it came to me.

Same thing happened when I sold my business. Read the blog story here:

VegFamily Sold: How I used the Law of Attraction to sell a business

[OlderWiser]

Erin, I've read that story on your blog. (I'm a very devoted reader of your blog; I think I've read everything you've written there, and I do recommend it to others.)

Where is the "action" in that story? You just decided what you wanted and it appeared. Yes, I do consider that pretty cool. Absolutely. But where in that is the "take action", other than accepting the job? Was it writing it down?

I meditate regularly, I keep a private journal and a public one with thoughts on spirituality, etc. I read a LOT. I've been working at this for a long time now, trying to understand. I've seen a lot of stuff that makes me go, "Huh" and a lot that makes me go, "Hmm".

I've seen things in my own life that I would call miraculous or close to it, though I had no clue about any sort spiritual laws at the time. I'm sure it must work for some people, at least some of the time.

I guess I'm just profoundly frustrated with the entire process. I work my metaphorical backside off trying to change my limiting beliefs and my attitudes and so on and on and on and I've got pretty much nothing to show for it but a shelf full of books. It IS frustrating. And to make matters worse, I'm in currently experiencing a life situation that I find extremely stressful.

I can be argued that I'm in this situation specifically to teach me something or other, of course, and that's probably true (I suspect it is). But I've read a lot of positive thinking and goal setting stuff. There's nothing miraculous about that. There's nothing spiritual about it. It's just hard work paying off.

If I could figure out how to actually do this stuff, I'd be much less stressed.

I apologise if I've come across as harsh. I'm just frustrated and I feel very disappointed with the universe. I don't know what else I can do, and while I know that time is an illusion, it's very short and if something does change very soon, things are going to be very, very bad for our family.

I feel like a total failure. I didn't try hard enough, or believe enough, or get rid of enough limiting beliefs, or... I dunno. I'm just not good enough.

Pretty disheartening, to say the least.

Apologies. I'm going to go now.

[joesugar]

I have to say I sympathize with both sides. I agree in some ways with OlderWiser. On the other hand, I've had the LOA work in my own life but it's been kind of hit and miss.

Some things seem obvious. For example, our own action must be involved somehow. Even the lottery winner had to get off the couch and buy a ticket. And it would seem that there are some things that can't be done. No matter how much I may want to be Napoleon, no matter how much I may believe I am Napoleon, I will never be emperor of France.

So where are the limits and what is necessary to make it work consistently? Please don't tell me all I have to do it is "feel" it. This means different things to different people. Don't tell me all I have to do is believe. I may manage to convince myself I'm thin. That is, until the next time I look in mirror. Don't tell me all I have to do is act as if it's true. That may work for some things (for example, changing personality traits) but when it comes to something concrete, it could do more harm than good. (Picture the person with loaded credit cards acting as if they had unlimited wealth.)

I've come to the conclusion that there are some people with a natural talent for this. The rest of us can develop the ability with practice. But what do we practice? In my opinion, the really interesting area lies is identifying those techniques that, when practiced consistently, will allow all to utilize the LOA.

I can't help but feel like the characters in "Stranger in a Strange Land" whose seemingly magical abilities were simple but could only be taught in Martian. Where to I learn to speak Martian?

[Acting Like Godot]

I have only 3 words to say:

Practise, practise, practise.

(Or does that count as only one word?).

[Mato Kinze]

Originally Posted by OlderWiser

No, you misunderstand me. I apologise if I was unclear. Let me put it another way.

I DO understand the principle at work here. It's very simple: Set a goal. Figure out how to achieve that goal. Work toward it until you achieve it (or until you give up and go another direction, I suppose). Voila.

No need for apology. This is a free and open discussion with people who can accept differing views without judgement or criticism.

"S'all good."

But, I will take a second to follow up. I don't think I misunderstood you. I completely get that you feel you understand the cause and effect of hard work, planning, and self-actualization. Cool.

BUT, and this is just and idea, so try it on and see how it fits: What if there's more to it than you are seeing?

Let ME put it another way:
If you were a marionette - or something LIKE a marionette - and had been your entire existence, you would not necessarily recognize that you were such. You would see the strings that held you up as merely "how things were" or "A function of the physical universe, bound within the laws of science and nature". Unless the curtain somehow slipped or parted, and you suddenly saw the Puppet Masters, you could go your entire existence simply thinking the strings were there because they were there.

But if you DID see the curtain slip, what would you do? Probably run around and tell everyone you knew, "Hey... These strings...they're attached to something WAY bigger than us!" Maybe people would believe you, maybe they wouldn't. But in the end, it wouldn't matter, because YOU'D know what you saw.

But what if YOU didn't see the curtain slip? What if someone ELSE saw it? What if they came to you and said, "Hey, these strings...they're connected to something WAY bigger than we are!" Maybe you'd belive them.. maybe you wouldn't. You see, you could still explain everything that happened to you in terms of the world you had created for yourself and it wouldn't NEED to include some "mystical force" holding you up.

Of course, that wouldn't make the mystical force any less real...

[Trezker]

Of course thinking positive and taking action is common sense. But common sense is a funny term since it isn't common at all nowadays...

Positive thinking has a huge effect on you. It keeps you motivated and makes everything easier to endure. But my impression from Steves old posts is that positive thinking has a bigger effect than you can explain through science and common sense.
An example: Take two guys having the exact same intention with all actions and outward appearance being exactly the same. If one guy thinks more negative thoughts than the other, the more positive one has a greater chance to attract his goal.

Well, it doesn't really matter if LoA has some "magic" to it. The "common sense" factor is so big you'd be an idiot not to use it even if there's nothing more to it.

[munish]

Originally Posted by Erin Pavlina

but if you’re out stalking John or Jane at the mall you just might miss them.

[Acting Like Godot]

Originally Posted by OlderWiser

If I could figure out how to actually do this stuff, I'd be much less stressed ........ I feel like a total failure. I didn't try hard enough, or believe enough, or get rid of enough limiting beliefs, or... I dunno. I'm just not good enough.

What methods / techniques are you actually using?

[moonrambler]

Originally Posted by joesugar

Some things seem obvious. For example, our own action must be involved somehow. Even the lottery winner had to get off the couch and buy a ticket.

Even this. I won the lottery in December and I didn't have to buy a ticket. Sure, I didn't win very much, but that seems like LoA to me, since I was manifesting for money and a friend sent me a ticket in a Christmas card.

Thank you, Erin, for responding -- that's more what I'm talking about.

[BringTheDarkness]

I wanted to jump in here with a few thoughts.

As I have mentioned before I came to the LOA stuff from a little bit of a different angle, that of majick.

I know some competent "dark" mages who DO use LOA/IM with very little action and get results...

But these people have spent a LOT of time (and as ALG said) practice to get there.

Now let me tell you about myself.

I decided to throw away most of the ritual trappings I was using and just use LOA/IM and visualization.

Now keep in mind I'm not new at this.

For a few weeks nothing happened. Actually it was more like two months now that I think about it.

Then all of a sudden, things started to happen.

The first two intentions I'm not talking about, because they deal with darkness and aren't relevant. (one has come true, one didn't yet)

But another was for money. My wife calls me this week about a check that came in for $400.

I didn't DO anything, except think/visualize money.

Then, all of a sudden, all of this synchronicity started happening with other things because I CHANGED my world-view.

Now granted, like I said, this type of thing isn't new to me. I am good at focusing my will (especially when I'm in rage) and *I* still had to practice as well.

You have to get rid of the blocks and frustration you have which I understand is sometimes harder to do than you think.

But keep going, and if you can focus enough you are going to be good to go in MOST cases.

BTD

[moonrambler]

Originally Posted by OlderWiser

I guess I'm just profoundly frustrated with the entire process. I work my metaphorical backside off trying to change my limiting beliefs and my attitudes and so on and on and on and I've got pretty much nothing to show for it but a shelf full of books. It IS frustrating. And to make matters worse, I'm in currently experiencing a life situation that I find extremely stressful.

I can be argued that I'm in this situation specifically to teach me something or other, of course, and that's probably true (I suspect it is). But I've read a lot of positive thinking and goal setting stuff. There's nothing miraculous about that. There's nothing spiritual about it. It's just hard work paying off.

If I could figure out how to actually do this stuff, I'd be much less stressed.

I can relate to so much of what you've said in this thread. There are a couple points I want to mention about these comments specifically.

I've been playing with synchronicity and 'magnetizing' things into my life for over 20 years, so it's all familiar to me, and I'm pretty good at certain aspects of it. It wasn't until fall of last year that I started going at it with laser focus on one specific issue I have so much trouble with -- money. There have been all sorts of emotional ups and downs since that moment. One of my early decisions was to stop being so stressed. That sounds so hard, but I came to a quick realization that being stressed made no difference in what was going to happen and if it did, it probably would be on the negative side, so it would not hurt to believe that things would get better. Since it didn't matter or even if it did, it would be positive, I just went with a full belief. This isn't holding up 24/7, but it's a lot better than it was.

You say: It can be argued that I'm in this situation specifically to teach me something or other, of course, and that's probably true (I suspect it is). Then you say there's nothing spiritual or miraculous about any of the positive thinking/LoA information. But to me, this aspect of it is very spiritual and miraculous -- that the practice of it will shine the light on what the universe is teaching you, and you've got to learn something and maybe even do something in regard to this, before you can actually receive what you have manifested.

[shant121]

hey Erin

that was a great explanation...very simplified and unlike the 800 and 900 level courses that Steve offers

law of attraction is working great for me now...but it always helps to read more about it and revise the basics thank you

[Erin Pavlina]

Yeah I'm definitely more of a Clif Notes type of writer

Glad you liked the article.

[Dan.Linehan]

Great post Erin, thanks.

[oberlee]

Originally Posted by OlderWiser

I apologise if I've come across as harsh. I'm just frustrated and I feel very disappointed with the universe. I don't know what else I can do, and while I know that time is an illusion, it's very short and if something does change very soon, things are going to be very, very bad for our family.

I feel like a total failure. I didn't try hard enough, or believe enough, or get rid of enough limiting beliefs, or... I dunno. I'm just not good enough.

Pretty disheartening, to say the least.

Apologies. I'm going to go now.

OlderWiser, I'm really sorry for your frustration with everything. You are NOT a failure! Take a deep breath, let yourself off the hook, and move on. The problem is, the worse off your situation is, the harder it is to attract something better (in my opinion). I mean, I understand you have a lot of pressure and people counting on you, and when the stakes get higher, so does the anxiety, and the uncertainty, and any chance for joy.

If LOA isn't working--throw it away. I mean, by its own definition, if you don't believe it's working, it's not going to. It can't. I believe it does work, but I can't tell you that. I guess find out what does work for you, be open, and don't stress out about it.

Again, you're NOT a failure! I don't know your situation, but it takes great courage to be willing to fail. Big hugs to you! I'm sending you good thoughts and wishes (maybe if LOA doesn't work for you, it can work for me and make things better?)

[RallyMcnally]

I think people should really take up qigong/taichi/meditation or any other form of healing art to calm the mind and to stop thinking so much.

I think the majority of the problem lies with people who "think way to much".
When I use to try to attract things, it was hard not to think a thought of doubt or some crazy violent thought. My mind use to be quite the torando of thoughts until I started meditating on a daily basis and practicing qigong.

Attraction didn't start working for me until I found "my inner room" where thoughts don't exist. It's so much easier to focus your intent on something when your mind is quiet!

[JesterLittleFool]

This is great, all the different views on the Law Of Attraction...

Here is my take on this subject of LoA and Action:

Originally Posted by OlderWiser

To me, this isn't any sort of law of the universe or manifestation or anything else. It's just common sense.

Keep in mind the LoA is nothing new, it has been around forever. The only new thing here is the buzz words "Law of Attraction". If you consider Napolean Hill's book Think & Grow Rich, it is based on the LoA but doesn't mention it once. I have had many discussions with different people around this and to try to prove something like this is difficult because its all about belief.

The concept of LoA was popularized a few years back by The Secret and for some it left them empty because the message tended to state: All you need is to want it and it will come. But, I think we all agree, there is more to it then just wanting.

First - you must want it, desire creates the vibrational energy. In some old school of Positive Thinking this was setting the goal

Originally Posted by OlderWiser

it's not manifestation or LOA when you get a job after pounding the pavement for weeks or months

Second - you must believe and have faith that your desires will get you what you want. If you don't believe you won't have the heart, energy or the will to pound the pavement for weeks...

Third - Answers from within. This is where LoA differs from the typical raw-raw of positive thinking. It will manifest itself in different ways depending on the situation. But basically it provides the tools required to get to what you desire, this could be in some form of communication as to what to do, or some chance meeting of someone whocan help. Or after ounding the streets for weeks looking for a job you happen to find the ine you really want.

Originally Posted by OlderWiser

Yeah, if you apply at enough places, you'll eventually get a job, assuming you're qualified for the positions you're applying for.

I see two arguments here:
First - I've done that in the past and ended up compromising myself because my goal was just to get a job, Today I would be much clearer of what I want and instaed of hoping I qualify for a job...I look to find a job that qualifies for what I'm looking for.
Second - If you can use the Positive Thinking tools and do this great but, if you have ever been totally down and out Positive Thinking is quite difficult to do depression takes over from Common Sense.

JLF

[mochamajesty]

Originally Posted by moonrambler

What I'm looking for is the stuff that makes me go "Wow." The stuff that has no real logical explanation, or at least less of one than: decide you want a job, send out resumes, go on interviews, get a job offer.

I have one for you.

Tuesday of last week, I was fired from a job that I hated. My first reaction was panic, as I had about 500 bucks in the bank. I was grateful for the small amount I did have, but it was not enough to pay the rent on the 1st. I used the Hicks method. I slowly talked myself into a better emotional state about the entire thing. By the end of that day, my attitude about the entire situation was much improved. I put my desire for the job that I wanted out to the Universe, but I hadn't sent out resumes yet. I just concentrated on being at peace with the situation as is, and raising my vibration.

The very next morning, I was driving to the doctor (to use the medical benefits before they ran out, ya know? ). Anyway, I had my cellphone on silent and the radio off. I just wanted to be alone with my thoughts. I swear that I heard a voice say "pick up your phone". THE MOMENT I picked up my cellphone, someone called.

"Hello, this is ________ from __________ Staffing. I have a position that you might be interested in. Do you have a moment to talk about it?"

Now, this may not sound like much, except I had not sent out one resume. Not one. I hadn't told anyone that I was fired. Now remember, the phone was on silent. There was no way I could have heard her calling if I had not picked up the phone when I did.


This is my first time consciously using LOA. Not bad, if I say so myself.

[moonrambler]

Thank you for that one, mochamajesty! I love that story. I bet you were pretty freaked out.

[moonrambler]

Originally Posted by JesterLittleFool

The concept of LoA was popularized a few years back by The Secret and for some it left them empty because the message tended to state: All you need is to want it and it will come. But, I think we all agree, there is more to it then just wanting.

First - you must want it, desire creates the vibrational energy. In some old school of Positive Thinking this was setting the goal

Second - you must believe and have faith that your desires will get you what you want. If you don't believe you won't have the heart, energy or the will to pound the pavement for weeks...

I haven't read/seen The Secret but have read enough about it to understand the reasons people call it a fraud. It really does sound like it leaves out some important aspects of all this. I think there are people who are skilled enough at IM to manifest something while apparently not doing anything except willing it to occur, but I think it may be that their life is lived in such a way to be completely in tune with what they want already. And I think most of us aren't quite so adept! I know I'm not! This is why I like authors with some more practical advice too -- Napoleon Hill, Jim Rohn, etc.

Your second point is an excellent one IMO. I don't tend to think that people only get what they want if they believe it will happen, just like I don't think that people do not get what they want because they don't believe it enough. I think belief makes the IM more powerful, but it definitely also fuels people in the directions they need to go to make their desires happen. Somebody who wants to be a MLB star or a Broadway actress, or something equally daunting, will probably not really work for it if they don't have much belief they can make it happen. On the other hand, they can believe fully and never actually make it . . . but they'll make it to something a whole lot closer than they would have if they hadn't believed in themselves at all.