A Better Life (Blog)

[Savage]

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

A Better Life

[{aspiring_to_clarity}]

Favorite new Steve quote:

Now and then we all get dealt a toe yarmulke...

Very good post. Keep them coming!

[Akashic_Librarian]

haha I really like this one Steve, once again you've mirrored my worries and framed me an answer...

Bravissimo

[Shamou]

Originally posted in Steve’s Blog
Thoughts can only be formed in the present moment. And thoughts can only exert effects in the present moment.

If I interpret that correctly it would mean that it is the sum total of my thoughts that will influence my future… that is, if I spend 99% of my time thinking that my future looks good… chances are that my future will be good… and that I am on the right track to generally attract what I am manifesting…

At least, that is how I have been using the LoA… and it has generally worked for me…
.

[Snake1987]

Very interesting perspective there. Rather uplifting too.

Nice one.

[Sam988]

I was already preparing myself to harshly disagree with steve saying "he also became one of those freaks who think they can change all instantly just by willing it without any planning", but then i read this on his article, and it changed my perspective:

Originally Posted by Steve Pavlina

If you want your intention to manifest, you must stop reinforcing its absence. But at the same time, you cannot escape the necessity of observing your present moment. So by all means continue to observe, but observe with the intention of continuous change in the direction of your desires. Intend your reality into motion.

Now THIS is good stuff, thanks steve.

This is the down-to-earth approach to LoA i like; believe that you will achieve what you want, but don't forget that it's not coming instantly, don't forget your present moment and situation, so you won't do anything stupid.

[NorbertK]

Hello Sam988 ,

Originally Posted by Sam988

approach to LoA

What's the meaning of LoA ?

I am new to this forum and no native speaker of english so bear with me.


Norbert

[{aspiring_to_clarity}]

Law of Attraction. Here's an article Steve wrote about it.

ETA: Welcome to the boards. Nice to have you here!

[ZHereford]

Originally Posted by Sam988

This is the down-to-earth approach to LoA i like; believe that you will achieve what you want, but don't forget that it's not coming instantly, don't forget your present moment and situation, so you won't do anything stupid.

I agree. The something stupid might be spending money you don't have while feeling abundant and getting into some serious debt, otherwise know as counting your chickens before they're hatched.

[Life Warrior]

I knew my calculus skills would come in handy at some point in my life. Now if I could only find this limit as h approaches infinity...

[sfh123]

Thanks for breaking it down for us math nerds, Steve...

L

[Paul C]

The most recent posts have really cleared things up for me concerning perceptions of reality, everything is becoming clearer. I had lost touch slightly after a recent realization, but have now returned on a higher level of understanding.

Constantly I am seeing the importance of focusing on the journey itself rather than always looking into either the past or more especially the future for that gleaming moment which can only be found within this moment- the present.

Thank you, again.

[Andrew Brunelle]

This is something I had just worked on in a journal entry. Wow, Steve, this whole one consciousness thing is really starting to take effect now that I truly believe it. I get it now. Thank you.

[ArthurHung]

Thanks for yet again another great post. I can really connect with your genuineness and passion in this one.

[apwbd]

Steve, great post, and the velocity vs position analogy was bang on. It is unfortunate that you need to qualify such a basic concept from high school math/physics with the "math nerd" tag. Maybe you should add a smily next to "math nerd" and take a jab at those who don't get this.

A suggestion for a future post: How to best make use of the articles on this site? There are now a few hundred articles on your site. Even those who are long time readers tend to forget what they may have valued in an old post unless they put it into action. What then is the smart way to read this blog? For example, do you suggest we
* journal every entry that we thought was significant, and write down why?
* rate each entry, so that we can go back and read our highest-rated ones?

[Bruce Achterberg]

Originally Posted by Steve Pavlina, 'A Better Life'

Whenever you observe reality, observe it changing in the direction of your desires. See your present reality as a canvas that paints an ever more beautiful picture. Your awareness of that beauty is constantly increasing. Life is getting better and better.

The nice thing about this model is that you can always apply it, even in seemingly negative circumstances. You can always intend improvement. You can always focus on hope.

This reminded me of a comment I read on another blog (www.sirlin.net/blog, for those interested):

From The Elements of Style:

Hopefully
This once-useful adverb meaning “with hope” has been distorted and is now widely used to mean “I hope” or “it is to be hoped.” Such use is not merely wrong, it is silly.

I'd call this approach "Hope 2.0", where hope is something you embody (being instead of doing) and -- using the ideas in this article -- see as something increasing in your reality, not something that will "hopefully" come to you from the "future" and meet you half way (which I'd call "Hope 1.0", kind of like what Steve refers to as "Level 1 Gratitude" in his article, Gratitude).

[Bruce Achterberg]

Originally Posted by ArthurHung

Thanks for yet again another great post. I can really connect with your genuineness and passion in this one.

+

Originally Posted by Snake1987

Very interesting perspective there. Rather uplifting too.

I concur.

I too could very much perceive a strong sense of genuine expression, as if the article had a sort of "grounding" in actual experience. It felt as if the writing was merely a conduit to express this particular quality... kind of like I had a direct link to Steve and the state he was in when he was writing this article (I find certain books do this as well... no matter what state I'm in, I only have to pick up A New Earth and I can literally feel a sort of energy radiating from it, and I begin to feel my state shifting to match the energy).

Reminds me of something Steve wrote in his article, My Experience of Creativity:

As my ego dissolves during a creative endeavor, I enter a state of oneness with the ideas I’m exploring. If I write an article on productivity, I feel as if I am productivity. If I write about courage, I feel completely fearless. If I write about emotions like love or joy, I sometimes experience them so intensely that tears stream down my face, but I’m only aware of the tears to the degree they cause my eyesight to blur or tickle my cheeks. During an act of creation, I temporarily become whatever I’m creating.

--------------------------------

@ Steve:

Excellent writing, Steve -- this is another one of those "sweet spot" articles.

You've definitely been on a roll lately... and while you could attribute my favour of your more recent articles to me liking the particular "channel" your blog is on at the moment (ie. the notion that some readers will praise certain articles and then get bent out of shape when you "change to a different channel"), that tends to not work for me since I like all of your channels.

Again though, I think this is more about how you are writing then the particular topics you write about. Keep it up!

But yep, I can see you now, assigning me a mental label based on my feedback... I'm too much of a long term reader to match "the convert"... perhaps I'm a better match for the the "Steve fanboy" label, or maybe the "sweet spot writing style junkie". I feel so pigeon holed and generalised.

[CannibalSmith]

For my fellow math nerds, we can say that our intentions should focus on the derivative.

[Chinese Dragon]

Steve, your blog's URL doesn't seem to return this article, takes me to How to Stop Complaining at the moment:

http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/

[carenkh]

How did you reach in my brain, and know *exactly* what I needed to hear today? Thanks for a great post!

As I was reading it, I got an e-mail. We are going to an unschooling conference in a couple of weeks. I've been stressed about that, thinking we can't *really* afford it, but wanting my boys to have the connection - especially my oldest. Today, I've been trying to turn my thinking around, and focus on gratitude, and knowing everything will be OK. The e-mail I got said the organizers had to move us - from a dorm-type room (just beds and a shared bathroom) to a lodge - a brand-new lodge with a living room area, private bathroom, and its own kitchen. There's no extra charge, since this was something they had to do. Just thought I'd share - thought that was pretty cool.

[squeakywheel]

So, if my intention is increasing abundance, do I buy my daily cappuccino or not? Knowing that by omitting it, I can improve my current financial situation by $100/month. But by omitting it I am in some way acknowledging and giving energy to my current scarcity? Because in an abundant state, I would choose to imbibe . . .

[smartile]

Steve - what you're saying works, no doubt. The one thing that your post was missing was a bit of practicality. It's nice to talk in theory how things are suppose to work but I didn't feel that you added anything tangible. Give me something to chew on!

What WORKS From My Experience
I know in the past two weeks, I've been visualizing every morning and every night about the things I want (right now). Visualizing a new engineering contract position, tenant in our basement apartment and visualizing a powerful day full of miracles. I've been receiving all of these things and more and it's awesome.

Without a doubt this process works and it will provide you a way "to get better" in the present moment.

Cheers,

Stephen Martile — Personal Development with NLP

[carenkh]

Originally Posted by squeakywheel

So, if my intention is increasing abundance, do I buy my daily cappuccino or not? Knowing that by omitting it, I can improve my current financial situation by $100/month. But by omitting it I am in some way acknowledging and giving energy to my current scarcity? Because in an abundant state, I would choose to imbibe . . .

That's a great question! Looking forward to reading the replies. I find myself in the same boa... uh, cup of cappuccino.

[John P]

Originally Posted by squeakywheel

So, if my intention is increasing abundance, do I buy my daily cappuccino or not? Knowing that by omitting it, I can improve my current financial situation by $100/month. But by omitting it I am in some way acknowledging and giving energy to my current scarcity? Because in an abundant state, I would choose to imbibe . . .

Steve says to focus on the intention that your income is growing. So I would say if you choose to give up your cappuccino, then your income has immediately increased by $100/month. Don't focus on giving up your coffee (which would be scarcity), focus on now having an extra $100 to use.

[mosbyone]

Originally Posted by squeakywheel

So, if my intention is increasing abundance, do I buy my daily cappuccino or not? Knowing that by omitting it, I can improve my current financial situation by $100/month. But by omitting it I am in some way acknowledging and giving energy to my current scarcity? Because in an abundant state, I would choose to imbibe . . .

That cup of cappuccino/pot of coffee is a form of abundant living.
I am also new to the forum, what a great place.

[Jaben]

I read this article yesterday and applied the method of creative observation as follows:

Last night I held the intention that my son would fall asleep as soon as I put him to bed. After 20 minutes he wasn't asleep yet. I noticed and appreciated the fact that he was still laying down and not talking. Although he was still tossing and turning, it appeared he was getting closer to the state of falling asleep. I kept making observations that were consistent with him getting closer to falling asleep, but it didn't happen.

Then I noticed that I was holding a discontent with the present circumstance. I wanted him to be asleep but he wasn't. I decided to accept fully that my son is not currently asleep and that I don't know for sure if he will fall asleep soon or not. I felt calm and the discontent was gone. At that moment I noticed the temperature was getting cooler in the room and provided him additional covering. In one minute he was fast asleep.

This experience illustrates to me the importance of surrender to what is. My observation of the temperature arose from a stillness, a letting go of the discontentment with the present circumstance, a gap in thoughts.

I'm wondering if intention is even necessary. If I surrender to what is completely, will the best action and best manifestation not arise spontaneously from this surrender?

If intention is born of discontentment isn't it likely to result in more discontentment?

If one surrenders completely to the present, would the need for intention arise?

[Rose of Cairo]

Steve! Thanks for this post!!!! It's great.

And thanks for the mathematical explanation, that made it instantly clear to me.

Thank you so much!

[Angela]

The velocity/momentum concept is great! Really a helpful way of thinking about intentions for something you want, but don't have. It can feel a little silly to say, "I have a fun, well-paying job!" when in fact you're unemployed with no car or experience.

It would be a mistake though, I think, to consider that you're limited to a gradual upward slope when it comes to ways of being. For instance, you might be tempted to hold the intention that "I'm becoming more peaceful" or "I am growing more and more joyful" or "I am becoming more and more relaxed about my boyfriend hanging out with Angelina Jolie" .... not that those are bad intentions -- they're great! (except I'd leave out the "about...Jolie" part and leave it at "relaxed").

When it comes to ways of being, though, while sure enough you can nurture and grow those ways of being, you also have the option of just Being Peaceful or Joyful or Relaxed right now in this moment! This would be a breakthrough, as opposed to a gradual increase. The thing about adopting a momentum mindset in the case of ways of being is that you might be likely to use a gradual increase as a way of putting on the brakes for getting what you want. In other words, there might be a part of you that doesn't feel ready or deserving, or that you must put in work first, or you don't believe it's possible yet but think you will someday, etc. So you dig your heels in a little, slowing yourself down in order to feel comfortable.

I would like people to realize that if you want to change your way of being, you can have it NOW. Generate it.

Why wait?

[Life Designer]

Excellent stuff everyone.

The moment is so vital. Nothing else really matters even though it feels like it does.
I teach people how to take the next step after the law of attraction and this issue is the number one struggle. We have to accept in a continuem the reality we desire and relax in the truth of who we are designed to be.

The key to attracting the life you want is to know the life you were created to attract.

Keep moving forward

[shant121]

Fantastic Steve!!! " *exactly* what I needed to hear today" for me too. Loved your slope theory!!!