"What the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve", Napoleon Hill. With this famous quote many of us were introduced to one of the greatest truths in the Universe! In his book "Think & Grow Rich", Hill outlined a solid plan for achieving riches through the power of the mind. However, he failed to fully outline the great law behind this phenomenon and delve into the limitlessness of it. I am of course talking about the Law of Attraction!
The law states that things, situations, circumstances and even people are drawn into your life because you attract them. They are attracted by your thoughts and your feelings. The thoughts you hold and the emotions connected to them are what is referred to as your "consciousness". It is your consciousness about any situation that activates the Law of Attraction.
The Law of Attraction is becoming almost a household term. There are few people who have not tried to gain benefit from using it and fewer still who have not heard of it. But there are only a small number of people experiencing the huge rewards they desire from its use. Why is this? Are you one of the fortunate few who have learned to utilize this all powerful law? Or are you one of the unfortunate ones who visualise their dreams daily yet receives little or no results?
If you are the latter then take heart because you are reading the very article that can help you to unleash the power of the Law of Attraction to create miracles in your life.
To be a winner in life - one of those individuals who succeeds and reaches their goals - it is essential you look closely as your belief system. Your beliefs determine where your thoughts are directed and your thoughts determine your emotions. It is this combination of thought and emotion which activates the great Law of Attraction.
Do you have problems in your life? Is your life filled with money problems, distructive relationships, bad health etc? Perhaps there are also areas that are working ok or even brilliantly? Most of us have a mixture of the two. Some areas in our life are working and some are not. If you are having problems there is a solution but before I explain what that is we first need to look at the areas in your life that are working.
Look at one such area and ask yourself how you feel about this. Try to identify what feelings come up as you do this. You will find that your thoughts and feelings are very positive around this subject area. Now, it's easy to believe that your thoughts and feelings are positive because the situation is positive but just for a moment imagine that the opposite is true. What if the situation is only positive because your thoughts and feelings are positive? "Impossible!" you may say. Maybe, maybe not!
Now, look at an area where you have problems. I bet when you think of it you get a feeling in your stomach or tightness in your chest and immediately your mind goes into a downward spiral thinking of all the things that could get worse in the situation. Now do you feel like that because the situation is bad, or is the situation bad because you feel like that?
Are you willing to try an experiment? It takes courage. Are you sure you're up to the challenge? If you feel you are courageous enough and have the inner fortitude and open-mindedness to conduct this experiment then let us begin!
The Law of Attraction can be summed up in one short sentence - you get more of what you focus on! As an experiment we are going top take an area of your life that is working wonderfully and we are going to focus on as many things as we can that are WRONG with it for 7 days straight!
As the Law of Attraction brings back to you more of what you focus on then things in this situation should start to get worse - a lot worse. Look for small things to focus your attention on. Let's create an example but you should choose an area that is working well for you! Ok, so you love your job but that guy across from you who keeps picking his nose is really annoying. The 30 minute lunch break is nowhere nearly enough time to get something substantial to eat and let it digest; your workload is unreasonable etc.
Now, if the Law of Attraction really exists you should have a very clear sign of it thorough this little experiment. If you redirect your focus toward the negative diligently for seven day you will find little problems creeping in, probably from the first day. You will find that Mr. Annoying Guy's habits get even more annoying, your lunch break will be taken up by unexpected events and your workload will be increased. This is not just selective attention; you will find that these things actually happen!
If you have the courage to perform this experiment you will have very clear evidence that the Law of Attraction is very real indeed. Before you have finished this experiment you should be already fed-up with the results. So, once you have satisfied yourself that the Law of Attraction really does exist it is time to put things back to normal. Begin to focus once again on the positive aspects of your job. Ok that guy is annoying but he did help you with a certain problem last week. Your lunch break may not be as long as a rival company's but most of the people working there are miserable and at least you are doing something you enjoy. After all there are people out there that have to work at jobs they hate etc.
You will find that things quickly return to normal. But don't stop there. Look for other positive things to focus on. Look for things in your life that you want to expand. Focus on those things and you will get more of them. If you want something that doesn't exist yet then visualize it, feel gratitude that you already have it even if it isn't there it. Look for things that affirm that it is on its way. Take pleasure is seeing others with the thing you have and feel the joy of knowing that it will soon be yours.
Soon you will find that the Law of Attraction can be your greatest friend or your worst enemy. Try this little experiment and then decide which type of acquaintance YOU want the Law of Attraction to be in your life.
What is the main reason for this unhappiness? The central reason I believe this is so is due to a lack of comprehension about the nature of our world which can be precisely linked to our thought programming from childhood.
As a kid we begin to replicate the thought patterns of our peers. A person's beliefs and values are often passed from parent to parent until a person down the generations either has a life-changing experience or on a conscious level removes parts or changes their belief system.
Your beliefs and values predestine your focus and a key point I make in all my writings on personal development is the simple truth that "your focus determines your reality". Focus sets the path of the Law of Attraction.
The inner talk and imaginings of your mind are guided by your focus and your focus is reflected in your thinking. Your thinking becomes mechanical and therefore this becomes your unconscious creation system.
If you are not at this very minute living the life that is in alignment with your wants it is due to your inner unconscious creation system being out of alignment with your desires. Simplified this is more simply said as: Your focus is on what you do not want instead of what you do want!
Let us say you have payments due coming from everywhere and can't pay them. When you receive post through the mail what is your first thought? I'm sure it goes somewhat like this, "just what I expected more bills". Where do you think your focus being placed?
Why do the wealthy get wealthier and the less advantaged get more disadvantaged? Well a rich man has riches and he knows it is his already. He sees wealth all around him. The poor person sees lack and concentrates on it. Can you see the contrast in mental attention?
Now there are there are 2 basic methods to redirect your focus. The initial method is to alter your beliefs so that your focus becomes more unconcious but in the direction that is more in alignement with your desires. The next method is to deliberately redirect your attention to circumstances, people or events that reinforce new beliefs.
However this is often simplier to say than to do. For example take a look at the feelings, thoughts and beliefs of a person who has racial tendencies who thinks that he is better than another person due to his culture, skin colour, or ethnic beginings. I am sure you will agree that any normal person knows that these beliefs have no foundation in reality (subjective or otherwise). So in order to alter these beliefs, at a deep level, the racist would need to have some contact with other racial groups that have equal or better results in areas of their lives than he does. If he believes he is smarter then he would need to see that there are highly intelligent people of all ethnic backgrounds. If he believes that he is more likely to being successful because of his race then he would need to see that there are people of all origins who achieve success with ease. If he holds the view that he is more able to overcome obstacles than members of another race then he would need to know that people from all walks of life and different origins have achieved against seemingly insurmountable odds at great cost to themselves and so on!
The problem with this is how the person directs their focus! In the majority of cases the racist doesn't want to see such things. His focus is on the circumstances, people and life senarios that relate to and strengthen his beliefs! In extreme circumstances such a person will not permit himself to be in the company, correspond with, or listen about people of the group he is racist toward.
You and I do precisley the same thing everyday. If your life is similar today to yesterday, last week or last year it is entirely because your focus has remained the same. It is certain that your focus yesterday where the same as last week and if your thoughts and focus are the same today then you can expect the next day to bring the same results!
If your beliefs are called into question by that which you see, hear or experience many times you simply blank the information and continue 'blindly' believing what you have always believed. There is a natural tendency for us to filter our reality so that it reinforces our beliefs. It is necessary to need to break free from this self-imposed hypnotic trance and direct our focus on the things that will strengthen a new belief until we completely begin to belief it is real.
For example take a couple in a 'strained' relationship. Each one come home from work sure that they are going to have an argument with their other-half. Sure enough they arrive home and low-and-behold argue about who is taking the dog for a walk, what to watch on television or why they argue so much! Where is the focus in this relationship?
Perhaps they decide to try a new approch based on creating new beliefs and focus. They look at those areas that are working in their relationship. They talk about the reasons why they first became a couple and begin to reinforce the things they have in common. Their focus is beginning to alter. Although they will probably fall back into some old routines of arguing again if they keep their focus on common interests and the things in their relationship that are working can you guess what effect this will have on their relationship?
Try this little experiment yourself. Pick a person who annoys you in some way and that you can't avoid but would if the choice where yours. A work colleague is a good example. Can you think of one? OK, what are you focusing on about that person? I bet it is all the things that they do which annoy you the most. Try to think of something they do that you admire of that you like or that you admire about them. This can be difficult sometimes but remember that everyone has good and bad qualities so try not to be too polarised about people thinking them either entirely great or entirely evil - they are just people.
So, for a few days as best you can, try to focus on the things you like or admire about a person you are having trouble with and wait to see what happens.
Once you have succeeded at this small experiment try other little experiments in other areas of your life that you need to make better.
Both Michael Mcgrath & Michael A. Mcgrath are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.