Understanding the law of attraction is very simple once we start to figure out that it is we who complicate life with our own ineffectual conditioning. Although we hear expressions like “what goes around, comes around”, “you get what you give”, “be careful what you wish for”, and “ask and ye shall receive”, we tend to act out that which is ingrained in us from childhood. Damaging messages of lack and limitation are constantly transmitted throughout our young lives, not only by our family of origin, but by way of schooling, society and by organizations. We then learn to expect exactly what we’ve been told. “This is hard, that is too competitive, girls can’t do that, boys shouldn’t do that”, it goes on and on.
Rarely, in our young journey, is there an introduction to understanding the law of attraction. The closest we generally come to a glimpse of this is through bible quotes and old sayings that go undeciphered. Some cultures keep these sacred practices alive, but for the most part, understanding the law of attraction, in principle, lost its popularity somewhere between the new thought movement of the late 1800’s and the invention of white bread. Sure, there have been pockets of enlightenment here and there, but it is still far from mainstream practice. At least not to the degree it should be. Most of us in fact, come to discover it only once we are nearing rock bottom or in a state of crisis. It is then that we naturally receive that olive branch, that magical question we put out to the universe. The question that leads us to understanding the law of attraction.
We’ll start first by recognizing that all the answers are within. Before taking personal credit for the geniuses that we are, we must first see that the inner wisdom of which we speak is not solely from the individual but that of the universal mind. It is a wealth of knowledge of infinite proportion. We are each individuated from a whole which is the universe. Although we have been given the power to master our thoughts and create our own paths, we must always be working in conjunction with the whole, as the whole operates through us and we in turn affect the whole. With that out of the way, let’s dive into understanding the law of attraction.
Understanding the Law of Attraction in 5 Simple Terms
Like Attracts Like – You’ve heard this before. It is the way this whole thing operates. We have polar opposites of everything and, everything within that, is made of the same, just degrees within the scale of opposites. Even when we think of the notion that opposites attract when it comes to relationships, upon closer examination we will always find a common thread. That common thread may be the mutual desire to be more like the other, or to find someone who balances the areas of weakness. Not utilized properly though, the opposites will take position in ways that add friction, not growth. The very things that drive someone to their opposite can be the force that drives them apart, or it can serve as the inspiration to be more whole.
We gravitate to the people, the situations, the experiences that are in line with our current state of being. Anything beyond that is considered going outside of the “comfort zone.” We can, however, gradually change that by stretching ourselves beyond what feels comfortable when we adopt the mentality of personal growth and empowerment. Then we seek the unfamiliar and ask the questions that lead us to our higher path.
To attract new experiences, new things, you must put yourself in the realm of that which you desire. This is done through conscious thought, through feeling, belief and through action. Just as doctors tend to hang out with doctors or those in similar professions, those who are creative gravitate toward other creatives. The same goes for alcoholics, criminals, healers, and writers. No matter who you are, there is always an energetic match and it’s a given that it will find you even when you don’t actively seek it out. If you look at everything as a vibration of energy, you will quickly see that each vibration seeks out its own in likeness. Therefore, to generate more of the same, you must place yourself in that vibration of it via your thoughts, your beliefs, your feelings and your actions.
Thought is the Beginning of all Creation – All invention, all physical things, all creation begins with thought and is manifested through thought. It is the brush by which all things are painted and brought into realization. Most thoughts are produced involuntarily through the unconscious mind and by influences all around. The reality that is created today is a result of thoughts woven in the past. Past beliefs and attitudes that form thoughts materialize into the current reality you see before you.
Quite simply put, you are who you believe you are, think you are, and the world is exactly what you think or believe it is, for within the world lies every example imaginable. You only need to place your attention to it. The thoughts you choose to focus on will bring to light their equivalent, for life is but a mirroring of what lives within. “As within, as without.” Understanding the law of attraction reveals the magnitude that the power of thought has. It can either bring a sense of self-empowerment or a fear of failure, or perhaps both as it seems a great power indeed. Before contemplating that one might have too much power, or the possibility of messing things up with the wrong thoughts, it’s important to understand that not every thought will carry the same gravity because there are other components necessary to see thought to its materialized fruition.
Breathing Life into Thoughts – Next in understanding the law of attraction is the difference between inertia or lifeless thinking versus energetic thinking. While thoughts do materialize into reality, you must consider the quality of the thought and how it is backed by genuine belief and corresponding emotions. If every child had the power to make reality of their thoughts simply by the words “I hate you… I wish you weren’t my mother!”, all us mothers would be in big trouble, for the thoughts are fueled by words and emotions that heavily match the thoughts. Thoughts and strong emotions that rise in a moment of intensity do not necessarily have the power to manifest into reality. Rather, it comes into its realization with an accumulated force that takes effect over time. Manifestation from thoughts occurs gradually, with repeated application, which is also backed by belief and matched emotion.
You’ve heard the term “self-fulfilling prophecy.” It is when one fears or anticipates the occurrence of something with such repetition that it eventually takes form. You likely have experienced the uncanny way that things which you fear often show up in your world. The more you try to escape them, the more they seem to pop up. In understanding the law of attraction in terms of thinking, you will see that it works on the premise of like attracts like.
The thoughts you continually align with, draw unto themselves more thoughts and experiences of similar effect. In other words, if I think about the things I hate, I am still drawing upon the energy of that which I hate and attracting it into my world. Whether we focus on that which we most desire or that which we wish to push away, we draw both nearby. It is that which we place our attention to, that materializes in our world. Finally, to complete the solidification of thought into realization, we must take action where necessary. Thoughts materialize into the “real” world by means of repetition, feeling and belief, but also by action. Wherever prompted to naturally take action, be it symbolic or by physical doing, it is the final component to bringing thought into its physical manifestation.
You Are what You Think You Are - Where you place your thoughts and beliefs is the reality you will experience. As Ralph Waldo Trine put it, both the optimist and the pessimist are right, for each experience the equivalent of their output. "The optimist has the power of seeing things in their entirety and in their right relations. The pessimist looks from a limited and a one-sided point of view. The one has their understanding illuminated by wisdom, the understanding of the other is darkened by ignorance." For no matter where we place our beliefs, we live them out in the physical world just as we imagine them to be.
To see yourself in a world that does not give you respect, is to continually place yourself in the expectation of this limited view. Should you choose to see yourself as someone clearly deserving of respect, you will behave in such a way that elicits respect, you will expect respect, and you will give respect. That which you believe you are, is that which you are.
State of Being – One of the deepest concepts in understanding the law of attraction is that of “being.” It is stated that all that can be already exists and that we only have access to that which is in our own awareness. To live in the realm of that which we desire, we must create a state of being that is in alignment with the thing we desire. In other words, walk the walk and talk the talk. Live today as if you are already in possession of the things you desire. Check your words, your stories, your beliefs, scripts, code of conduct, manner of dressing, the way you carry your body, everything in your being that is either in alignment or out of alignment with the thing you wish to materialize. Simply put, like attracts like.
Be the energetic match of your dreams. If you love beauty, organization and expansive spaces, then you know that your surroundings in the here and now must also reflect that love. If you’re surrounded by clutter and chaos, with broken down old things, you must purge, organize, beautify and make space for the new to replace the old. Be that which you see in your mind’s eye. This is by no means the exhaustive list for understanding the law of attraction, but it is the basis on which to build. If you would like to read more on law of attraction principles and practices, click here.
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