Have you ever simply asked for what you really want in life? I mean, a real genuine heartfelt honest asking?

When I first met a group of people who were really into The Law of Attraction, this was the first thing that really struck me… these people really seem to know what they want! I felt like I was in the right place at the right time - I mean, things were really clicking for me, but I felt a little fuzzy on the topic of deliberate intention.

The Abraham-Hicks teachings offer up specific practices to assist with this challenge. And one of the ideas that I appreciated the most on this learning journey was the notion that you do not have to know what you want in order to benefit from these principles, and that it is good enough to simply want to find out!

In fact, even if you think you know, life is an ongoing dynamic process where you are always learning, and your desires will always be in the process of evolving and changing.

There are days when I feel like a toddler in regards to the material I am encountering.

Today was one of those days.

To begin with, it got off to a rough start. First thing this morning, I was terribly thrown off balance by a recurring pattern of disruptive energy in my life.

What absolutely blew me away was this - on my train ride home this evening, I was listening to material that I download last night, and that material specifically and concretely addressed the issue that I hit head on this morning!

Let me restate that a different way.

Last night, I was drawn to some interesting and new material. I mean - really drawn to it… like I wasn’t sure what the heck I was doing, and when I found it, I said “oh - that was it!” - I downloaded it, and went to bed :)

This morning - I hit a wall. A familiar yet terribly unpleasant pattern of energy in my life. It kind of stuck with me and had the wheels turning much of the day - with no real progress or answers bubbling up… and then, on the train ride home, I remembered the material I downloaded last night, and listened to it for a while.

Wouldn’t you know… the exact, specific pesky pattern I am struggling with was addressed head on in this material. It was like a bell going off… and the answer was delivered right to me so directly and with such clarity that it was unmistakable.

Well, I am not saying too much more at this time. I am in the process of reaching out to the author of this material, and can’t yet imagine the possibilities of what is unfolding in my life. It is my intention to remain open to these possibilities.

What will be better is when I am actively and deliberately creating the life I want. For now, I am toddling along, and having a lot of fun along the way!

First things first.

If a garden is what I want, I am first preparing the earth in which it will grow. In fact, that is precisely what my next step is all about - my connection to the earth… my ability to be grounded and to know, versus getting swept away by feelings and emotions.

It is an all important step for me right here and right now. I know this now… in my gut.

I may have gotten to this point sooner had I known what to ask for. My skill in this area is not yet refined. But days like today sharpen my vision, to be sure.

The event at the start of my day was unpleasant - but was what I needed precisely because of how it made me feel… it pointed me in the direction I needed to go — and made me that much more receptive to a lesson I myself sought out the night before!

I am left tonight with nothing but gratitude, and a welcome anticipation for what tomorrow will bring.

My prayers tonight are likewise full of gratitude… and I am asking for nothing but for what I have learned today to sink in a little deeper and for these seeds to take root.

Have you found yourself asking… Does this Law of Attraction stuff really work? How does it work?

If so, I would like to pose a couple of other questions to you…

1. What do you have to lose to try it?

2. Why do you care about how it works?

As word spreads about the site, and new members sign up, I am still a primary contributor to the high Vibe it site. The topic of interest to me these days has been the Law of Attraction material. As I read up, it still amuses me how much hype there is pro and con surrounding the movie The Secret.

I am also struck by the number of extremely judgmental and hyper-critical posts and commentary on the topic. The comments seem to fall into a few broad categories… (this is where I get to be extreme and judgmental* :)

* note: - I am responding here to comments I have come across in blogs… I am not judging whole segments of the population at large…

1. I am a scientist, or a “believer” in science. Your voodoo is not scientific, therefore, it must be rubbish. And, by the way, you are stupid for thinking these things. We all know science answers all of the important questions in life, and if science can’t prove it, then you might as well be worshipping the tooth fairy as far as I am concerned.
2. I am a Christian… and we Christians know that JC is the ONLY way to salvation and heaven. You “Secret” people are a scary, scary materialistic cult that wants nothing but money, money, money. Therefore you must be evil. I think the devil might even be behind the Secret. (You could write a variation of this item for each religious tradition.)
3. Then there are the people that consider themselves already so enlightened about the misery inherent in existence that it just plain strikes them as absurd that anyone could suggest otherwise.
4. To be fair, I believe there are people who have evolved their own sense of things to the degree that they are already quite liberated from the common baggage that life brings with it. These individuals have no need to understand a different system because theirs already works just fine, thank you very much. I also believe that these individuals can thrive in a multitude of belief systems, and function well within the confines of long standing traditions.

Well friends, if I were to put on my Law of Attraction colored glasses - I would see that everyone that falls into the above categories are correct! That’s right… their opinions match the world they live in. The world they live in is created by their thoughts about that world. For some, it works very well. For others, life is nothing but a constant stream of conflict and failure. In other cases, it’s just a mixture that appears to be randomly served up by existence… sometimes good, sometimes hard.

This reminds me of the Dr. Wayne Dyer quote:

“Loving people live in a loving world. Hostile people live in a hostile world. Same world.”

If any of this critical thinking about The Law of Attraction concerns you, I would offer up a few ideas to stir the pot o’ thoughts in your noggin…

1. Many of the critics are responding to “The Secret”, and what’s more… some of them haven’t even seen it, and are simply reacting to and resisting the hype and the media treatment of the movie. From what I understand, The Secret is a highly marketed and simplified version of some of the teachings of The Law of Attraction. It does not deal with the complex issues. No movie could deal with these complexities in a period of a couple of hours. Also, keep in mind that The Secret is new. The Law of Attraction is anything but.
2. The Law of Attraction is many things to many people. This really bothers some people. It makes perfect sense to me. Abraham-Hicks teaches that their interpretation of TLOA is just one interpretation, and encourage everyone to find the interpretation that makes the most sense to them. This is radical… in that it directs the individual to trust themselves above organized institutions… that is to say, trust their real selves… their higher power, inner-self, inner being. Many of the critics seem very afraid of this concept. I think this fear is based on deeply held beliefs that people are inherently weak, stupid, sinful, or whatever other negative term you want to throw in there. The teachings I have tuned in to from the Abraham-Hicks material align much more closely with the idea that we are born as inherently good beings, and then we allow ourselves to become negative.
3. Like any belief based system, you have to believe in order to get the benefits of the system. Critics, by definition, are not believers. Of course they don’t see the benefits.
4. The teachings of The Law of Attraction will manifest in alignment with the belief system of the person receiving the teachings. What does this mean? It means that if a Christian has an open mind, and hears the message, this person is likely to benefit and actively, deliberately CREATE a more Christian life. If a person who is focused on the material plane of life listens and absorbs the message, this person will find greater happiness, and greater material prosperity. How is this different from any belief system??? It’s not.

So, let’s revisit the questions with which we began…

Does this Law of Attraction stuff really work?

I have yet to come across very many voices that have given it a real chance and walked away convinced that there is nothing to it. What is more common is to find people who have studied and worked with it for years, and have evolved their thinking and understanding well beyond the messages being broadcast by The Secret movie.

How does it work?

You will find many answers to this question on the web, and all around you. I believe the variety of answers to the How question directly correlates to the wonderful diversity of life experience and thought systems present in the people that come to experience the benefits of this way of thinking.

My response is to restate these questions:

What do you have to lose to try it?

If you are an open minded person, and looking for ways to extend your mind and spirit… you have nothing to lose. There are processes you will learn that will benefit you for a long time to come… whether you work with this material for one week or one year. Despite the attempts by the media to find a new boogie man here, there is nothing inherently risky, damaging, or destructive in the teachings of The Law of Attraction.

An honest dive into this material will bring to you more self-awareness and more self-knowledge. Those are always benefits according to my world view :)

Why do you care about how it works?

If you reason for caring is fear based, you might want to take a closer look at that fear first.

If you are worried about what others will think, or afraid it will take you places you don’t want to go… these are very self-limiting fears and constraints. You might find some relief from these constraints in the teachings of The Law of Attraction. You will certainly benefit from these teachings to a far greater degree if you set yourself free from these constraints early in the process.

The bigger point here is - why does it matter how it works, so long as it works? Of course, what it means “to work” will be different for everyone.

As my father always said “if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it”. I believe that trying to answer the How question is trying to fix a problem we haven’t really yet identified.

To borrow from the Abraham-Hicks teachings… do you really care how the water gets to your faucet when you are thirsty? Stop and think for a minute about the amazing variety and number of things we do each day as inputs into systems - the mechanics of which we don’t really understand.

So, How Does the Law of Attraction work?

Ok… let’s say you still want to know what I think about this question.

I’ll preface my answer with three important notes…

1. My primary teachers on the topic of Intention and The Law of Attraction have been Dr. Wayne Dyer, Deepak Chopra, and the Abraham-Hicks material.
2. My thinking is also heavily influenced by my exposure to the teachings of Christ, A Course in Miracles, and my training in college studying psychology and philosophy.
3. Like you, I am always learning… my answer tomorrow will be slightly different from my answer today.

I tend to believe we have this thing I’ll call the brain-mind. The brain, from what I can tell, is a highly evolved and complex organ capable of reflection upon itself, and as such… is capable of reflecting on the nature of the Universe. Where the physical brain meets this element of self-awareness which is a 100% mirror of awareness of “other”… this is the brain-mind. Or, if you suits you better, you can call it the mind-brain :)

I tend to think of The Law of Attraction works by teaching us how to better use our brain-mind. It changes the focus. It helps us understand our point of Power… which is the Choice we have each and every moment.

Choice = Freedom = Power

It helps direct us to the Moment, where all possibilities unfold.

It liberates us from our self-created drama. Drama requires time. A past, and a future. The Now is drama free.

It reminds us that life is inherently Joyful. Our very existence is a demonstration of Abundance in the Universe. There is Joy in Being. To quote Abraham-Hicks… this is why we are called human beings, not human doings.

How The Law of Attraction works is by teaching the brain-mind to recognize patterns of how things work inside and outside of itself, and by teaching it how to use it’s own energy more efficiently, effectively, and in a way that is inherently more Joyful.

But don’t take my word for it. Give it whirl. Have some fun. Enjoy the journey!

Take a look at the high Vibe it site for more on the topic of The Law of Attraction. Have resources you’d like to share? Please submit them here for the benefit of others!

If you ever feel badly and really want to feel better but don’t have any idea how… try these. These are some tips I have picked up from my teachers over the years.

1) Practice Gratitude

Don’t just think “oh, yeah. Things could be worse. Guess I should be grateful.” Rather - stop and consider the real abundance in your life.

Have a roof over your head? Food to eat? Did you sleep in a bed last night? Have you ever slept on a floor? A warm and safe place to rest the body and mind is a wonderful thing.

Pull out a piece of paper and write it down. List just one thing if you are in a bad place. List many, many more if you can. As you write these things down on paper, really Allow yourself to FEEL THANKFUL.

This isn’t about anyone else. This is personal. This is about what the world has given to you. Maybe it is a good friend. Maybe it is the blessing of a friendship from years ago that you find yourself really appreciating more with time. Don’t focus on the lack - focus on the gift that was or is present in your life.

Breathe deeply and think for just a moment how beautiful and amazing it is that you are alive. You are a gift to the world. Things may not be as you like right now. Things will change. But the simple fact that you are here is a miracle of abundance all too itself.

2) Say this out loud: “I want to feel good”

I heard this on a Dr. Wayne Dyer audio book when I was feeling particularly down and in need of help. My first take was - “huh? C’mon Dr. Wayne… that’s the best you can do for me in my hour of need!”

But then I tried it. I closed my eyes and said “I want to feel good”.

Now don’t expect waves of bliss to come sweeping over you, or the clouds to crack open with a blinding light shining down.

But DO expect to actually feel better.

This sets out the clear INTENTION of feeling GOOD. It also helps you find your Power again when it is being drained away.

3) Write this down and carry it with you: “What you think about me is none of my business.”

Pull it out of your pocket and read it frequently.

This is handy if you are feeling down because of what YOU THINK OTHERS THINK OF YOU. I came across this in one of Dr. Wayne Dyer’s books… the idea is simple but powerful.

The idea is this - you can’t control what anyone else thinks. You don’t really know, and you certainly cannot control what they think of you.

The Power comes from the simple act of LETTING IT GO. This is your choice. It is your power. Just as you choose to care what others think of you - you can likewise LET IT GO.

How? Just imagine the other(s) that are concerning you, and say it out loud: “What you think of me is none of my business”.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

If you find yourself browsing the web, and wanting to feel better, browse on over to the high Vibe it site to see what the community is posting there. High Vibe it is expanding to become a wonderful place to find inspiration and insight.

Thank You for joining me. Thank You for visiting, and for reading this blog.

So here are some more or less random thoughts today:

Fear is a funny thing. In some ways, it is powerful simply because it keeps you FROM the things that can empower you. That is to say, because we feel fear, we indirectly create an impoverished environment in which to live our lives.

In attempting to keep ourselves from things or moving in certain directions in life - it is also the same force within responsible for holding onto things that we believe will protect us.

Imagine a life in which you are always moving towards that which you desire. Imagine never fearing or running away from anything. They may seem like two sides of the same coin… but I have come to see that these two energies produce very different results.

Running away is retreat. Fear is withdrawal from life. It is pulling, holding, constraining, reducing.

Moving towards is loving, nourishing, growing, expanding, evolving.

One of the most fundamental things many of us in this life run away from is our own potential. Our own greatness. Our world is overflowing with self-defeating messages and “better than me” images. I loved the movie Akeelah and the Bee. It really brought home this message… it is FAR easier to accept our fear that we are a failure, that we cannot make it, that we will never be good enough, smart enough, beautiful enough… but what is really at the heart of these messages?

It is Judgement of self. And Who is the Judge?

And more importantly, what is the Measure?

What we are really afraid of, I believe, is all too often simply LETTING GO. It is a big principle in recovery work, and for good reason. The act of holding on is inherently in conflict with the very nature of life itself.

Life is about growth, evolution, and change. Growth does not happen without death. Old cells must die to make way for new cells. I am not 100% sure of the science behind this fact, but I read long ago in a Deepak Chopra book that every cell in our body is replaced within a cycle of every 7 years. Everytime I think about that, I am amazed.

This means that if I take a good look at what I often think of as ME, the physical me, in seven years time - NOT A SINGLE CELL of me will be the same. What is it then that will make the seven-year-out me the same or different from the now-me? Some of it is baked into our genes apparently. Some of it is in our environment. But all of that raw material is tremendously effected by our intentions, thoughts, and habits. And a habit is just something we chose to hold onto. Letting Go is a way of life.

Here are a couple of powerful thoughts that came to me out of the LOA (Law of Attraction) stuff recently.

Abaraham-Hicks talks about the Art of Allowing. On the surface, it simply seems to mean *allowing* other beings to go about their journey. Allowing them to seek their own Joy.

This is profound to me. At the heart of it, it challenges the Golden Rule that gets baked into so many our little minds at a young age. The “do unto others” rule is an ethical code of conduct that assumes that if everyone just did the same thing, and that same thing was a good thing, then the world would be a better place.

There is a deep rooted assumption in this idea that conformity is RIGHT. That everyone SHOULD follow the same rules. That the world would be a better place if everyone would behave the same way, make the same choices, and think the same way. And that there is a RIGHT way to do all of these things… and if there is a right way, there are surely wrong ways.

What is so liberating to me about the idea of The Art of Allowing is that it celebrates the diversity of the human spirit. It also liberates me from the overwhelming, tedious, and pointless task of trying to figure out what is right!

The effect of my own ‘code of ethics’ has brought me to a place where I have also experienced a great feeling of
rejecting the world around me. After all, if the world could be a better place - then this one isn’t ‘right’. If
people could treat people better, then they aren’t ‘right’. This leads me down a path of inevitable frustration, anger, and bitterness.

What if I look at the world around me and simply ACCEPT it? How? By Letting Go of my Judgement. What if the world is PERFECT? What if I am perfect…. perfectly imperfect? Hmmmm… now that’s a different feeling.

~~~

I revel in my imperfections
for they render my Judgements mute
and silence is the voice of God

~~~

Can people change?

I believe there is a core aspect to who we are, an “inner being” if you will, that does not change. This is the essence of self, the Observer, the silent self.

I believe almost everything else that we commonly think of as “Me” is nothing more than a wardrobe change in the play of life.

I am the way I am because of some combination of:

- this is how I want to be, I like it
- I have not yet Allowed change
- there is something about the way I am that works… it gets me what I want
- it matches my concept of me, it fits my story… a story of my choosing, a story I want and like

If I think of myself in this way, my life opens up tremendously. It expands. It grows. My story can evolve, become deeper. I can question what I really want in life. I can Allow change.

Some things are simple, yet they escape me time and again.

Here are some random thoughts running ’round inside my mind this morning.

You have to be ready to receive wisdom, or it just doesn’t take.

If you are not open with the world around you - no one knows where you are at - no one will know what you need. If you are open - you are receptive. It is NOT weak to be receptive. You cannot grow or gain wisdom if you are not open. If you act like you have it all figured out - you will never learn anything new.

I have been in a much more open state of mind in recent months - and have been “asking” for guidance. There is a thought that runs through many different spiritual traditions that the Universe is fundamentally creative in nature. Ask, and detach from the outcome. Be Patient. Be Open.

Because I have been more open - a friend could see my place… the journey I am on, and recommended the works of don Miguel Ruiz… I wrapped up “The Four Agreements” last night, and believe I was ready for its lessons.

It is not a remarkable work for its depth or complexity. In fact, I am not sure I encountered many “new” thoughts or ideas in it at all.

Something else about it helped carry it through my usual filters and barriers. Maybe it was its tone. Maybe it is simply that it was written with Love, and without Judgement.

This morning, I awoke for the first time in many days with a renewed sense of energy and direction. I want to send out Much Gratitude to the friend that pointed me to this work, and to don Miguel Ruiz himself, along with his Mother and Grandfather… and to everyone else involved in the web of activity that helped bring this book to my hands.

The last of The Four Agreements is to always do your best.

After thinking through this for some time - it has helped lift a huge burden from my chest. For months, I have been beating myself up about a number of situations from my past. I guess this is normal in the wake of such devastating loss - I have been “stuck” to the past.

It is heavy. I can’t change it.

What makes matters worse - I learned about a few things in recent months that occurred in my family several years ago. When I first heard about these things - I pushed them out of my mind completely. Well, that never works.

This idea - always do you best - it simply means that if you are honest and really doing you best *under the circumstances*, taking into account all the other factors, then you can always keep moving without Judgement. You can let go of the past, you can let go of your second guessing, your Judgements, and your role as Victim.

As you Let Go, you regain that spiritual / psychological energy that you were putting into that internal drama.

I believe this is why I woke up feeling better today. I know deep down in my bones that I did the best I could. I know I did. I am not perfect. I made mistakes. But I did the absolute best I could.

R e l e a s e.