What do you do when something bad less-than-pleasing happens?
Do you tell yourself:
A) Bad things are always happening to me. Cuz I’m a loser like that.
B) Bad thing? What bad thing?
C) I caused it! I caused the bad thing with my bad less-than-pleasing vibration!
If you’re in group A, you might want to work on your victim issues empower yourself to face life with your inherent strength and power.
If you’re in group B, you might want to snap out of denial take a clear and objective look at the circumstances of your life.
If you’re in group C, this post is for you!!
Here’s the deal: Knowledge of the Law of Attraction is like discovering a super-power. One that belongs not just to superheroes on TV, but to you! In real life!
photo: Jeremy Keith on flickr
Put most simply, the Law of Attraction states that “Like attracts like.”
In day-to-day life, this translates to: If you’re a happy, easy-going person who expects good things to happen to you, good things will happen to you with regular frequency. Like, all the time.
On the other hand, if you’re a Grumpy McGrumperton who thinks that life sucks, your life will spend most of its time sucking.
When we wake up to the truth of this law – a law that is happening whether we’re aware of it or not, which is (duh!) why they call it a law – life can get pretty fabulous. We shape our thoughts and attitudes in a more pleasing direction, and circumstances around us follow suit.
Boom! Bam! Super life!
photo: JD Hancock on flickr
There’s only one hitch. It happens when we use our super power to flog ourselves:
Why did I attract that baaaaaad thing? What’s wrong with meeeeeee?
And that’s where the trick comes in.
It starts with the word baaaaaaaad.
Who’s to say what’s bad or good?
Actually, that’s not a rhetorical question. The answer is: You! You get to say what’s bad or good.
The Law of Attraction trick gets activated when we choose to see the good in everything. Even things that other people might call bad.
Here’s an example:
Let’s say that you are a person who is a little bit contrary. (I’m just picking a random example. This has nothing to do with me.)
And let’s say you notice that those around you also have this same tendency.
photo: V.H.D. on flickr
In terms of Law of Attraction, there are two ways to go:
Option 1 is to thoroughly beat yourself up for being a contrary person who is attracting people who are equally and often, let’s face it, even more contrary than you.
Let the Law of Attraction flogging begin!
But wait! There’s another way!
Option 2 is to notice the Law of Attraction in action – contrary is attracting contrary – and then turn it around.
Find things to appreciate about the contrary people around you. Take your attention off the things that annoy you about them, and focus on all the things you love about them.
photo: Wonderlane on flickr
In the process, you’re also shifting your focus away from your own contrary nature. (Again, I have no personal knowledge of this particular trait.)
For those who might claim that this is a process of denial – I say No it’s not!!!
And I’m not saying this just because I’m contrary. (Okay, it’s true! I am! It’s me! I’m the one in the example!)
The trick of shifting your focus to positive aspects is exactly the opposite of denial. First you notice the totally annoying less-than-pleasing aspects of yourself that are being mirrored in the even-more-annoying less-than-pleasing people/places/things around you. Then you choose to shift your focus.
In the process, you transform yourself. And everything around you.
Voila!
So the next time you catch yourself activating your Law of Attraction flogging muscles, take a breath. Step away from the flogging. Find the positive traits in the people/places/things around you.
And yourself!
Be the superhero you were born to be!
photo: Lance Neilson on flickr
What’s your experience with Law of Attraction flogging? Share your comments below!
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hey rev,
where does mental illness come in? severe depression? it takes a mentally ill person to really understand a mentally ill person, but what have you extrapolated from your years of experience with regard to overcoming deep depression through the law of reciprocity? i’m not being a smart aleck; i am legitly asking. 🙂
Hey Squirrel,
It’s a great question, and not one that I claim to be an expert, never having been severely depressed.
However, from my experience in the mental health field, and years of working with the law of reciprocity, my observations and experience are this: consciously working with the law of reciprocity is not for everyone. If someone is in a severe depression, they may need to get themselves stabilized in other ways – medication, therapy – before they can begin to consciously work with law of attraction stuff. That said, there are people (Byron Katie and Eckhart Tolle come to mind) who have experienced major breakthroughs while in a severely dark place. There’s no one right answer – it depends on the person and the circumstances.
It’s also the case that cognitive therapy – which is working with the thought process and shares much in common with the metaphysical approach – is one method that can work with people in chronic depression. So even if it’s not the full-on Law of Attraction approach, consciously changing your thoughts can work in a wide variety of circumstances.
That’s my two cents.
I’d love to hear your take on it, as well as what other readers/commenters might have to say.
XOZ
i wish i knew the answer.
Terrific post, Z. And I love the humor — as always!!!
I believe that Law of Attraction is THE orchestrator of everything in the Universe. That. is. huge.
Mark and I were at a Law of Attraction last Sunday where the presenter told what a relief it was to discover Law of Attraction and learn why things happen as they do. But he said he did indeed beat himself up at first when he’d catch himself thinking negatively. He’d also worry about the results of his negative thoughts.
I’ve done that, too — the flogging. But I’ve learned that it’s HABITS of thought that make the difference, and some occasional negative thoughts here and there are easily outweighed by the overall positive trend in my thinking habits. So I give myself a break, the benefit of the doubt, and a big bear hug to the extent that is possible. 🙂
As for Squirrel’s question about mental illness/severe depression, I’d like to share what I’ve learned from Abraham-Hicks about those subjects.
People vary widely in their DESIRES. Some people have intense, overriding desires; many others have relatively small desires. Now, desires overall are great — they pull life force to the planet and to the person. This is very powerful, life-giving energy. HOWEVER, when people with BIG desires have consistent negative habits of thought (Abe calls it “resistance”) by focusing on what they don’t like and don’t want, then they are summoning the powerful energy through their desires but not allowing it into their experience and not allowing their desires to manifest. The energy that they are summoning then beats them up, in Abe’s parlance. They become horribly frustrated. Life stinks. They can lose their ability to even get out of bed (severe depression) or they can find some relief by going into an imaginary world (psychosis).
So we could generalize by saying there are 3 types of people: 1) Those who have small to middlin’ desires; 2) Those who have big desires but long-term negative habits of thought that don’t allow them to manifest. (These people can thus experience serious mental and physical illness and other unwanted things.) And 3) those folks who have big desires and sufficiently happy (“allowing” in Abe parlance) habits of thought to see them manifest. These folks can live life large and manifest all sorts of wonders.
Abraham teaches us how to allow our desires to manifest via consistently shifting our mental focus, no matter if our desires are huge or teensy-tiny.
And that’s why I’m an “Abester.” 🙂
Hi Karen,
Thank you for your comment. I agree with the presenter about the relief one can feel when we discover this stuff. When I first stumbled onto metaphysics in my 20s, I wondered why I’d never learned about any of this in school. This is how things really work, and no one ever bothered to mention it?!?!? Every day, I’m grateful to have found Abe and the many other metaphysical teachers I have benefited from. They have all helped make my life immeasurably better.
I’m glad that you tend more to bear-hugging than flogging!! 🙂
And thank you for weighing in on Squirrel’s question. Great insights and information. As I would expect from you!! 🙂
XOZ
thanks Z. I needed that.
You’re welcome, Linda Conner!! 🙂
XOZ