Since the release of The Secret by Rhonda Byrne in 2006, it seems everyone has been talking about "The Law". From our family and friends, co-workers, even Oprah, you have probably heard that if you want to better your life, you simply need to employ The Law Of Attraction.
What exactly is The Law Of Attraction? Simply put, through positive thinking, you can create life changing results. Do you want perfect health, riches, love, or career success? By visualizing that they are yours, the Universe has no option but to make it so. The same holds true for negative thinking. If you walk around with a bad attitude then you will attract more of the same into your life.
So does it work? That depends on who you ask. Millions of people around the globe believe it does, and work hard to live their lives by The Law. If you were to ask one of them, you'd likely hear how their lives have changed for the better, from finding true love to curing disease. If you're a skeptic, like me, you will find yourself asking if those things wouldn't have happened regardless. I mean, if you're in a coffee shop and a man asks you on a date, is that because you were visualizing it so, or simply coincidence? Honestly, we will never know. There is no scientific evidence to back the claims.
What we do know, is that many famous, happy, and successful people credit their triumphs to The Law. Some of the world's great thinkers employ The Law, and freely share the methods that helped them to achieve their goals. Just check out Prentice Mulford, Charles Haanel, Winston Churchill, Robert Collier, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Buddha, Albert Einstein, Jack Canfield, Bob Doyle, Thomas Troward, William Walker Atkinson, Elizabeth Towne, Wallace D. Wattles, William Quan Judge, Annie Besant, Israel Regardie, Napoleon Hill, U.S. Anderson, and Esther and Jerry Hicks, to name a few.
What do I believe? I think that going through a day (much less the rest of life) with only positive thoughts is WAY harder than it sounds, but when I do, my days are better and things seem to go my way. I think that whether or not The Law will make you rich or get you that house in Malibu you dream of, it can't hurt to practice the basic principles. Treat others as you wish to be treated, have gratitude for the things currently in your life, visualize yourself succeeding (hey, it works for Olympic athletes), and think positive. You may never know if the good that comes to your life is due to The Law Of Attraction or chance or Karma or whatever. In some things you just have to have faith.
For the few who haven't seen The Secret movie, you can watch it here...
All that we are is a result of what we have thought. - Buddha
P.S. Don't forget to enter the October Book Giveaway! I will announce the winner on Oct. 31st. Good Luck!
~ Love & Light ~
What goes unspoken when discussing the Law is the blame that implicitly gets put on people who do not succeed. It's a: "You didn't think positively enough, you don't deserve to succeed," sort of thing. Unfair and unfounded. But it also gives people a new way to justify their own successes, even if they didn't earn those successes - for example, someone born into money who goes on to make more money, or a genius who was just born smarter than the person who studies hard. According to this philosophy, by simply succeeding where others struggle or fail makes you morally better than those who struggle. That way you don't have to feel bad for having where others don't, because those others obviously don't deserve it. They didn't want it hard enough. They didn't think as good as you did.
ReplyDeleteWhat happens to those who fail, but believe in the Law? They blame themselves, try to double down, begin to believe that they are unworthy of success, and often fall into depression. Because they internalize that it is their fault.
Thanks for the comment, Amber. I agree to a degree (look at me rhyme ;) BUT, and there is always a but...The Secret says that you shouldn't compare your life to others or covet what others have. You can't base your success on someone else. I have yet to meet anyone who would actually say to someone that they didn't "think positively enough" but it doesn't mean those people aren't out there. Once again, you can't let people's judgements throw you off. I know that can be difficult but no one said it would be easy. The last thing I will say, is that people often forget that The Law Of Attraction teaches that the Universe loves Action. You cannot simply wish or think yourself to your fullest potential. You have to actually get off your butt and work toward your dreams! Again, Amber, thank you for your comment. It is always good to hear all perspectives. XOXO
ReplyDeleteOh, I've met people who've said they didn't think positively enough, or have had that attitude. More often, though, I've also met people who see people failing (poor, struggling, what have you) and blame them. Not to them, of course (that would be rude!), but to other people - to me - they say things like, "If they just tried harder," or, "If they only focused," or, "If they wanted it bad enough" (which is just the same as "they didn't think positively enough") effectively putting the blame on the person failing other than the circumstances behind that failure. Also, I think it makes the person saying these things feel more deserving of their successes - whether it be material wealth, love, luck, or whatever - when, maybe, they aren't. Or at least no more than anyone else. Not being special troubles us, I think, so this is a way to feel special.
ReplyDeleteWorking towards your goals is a must. Following your dreams, if feasible, is hard work. This is a given in life. Nothing really comes easy, some things just seem so because we don't mind the work. But a pessimist who works hard has just as much a chance of succeeding as an optimist.
There are weaknesses to both the optimist and the pessimist: The optimist runs the risk of not thinking things through, rushing in too soon, and not anticipating pitfalls. Failing because they refuse to see the bad. The pessimist may see only pitfalls and traps, think only of the bad, and not start because of fear or negativity. The trick is to find the balance in your life, and even then so much is up to luck and no amount of good feelings will change that.
That's assuming you have a goal in mind. Assuming that you know what you want to do, where you want to go. Not everyone does. And those people without clear vision are often left out in philosophies like this. What are they to do? How will they work towards or reach goals when they don't know what those goals are?
I didn't mean to ramble or argue. :3 I just . . . My thoughts got away from me. I've never particularly liked that philosophy.
Life's hard. No matter how hard you work sometimes you fail and sometimes you don't. There is usually no real rhyme or reason to it. Just luck - good or bad.
Smooches! XOXO