Think You Know Your Law of Attraction?

I was chatting with a colleague in the field of human potential the other day, and I commented, "People who are spiritually immature have no business using spiritual techniques."

He agreed.

And I will be the first to admit that that comment sounds completely self-righteous and arrogant. However, there is a genuine reason for it, and I have found that unless I use blatant language it often slips past the attention of people in my trainings who go "Yes, yes, now let's get to the super duper special technique which is going to change my life forever."

So who counts as spiritually mature? It depends on the context and the technique. The by now well-publicised Secret of the Law of Attraction provides an example. On the surface, it seems innocuous enough - you get what you think about. Well, if you do not know the answers to the following questions, then using that spiritual law could let you in for a world of pain (some more than others):


1. Are there any limits to the Law of Attraction? If so, under what conditions are those limits rendered irrelevant?

2. Can you use the Law of Attraction for personal gain? If so, under what circumstances?

3. What is the most important reason for the Law of Attraction working in some cases and failing in others? (If you do not know this, step away from it as fast as you can!)

4. Does the Law of Attraction work equally for everyone? Why, or why not?

5. At what identity level does the Law work? Why does the Law even work?

And for those who have gotten great experiences with the Law and are telling me that I'm being a scaremonger, I will say that there is a general trend where people who have used the Law for a certain length of time will find it to stop working. Why? (And you better know the answer to this one, for if you don't, when it fails and you find that you have been relying on it, you could find yourself very, very stranded and very, very scared. Oh, and I know that because I've been there, having used the Law (although it wasn't called that in the good old days) since I was 12.)

Enough scaring for one day!

Does God Respond to Disney Eyes?

I just noticed this on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8y-PdC2sXA&NR=1

There's been a fair amount interest lately in the dvd called "The Secret". The idea is that when you use your mind in certain ways, the universe magically leaves presents on your doorstep.

Does The Secret work? Well, it's really The Not So Secret. That idea has been around for donks. There was the "think positive" movement of the hippie generation. Hypnotists still regularly "program" constructive thoughts into their clients to resolve issues like smoking and weight loss. You get more of what you focus on.

And here's a REAL Secret: God doesn't respond to this little fella:


That's right. Manipulating God/The Universe/Your Mind doesn't work.

And I'm NOT talking about abstract laws of metaphysics here.

It's simple, really. When you focus on what you want to have, you are impliedly saying you don't have it. Anyone who has tried looking themselves squarely in the mirror each morning saying things like "I want to be abundantly, really, greatly, supremely rich!" will tell you that if you listen carefully, you'll hear a tiny little voice in the back of your head go "Well, you aren't."

When the focus is on "want" rather than "have", your mind processes it as follows:

"I DON'T have it. So I want it."

And the mind goes: "Oh okay. He's affirming that he wants it." So the mind makes you want it. Guess what it takes to keep wanting it? Not having it. Bingo.

The same thing goes for what Lisa Nichols is saying in that YouTube clip. Gratitude can indeed get you places, but only if it is genuine. If you are "using" gratitude like a tool to "make" things happen, you're working against yourself. My thanks to Alex for reminding me of this recently - look to her if you want more details on what I'm going on about. More importantly, The Secret may be about how to improve your lot in life, but consider: Success is getting what you want. Bliss is wanting what you have.

Let's hear it for Snoopy's prayer!




"God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference."