The connection between the mind and success isn’t a recent discovery, nor is it a debated mystery among the scientific community. It is solid, proven fact that individuals who are able to maintain a mindset of success will go on to reap great rewards in their life, while those who approach each endeavor with the certainty of failure are doomed to crash and burn. Is this a self fulfilling prophecy? Is it simply coincidence? Or is there something more insubstantial at work?
It is the latter which is currently the cause of speculation among many new aged philosophers and which spawned the theory of the Law of Attraction, a point of view that led to a hit movie and a new way of life for men and women all over the globe. An old concept with new applications, the Law of Attraction is quickly finding its way into mainstream society as the only true path to success.
What is the Law of Attraction?
The most debated point regarding the Law of Attraction is what, exactly, it is. Is it a mystical way of thought, or is there a scientific foundation to its existence? Is it fact or fiction? The details surrounding the Law of Attraction differ depending on who you talk to.
Those who firmly support the theory of the Law of Attraction and its ability to bring abundance into your life will tell you that the Law of Attraction is based on the ebb and flow of positive and negative energy in the universe. Imagine if you will that the air you breathe is filled with hundreds of molecules, and along with representing different elements these molecules are also positively and negatively charged.
When a large quantity of negatively charged energy accumulates it has negative effects, whereas an accumulation of positively charged energy will have a positive effect. Now go one step farther and imagine that you have the ability to direct these positive and negative energies-subconsciously, of course. The Law of Attraction states that when you approach a challenge from a positive mindset you will draw positive energy to you. This positive energy will the serve as a string pulling an entire network of other strings that makes up the universe, bringing an abundance of good things to your doorstep. In order to properly attract a sufficient amount of positive energy to bring about a positive outcome you must truly have a positive mindset. The words “maybe”, “possibly”, “difficult” and “can’t” must be removed from your vocabulary. It is necessary to go forward firm in the conviction that you have the ability to achieve your goals, which has led many skeptics to point out that the existence of the Law of Attraction has nothing to do with the ability to manipulate energies; these positive and negative energies may not even exist.
Their belief is that the Law of Attraction can be seen because individuals that are confident in their ability to achieve their goals are going to work twice as hard as their counterparts. Their hard work is bound to yield results, because they are going to learn the lessons and take the necessary steps that will bring them to the realization of their goals. There is no cosmic element; simply good, old fashioned ambition and a little bit of elbow grease.
The History of the Law of Attraction
The Law of Attraction has been in existence for centuries, and philosophers have been studying and debating it almost as long. Wallace Wattles, a 20th century businessman and the author of the books The Science of Getting Rich, The Science of Being Great, The Science of Being Well and Making of the Man Who Can, was the inspiration behind the Law of Attraction. Born into poverty, he spent the later years of his life studying the principles behind the Eastern religions (many of which center around a universal thread that binds the universe together and the interconnectivity of various events, as in the case of karma) and New Age thought, eventually implementing them into his own life to achieve the success that had been so elusive during his childhood.
Enthusiasts of Wattles’s work herald him as one of the greatest writers regarding the Law of Attraction, a visionary in his own time. He maintained that the principles behind the law were still firmly founded in religion, a viewpoint that led to his eviction from the Methodist church but earned him widespread support from a still conservative public.
In time the religious affiliation of the Law of Attraction would be forgotten in favor of a new way of thinking,
embracing Benjamin Franklin’s famous quote “God helps those who help themselves” and eventually removing the deistic element from the philosophy of “Ask, and it shall be given you” (Luke 11:9) in favor of the belief that man and man alone can control his own destiny. Following Wattles’s introduction of the power of positive thinking into mainstream society a large number of other authors, philosophers and businessmen scrambled to come onboard. Genevieve Behrend brought to the world the novels Your Invisible Power and Attaining Your Heart’s Desire, and Norman Vincent Peale wrote The Power of Positive Thinking. The 21st century saw the birth of The Law of Attraction: The Basics of the Teachings of Abraham and The Amazing Power of Deliberate Intent by Esther and Jerry Hicks. Harv Eker released The Secret of the Millionaire Mind and, in 2006, the movie ”The Secret” became the blockbuster hit that made the Law of Attraction the phrase on the tip of everyone’s tongues.
Applying the Law of Attraction In The Modern World
Wattles specialized in the process of creative visualization, a process known today as visualization or positive imagery. His daughter Florence stated that “..He saw himself as a successful writer, a personality of power, an advancing man, and he began to work toward the realization of this vision.” Wallace’s imagery gave him the impetus to develop and cultivate the mindset he needed to truly capitalize on the Law of Attraction.
That same visualization process is the driving force behind the actualization of the Law of Attraction today. In order to ensure that success is the eventual outcome, whether you believe in manipulating the threads that bind the universe or simply want to ensure that your hard work comes to fruition, you must first remove doubt from the equation.
ambition + doubt = failure
When you have completely rid yourself of doubt you will be able to have the confidence you need to drive you past your inhibitions and rise above your obstacles to guarantee your success. Removing doubt from your life is a process that is easier said than done, however. Man is taught from the moment he is born that it is necessary to maintain an air of humility and subservience if he is to be liked and accepted by his friends and neighbors, and that attitude many time transfers itself into a negative influence on your self-esteem.
How can you overcome your natural inclinations? Through the process of visualization. In order to accept that something will happen you must first accept it as fact rather than idea. To do that you need to be able to see yourself in the position you will be in after you succeed-not where you might be, but where you are guaranteed to be.
There are hundreds of thousands of products on the market that claim to be able to promote the concept of visualization, and some of them may actually work. However, it is not necessary to spend hundreds of dollars in order to convince yourself that what you want can and will take place. You can do that in your own mind and save the assets in your checking account for the important things in life! How? By following the steps below:
- Establish clear, conceivable goals. Saying you want to be rich, or you want to lose weight, or you want your company to be a success is great, but it doesn’t tell you how you’re going to get there.
- Picture yourself when it’s all over. Are you living in a penthouse? Driving a Ferrari? Wearing the jeans you haven’t worn since high school? Whatever it is, pretend in your mind that the work is over and you’ve already achieved your goals.
- Accept it as fact. Don’t let yourself think of it as a dream, or something you are hoping for. Think of it like you think of the sun coming up each morning. It’s going to happen, no matter what.
That’s it! No thousand dollar investments, no nights spent sitting on a hypnotist’s couch waiting for someone else to teach you how to make your goals happen. You, and you alone, can create the mindset you need to change your reality, realize your dreams and live the kind of life you’ve always wanted.
