Dr. Helen Johnson
18 Aug 2020
Why is it that even the most cynical, non-woo woo of us, can get really enthusiastic about the law of attraction?...
Why is it that even the most cynical, non-woo woo of us, can get really enthusiastic about the law of attraction? It seems to be a universally embraced concept, probably because most of us have already heard of hugely successful athletes using visualisation and it doesn’t seem too far from that. Also possibly due to that late 80s movie Field of Dreams with Kevin Costner – “if you build it, they will come”…
Invariably, when something supposedly negative passes your lips in public, there will be someone there to rescue you from this heinous crime and tell you that talking in such a way will CREATE bad things. You will then be instructed to imagine a beautiful yacht and really believe that the yacht is yours and you will get the yacht instead of this terribly bad thing you just inadvertently invited into your life.
For a start, it is important to let you know that talking about your fears, disappointments, or whatever else will not suddenly attract a whole bunch of terrifying and disappointing things into your life. It’s about an overarching attitude, not about shutting down every negative thought and feeling. So please do not be afraid.
Secondly – and here is what is really important – spending hours visualising abundant wealth, owning a yacht, or having the perfect spouse, will not attract in anything abundant if the actual motivation underlying that is a fearful one. The person who is obsessed with the mansion they want to own may actually secretly believe that they cannot be ok until they own a mansion. That is not abundant thinking, that is some serious poverty thinking.
Of course, I am not advocating for negative thinking and constant complaining (as much fun as whinging can be) but instead understanding the underlying beliefs and motivations that shape your thinking and your relationship to the world – that is where the opportunity really is.
Law of attraction is about abundant thinking – it is about seeing life as already full and happy and safe. When you believe in the world as it is then the world’s beauty starts to unfold for you. THAT is what the law of attraction is about. In fact, part of that abundant thinking might be being able to admit that you are afraid or disappointed while having an underlying belief in the goodness of life. In which case, you may well be better off than the yacht fantasist even when uttering something ‘negative’.
What do you secretly believe to be THE key to happiness? I think mine has always been freedom with my time and where I am – sometimes at my own expense. I can chase freedom all I like but maybe I need to see the beauty in a bit of responsibility! I’m definitely getting there