There's been so much good and bad that's come out of the blockbuster movie and book "The Secret" that it's sometimes hard to discern what to keep and what to throw away. Because of the backlash against "The Secret," some people have decided to throw out the baby with the bath water, so to speak. (By the way, did you ever wonder where that expression came from? Another post, another time.) As one of the 24 original teachers in the movie "The Secret," I have seen it all and have lived to tell the tale.
Some of the good that came out of this phenomenon is that it helped expose millions of people to concepts they never would've heard of without it, and it helped many people move from living life as victims to living life taking more responsibility for their thoughts, feelings and beliefs and how they affect what we experience.
However, these good results, in and of themselves, as many have found, are not always enough to make the law of attraction work in your life in a balanced and fulfilling way.
And so once we see that we have some responsibility in our experience, many of us either turn to blaming ourselves for what we have or don't have in our lives and feel beaten down even further or we feverishly try and manipulate our thoughts, feelings and beliefs in order to impose our will on the world. But neither one of these strategies works.
Because of this, I've composed a partial list of the some of the tips to employ and pitfalls to avoid in order to responsibly create better lives for ourselves and those we care about -- and to create in such a way that our whole planet benefits by our engagement, and not just ourselves.
So, sorry if I ruffle some feathers! However, I need to tell my truth as I see it -- and as I've discovered it -- from working at this for over 35 years with people all over the planet.
Here are the 10 tips you can use to responsibly employ the law of attraction in your life:
1. Stop blaming yourself.
When we feel like we're responsible, it's not an excuse to blame ourselves for every little thing that happens in our lives. Love yourself as you are instead!
2. Take simple and outrageous action.
If we sit around on our duffs and work diligently to try and change how we think and feel and don't get into action, most of us are sorely disappointed. Combine right thinking and feeling with right action and then you truly have a winning combination.
3. It's about giving, not just getting.
When we get caught up in attracting what we want, we can forget that "the giver is truly blessed." Learn to give without wanting something back in return. That's true giving and it opens up the floodgates of creation.
4. It doesn't work to simply put on a happy face.
When we try to think and feel positively, we fall on our faces because we're denying how we truly think and feel and are simply trying to paint a happy face on top of less happy thoughts and feelings. The most powerful way to move forward is to let go of the inner negatives we have and uncover or make room for the inner positive, which are right here, right now. (By the way, most of my fellow teachers in "The Secret" conduct their lives from this perspective.)
5. Don't fake it until you make it.
Once we go down the path of "acting as if" or "telling ourselves a positive story," we often lose touch with what is actually here now and get into magical thinking, which only produces disappointment. Discover what is actually here now and respond to what is.
6. It's not all about you.
When we think we can simply manipulate our thoughts, feelings and beliefs to get what we can, we may forget that we are not alone on this planet and everything any of us does affects everyone else. Start adding what's in everyone's highest and best good to your goals.
7. We are not our thoughts.
Yes, our minds are like computers, and if we put garbage in, we will get garbage out. However, we are not our minds, our thoughts, feelings or beliefs. What we are is that which is aware of or present to all that we experience. And as people begin to experience this for themselves, they also experience tremendous relief and greater clarity.
8. Thoughts are not things.
Sorry! This sounds great, but it's just not true. Thoughts are just symbols that represent memories that we have given meaning to and invest our energy in. If we stop believing in our thoughts as being so real, we can discover something beyond thinking: the source of true power.
9. Open to the flow.
When we try and impose our will on ourselves and everything and everyone else, we lose track of our essence and our humanity. What if everything is unfolding as it should be unfolding in this moment? What if we are all part of the whole, a greater organism, a greater intelligent energy? Please ponder on that.
10. You are enough.
The one who has the most toys when he dies does not win! They leave without their toys. We are not our toys and more of them is not going make us happy. If you turn and look inside, you can discover that right here, right now you are enough as you are -- and this changes everything.
I'm sure there's more I'll want to share with you, but that will come later. I just gave myself many new posts to write. So, stay tuned as I expand on the ideas above -- and a lot more. Enjoy!
We've just released a new free Letting Go App -- Money Now for IPhone and Android phones and tablets. This app is one of our ways of trying to help everyone get back on track and to support everyone in having more abundance and success now -- even with today's challenges. Please feel free to share this with everyone you care about.
By the way, I'd love to hear what you think about this post and what else you'd like me to explore and share. Please post comments, questions, ideas and experiences below.
Follow Hale Dwoskin on Twitter: www.twitter.com/sedonamethod
Sam Sommers: STUDY: Opposites Don't Necessarily Attract
Home of Abraham-Hicks Law of Attraction -- It All Started Here!
The Law of Attraction: Real-Life Stories - Oprah.com
It feels as though I can not hold back from sharing some truthes discovered when "letting go" of the old. I came through trainings where The Secret was being promoted, and just after reading the book found it motivating. I had some subconscious trauma to let go of and needed to do some deeper work.
For example. I thought I did love myself, yet when the feelings of the past were let go, it was evident that was not the case. Continuing to let go, allowed for that approval to happen naturally.
Letting go of a sense of 'being controlled', was very freeing.
It allowed me to see that letting go of 'wanting' security stemmed from a lack of having it, so I was just letting go of the lack so I could be open to seeing and having security, a sense of innate knowing awareness. Id l love to clean up domestic violence through promoting more around the discovery of that innate knowing awareness by letting go of those thoughts, feelings and beliefs that cover it. What if we were for safe and harm free relationships so we supported cleaning up domestic violence and presented what is lacking - nurtured loving relationships as opposed to being against fear, traumatised ones. It would be supportive, especially for the victims, to come from 'real love is', rather than, what it is horridly not, emphasising the immediate alert signs of 'lack'.
Thanks so much for sharing your experience with The Sedona Method and how it relates to The Secret.
Love,
Hale
Yes both giving without wanting something back in return and receiving without feeling obligated really help to open up the flow.
Love,
Hale
A socially responsible commentary on the Law of Attraction which does not short cut a path of true human development.You have put the Law of Attraction in the context with the Truth in all the major world's religions.
Wow... I am not sure I would put it that way but I do believe if we are more responsible, more loving and more compassionate it helps us all.
Love,
Hale
I am glad you have your favorites :) Everyone is truly doing their best. When you open to the simplest or most outrageous thing you can do right now to get your goal energy does flow. This is one of the 4 exercises in the new Free app http://moneynow.lettinggo.tv/.
Love,
Hale
I was going to say straight forward, but that would not be true from my experience,
My honest view is, that you are saying it the way it is right now.
Your words hit the mark, and there is no where to go, just being present.
The more I listen to and read what you say, the more I continue to practice the Sedona Method
It's value to me is limitlessness.
Thank you
Steven Shaps MFT
Marriage & Family Therapist
www.stevenshapsmft.com
I am glad these words are resonating with you. This list just came out in response to a sense I have inside that there needs to be a redirection of how most people are using The Law of Attraction.
Thanks for your feedback.
Love,
Hale
Peace, blessings and love,
-Tony
What you are perceiving is merely a reflection of your wisdom and generosity.
Love,
Hale
As we be who we are in the moment, so much just drops away. When that happens, it is possible that what we once thought was very important somehow isn't any longer! Expanding our understanding of Law of Attraction in this way is quite helpful.
Kind regards...
Yes. When you recognize who or what we are all concepts drop away and so do all Laws. You are left with simply being and responding to what is here now appropriately.
Love,
Hale
Blessings!
There is a lot of suffering and a lot of miss conceptions around the LOA and The Secret. This article is the first in a series I intend to post to help clear things up and help people get back on the right track. Thanks so much for sharing this too!
Love,
Hale
Lots to think about in your 10 points.
You are welcome. Yes, there is a lot here and a lot more were that came from that will be posted soon. LOL Hale