The Law of Attraction: Enjoy Life

Many people have been aroused by the idea behind 'The Law of Attraction' as it was brought to public awareness by the popular movie, The Secret. The idea that you can 'order' the universe to deliver whatever it is that you want is indeed very seductive, but is it true?

On self-improvement forums, I see people asking questions about whether or not it works: they have been 'programming' they say; but they are not seeing results - so what's wrong? Let's consider the 7 Component Laws that underpin the Law of Attraction ...

- The Law of Manifestation - thoughts become things.

Firstly, as James Allen said in his classic book As a Man Thinketh, 'thoughts become things and powerful things at that'; and so they do! Good thoughts become good things; and poor thought become poor things. So, if you want good things in your life, you should learn how to think good thoughts.

- The Law of Unwavering Desire - there is energy in your burning desire!

Secondly, as Napoleon Hill said in his famous book Think and Grow Rich, your 'burning desire' is the energy that drives the whole creative process. You need to identify what you actually want from your life and fuel that desire until it burns with real passion in your heart.

- The Law of Delicate Harmony - maintain an attitude of gratitude!

As Wallace D Wattles said in his excellent work The Science of Getting Rich, there is only one attitude you need to seek to constantly maintain; and that is an attitude of gratitude. Learn to say 'thank you' to God for all the wonderful blessings being bestowed upon you day after day.

- The Law of Magnetism - you reap what you sow!

Don't say that it isn't working - it is working! As Deepak Chopra says in his book The 7 Spiritual Laws of Success, 'you reap what you sow' - you get what you give out. So don't concentrate on the return; concentrate on what you are putting out. Stick with your course of action and you will produce the results.

- The Law of Synchronization - results flow from natural laws!

These component laws all fit neatly together to make the Law of Attraction work, so that Desire coupled with gratitude always produces results - and that's called synchronization. The results will infallibly flow toward you, constantly revealing the next thing you need to do to reach the object of your Desire.

- The Law of Universal Influence - we are all interconnected!

Ensure that - whatever thoughts and activities you engage in - your thoughts and actions are honorable. As Zig Ziglar says in his book on Goal setting, make sure your goals are balanced and morally fair to everyone around you.

- The Law of Conscience Action - you need to take action!

Finally, as Jack Black said in his excellent Mind store course, you need to grab hold of what comes your way. The universal laws we have considered will produce consistent results for you, but you do need to play your part. You need to translate opportunity into the results you want by taking appropriate action.

Will Edwards is a published author and Founder of White Dove Books. For more tips, get our excellent book: The Law of Attraction. This book is completely free (no sign-up required). Get an immediate download here Free Personal Development eBooks

The Peaceful Warrior and Recovery

The work of Dan Millman is very powerful for assisting a person in transforming his or her life. In my work as a psychotherapist at the Holistic Addiction Treatment Program I introduce all of the clients to “The Way of the Peaceful Warrior” both as a book and as the movie. The movie and book are about a person who learns about never giving up and in the process begins a process of transforming his life. The process is about becoming present to that which he was not present to, to certain distinctions that once considered began to alter his life forever.

Below are listed some of the important distinctions that are presented in the movie. After the movie is shown a discussion group is held with the group members to process these distinctions and how they may assist in a client in his or her program of recovery from drugs and alcohol.

1. Knowledge and wisdom. Knowledge is knowing something and Wisdom is doing it. Knowing what recovery is about is one thing and having wisdom is to practice it everyday life.

2. Highest purpose is for us to be of service to others. Assisting other addicts is part of the process of recovery.

3. “Take out the trash”. A person’s Trash is the thoughts in your mind that keeps you out of the moment. The work of the Warrior is to practice letting go of the Trash in ones mind in order to keep you fully in the moment and as a result engaged in the recovery process.

4. We are afraid of what is inside. The only place to find what you need is inside you. The experience of fear/being scared is about being empty. The work of the Warrior is to go inside and face ones fear directly, to not run from it.

5. Are you paying attention (to your addiction)? Are you present to what is going on, to what you are experiencing now.

6. What are you holding onto (that keeps you stuck in your addiction)? Who are you without your addiction? Practice of letting go of what you are holding onto that keeps you stuck. Give up your attachments to people, place and things that hinder your recovery and keep you enslaved to drugs and alcohol.

7. “Not knowing” is the first principle of a Warrior. Getting this allows one to be and remain teachable, open to learning. Practice “not knowing” when you attend a meeting or work with your sponsor, doing such allows you to learn about and apply the principles of recovery.

8. There are no ordinary moments. There is always something going on. Pay attention to the present or now. Getting that there are no ordinary moments and that there is always something going on keeps us completely grounded in the present, in the Now. When we get this we experience that all moments are extraordinary.

9. Give up the Good-Bad, Right-Wrong way of thinking about yourself and others. Making wrong and passing judgment will only hinder your recovery. The work is about acceptance, acceptance of self and others.

10. Happiness is about your journey and not the destination. Staying focused on the journey allows you to stay in recovery, staying focused on the destination will only create the space for you to get out of recovery.

The work of a Warrior is to live the distinction presented, to bring them forth in ones life, to fully practice Wisdom. Implementation of the distinctions will result in one being fully accountable and responsible for his or her life. The work of a Warrior is about being fully present in the now, moment and life, that that is who we truly are. Living the distinctions will take ones recovery to a new dimension.

What time is it? Now.

Where are you? Here.

What are you? This moment.

Harry Henshaw, Ed.D., LMHC Enhanced Healing http://www.enhancedhealing.com

Dr Harry Henshaw is in private practice in North Miami Beach, Florida/ http://www.enhancedhealing.com

Believe in Yourself: Succeed in Life

If you've spent much of your life dismissing your talents and doubting your capabilities, it can seem like an impossible goal to begin believing in yourself. Since believing in yourself is such a vital part of goal achievement, overcoming your doubt and disbelief is crucial if you want to improve your life.

Believing in yourself is a simple matter of changing the way you think about yourself and your capabilities. Remember that negative thinking is a habit, whether it applies to you or the circumstances of your life.

In order to develop a strong belief in yourself, try these 3 steps:

Acknowledge you're potential.

Self-doubt is often the result of an ongoing barrage of assumptions. You assume you cannot succeed at your goals because you haven't succeeded at many things before. You assume you have no talent because your third-grade teacher once told you so. You assume you are destined for a mediocre life because you've never pushed yourself beyond your limits.

It's important to understand that your assumptions are not necessarily true! You have accepted them as truth, but if you take a few minutes to really think about them, you'll probably be surprised to realize that you may not have considered all possible angles. Be willing to revisit your assumptions and challenge them. You don't have to change your mind about them yet, but be open to the possibility that you were wrong about yourself.

Be willing to try anyway.

Even worse than making assumptions about yourself is when you don't even TRY to do something better for yourself, simply because you believe it would be a waste of time. This is the worst disservice you could do to yourself!

Starting right now, make a pledge to give everything your best shot from now on. Don't worry about whether it's possible or not. Don't worry about whether you've failed in the past or whether you've got what it takes to succeed this time around.

Simply make a promise to TRY - no matter what comes of it.

Prove it to yourself.

If you really want to shatter your illusions of inability, take a sheet of paper and make a list of all the things you believe you cannot do. They can be little things or big things; it doesn't matter. Just write down every single thing you believe you are incapable of doing.

Then, make it a point to prove yourself wrong by going out and doing them. Notice I didn't say "doing them well." I said simply, "doing them."

You'll never know until you try!

One word of caution with this method: be sure you don't sabotage your own efforts in order to prove yourself right. For example, perhaps you believe you can't get a better job than you have now. In order to "prove" that your belief is right, you go out and apply for jobs that are far beyond your skill or experience level. Of course, you don't get called for interviews since you weren't qualified for those jobs, and you conclude that your original suspicion was correct.

Don't do that to yourself. The idea is to move slightly beyond your comfort zones, not to overwhelm and sabotage yourself.

With every positive result you achieve, you will eventually build up a stronger belief in yourself, and you can keep expanding your comfort zones to achieve more and more!

Will Edwards is a published author and Founder of White Dove Books. Free Personal Development eBooks