Musing on LOA and Social Media

Have you been participating in the Web 2.0 world of social media other than blogs?

I was introduced to Twitter almost a year ago and reluctantly got involved...there are things I really like about it, things that drive me nuts (if I choose to let them!) and things that I find down right amusing!

One of the things that strikes me as funny is the number of LOA "experts" there are on Twitter...some of them seem to be real--and offer wonderful advice and thoughtful comments. Others are well-known and you rarely hear from them, but you can follow just about all the teachers from the Secret, for example.

Then there are those people who claim to follow LOA and that they can teach you all sorts of things about it...and really all they are doing is sending out junk trying to get you to buy from them. One of my favorites is when they say they can teach you how to use LOA to attract "thousands of followers" (a follower on Twitter is someone who chooses to receive your messages aks Tweets.) It seems that whenever I get a message like this, the person who sent it out has very few followers. Hmmm...what is wrong with that picture?

Anyway...not an earth-shattering thought...but it is interesting that the people who seem to raise their hands as the "expert" rarely demonstrate it.

What does that say? About experts? About us? About people in general?

I think there are lots of great people to learn from--and you don't necessarily have to be an "expert", as in well-known, to be a great teacher...but if you are going to say you can teach me how to attract followers, shouldn't you have a lot of followers?

Or are they really demonstrating Law of Attraction principles? By stating they know how to attract thousands of followers maybe they will.

Interesting thoughts to ponder. ...What do you think?

Are they living the Law of Attraction? Are they in the process of attracting what they want? Are they sending out lots of positive vibrations and taking the actions necessary to create the life they desire?

Or are they just trying to capitalize on the New Thought / Affirmation rally that is happening around the world?

Seems to me WE can choose to experience them either way. We can be bothered by them or we can learn from them. Interesting that when I started writing this I was leaning towards the annoyed...mostly amused, but I admit to being slightly annoyed...and now that I've pondered it, I'm actually grateful to them.

By causing me to pause and think, I have been able to get more clear about what I want in my life--the type of people with whom I want to associate, to learn from...how I want to act and be perceived by others. It is really true that by (briefly) looking at what we DON'T want we get clear on what we DO want! (Thanks to Michael Losier for first teaching me this concept!)

With that, I'm going to end with joy and love in my heart. Thanks!

Is Your Staircase Going Down or Up?

I had an interesting ah ha! this morning while writing in my journal.

I was writing about talking the step on the staircase, referring to the quote from Martin Luther King, Jr. mentioned in the movie The Secret

Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.

I realized that I have been visualizing a staircase that is shrouded in darkness. And going down! To a scary basement perhaps? Or down even further?

No wonder it felt scary to take the first step.

I determined right then that I will turn my staircase around and have it be the Stairway to Heaven! The light is so bright that I am partially blinded and that is why I cannot see the entire path. The light is warm and inviting and reassuring, even though it is also a bit scary to not see the entire way.

Rev. Michael Beckwith will be on Oprah

Jan. 7, 2009 Rev. Michael Bernard Beckwith (you know him from The Secret) will be on the Oprah show as Best Life Week series...which starts today!

Be sure to tune in to this fantastic teacher!

Sales Moves: The law of attraction, or the law of hard work? You ... - Eagle Tribune

Many people misunderstand the movie/book The Secret to mean that there is no action required. I'm not sure how they get that...

Quite literally in the movie you are told sometimes what you attract is an inspiration, a great idea that you need to implement. Remember Jack Canfield? Yes he did lots of exercises, but he also wrote a book and came up with a way to market it. He was open to the Universe bringing him the idea and the people he would need to make that a reality.

Coming from your true self and being in harmony with what you want is critical. And for some perhaps it is all they need. Most of us do need to take action--but if we are in harmony the actions will seem easier. If you feel like you are "pushing rope" then you know you are not in harmony with what you want!

Read the following article by Jeffrey Gitomer. He has an interesting perspective on this. I encourage you to work at what you want, be open to the Universe, and to remember, as he closes with "you have a choice"...that is what makes all the difference!

Sales Moves: The law of attraction, or the law of hard work? You ... - Eagle Tribune

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Frustration, Questions Follow in Wake of Law of Attraction Popularity - PR Web (press release)

I listen to at least one teacher on the Law of Attraction or the other great laws of the universe just about every day.

I found the Law of Attraction was working really well for me today...I was listening to scientist Greg Braden this morning and then I found the interesting article below.

The article mentions people feeling like LoA is not working. I don't know about the book referenced in the article, but I have heard many, many teachers comment on just saying affirmations or thinking positive thoughts is not enough.

What I got this morning from Greg Braden was a wonderful visual...imagine the 7 chakras. The top 3 relate to our thoughts. The bottom three, our emotions. It is by filling our thoughts with the power of the emotions that we actually see results--through the 7th chakra, our heart.

So if you are saying empty affirmations you will not see the results. If you are negating your affirmations by having negative emotions then you will not see the results you "think" you want. It is by having our emotions in harmony with our thoughts that we are in the pure state of allowing.

Frustration, Questions Follow in Wake of Law of Attraction Popularity - PR Web (press release)

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Why Haven't I Gotten What I Want Part 4

Some people have been critical of the movie, The Secret, saying it talks about money and things too much. They'll say "money can't buy happiness" and some will say "money isn't important."

In The Secret, they discuss using the Law of Attraction for health and relationships, not just money and things.

It is certainly true that money doesn't buy happiness, but money in today's world is important! And it is something that pretty much everyone can understand and relate to. Money is quantifiable and money is not reflective of a specific taste thereby making it very universal.

If you are someone who has no use for money that is fine. Then don't put thoughts of money in your pan "A". It is your pan--put in it what YOU want. Be aware of not putting negative thoughts in your pan "A". If you fill your pan with negative thoughts about money then you are putting in negative thoughts and the Universe will respond with negative experiences.

So fill your pan with thoughts of peace, happiness, love, whatever, and leave the criticisms out all together. Don't close the flow of what you do want in your life by being critical of what other people want.

Attraction and Action

The Law of Attraction does not absolve us from the responsibility of taking action. Affirmations and visualizations are great tools, but they may not be the only tools that you have to use.

Sometimes people misunderstand and think that the people on the Secret are saying that they only had to think about something and it came about. They only had to cut out a picture and put it on a vision board and voila, they had the house, the car, the life partner, whatever.

Especially in the beginning, this is far from the case. You will have to take some action. That is not a bad thing! And it doesn't mean that you should stop the affirmations, dream boards, etc.

On the contrary, they are all tools to get you where you are supposed to be going. The affirmations, visualizations, meditations my direct you on what action you are supposed to take. By following that action, perhaps you earn the money that you need to accomplish the goal you had (like buying that house.)

I believe that every event that happens in our life builds to create who we are today. No, I didn't have a perfect childhood, bad things can happen in people's lives. But ACTION by you can turn a bad situation around, or allow you to parlay the experience into something good for others, or get you into the position you need to be for all the "good stuff" to happen to you too.

So if you feel compelled to do something (as long as it is not harmful to yourself or others, and is legal) then perhaps this is the Universe telling you what action you need to take to fulfill your dreams. Trust the universe and let go...

The Secret Helps Me to Remember

I watched about half of The Secret again today. Every time I watch it, I see or hear something a bit different and learn something new. Or am reminded of something that I temporarily forgot. Today the Genie jumped out of the bottle at me...it got me to thinking about how many wishes would I make, if I were Aladdin.

Watching the movie also helps me to remember some of the things I am doing "right".

I have been working on remembering that the Law of Attraction responds to our feelings more than our thoughts. So when visualizing and saying my affirmations, I try to get into that space of openness and joy and feel like I already have what I am affirming.

I have also been focusing on my gratitude journal. If you don't have one yet, I strongly encourage you to start. It is such a simple and easy practice. I find that if I start to feel like things aren't going my way it just takes a moment of looking at some of my past entries to remember how fortunate I am. Being able to acknowledge that allows me to be open to even more blessings. Sort of a self-fulfilling prophecy...in a very, very good way!

Another thing that is a good practice, but they didn't mention in the movie, is taking little mini vacations. It was definitely time for a break, so we went away for a couple of days. Going somewhere beautiful really brought such a sense of wonder, awe and gratitude for being there. It also reminded me of just how gorgeous it is here. That is definitely something to be grateful for!

Don't Pray For What You Don't Want

Kris Carr (of Crazy Sexy Cancer) says "worrying is praying for something you don't want." I agree and would add that fear (for me at least, a different but related emotion) is another way of praying for something you don't want.

This really hit home today when I was speaking to a guy about the state of the economy. He flat out said he is afraid. Now, one of his businesses is in real estate development. So a lot of people would think that he is right in being fearful.

However if you have studied Law of Attraction at all, through The Secret, SGR or any number of books and programs, you KNOW that strong emotions bring our thoughts to "life" faster than ever.

The key is to find something in the situation to be positive about. If there is no way that you can find something positive about it, then you must change the situation until you find something. It does not have to be huge. Find a little thing that you are excitedly positive about. Focus on that. Watch that come to you. And find another little thing to be positive about.

And keep the positive energy flowing your way.

All is Well

I TIVO just about everything. I really enjoy that--so even though the Universe Likes Speed, sometimes I am personally better served by watching a show later on! I find that if I TIVO a show and then watch it when it is "speaking to me" there is generally a really good reason I waited to watch it. Besides perhaps it was on at an inconvenient time, or I was out of town!

One recent example was the Oprah Show. She had a guest panel on discussing The Secret. I've actually been studying the Law of Attraction (although not always seriously or steadily!) for about a dozen years. I love the movie and the book and I encourage everyone to read/watch it. It is a great introduction to the concepts.

I loved watching this panel of 4 powerful women--Oprah, Louise Hay, Cheryl Richardson and Martha Beck, discussing the power of intention, the power of our thoughts and how we can change our lives (and the world) through this powerful principle.

I've been going through a physical challenge since the beginning of the year that I was not getting past. Frankly it was starting to really get to me. Even though I know that the best solution is not talking negatively to or about my body, I was starting to think and feel as if my body was no longer whole. And it was pissing me off! I tried working through it, which only made it worse. I tried all the normal doctor remedies (rest, ice, etc). I tried anti-inflammatories. Nothing was working. I was not able to do the things that I wanted to do and I was choosing to allow that to affect my entire demeanor, about everything. I was feeling less than useful. My sense of self and self-worth was deteriorating. Rapidly.

For whatever reason one afternoon I decided to take a look at the television and see what I had in the magic TIVO box. Then the ladies came on.

I am now back to my affirmations and I am already feeling emotionally and physically better. Instead of focusing on my limitations, I am writing in my gratitude journal daily. I have notes to remind myself of my worth and my health. I have a specific affirmation I am using for my healing. And Louise Hay shared a general affirmation that I have absorbed into my daily life, and I am sure that she would be okay with my sharing it here:

"All is well. Everything is working out for my highest good. Out of this experience only good will come, and I am safe."

Since I recommenced my affirmations I have already seen an improvement in my mobility. I know that I am open to the healing path now and that I will be fully healed.

Thank you Oprah, Louise, Cheryl and Martha! All is well--and job well done!