I guess many that know me think I am anti positive-thinking or anti the ‘Law of Attraction’ and I guess in some ways I was, but not in the way people may think.
My own belief is that thoughts do matter; how we think, primarily about ourselves does affect our reality. And when I say reality I don’t mean the clouds will part if I think it or my ideal partner will show up, but more so, that our thoughts affect our experience of our reality. Our thoughts can cause physical pain to deepen or lessen. For example, if I am suffering a difficult month of menstrual cramps, if I relax and mindfully embrace it, and be present with the pain, it doesn’t hurt nearly as much. However, if I focus on the pain, resist the pain, it tends to increase for me.
So the mind and body are clearly linked. There is a mind/body connection
So What About Being Mindful And The Law Of Attraction?
Well, as some of you know, I am not convinced about the ‘Law of Attraction’. After consciously focusing on creating my reality the way the ‘experts’ told me to for years, I discovered that life unfolds naturally. We don’t need to guide the hand of the universe. In fact we can’t. It operates effortlessly. I feel that the ‘Law of Attraction’ is a great label for a naturally evolving universe, but instead of emphasising this, it has become a way to allow the ego desires to take hold. It is more about feeling in control than surrendering.
It is natural that humanity would adore the idea of the ‘Law of Attraction’, because to have a sense of control over our outer world is far more satisfying to the ego than trusting the naturally evolving universe.
Mindfulness embraces the moment, whereas the ‘Law of Attraction’ teachings focus on creating better futures and focus on what we want, so in other words, being happy when something manifests, and to me this is where the teachings discourage present-moment awareness. They are based on ‘I will be happy when…’.I know many followers of the ‘Law of Attraction’ of Abraham Hicks who will argue that what they say is: “Focus on being happy where you are”, BUT and it is a big but, the primary teachings tend to focus on being happy where you are BUT EAGER FOR MORE.
I know that when I’m content in the moment I am not eager for more, I am content in the moment; there is no ‘more’ or future.
Life Is Like Nature
To me the natural world can teach us everything we need to know. A cat will sit patiently waiting to catch a mouse, totally present in the moment. If it is unsuccessful it shakes it off and does something else. It doesn’t see a future goal of the mouse, it rests in its nature, its natural flow in the now. Simply being.
The river flows, over and around boulders, flowing, changing course when necessary, from that state of pure awareness in the spontaneous moment of now.
The tree, the cat are without ego. One thing that makes us different from other species is the ability to look backwards and forwards. But what if our journey is not to look forwards but to naturally drop into nature’s flow? So, look at the ‘Law of Attraction’ (perhaps remove the label), and see that life simply fits together. We desire and we either go over that boulder, or the flow changes direction dependent on what is for our highest good.
Positive Thinking And Mindfulness And The Law Of Attraction
People often use positive thinking to yield a specific desire into reality. They try to create reality through positive thinking. I have had people argue with me about this, saying that I just don’t get it, but the fact is that if people don’t understand correctly what ‘it’ is, then they are still doing this to try to create.
Mindfulness naturally allows more beneficial thoughts to arise, no force, just going with the flow.
Positive thinking may try to override negative thoughts through affirmations, but the downside is that somewhere along life’s path, any deeper ‘negative’ beliefs or patterns will arise. A bottle (negative belief) cannot be held under water, without it popping back up to the surface when it’s released.
Being mindful does not mean dwelling primarily on the negative, but by finding compassion for any internal suffering. In doing so, this makes space for more beneficial self-talk to take place. Mindfulness can help people allow a feeling of loving kindness to develop, because nothing inside is pushed aside or resisted. All is embraced.
“Compassion involves understanding and acceptance of suffering but not just sitting in it – like sitting in one’s own dirty bath water and believing that acceptance means you shouldn’t do anything. Indeed acceptance is an act of courage that calls for wise action. So if we only focus on the ability to engage and understand pain we actually miss half the story.” Mindful Compassion – Paul Gilbert & Choden
As the mindful humans practise, allowing all to arise, a state of loving awareness takes place. This may take months, weeks or even years, dependent on a person’s story or the beliefs they have been carrying in life.
So it’s not as simple as hopping into the vortex (aka Abraham Hicks style).
Changing Your Perception Of The Law Of Attraction
Instead of using the ‘Law of Attraction’, perhaps begin to trust the unfolding nature of reality. Allow yourself to get in touch with you, your inner world and you will begin to hear your intuition more clearly and moment-by-moment you’ll make wiser decisions.
You can still make plans, but be flexible to life’s changing reality. So if you have just begun practising mindfulness and wish you could go back to creating your reality as it is very seductive, allow yourself to be life naturally flowing through you.
No force.
Natural connection.
Changes taking place as you make choices from being in the flow of life.
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Kelly Martin
Kelly Martin, author of ‘When Everyone Shines But You’ is a dedicated writer and blogger who fearlessly explores life’s deepest questions. Faced with a decade of profound anxiety and grief following the loss of her father and her best friend Michael, Kelly embarked on a transformative journey guided by mindfulness, and she hasn’t looked back since. Through her insightful writing, engaging podcasts, and inspiring You Tube channel Kelly empowers others to unearth the hidden treasures within their pain, embracing the profound truth that they are ‘enough’ exactly as they are.
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I really like this post. I don't think I've ever actually had any REALLY strong views on the LOA. Sure, thoughts can and do make a difference, if I feel more positive about a particular thing, ie. my ability to be creative and/or teach others, then I have more chance of being able to lead a workshop than if I doubted my ability to do these things. Maybe the thing with the LOA teachings is that they focus a lot on material possessions and, like you say, on future goals. Your thoughts on mindfulness and the last section about 'changing your perception about the law of attraction' sums things up well for me.
Great to watch your journey unfold and as usual you have an interesting and valid way of looking at things 🙂
Yes that is it, the problem is many people think they can use the LOA to manifest material possessions and are missing the point. I hope more people loosen the reliance on the LOA to manifest and begin to trust and let life unfold.
I have been practicing mindfulness to recover from panic attacks when I discovered the Law of Attraction. What I felt after listening to Abraham Hicks is exactly written in the article. I just find her teachings is more of betraying my own emotions. Instead of treating my emotional wounds I chose to ignore it, not accept it. For this reason I had several panic attacks today as I was constantly thinking about cancer and got scared that I might attract it just by thinking about it since I resisted the thought. I am somehow lost now and wish that I had never come across this law. I was so peaceful before. It just messed up my belief system.
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Hi there, I totally understand where you are coming from, I felt exactly the same way. All I can say is know the teachings will pass on through the more you become at ease with feeling whatever feelings arise. I don’t believe there is this law in the way it is termed anymore. The best way to think about it is whatever you NEED you receive, but if on your specific life path you don’t need an experience you could think positively or negatively and it would not come about. Think about people who worry all of the time, often that which they worry about never comes to pass, so if we were to believe the LOA then it would come to pass, but it doesn’t. Start dropping into mindfulness, feeling your feelings, letting the good, the bad, the ugly arise and know that it is just feelings passing through like clouds across the sky. We humans label feelings as good or bad, or experiences as good or bad, but they are just feelings and experiences, not good nor bad. Your thoughts cannot create cancer, if you needed an experience for personal growth you could be thinking super positive and still get cancer, or you could think super negative and not get cancer. The soul has a journey and we step into each stage when we need to. Yes thoughts are powerful, but only to the point we embrace or resist them, so for example if I was thinking a house was going to drop on my head, panicked about this, I would soothe the part of me scared of uncertainty, scared of the unknown and allow it into my awareness from a place of love, it’s just a thought, love can soothe most of what takes place when we let it. Much love
Thank you so much for explaining this in such a clear way and opening new channels of thinking in me. I feel very much relieved. God bless.