The Law of Attraction Revisited
Manipulating Time
We have all heard of the law of attraction (LOA). The book/movie "The Secret" talks about it. Also there are a ton of books written about it. It was all the rage a while back.
The problem with the "Law of Attraction" is that it tends to be misunderstood and done poorly in practice. It lends itself to magical/wishful thinking, without any type of practical plan or methodology. Jack Canfield helped improve the situation by declaring that the LOA only works well when you follow it up with action. I wholeheartedly agree. You need a plan, and you must follow through, probably for an extended period of time..
..there's that word again. Time.
Time
One of the precepts of the LOA is that you must hold the thought of what you want in your mind and feel it. You must think about it constantly until it manifests. You must act "is if" it is already here. Many gurus suggest affirmations that repeat over and over again, in the present tense, that what you want is already a reality.
Think and Grow Rich stumbled upon this key concept without actually saying it. It is the sustained effort of thinking about what you want and pursuing it over a long period of time that produces results.
My theory is that it is not simply subconscious programming that is taking place. As William H. Murray so eloquently stated:
Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans. That the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves, too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred.
If you are willing to consider the idea that there is a higher plane of existence and that possibly there is some sort of etheric oversight happening in our lives, in whatever form that may take, then we can start to have a conversation. The Law of Attraction assumes some sort of mystical force that draws together people, ideas, and circumstances that have a similar vibration. If that is the case, we can draw some further conclusions that just might make a little more sense of this phenomenon.
I am reminded of the TV commercial where the dad and his daughter are driving along and she sees some kids skateboarding. He buys her a skateboard and then goes immediately to work on building her a halfpipe in the driveway. Just as he finishes, mom gets home with the daughter- who is now into karate.
I think this is how it works with the law of attraction. The benevolent intelligence that exists on a higher plane of existence, that may or may not help us, has a different perception of time than we do. We are like the children jumping from interest to interest without focus while the higher mind can see the big picture at all times. Things move much slower in the etheric realms, with time adjusting accordingly. Time is nearly a perception. As Einstein said,
"One second touching a hot stove can seem like an eternity, while an hour with a pretty girl can seem like a moment"
It is not just perception that is different, it is actually time. Time is a 3 dimensional construct that is intertwined with space. We experience space-time, where we can move about in space, but are stuck in a singularity of time. There is also time-space, where we can move about in time but are stuck in a singularity of space. Then there is the next level where we can do both simultaneously. Some scientist have postulated that small animals and insects have short life spans but experience time differently so their lives appear to be as long as ours, from their perspective. Awareness is bound to time. Often, when people are knocked unconscious it feels like they have been away for a thousand years when they regain consciousness. This is an example of how our consciousness is bound to a particular time-scale but there are many time-scales that exist outside of our ability to perceive them.
I liken the LOA to a parent who sees time differently from a child. Parents need time to observe what it is their children want that seems consistent over time, and then they need time to manifest the results for them. To the higher states of consciousness, it is an instant but to us it takes time, usually more than we would like.
So by keeping a thought and feeling in our consciousness for a long period of time, it allows the higher plane to not only interpret what it is that we want, but it also to deliver it. If we have "moved on" like the little girl in the commercial, the universe will not bother manifesting our desires anymore. If the higher dimensions see that we still want our desires over time, they deliver. Win/win for everybody.
I find it interesting that there is a study from Harvard University that tried to determine what was the most significant factor that leads to success. They followed a graduating class for decades and measured the level of success that each graduate achieved, correlating those results with components of their lives. The results were strange, but true. They found no correlation between success and:
Family background
Good looks
Intelligence
Connections
Personality
Grades
Work ethic
The only common factor that was universal amongst those whom they deemed " successful" was LONG-TERM PERSPECTIVE. They assumed this meant they made better investment decisions and had a lot more self-discipline etc. Of course, in the real world this will make a HUGE difference in how you approach anything. It is essential to success. But what if... this also contributed to a sustained focus on desires. What if this long term thinking created a thought pattern that became easily understood by the higher powers that might assist in their success? It is worth thinking about. Long-term perspective is a very deliberate manipulation of time.
Action
The thing with action is that it is part of the biofeedback mechanism we all have between our body and mind. It is well documented that our emotions are derived from our thinking as much as they are a result of our bodily sensations. Our guts create serotonin, the neurotransmitter that affects happiness. Bio-feedback is the practice of changing our minds, by changing our states. This can be achieved by movement, diet, and actions towards our goals. We don’t have to rely on positive thinking or happenstance.
A good friend of mine taught me that inspiration follows action just as action follows inspiration. We all start projects with enthusiasm and energy. Then it gets boring. Or hard. Then we don't feel so inspired. My friend pointed out that if we “act as if" we are still inspired the inspiration will come back. It is true. When we get out of bed and work hard towards our goals, even when we don't feel like it, it send a message to our brains (and the universe) that our desires are still important to us and our thoughts and emotions will get right back on track and align with our desires.
So by working towards our goals (taking action) consistently we are sending a message to the higher dimensions in a time-scale that they can understand to assist us in our quest. It also forces us to "think" about our goals because we are actively pursuing them, in spite of our level of inspiration. The act of working towards our desires puts the thought into our mind for a longer period of time and it becomes undeniable to the higher planes. The body influences the mind just as the mind influences the body.
The cool thing about all this is that even if you think that the Law of Attraction is nonsense, and there is no such thing as "divine providence", the method still works. You have set a goal and are working towards it, even when you don't feel like it. You will inevitably get to a new place in your life because of your own efforts, without divine intervention. If the "universe" decides to give you a "boost" then that is a bonus.
So by speaking the language of the universe you are setting yourself up for success by realizing that time is different for all layers of existence. Think long term and you never know what forces will come into play to support you in the pursuit of your desires.