The law of attraction: Is it time for this sacred cow to die?

Friday, February 17, 2012 by: Mike Bundrant
Tags: law of attraction, myths, reality

(NaturalNews) I remember sitting through my first viewing of The Secret DVD. I was on the couch, drunk with laughter. The people on my television screen - apparently sane people - were talking about manifesting all kinds of goodies from the universe. And all you need to do is intend things to happen and never fear. One gentleman even suggested that hard work is the worst way to succeed. This was followed by anecdotes about people who "intended" to receive checks in the mail. Lo and behold! They received those checks. Actually, that one is worth a shot...

I intend to receive checks in the mail!

Part of me silently hoped the Universe would forgive my ignorance and reward my desires to receive some checks, too. I focused more on this request to the Infinite. Why not? I do deserve some checks and I do not fear the post office. So let's get on with it. I radiated my intention.


The very next day, I smiled my way out to the mail, opened the box and WOW! Three unexpected checks! Well, they were all from clients on contract with my business so I guess they were expected, but not on that specific day. At any rate, I took this as a slice of humble pie. I silently vowed to learn more about the law of attraction and to stop dismissing it so lightly. Here is what I learned.

There isn't any objective proof of the law of attraction as promoted by the LOA community

As far as I can tell, no one has any objective proof that the law of attraction is for real. There are thousands of anecdotes online from people who claim to have gotten results. There are also plenty of anecdotes from people who claim it doesn't work for them, in spite of having practiced with pure intention. It would be impossible to measure each individual level of intention, fear, conflict or true desire that prompts the Universe to respond in one way or another.

What about those checks in my mailbox? That was neat, but we can hardly call it objective proof. We could just as easily call it an amusing coincidence. What would have happened had I not radiated my desire for checks? Would the Universe have rerouted those already mailed envelopes? To call it anything but a coincidence, we would need to invoke some pretty tricky explanations that would probably go as far as examining my past life experiences. All that is fine, but it is anything but objective proof.

Of course, people who have a strong sense of logic often have big problems with the law of attraction. If a thousand people want the same job or enter the same raffle and many of them are aligned with the law of attraction, doesn't this cause problems on the delivery side of the equation? Don't skeptics and even the most cynical, pessimistic people get breaks from the Universe, too? Do people who suffer extreme lack or live in war torn countries bring poverty and suffering upon themselves? How do we handle the inconsistencies without spinning marvelous stories to justify it all?

In order to reconcile the logical errors, one must defer to faith that the Universe somehow takes care of things that are beyond our comprehension. Logical types struggle with this, even though it is abundantly clear that there is plenty going on in the universe that no person will ever understand.

At any rate, the law of attraction is not promoted on objective proof of its efficacy, because there is no objective proof. It survives on the charisma and persuasiveness of the leaders in the field. This is often not a problem for me, but in this case I have yet to find an authority on the law of attraction that I trust.

Most often, leaders in the LOA field are promoting terribly naive and irresponsible methods for how to get what you want. It seems their sales pitches are designed to make success appear automatic and effortless if you just buy their programs. The programs of the well-known leaders in the field are often incredibly overpriced, too.

Worse, those who claim to have originated the law of attraction are the most condescending, out-of-this-world arrogant people I have ever seen. They stand on stage and speak as if they were gods, or a direct channel to the gods. The poor people in the audience seem like victims of cult tactics. These kinds of rituals - where people get together and seek answers from someone on a pedestal - do not represent what I call personal development or individual empowerment. They are a form of worship, which is fine, if we could just call it that.

In spite of the issues, I believe the core principle in the law of attraction is still the most influential aspect of anyone's success. Without identifying and focusing on desired outcomes, we are lost from the get-go. There is, however, a less mysterious, more grounded and wiser approach to succeeding. It does not invoke the magic widely promoted by LOA gurus and, unfortunately, requires a whole lot more effort. These principles are as old as the hills. Apparently we need regular reminders.

1. Focus on what you want and pay attention to your personal ecology. Set a goal and consider what would happen, good and bad, if you achieved it. How would attaining this goal, and the process of attainment, affect you and the people in your life? Are you willing to make the necessary sacrifices to achieve it?

2. Tap into resources. What strengths and skills, education and inner qualities do you have that will help you succeed? Focus on these. Write them down. Harness them. What additional resources do you need that will help? What abilities, connections, money, inner qualities, etc...do you need to add to your repertoire? Chase them down.

3. Work your butt off. Connect your goal with the actions that will help realize it. Pretend the Universe is ignoring you entirely and be willing to make it happen. In short, become as happily obsessed as you can.

4. Keep your eyes and ears open. You are now focusing on your goal, tapping into your resources and developing new ones, taking action and working away. Things will begin to happen. Your focus and intention will direct your perception toward opportunities you might have never seen and people you might have never met without this particular focus and intention. Make the most of the new opportunities in front of you.

Many successful people claim they could have never predicted how their success actually played out. This is because they kept their eyes and ears open to opportunities that manifested according to their desires, connections, hard work and results produced along the way.

This is the heart of the law of attraction. Focus on becoming a great nutritionist and soon you will see a world of opportunity for education, new connections, resources, business opportunity, and so on, in the world of nutrition. Focus on becoming a better parent and you'll find similar phenomena in the world of parents and parent resources. Work at it diligently and improvements are sure to come.

Over the months and years, depending on where you choose to focus your intention and efforts, you can entirely reeducate and reinvent yourself! The possibilities are real. Does it need to be more complicated than this?

Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.
- Thomas Edison

About the author:
Watch the free video The AHA! Process: An End to Self-Sabotage and discover the lost keys to personal transformation and emotional well-being that have been suppressed by mainstream mental health for decades.

The information in this video has been called the missing link in mental health and personal development. In a world full of shallow, quick-fix techniques, second rate psychology and pharmaceutical takeovers, real solutions have become nearly impossible to find. Click here to watch the presentation that will turn your world upside down.

Mike Bundrant is co-founder of the iNLP Center and host of Mental Health Exposed, a Natural News Radio program.

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