The law of attraction is a concept that has become hugely popular in recent years, particularly in the coaching world. Many, many people believe in the law of attraction and it seems just as many are cynical about it.
So, what is it and how can it help you to achieve your goals in business and in life?
What is the law of attraction?
Simply put, the law of attraction means like attracts like. The idea being that positive thoughts bring positive results. You smile at someone, they smile back. You focus with positive intention and belief on what you want in your life and you will bring that in.
The law of attraction is part of the 12 universal laws, which originate from ancient cultures. Other laws that form part of the 12 include inspired action, polarity and rhythm. The law of attraction is by far the most well-known and it became even more popular after the publication of Rhonda Byrne’s self-help book, The Secret, in 2006.
How does the law of attraction work?
The law of attraction works on the principle of manifestation i.e., making something theoretical real. The idea is that if you visualise what you want to achieve, and really focus on it, you’re sending a message to the universe that will then deliver what you desire. For some people this could take the form of daily mantras and affirmations, meditations or putting their goal on a vision board or in their yearly planner. The law of attraction is intrinsically linked to the idea of an abundance mindset, and if you’d like to read more on that topic, take a look at my recent blog post, ‘How Having An Abundance Mindset Can Benefit Your Business.’
Is it just wishful thinking?
Those of you that know me will know that approaching life with a positive mindset is something that I’m a big fan of. However, do I believe if I visualise running a six-figure business, put it on my vision board, say the right mantras and affirmations it will somehow happen because I’ve asked the universe? No.
Do I think that if we have positive thoughts, we are more likely to feel and act in a positive way? Absolutely.
The same also works in reverse, if we focus on negative thoughts we’re more like to feel negative and act accordingly. Our brain also tries to assist us here as our Reticular Activating System helps us focus on what we want and filter out what’s not relevant i.e., it highlights what you are focusing on … in this case achieving your goals!
I do believe in the principle of the law of attraction, if we don’t approach our goals with the right mindset that will absolutely cause us a problem but, for me, there’s a crucial piece of the puzzle missing.
Action.
You can ask the universe to help manifest your goals as much as you like but without action on your part the universe is going to come up short.
Thoughts and actions aligning
Let’s look at this example. Say you set yourself a goal of wanting to bring in five new clients this quarter. It’s on your vision board, you state is in a daily mantra, you’re putting it out to the universe, you want it to happen. But you post on socials inconsistently, you don’t follow up on leads, you don’t have space in your diary for any new clients or the processes in place to expand your capacity. Is this goal likely to manifest? Is it even realistic? No. Whatever your take on the law of attraction may be, your actions have to be aligned with what you say you want. In this example they clearly aren’t.
Don’t use it as an excuse
I firmly believe we have to take responsibility for what happens in our lives and some people interpret the law of attraction in a way that makes it all too easy for them to evade this responsibility by claiming the universe will sort things out for them. I believe we can manifest anything we need but ultimately we have to take responsibility for making it happen.
It can lead to frustration
One of the negatives surrounding the law of attraction is that it can often lead people to feel frustrated and confused. They’re saying their affirmations, sending out positive thoughts and when this thing they want still isn’t happening they start to wonder why. They think the problem must be them or something they’re doing wrong and that can be damaging. No, it’s not you. It’s often action that is the missing piece of the puzzle.
Another downside to the law is that some people focus on the ‘negative attracts negative’ element when things are going wrong for them. They blame themselves saying, ‘I’ve brought this on myself, it’s my fault.’ That then becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy and you’re trapped in a vicious circle. In my view no one actually choses to bring negative forces into their own lives and a spiral of self-blame and negative thinking isn’t good for anyone.
What do I believe?
I think the principles of the law of attraction are generally correct but, when good things happen for me, my belief is not that the universe manifested them. I made them happen through my thoughts, hard work and action. I believe we need to use our mindset in a positive way to see possibility and bring what we want to achieve into our lives. Having said that, I am not dismissing anyone who has a spiritual view of the world and this is purely my own personal view of how the law of attraction works for me. It’s different for everyone.
If you follow me on socials, you may have seen that we are moving back to Dubai to fulfil a long held dream goal. After retuning to the UK in 2021 when things didn’t quite work out for us there we could have said, ‘let’s give up on the Dubai plan and forget it.’ But I didn’t. Mr B and I kept it in our plans, we kept looking at opportunities, we kept talking about it and we said yes to the right opportunity when it came up. Did the universe make this happen for us? Absolutely not, we manifested it all by ourselves.
What are your thoughts?
I’d love to hear your thoughts on the law of attraction and how it works for you, it’s such an interesting subject! You can drop a comment below or head over to my Instagram account @shelleybosworthcoaching, where I’ll be starting a conversation on this very topic.
If you’d like some help staying focused on your goals in 2023, feel free to drop me a message to find out more about the ways you can work with me. I’d love to hear from you!