What We Misunderstand About ‘The Law Of Attraction’ (And How To Set It Straight)

Kevin Young
Kevin Young

The ‘Law Of Attraction’ originated from Eastern Philosophy, and has been repackaged and re-quoted in best-selling books of the new-age rage. The problem with these books is that they are borrowing ancient ideas, and misinterpreting them according to their own connotations for the purpose of commercial gain. This half or incomplete knowledge is geared towards ego-driven desires, and is not actually helping the majority of people to access their creative potential.

The Law of Attraction’ can work in a spiritual context, but first we need to understand everything wrong with what we are being told about it by commercial media.

The Law of Attraction’ is based on the following ideas:

1. It is based on the philosophically spiritual premise that everything in the universe is interconnected, and made up of vibrational energy.

2. It brings to our attention the potential of our own thoughts to create our reality.

3. It shows us how we can use the power of our mind to manipulate energy, and manifest our desires.

4. It sums up the idea that by focusing on negative or positive energy, people can bring negative or positive experiences into their life.

5. It is based on the principle that like energy attracts like energy.

What We Misunderstand About The Law Of Attraction’:

1. By excessively visualizing and attaching yourself to a preconceived notion or idea, you are actually creating maximum resistance to what is meant for you to unfold in the natural way. Everything you assume about your future is built from your limited past experience. You are getting in the way of the universe, rather than allowing it to show you what is good for you, and the different ways you can receive it. If you are open to opportunities, you may get what you wished for, but in ways that you never really imagined before. You may also get something totally different, but much better than what you wished for.

2. We wrongly assume that positive energy is considered to be ‘good’, and negative energy is considered as ‘bad’. This assumption is based on incorrect idea that feelings of discomfort and anxiety are bad, when they are actually necessary for us to change or transform into more conscious and self-aware human beings, by identifying the root of the problem rather than simply denying it. Fear is good, because it actually signifies a sign of interest. The healthy expression of negative emotions such as anger, sadness, jealousy and hatred, is absolutely necessary to avoid suppression, escapist behaviors and unhealthy coping mechanisms.

3. If we become totally obsessed with chasing after something, it keeps running away. This is because we are looking for what we can take from it, rather than what we can give to it. For the law of abundance to manifest, you need to be as generous as the universe. The universe wants you to keep dreaming but for something much bigger than yourself, rather than simply satisfying selfish ego-driven needs and desires.

4. When we start seeing signs, symbols and synchronicities in our environment, it means that we are developing our emotional intelligence and becoming intuitively attuned, rather than the universe putting them in front of us. We should not get attached to the timing of the outcome, because the journey is for a reason, and the more we grow from it, the more accelerated the progress. We should avoid the pitfall of seeing patterns where none exist, and stop trying to connect dots where they don’t actually match. An unhealthy preoccupation with coincidences will lead you away from your actual path rather than to it.

5. We think that we know what will make us happy, and that we should just go ahead and get it. When we fail at this, we become disappointed in ourselves and assume that we have failed at our goal. The irony is that ‘The Law Of Attraction’ is a spiritual idea, and does not work on materialistic things. The contemporary notion of success is financial gain, social status and material acquisitions. We have forgotten that true fulfillment lies in love, self-awareness, purpose, passion, wellness and communal harmony.

6. When we keep knocking on doors that refuse to open, we are creating unrealistic expectations. Persistence and patience should be used in a smart way, rather than exhausting our energy and resources on goals that are not in alignment with our higher purpose. Our ego keeps creating new roles to play, rather than trying to understand and discover who we really are, and where we come from. We are met with constant dissatisfaction and disappointment through comparison of people whose paths are different from ours. We should accept the uncertainty of life circumstances that we cannot control, and work through them rather than getting stuck in them.

7. Rather than getting lost in visualizations in your mind, focus on seeking out experiences that broaden your horizons, and awaken you to your own consciousness. You can do this by engaging in meditation practices, making meaningful friendships, developing hobbies, reading philosophy and sciences, travelling to natural places, connecting on a global level, and just trying out new things that work towards self improvement. This way your external reality will begin to reflect your internal reality, such that it will reveal different parts of yourself to you.

8. Relax and have fun. Don’t be too serious, and don’t put too much pressure. Think of it like a treasure hunt you are playing with the universe, which is actually helping you to find yourself. If you introduce light-heartedness and playfulness, it will help you to relieve the angst and frustration caused from conforming to societal approval, peer pressure, and the demands of your ego, that are rejecting yourself, resisting and getting in the way of your own progress.

9. The spiritual truth of ‘The Law Of Attraction’ is that we do have the limitless power to access our creative potential. Our subconscious mind, our soul, is actually connected to a universal natural intelligence that operates on scientifically spiritual laws. We need to inculcate gratefulness, generosity, compassion and courage. We need to let go of our need to control rather than attaching to it, and work in tandem with the universe to unlock our real purpose and get in touch with our true nature. Thought Catalog Logo Mark


About the author

Nikita Mor

Lover of personal growth and poetry

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