Principle #6 in Jack Canfield’s book “The Success Principles: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be” is “Use the Law of Attraction.” Jack summarizes the Law of Attraction as:
“What you think about, talk about, believe strongly about, and feel intensely about, you will bring about.”
About This Post
I’ve been learning from Jack Canfield (of Chicken Soup for the Soul fame) since 2008. I credit much of my success (including authoring or co-authoring more than 40 books) to applying principles in my life that he teaches. I’m currently going through his book “The Success Principles: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be,” covering one principle a week.
Principle #6 is “Use the Law of Attraction”
Throughout our history, people have been talking about the Law of Attraction. Here are just a few examples.
- “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”
– Matthew 7:7-8 (NIV)
- “What we are today comes from our thoughts of yesterday, and our present thoughts build our life of tomorrow: Our life is the creation of our mind.”
– Buddha
- “Man, alone, has the power to transform his thoughts into physical reality; man, alone, can dream and make his dreams come true.”
– Napoleon Hill (author of “Think and Grow Rich“)
- “You are today where your thoughts have brought you. You will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you.”
– James Allen (author of “As a Man Thinketh“)
More importantly, it is tremendously easy to activate the Law of Attraction in your life.
Be Happy
Do you know the simplest way you can attract everything you desire?
Be happy. And if you can’t be happy, choose to be just a little happier.
Ah, but I hear the question. How can I be happy?
Here’s the simple answer.
Be grateful. When you take the time to express appreciation regularly, you become much more aware of all there is to appreciate in your life. The more you express appreciation, the more you become aware of all the good things you have.
- “Gratitude is an attitude that hooks us up to our source of supply. And the more grateful you are, the closer you become to your maker, to the architect of the universe, to the spiritual core of your being. It’s a phenomenal lesson.”
– Bob Proctor
Be Grateful
In the book “Ask and It Is Given” by Esther and Jerry Hicks, they describe multiple processes you can use to help the Law of Attraction bring you what you want. The first process is “The Rampage of Appreciation” process. The book goes into the process in much more depth, but here’s a short version.
Look around and identify something that pleases you. It can be anything such as a photo, a smartphone, tablet, computer, or a painting. Then think about what you like about it. As an example, here are my thoughts as I’m looking at the Amazon Echo sitting on my desk. (The Echo responds to the name Alexa.)
- I love the way Alexa can play my favorite music and read books, allowing me to easily pause and resume at any time.
- It’s great that I can set a timer by just saying “Alexa, set alarm for ten minutes.”
- I’m grateful that Amazon funded this invention and made it available at a reasonable price.
- The software engineers did a great job developing the software for this.
- It’s awesome that the Internet brings so much to me through simple voice commands or the touch of a button.
- I appreciate how Alexa is always ready with a joke. I just said “Alexa, tell me a joke.”
She responded with “You know what seems odd to me? Numbers that aren’t divisible by two.”
The idea here is simply to immerse yourself in the positive and appreciative aspects of whatever you choose. Notice that it is natural to go beyond the item. In my example, I included Amazon, the software engineers, and the Internet.
You don’t need to limit this exercise to what you see in the room you’re currently in. You can do this same exercise anywhere. Start by simply focusing your attention on any person, place, or thing that pleases you. Then identify all the positive aspects that you can bring to mind.
Try this exercise the next time you’re in any type of waiting line such as at the grocery store, the bank, or the post office. Find something that pleases you, focus your attention on it, and release a rampage of gratitude.
Law of Attraction Summary
The Law of Attraction can be summarized as “What you think about, talk about, believe strongly about, and feel intensely about, you will bring about.” If you regularly identify things that you’re grateful for and express appreciation often, you’ll be happier. Your happiness along with your thoughts of what you appreciate will attract more of what you like. Don’t believe me though. Try it. Replace all your blaming and complaining with thoughts of gratitude and expressions of appreciation.
Here’s a link to other musing’s on Jack Canfield’s Success Principles.