Mission Improbable Part 3: The Key to the Law of Attraction

First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do. - Epictetus

This quote has always had powerful meaning to me. It seems so simple, and yet the wisdom of the ages seems lodged in it.

“Becoming” starts with a Vision of the future, and is followed by a lot of targeted Action. I have never seen this recipe fail, when:

1) The Vision is clear and I believe in it enthusiastically and without reservation.

2) I am willing to evaluate my Actions honestly to make sure they are really on target.

The reason it works is because it’s a different way of stating the Law of Attraction – aligning my thoughts, passion, and actions to a specific Vision draws that Vision to me inevitably. This is not “magic” of some kind; it’s just the way things work in this universe. There are potential problems with this formula, though, and they warrant discussion.

Potential roadblocks permeate that simple statement of the Law of Attraction, among them:

1) Is my Vision clear and focused? If not, the Law of Attraction may not appear to work.

2) Do I really believe in that Vision? If my Thoughts are not truly in alignment (and “belief” often happens at a subconscious level), then the Law of Attraction may not appear to work.

3) Does the Vision really evoke my Passions, or does it evoke the passion of someone else in my life, but not mine? Again – this can make it seem like the Law isn’t working.

4) Am I really taking Action? If I’m fooling myself about being in Action, I’m wasting my time.

5) Am I really being honest about whether the Action I’m taking is working? If I don’t honestly evaluate the Actions I take, I may thwart the Law of Attraction.

When I review that list of roadblocks (and I doubt that it’s even complete), it’s intimidating. What can I do if I don’t even know what my Vision is? – many of us have gotten disconnected from our dreams. How can I know beyond a doubt that I truly believe? How can I wrangle my subconscious mind into submission? What if I don’t know what Action to take next? What if my perceptions about whether an Action is “working” are inaccurate? When I think about all of the questions these potential pitfalls beg, it can be overwhelming – especially to a recovering perfectionist like myself.

There is good news in all of this, though: It doesn’t seem to matter at first whether we are truly convinced of our Vision beyond a shadow of a doubt. As long as we continue to be willing to believe, the Law can work.

Also, even if our Passions are not fully engaged at the outset, still the Law of Attraction can work. What matters is that we are intent on aligning our passions properly.

Finally, it doesn’t even seem to matter what Action we take at first, as long as we take Action. Even the lamest attempts at taking Action seem to yield fruit as long as they are evaluated honestly and we don’t allow “failure” to immobilize us.

There is a powerful Principle in play here, one of that “laundry list” I keep referring to in my posts. That Principle is Willingness. If we are willing to work toward aligning our Thoughts, Passions, and Actions, we will find a way to make that happen. Epictetus’ immortal words, in fact, only make sense in the context of Willingness.

I'll even state it more emphatically: I believe that Willingness is the key to the Law of Attraction. Whatever we would become, whatever we would achieve, whatever we would obtain in this life – if we are Willing to do whatever it takes to become, to achieve, to obtain, our powerful God-given brain will somehow locate the proper Path.

Willingness is so central to my success in life that I often forgo all other goals to refresh my precious reserve of Willingness. When I am discouraged (it happens), when my efforts seem to be failing, when my energy flags, when my “feelings” have deserted me – I fall on my knees and pray “God, please help me to be Willing.”

The power of that prayer in my life is astonishing. I find in those seven words exactly what I need, every time. They bring me to a place of Humility, where I realize that the efforts of my Self-will are always going to be futile. It brings me to a place of Honesty, where I accept the fact that I am responsible, and that it is I who must change, and not my circumstances. And it brings me to a place of Surrender, where I stop fighting that fire in my heart that draws me closer to the Vision of myself that is in proper alignment with the Will of my Creator.

James Arthur Ray, in Harmonic Wealth , demonstrates the power of this when he talks about getting the car of his dreams at a time when he was barely making rent each month. He wanted that Cadillac very, very much – his Passion was aligned with his Thoughts, big time. And his spiritual advisor at the time suggested that he make it a goal to obtain that car in the next six months. But how could he do it? He was stumped as to how to even begin to achieve such an ambitious goal.

He did the one thing that he could think of to do as a first step: He went to the dealership to look at the car. As he sat behind the wheel, he dreamed of it, loved it, cherished it. All good. What to do next?

A salesman asked Ray if he wanted the car, to which he replied in the affirmative; but he explained his financial situation. The salesman suggested leasing, an option Ray hadn’t considered, or even known about. For $150 per month, the car could be “his.” In six days, he had the car of his dreams.

From a pipe dream to fruition, a six-month goal happened in six days. But only because he was Willing to do the next indicated step – a simple visit to the dealership – did the proper path reveal itself. It was not much as “actions” go, but it was enough, because he was Willing.

One might question the wisdom of selecting that specific goal when obtaining the rent each month is a concern. And here’s the point about the Law of Attraction: The Goal doesn’t matter. It’s the process that matters. And Ray learned the process in this simple exercise, and has since learned to apply it in every area of his life. Ray’s spiritual guide understood this: Start with what you are passionate about – whatever it is – and learn the process in a context of absolute Willingness. Then learn to apply it to other goals. It’s as simple (and difficult) as that.

At long last, with all the Principles in place, my next post will start shedding light on my own Vision, Mission, and Goals. Stay tuned!