Mission Improbable Part 1: The Law of Attraction

So what do such personal matters as Body and Mind and Spirit have to do with starting a business? As an entrepreneur with a goal of True Wealth, I firmly believe that the answer is everything.

James Arthur Ray states in his book Harmonic Wealth that to create our reality we must “align our thoughts, feelings, and actions.” This alignment invokes the Law of Attraction, which draws to you that which you have set your sights on. For my purposes, I change the word “feelings” (because feelings are liars – more about that in a later post) with the word “passions.”

Many who ascribe to the Law of Attraction omit the word "actions" from the formula, changing an immutable law of the universe into a magical, metaphysical and, frankly, childish fantasy. Ray does not omit this, nor do others who really understand the process. We do not create Wealth by “putting it out into the Universe” and waiting hopefully for it to materialize out of the ether into our blissful arms, accompanied by sound of angelic choirs, harps, and trumpets. No, the contemplation of one’s navel does not produce miracles. If you do it long enough, you may notice lint in there, but even that will stay right where it is unless you reach in and pick it out.

If you read Ray’s book, you may, as I do, have a bit of trouble with the (perhaps) pseudo-physics of his wave-based explanation of the Law of Attraction. But the conclusions he comes to have a powerful ring of truth when you observe those who have actually created Wealth. The alignment of our Thoughts (Mind), Passions (Spirit), and Actions (Body) creates a powerful draw that cannot fail to affect reality, for good or ill.

Common sense and common experience prove this. Think of Donald Trump. His public persona may not seem particularly approachable or likeable, but there are few people who have proven the Law of Attraction as obviously as he has. By aligning his thoughts, passions, and actions he has amassed great Wealth, and even after having lost the lion’s share of it, went on to create an even greater dynasty that continues to thrive.

Think also of that “curse of the lottery.” No matter how much money you have, you will not likely sustain Wealth unless you are, as Ray puts it, “big enough to have created it from within.” You must be convinced of your Wealth, passionate about your Wealth, and in constant action toward your Wealth, if you are ever to realize it. Unless your thoughts, passions, and actions are aligned in the creation and sustenance of True Wealth, you will neither create nor sustain it.

I have a good friend who has talked about winning the lottery since I met him. He plays every week, and waxes eloquently about how generous he will be with his friends and family when he wins. Has he aligned his thoughts, passions, and actions? Apparently – as he says, “If you don’t play you can’t win.” But there is a crucial omission from this formula that I believe must be in place or even the most powerful alignment will be useless: One must be willing to honestly evaluate and modify one’s actions over time to make sure that they are producing the desired result. And that takes us back to the issue of Growth.

The people who create and sustain Wealth are ruthlessly honest with themselves, determining after every action whether that action brought them closer to their goal. If the action worked, they will likely continue it. But, perhaps more importantly, if the action does NOT bring them closer to Wealth, they drop it mercilessly and try something else. This requires not just Honesty, but Willingness to Change, a hallmark of Spiritual Growth.

So if buying lottery tickets does not bring you closer to Wealth (and based on the odds alone, you will expend more in the purchase of lottery tickets than you will ever win), then you must stop buying lottery tickets and try something else.

This requires Imagination and Awareness – two more Principles in that laundry list I’ve presented that include Honesty, Open-Mindedness, Willingness, etc., and together pave the path to Spiritual Growth.

Once again, I’ll refer to that amazing story in Rich Dad Poor Dad that embarked me on my current journey: Robert Kiyosaki’s childhood experience of creating a lending library of comic books for his friends out of discarded, outdated comic books. I hold this story as a supreme example of the sheer power of Imagination. I view with awe the mind of a child that would observe his surroundings (Awareness) and create from nothing (Imagination) a money-making process in which everyone wins. Such is the work of Higher Power, the breathtaking, elegant process by which Awareness and Imagination morph into Inspiration. It’s ineffable, it’s exquisite, and it is a powerful part of the Law of Attraction that is seldom discussed.

Opportunities are everywhere, honestly. But to spot them and take advantage of them, one must observe the environment and think creatively. What stops this process, you might ask? In my opinion, the greatest barrier to this process is Unwillingness to Change. If you do not cultivate the Willingness to Change, you will forever try to accomplish different results from the same actions – the textbook definition of “insanity.”

As Ray says it, you must be big enough to create and sustain Wealth in order to achieve it. To be big enough, you must possess the Willingness to grow. To grow, you must possess the Willingness to Change. These are all Spiritual values, ideals that must be cultivated and nourished in our lives and hearts if they are to be realized to a degree effective in the creation of Harmonic Wealth.

The Mission of Harmonic Wealth is not Impossible, it’s just Improbable. It requires sustained effort, vigilance, and brutal honesty. Sounds dreary, doesn’t it?

Well, as far as I’m concerned there is one more “Secret” to The Secret, and without this, the Law of Attraction WILL become a dreary grind: one must deeply and wholeheartedly embrace the Process. More about this in the next post. Stay tuned!