THE LAW OF ATTRACTION
April 02 2024 – Delikate Rayne
The Law of Attraction is a concept in New Thought saying that positive thoughts and energy attract positive outcomes, while negative thoughts and energy attract negative outcomes. For example, a person who gives a lot of love will receive a lot of love, while a person who always complains will attract people who complain. The idea is that your thoughts have power and that power can be harnessed. Positive emotions (such as love, gratitude, and hope) and positive thoughts (such as thinking the world is full of opportunity) will attract the same positive outcomes.
There are three main ideas under the Law of Attraction:
- Like attracts like – Positive thinking can be used to produce desirable experiences and outcomes.
- There are no vacuums – Nature will fill an empty space. Removing the negative things in your life will make room for more positive things.
- The present is perfect – Focus on making the present moment the best it can be, and reframe the negativity experienced.
There is debate whether or not the Law of Attraction is true, as it mostly relies on anecdotal accounts and it struggles to adhere to, say, the laws of physics and other scientifically provable theories. There are also differing approaches to using the Law. For example, the method of only thinking about a desired outcome and taking no action, or relying on just manifesting, has led to the Law of Attraction being called a scam. However, more proactive approaches, as told by Bundit Ungrangsee in his book The Laws of Luck shows that having a positive mindset while working hard to give yourself the best chance at opportunity can be the key to success.
Even if the Law of Attraction is labeled as pseudoscience, it can still be a productive frame of mind. Ways to practice the Law of Attraction include being grateful, visualizing your goals (creating physical visions, like moodboards, can help you picture your goals clearly), searching for the positives in situations, and practicing acceptance and self-love. These actions help you see the positives in yourself, in your situation, as well as helping you develop a clear image of what you want. In that way, the Law works a bit like goal-setting. Having a defined idea of your goals will help you work towards it and prepare yourself for the difficulties along the way.
The Law of Attraction isn’t meant to be a fix-all solution to personal problems, and wishful thinking by itself could never bring something into existence. Rather, the Law is meant to set you up for success: give you the sense of positivity and autonomy to take action. It helps you see where to focus your energy and give you the optimism to pursue opportunities. Accept what hand the world deals you and find hope in it. Bringing positive energy to the world and living in alignment with your goals and values is the realistic, productive way to bring the Law of Attraction to life.