Our Worlds Are Created By Our Words – Part II

Our worlds only exist in language. There is no “you” outside of language. There is no “me” outside of language. And there is nothing else in this universe that exists outside of the world of language for you and me. If we didn’t have language, would we know one another by smell or sight? Would we be able to differentiate one from another at all? Would we “name” each other by using tongue-clicks or guttural noises? These are all valid questions for what our lives would look like if we didn’t have the cognitive skill of language.

We are the only part of God’s creation that has true language. We are able to “create” new things in language – naming something that is newly invented. We are able to coin new words that have meanings varied from those already in existence. This, on its own, differentiates us from primates.

Monkeys have proven that they have the ability to use tools. They are able to mimic the actions of other monkeys and learn to use sticks for things such as getting ants out of an ant-hill, etc. But, you’ll never see a monkey pick up a stick in order to get bananas out of a tree, for a tree that is yet to be seen down the path. In other words, monkeys don’t exhibit any behavioral signs that they are ever living for their futures. Their worlds appear to be all about the survival of their present.

So, we are distinguished from the lower classes of animals not only in our ability to use language as a representative tool and for communication, but we are also able to use our cognitive skills in order to plan for our future lives. And those futures will look exactly as our pasts have looked unless we use our skills in language to create something that is different from that which we now have.

You see, it is only in language that creation may occur. On a simple level we could say, that if I were to create something with you or with a group of people, it would take our communication to accomplish the creation of that thing. That is the simplest form of using our language for the purpose of creation.

However, there is a greater form of creation that we have available to us through language. And that is simply, the creation of a thing, created in our speaking, our writing, or our thoughts.

The Bible gives us a lesson from history about what man can accomplish (or, create) with two fundamental things: (1) Imagination and (2) Language. Following is that account from Genesis 11:1-12 (AMP):

The Tower of Babel

1And the whole earth was of one language and of one accent and mode of expression. 2And as they journeyed eastward, they found a plain (valley) in the land of Shinar, and they settled and dwelt there.

3And they said one to another, Come, let us make bricks and burn them thoroughly. So they had brick for stone, and slime (bitumen) for mortar. 4And they said, Come, let us build us a city and a tower whose top reaches into the sky, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered over the whole earth.

5And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. 6And the Lord said, Behold, they are one people and they have all one language; and this is only the beginning of what they will do, and now nothing they have imagined they can do will be impossible for them.

7Come, let Us go down and there confound (mix up, confuse) their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. 8So the Lord scattered them abroad from that place upon the face of the whole earth, and they gave up building the city.

9Therefore the name of it was called Babel – because there the Lord confounded the language of all the earth; and from that place the Lord scattered them abroad upon the face of the whole earth. [Italics & Bolding are mine.]

The Law of Attraction is just as real as the Law of Gravity. We can’t see either of these laws with our eyes. Yet these laws are finite and unrepentant. Quantum mechanics has now proven that in order for there to have been a Universe, there had to have been thought. Remember:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.“ - John 1:1 (NIV)

“And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.” - Genesis 1:3 (NIV)

“…And God said, “let there be……….” and there was……” Genesis 1:1-31 (NIV)

Being able to declare in advance the results that you’re committed to producing, and then having those results occur because you said, leaves you profoundly related to reality.

Quantum Mechanics – Part II

Yesterday I introduced Quantum Physics and a few of its theories. In today’s blog I will continue and complete that conversation.

In 1964, a physicist named John Bell developed a theory that proved out an experiment developed in 1935 by Einstein, Pedolsky, & Rosen (known as the EPR (the first initial of each scientist’s last name) experiment). The EPR experiment was actually thought up in an effort to defeat quantum physics and show how ludicrous it was by poking a hole in the idea of non-locality. Bell’s theorem proved that the idea of something being local (or, existing in one place) was incorrect. What his theorem stated was that everything is non-local. In effect, particles may be linked, or entangled, on some level that is “beyond time and space.”

That idea is a bit difficult for us to wrap our minds around. Everything we’ve known has been related to time and space. Now, to know that these most basic features of the world in which we live are somehow superceded in the quantum world by the notion of everything touching all the time, seems pretty far out! It also flies in the face of our world’s philosophical view that we are separate from each other and everything else.

Niels Bohr, a frontrunner of the quantum physics study, and his colleagues in Copenhagen developed the Copenhagen Interpretation of Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle. If you remember from yesterday, the Uncertainty Principle states that velocity and location cannot be measured at the same time – only one or the other may be known. The Copenhagen Interpretation went on to say that it wasn’t only that they couldn’t be measured but that “it” (an object/particle) wasn’t even an “it” until it’s an observed “it.” Bohr believed that particles themselves don’t even come into existence until we observe them, and that reality on a quantum level does not exist until it is observed or measured!

The foundations of Quantum mechanics suggest that the conscious act of observation is the key factor in the formation of reality. This provides the actions of the observer as being able to collapse several possibilities into one reality. According to Princeton’s Nobel Prize-winning physicist, John Wheeler, “Useful as it is under everyday circumstances to say that the world exists ‘out there’ independent of us, that view can no longer by upheld.” In Wheeler’s words, we are not simply “bystanders on a cosmic stage, [but] shapers and creators living in a participatory universe.”

So, looking at the information presented today along with that presented yesterday, we can review our findings to understand how it is that quantum physics affects the Law of Attraction. Obviously, part of the Law of Attraction is born out by the above paragraph which tells us that we are “shapers and creators living in a participatory universe.” But, we also find something else that is an interesting phenomenon. Remember early on in the month that I wrote that the Law of Attraction was really made up of 4, already known, laws rolled into this one (e.g. Law of Faith, Law of Giving & Receiving, Law of Sowing & Reaping, & Karma)? Well, quantum theory suggests that instead of the dualistic model of karma which is: “I am mean to you, so now others will be mean to me,” everything is entangled and we are creating our own realities. So, the action or thought (which amount to the same “thing”) arises in a piece of my consciousness. There is a certain frequency, or vibration, associated with that thought. And, by taking action, I endorse that reality so that I am now connected to the universe by that frequency (or vibration). Therefore, everything “out there,” that is of the same frequency as my thought & action, will respond to the frequency of my thought and then be reflected in my reality! Wow!

You can see how by the study of Quantum Physics we may be one day able to absolutely prove, beyond a shadow of doubt, that there is a divine creator of this universe and that faith is as physical of a law as is gravity. The theories developed are already pointing to both of these things. As technology increases, and we are able to view smaller and smaller particles and other things that we currently cannot see, we may be able to emphatically prove both of the above suppositions.

Quantum Consciousness (Quantum Mechanics – Part I)

As we draw near to the end of this month, I am wrapping up my writings on the Law of Attraction. But before moving on to other subjects, I wanted to touch upon the topic of Quantum Physics (a.k.a. Quantum Mechanics or Quantum Particles).

Quantum physics is not a simple topic to cover in two days so I’m limiting the depth to which I will write on this subject. It is a vast world that is yet highly undiscovered but which leads to the hypotheses of many exciting possibilities. Some of the hypotheses of quantum mechanics have been used to underpin the beliefs of the Law of Attraction and Faith. Therefore, it is relevant that this information should be presented here.

Firstly, the term “Quantum” was applied to science by the German physicist Max Planck in 1900. Quantum is a Latin word that simply means “amount” or “quantity.” However, it is used in physics to mean the smallest unit of any physical property such as energy and matter. With the discovery that there are particles, smaller than the atom that make up matter, Quantum Physics was born!

In Newtonian physics (the theories of physics developed by Sir Isaac Newton; also called “Classical Physics”), Newton describes a universe in which all objects move within a three-dimensional space of geometry and time according to certain fixed laws of motion. Atoms, or matter, are considered to be self-contained, living within their own set boundaries. To illicit any change in matter requires applying some type of pressure to it – freezing it, heating it, or moving it. Newton’s laws, containing the central premise that things exist independently of each other, underlie our own philosophical view of the world – that we exist independently of one another and independently of every other thing.

Following are just a few of the discoveries of the Quantum world that have turned upside-down the Newtonian understandings provided by Classical Physics:

• Particles may be in two or more places at once. Creating two particles at once causes a condition known as entanglement. When two or more particles are entangled, it doesn’t matter how much distance is between them. When one of the entangled particles is changed, the other entangled particles are instantly affected in the same manner.

• Quantum physics is probabilistic rather than deterministic. We can never know with absolute certainty how a specific thing will turn out. In quantum physics, you cannot know the location and the velocity of an object. (This is known as the Uncertainty Principle.)

• In quantum physics, the observer influences the object observed. (There are no isolated observers of the mechanical universe. Everything participates in the universe.) Only one property may be known (or measured) at any given time because the object reacts differently depending upon what is being measured – implying that the observer’s intent is key to how the object appears! (These conditions are known as Non-Locality and Quantum Entanglement.)

• There is no “empty” space within atoms. Everything previously thought to be empty is now known to hold enormous quantities of energy.

• Quantum particles move instantaneously, rather than in an orbital pattern as concluded by Newton.

Quantum theory doesn’t replace Classical Physics. Instead, it supplies a whole new set of rules by which sub-atomic particles operate. The rules of Classical Physics still apply to objects of substantive matter – just not to the quantum world.

Quantum Consciousness

In attempts to solve the measurement problem in quantum physics, physicists frequently run into the problem of consciousness. Though most physicists try to sidestep the issue, it seems that there is a link between the conscious choice of an experiment and the outcome of that experiment. Some physicists, most notably Roger Penrose, believe that current physics cannot explain consciousness, and that consciousness itself has a link to the strange quantum realm. Other physicists, such as Fred Alan Wolf, lean toward believing that the rules that apply to quantum particles explain that our consciousness has everything to do with the realities of the lives that we live.

Looking, then, at a broad stroke view of this unusual world of quantum mechanics, quantum theory seems to prove out that there can be no universe without thought present – suggesting that God, or a Supreme Being, had to have created the universe of which we are now a part. Quantum theory also points to our abilities, as the observers of our lives (or our realities), to alter the outcome of events and influence the cellular structures of our own bodies to align with our beliefs.

The World View vs. the Faith View

Our experiences in the world give to us a great many things including our ideals of what success is, what makes one worthy of something, and how to overcome obstacles. However, the world’s view of how things are isn’t always the truth and it isn’t always the best way to view or to go about a situation. When I write that “it isn’t always the best way,” what I mean is that it may achieve the desired result, but it may do so with undesired side-effects. So, whenever we set about to do something, our eyes should not just be “on the prize” so to speak. We need to be about producing all of the results of our method – not just obtaining the desired goal.

As an example, if I want to succeed at a business that I’ve started, there are many methods I could employ to help me achieve that goal. The worldly method would have me “crush” the competition by whatever means necessary believing that the environment is only available for survival by the “fittest.” A higher method might be to differentiate yourself among your competitors so that the service you offer is better suited to the customers you are trying to attract. This method doesn’t work to quash the competition. It allows each of your competitors to remain in business with the belief that there is enough business to support everyone. Knowing that there are infinite resources available, there is no fear of failure due to lack of customers.

So your method must be in line with what you are out to produce. If you want to produce a successful business regardless of the “cost,” either of the above methods could help you achieve that goal. If you want to produce a successful business without harming others and running them out of business, then the second option or one that is like-minded would be a better choice.

This takes us to what I wanted to write about today: “The World View vs. The Faith View.” When you have it in your heart to be something – a doctor, a writer, a corporate executive, or any thing else that you want to be – there is a vast difference in how we’ve been conditioned by the world to obtain that thing and an alternate way of obtaining that thing through faith. The world’s view about being anything is the “Have, Do, Be” method. In other words, if you desire to be a successful corporate executive, you have to first get the job (“have”), then you have to do the job well (‘do”), and then you can be a successful corporate executive (“be”).

From the viewpoint of faith, we can instead incorporate the “Be, Do, Have” method which looks like a reversal of the world’s method. First, we “be” what a successful corporate executive is. That means that we, in faith, begin thinking successfully. We begin imagining ourselves as successful corporate executives and imagine being that where ever you are. Then, we “do” what a successful corporate executive does. We dress (to the extent possible) how that executive would dress. We fashion our thinking after the thinking of an executive – “What would a successful executive do in this situation?” – and then we take action accordingly. After taking the first two steps in faith, God and the Universe respond to the faith that we released through our believing and acting, and they step in to cause the final part of the equation to be fulfilled. We then “have” what a successful corporate executive has – the job, the salary, the car, the wardrobe, and whatever else goes along with having the position you desired to have.

While the “Be, Do, Have” method sounds like the easy way to achieve anything – it isn’t. It takes a lot of intention. It takes focus. It takes patience. It takes faith – believing in the vision that you can’t see with your physical eyes. And, it requires that you walk in love.

There Is No Competition – There Is Only Abundance

We’re taught from a very young age to compete with our peers. We compete in running races. We compete to win when we play games. And we compete to make better grades or be the most popular students in school. The main problem that I see with competition is that it teaches us to believe that only one person can “win.”

We believe that you can be a “winner” by placing in the top 3 or top 5 or top 10 – depending upon the “competition” you are in. But we’re conditioned to believe that there is only a top X number of spaces reserved for those who excel in whatever it is we are doing. And, if we aren’t in that top X (number), we will not be “winners.” In other words, we’re conditioned to believe that there are a finite number of winners and the rest of us are doomed to not achieve the prize.

While competition may be healthy in some ways, the fact that it conditions us to a win-or-lose mentality, and that it makes us believe that there are only a finite number of resources and those resources are reserved for the winners in life, is unhealthy at best, and simply fallible at worst.

The resources of this planet are infinite. Scientists tell us that there are a finite number of natural resources that are available. However, we have an inside source. And we have insight into the makeup of everything. Since everything (every thing that is seen and unseen, known and unknown) is made up of the same matter – energy, and since that same energy is abundant throughout our entire universe, there is no limit to the resource (energy) that is required to make other resources (whatever it is that you desire).

Newtonian physicists taught us that everything in the universe is made up of matter which was termed to be atoms. Atoms are rapidly moving molecules, vibrating at various frequencies. And although a mass of atoms may appear to be a solid thing (such as a tree), they are anything but that. Atoms were thought to be made up of three fundamental particles: protons, neutrons, and electrons which could be changed through interactions with photons &/or neutrinos. That was it. Five particles amounted to the existence of all known matter. And, within the space taken up by each atom, we were told that there was mostly empty space.

Now, quantum physicists have learned that atoms are actually made up of sub-atomic particles like pions, muons, leptons, baryons, mesons, and quarks. And although we can’t always see these sub-atomic particles within the atoms themselves, we’re told that they exist and that a single thimble-full of positively charged sub-atomic particles house enough energy to light a major U.S. city for a week! Imagine that you are actually a storehouse of energy, vibrating at the frequency of a human being.

Since there is no separate “you” within the universe (we are all made of the same thing), you can see that you and I are one, you and gold are one, you and spirit are one, you and everything around you are actually connected. And, your thoughts, directed into the abundance of energy filling in the interspaces of our universe, actually affect that energy to become what ever it is you are thinking. In other words, your thoughts of a particular chair, emit a frequency that is the equivalent frequency emitted by that particular chair. If the universe is unable to find that chair and bring it to you, it simply directs some of the unused particles of energy around you to become that specific chair! How cool is that?

To Him who made all energy to begin with, causing some of that energy to become something other than unused energy vibrating at a low rate of frequency is not difficult.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.“ - John 1:1 (NIV)

“And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.” - Genesis 1:3 (NIV)

“…And God said, “let there be……….” and there was……” Genesis 1:1-31 (NIV)

Believing that What You Say Will Come to Pass

I have been very privileged to have been deeply schooled in the teachings of faith since 1989 - - both in Christian and secular settings (and taught some about faith even as a child). And, it has occurred to me during this time, that the teachers of faith continually struggle with answering the question of why someone’s faith didn’t work in a particular situation; so much so, that new and revised teachings about what it requires of us to have our faith cause something, have sprung up and have made it even more difficult for people to have their faith manifest as substance.

We’ve now entered an age where the teaching of faith has become pronounced in both the secular and Christian circles. So the use of faith for the Christian purposes of Salvation, healing, and prosperity is essentially the same message of faith that is used in the secular circles.

While the workings of faith, I believe, are truly very simple, it seems that we’ve over-complicated the requirements to have our faith materialize in the physical realm. This should not be so. Faith truly is a simple subject. The Law of Faith is as simplistic as the Law of Gravity. The creator of both laws is the same. God created the Law of Gravity, the Law of Relativity, the Law of Love, and the Law of Faith. He didn’t stipulate a lot of requirements in order for these laws to work. They are in place in the Universe, just where He placed them, and they are at work whether we believe in them or not.

I believe that the biggest hindrance to our not seeing the physical results of our faith manifest is that we do not have the faith that what WE say will come to pass. That’s right. I said, “What WE say,” not what God or anyone else says. I’m asserting that the degree to which your faith will work is in direct proportion to the degree in which you are in integrity with your word.

Remember, the Law of Faith is summed up in Mark 11:24 (NKJ) which reads, “…whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.” The thing in common in each of the above requirements is YOU. If we understood that our words are as powerful as God’s words were when he created the world, we would not hesitate to use our faith and to manifest great things in our lives. However, we’ve gotten so lackadaisical about the use of our words that we often make promises that we don’t intend to keep. We say things that we don’t mean in order to make others feel good. And, we get really slippery by insinuating our agreement with what others say when we really don’t agree.

All of that amounts to us not being honest with our words. In other words, we’re out of integrity with what we say. If we don’t believe what we are saying on a day-to-day basis, how are we to believe what we say in faith when we’re believing for something?

Are you chronically late? What is your relationship to time? If you promised someone you would call them by a certain time, or that you would pick them up at a certain time, do you call them to inform them that you’re running two minutes late? We don’t hold others to account like that. But, it is what’s required of you if you’re to keep integrity in what you say. If you’re unable to keep a promise, then having integrity that you are your word, would have you contact the person concerned in order to re-promise when you’ll deliver on your word. That’s honoring your word. And when you honor your word, you’re keeping integrity in place!

I truly believe that once we begin to have integrity with our own words, then we will see our faith take hold. Then, what we say will come to pass.

Intention – A Powerful Force in Causing Results

In my blog of Tuesday, July 21, 2009 (“Meditation - The Secret to Manifesting your Desires”), I wrote briefly about being intentional in your meditation. But really, being intentional needs to become a way of life for you if you are to have what you say.

Scientists have been experimenting for some time with exercises that involve intention – mostly with athletes. One of the first published experiments involved the U.S. athletic team who was competing in the Olympics several years ago. These athletes were required to spend some amount of time each day in visualizing themselves being successful in their particular sport. Basketball players visualized themselves throwing the ball and it going through the hoop. Figure skaters visualized themselves making difficult jumps and nailing them. Runners visualized themselves pulling ahead of the other runners to win the race.

Each of the athletes involved in the experiment used visualization exercises everyday. The scientists who were running the experiments had connected sensors to the athletes’ bodies. These sensors recorded any electrical impulse sent to that part of the body during the visualization exercise. What the researchers found was that the athletes’ muscles responded to the visualization exercise just as if they would have responded had the athletes actually been competing in their sport. The brain couldn’t tell the difference between an actual event and an intentional visualization of the same event!

However, the athletes who were part of this experiment performed better than they had previously. Since that time, more research has been conducted to prove out the theoretical concept that intentional visualization actually makes a difference in performance and outcome. In today’s athletes, we find that many of the best athletes use visualization exercises to see themselves achieving their goals.

However, these types of intentional exercises are not reserved for athletes only. They can be used to visualize your body as being slimmer - - achieving your goal weight, visualizing yourself as a successful business person in the career of your choice, or living the life you want surrounded by the desires of your heart. You get to say what your reality is. And only you can make it happen. For it to manifest on the outside, you must first see it on the inside. Begin to visualize the life of your dreams. Be intentional about it. Don’t think about it now and then but actually be intentional to set aside time each day for your visualization exercise.

Your Faith Works by Love

If you aren’t seeing results with your use of the Law of Attraction, you may need to check to see where your heart is. The Law of Faith requires that the Law of Love be actively in use in order for your faith to work. Galatians 5:6 (AMP) tells us that: “….only faith activated and energized and expressed and working through love” is of value to us.

So, what is the Law of Love? You may find it of interest that when the Law of Attraction was first discovered, many actually referred to it as the Law of Love. The forerunners of this knowledge knew that if they operated in love, their faith would work. They knew that if they walked in love with their neighbors, the Laws of Sowing & Reaping and Giving & Receiving would also work.

In the New Testament, Jesus ushered in by his teachings, a new covenant with man. He said that this covenant would replace the old covenant (the teachings of the Old Testament). Many believers still adhere to the Ten Commandments as given to Moses by God. However, Jesus told us that under the new covenant, all of the law would be fulfilled in one law – the Law of Love. Matthew 22:37–40 (CEV) reads:

Jesus answered: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. 38This is the first and most important commandment. 39The second most important commandment is like this one. And it is, "Love others as much as you love yourself." 40All the Law of Moses and the Books of the Prophets are based on these two commandments.

Later in the New Testament, Paul summarized these two laws into one when he wrote his letter to the Christians in southern Galatia. In Galatians 5:14 (NIV), Paul wrote, “The entire law is summed up in a single command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

If you have hatred or fear in your heart, you cannot be operating in the Law of Love. Hatred, jealousy, envy, and fear will hinder the ability of your faith to work. You can believe that good things will come your way, but if you are putting out bad energy by way of these negative feelings, your faith will not work no matter how hard you try.

Work on actively giving up any negative feelings you have about others. Release your jealousy and envy and be genuinely happy for others’ good fortunes. Be a beacon of love to everyone you come into contact with and your faith will flourish, manifesting the desires of your heart.

Meditation - The Secret to Manifesting your Desires

If you’re like most people, you probably have some preconceived notions about what meditation is. It might evoke images of Buddhist monks chanting or yogis sitting in lotus position with their eyes closed. And although meditation does encompass those forms, it is defined by the Merriam-Webster online dictionary as “1: to focus one's thoughts on : reflect on or ponder over 2: to plan or project in the mind : intend, purpose.“

When using the Law of Attraction to manifest a desired thing in your life, there is no better or faster way to make this law work than through the use of intentional meditation. What I mean by “intentional meditation” is that this is not a form of meditation used to “clear your mind.” Instead, this form of meditation is very directed and focused. It is most like the second definition provided above - - “to plan or project in the mind: intend; purpose.”

Firstly, let me explain why this step is so important. The more emotion and feeling that you can muster behind your desired outcome, the faster the universe responds to it. So, those who have worked with this law for some time, typically recommend the use of meditation either two or three times each day.

How Many Times & How Long To Meditate:

The minimum recommendation is to use meditation after first awakening in the morning and then to use it again prior to going to sleep at night. If you can manage to throw in a mid-day meditation time, that will be all the more powerful for you. You will want to spend about 10 – 15 minutes each time you meditate so plan your day accordingly so that the time you need to meditate is carved out in your schedule.

What to Do when You Meditate:

If you have collaged your desired outcome, if you have created a Visualization Board, or if you have any type of pictorial representations of what it is you desire, have those things in front of you for the meditation exercise. If you don’t have any of these, that’s fine - - they are not necessary. However, keeping any dream or vision before your eyes as much as possible will simply help to speed the process along as it will continually remind you throughout your day of the desire you are intending to manifest.

Sit in a comfortable place and position in a room where you will be able to have absolute quiet and no interruptions. Look over your pictorial representations (if you have them), and then close your eyes. You now want to picture what your life will look like once you have the desired thing. However, don’t picture this as a future event. Picture it as a “now” event. For example, if you believe that you have received a new car, picture in your mind what it feels like now that you have that new car. Feel the feelings of happiness or joy that go along with having that new car. Picture yourself behind the wheel of the car, driving it wherever you will drive it once it manifests. See yourself behind the wheel of your new car - - driving down the road in it, listening to music, parking in your parking spaces at work and at home. Feel the joyful feelings of having those experiences.

Before you complete this meditation exercise, remember to give thanks for the gift you have received. Remember, if you had been given an inheritance, you would be thanking anyone associated with the giver of those funds prior to ever receiving the money. That’s how your faith must work with the Law of Attraction, too. Be thankful and show your gratitude to God and the universe for providing that which you requested and have now received.

Continue to meditate, day and night (at a minimum), until the desired thing manifests in your life. Remember, we can’t dictate through what channels or in what time these things will come. God determines the method of delivery and the timing. We are to ask, believe, and receive, and then take action on any divine inspiration we receive.

Why are my Thoughts & Words Not Producing the Desired Effects? – Part II

or……….”Size Doesn’t Matter but Worthiness Does”

The Law of Attraction (LOA) responds to our dominant thoughts and spoken words to bring about that which we think about most & that of which we speak. While we have in our minds concepts such as: big or little, and worthiness or deservedness, the LOA doesn’t pay attention to any of that nonsense. This law doesn’t care if you are believing for something that is really big (something that’s a major stretch for you to believe based on your present circumstances) or something small (that you could easily buy for yourself without breaking your budget). And, the LOA doesn’t consider your deservedness of receiving the thing for which you ask.

Along side of ‘thinking about what we don’t want (instead of what we do want),’ (see previous post) the above two thoughts make up the top three reasons that people don’t receive that for which they’ve believed.

So, let’s talk about the size issue first. What we see as a big thing, requires the same amount of effort (or energy) for God to produce as what we see as a small thing. Both things are made of the same stuff – energy. It truly doesn’t make a difference to the universe whether you’re believing for a parking spot or for $1,000.00. Both are made of energy. And the channels that need to be opened, the pathways that need to be unblocked, or the hearts of men that need to be stirred, are all made up of energy. It’s just energy that’s vibrating at different frequencies.

And now, let’s talk about the worthiness issue. Many people do not receive what they tell themselves and others that they are believing for because, at their very core, they do not believe that they deserve to receive that for which they’ve asked. Ask anyone and s/he can tell you - - off the top of his/her head, 10 “good” reasons why s/he doesn’t deserve to get the thing which s/he desires. The majority of us judge ourselves to be unworthy of receiving anything for free. We believe that we need to be good “enough”, work hard “enough”, give to charities “enough”, go to church “enough”, “do volunteer work “enough.” Can you see what’s in common with the above thoughts? They are each about doing something enough! God’s not dangling a carrot on a string attached to a pole in front of us to coerce us to do anything. God’s fundamental nature is to give. That is who He is. Therefore, He’s not moved by your doing anything enough. In fact, He’s not moved by your doing altogether! He simply wants to give you His love.

Both of the above beliefs come down to one shared central theme: where you are at with your faith? Do you believe that you can ask for $1,000.00 and receive it? Do you feel that you could believe for a cup of coffee and receive it? Do you believe that you are worthy to receive that new job (or promotion)? Do you believe that you aren’t the best qualified candidate no matter what the job is for which you would like to apply?

If you have issues using the LOA because of the “size” of your wants, begin with small things. Exercise the Law of Attraction by believing today for a cup of coffee or a bagel or something small. Once that thing is attracted into your life, begin to gradually increase your faith - - each time asking for something “bigger” than you received the last time. The exercising of your faith will help you develop that muscle to believe, just like physical exercise develops our body’s muscles.

If you have issues with your low self-image / self-worth, begin to see yourself as worthy simply because you have a place on this planet. You are God’s master creation and you were created to be the recipient of His love. Begin declaring to yourself as often as possible:

I Deserve Good Things In My Life.

I Am worthy of receiving good things.

I Abundantly receive my desires from the universe, because God desires to richly bless me.

Why are my Thoughts & Words Not Producing the Desired Effects? - Part I

The Law of Attraction responds to our thoughts and spoken words to bring about that which we think about & that of which we speak. What many people don’t realize is that this law is blind to whether we are thinking in the negative or positive - - it just responds to that which we think about the most. And many people who aren’t getting the results they want are thinking about what they don’t want instead of what they do want.

As an example, in the English language, we consider the following two sentences to basically mean the same thing:

“I am healthy and well.”
“I don’t get sick or feel badly.”

However, the Law of Attraction regards the above two sentences as two completely different statements. This law doesn’t regard whether a thought is formed in the positive or negative. It simply responds to the dominate words contained in the thought itself.

So, in the thought, “I am healthy and well,” the universe responds to the words “healthy” and “well.” In the thought, “I don’t get sick or feel badly,” the universe responds to the words “sick” and “feel badly.” As you can see, the outcome of thinking “healthy and well” will be very different from the outcome of thinking “sick and feel badly.”

Again, this brings us back to yet another reason that we need to be thinking thoughts that are positive. Thinking positive thoughts about our self-image, our self-worth and value, our abilities, our health, our finances, our intelligence, our relationships, our inter-relational skills, etc. are all the types of thoughts we should be thinking. When we think along these lines, we will notice that we feel good about ourselves.

In contrast, thinking thoughts that start with: “I don’t want…..,” “I don’t need….,” “I am not….,” and “I won’t be……” are all phrased in the negative. These thoughts will only lead us down one path - - the path of causing the universe to manifest those things that we don’t want in our lives. If we don’t want something, our pursuit should be to only think about it’s opposite - - what we do want.

As I wrote in my blog of Monday, July 6, 2009, entitled, “Fighting Against Sickness”, “…we must realize that no one has ever gotten, or become, something by studying its opposite. In other words, no one has ever gotten peace by studying war. No one has ever produced a non-addicted society by studying drugs. We don’t obtain righteousness by studying sin. We don’t gain wealth by studying poverty.  And, we certainly don’t obtain healing by studying disease.” We only obtain what we want by thinking positively and speaking positively about that which we want.

If You Don’t Like What’s On the Outside, Change What’s On the Inside!

There’s a phenomenon that’s common to the human experience in which we continually create the same experience of life over and over again. If you look back over the course of your life, you will see that this phenomenon has been present at various points of your life and in different areas.

Look back at your relationships. Perhaps you left one relationship that wasn’t working for you, just to end up in another relationship, or even a string of relationships, that pretty much looked the same as the last. Whatever it was about the one relationship that didn’t work for you, continued to present itself in the next relationship(s) also. This is a common pattern that we see in Battered Wives Syndrome.

Look at your previous work situations. Did you ever leave a place of employment where you didn’t get along with your co-workers or your boss only to have the same experience at your next job?

What once occurred to me as Life handing me the same situation over and over again until I learned whatever lesson there was for me to learn, now occurs for me as Me creating the same situation over and over again until I change what’s on the inside. What we experience in our lives is always a direct reflection of what’s happening on the inside. Our thoughts, our ideas, and what we believe to be true create our life experiences. We actually attract to ourselves what we think about and believe.

I know this is hard idea for some to swallow. I can imagine the thoughts of readers thinking, “I didn’t want this illness in my life” or, “I wasn’t wanting to have a car wreck or other such tragedy.” It’s not that you were literally thinking, “I want my house to catch on fire” or, “I want to be sick.” Instead, the things that have come into your life were attracted to you by the vibrational frequency of your thoughts.

For example, if it’s common-place for you to have feelings of guilt, low self-esteem, shame, fear, self-righteousness, judgment, or resignation, you are emitting thoughts that attract unwanted and unfavorable circumstances and situations into your life. The vibrational frequency of these thoughts is the same vibrational frequency of the unwanted events that you have experienced. That’s why it’s so important that we change our thinking. If we are thinking thoughts that make us feel good, we are attracting into our lives, positive, and desirable things.

After learning this lesson and changing my thinking to be positive, it’s now common-place for me to have people go out of their way to help me or to provide great customer service. I no longer catch myself grumbling about others’ attitudes or apathy. Instead, as I now live to be of service to others and to show them unconditional love, I receive back from others the kindness and love that I believe we all have within us to give.

If you find that you are creating the same unwanted life experiences for yourself over and over again, look at what you are thinking and what you believe to be true about yourself. Do you believe that you are less valuable than others? Do you believe that you have less to give or that you cannot make a contribution to those around you? Do you believe that your body has an unhealthy constitution that’s prone to sickness and disease? If so, you are only attracting to yourself negative life-events. Work on changing your thinking so that you maintain a positive self-image. Once the image you hold of yourself on the inside is that of the powerful, healthy, beautiful, whole and complete, and loving person that God created you, you will see positive and desirable things manifest in your life.

Having Gratitude

I’ve been writing in my blogs for the month of July about things that relate to the Law of Attraction.  In today’s blog, I am focusing my attention on Gratitude.  Gratitude is one of the muscles that we need to exercise if we are going to see a return of that for which we’ve asked / believed.  Hebrews 11:1 (NIV) reads, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” 

Once you have asked for something, the second step is to believe - - believe that you have received that for which you asked.  In other words, faith is being certain that you have received that which you do not [yet] see [physically].  If you bought a lottery ticket and you checked the winning numbers against the numbers on your ticket and found that the numbers matched, would you wait to have an official tell you that you won the lottery money?  Would you have to wait until you actually, physically received a check in your hand before you believed that you had won?  No - - of course not!

Once you saw that the numbers matched, you would know that you had won and you would start to lay claim on that money even before you showed your winning ticket to the lottery official.  In your mind, you would start spending the money, investing the money, and determining exactly how this win-fall was going to change your life.

If you received an inheritance from a relative who passed on, would you wait to believe that you had received an inheritance until you received a check in your hand and were able to get to your bank to deposit the funds and then wait a few days for the check to clear to know that you had received something of value?  I’m asserting that you would already believe you had received the money before you ever saw the evidence of it.

Gratitude works from two realms:  (1) the realm of giving thanks for those things which are physically present in your life & (2) the realm of giving thanks in believing that you have received that for which you asked.

When we use the tool of gratitude in the first realm, we are giving thanks to God for the blessings that we currently have in our lives.  This is another way that we can turn our bad thoughts into thoughts that bring us joy and happiness.  The art of Thanksgiving always causes our hearts to overflow with good feelings.  Make it a practice to start off every day with some thoughts of thanksgiving - - giving gratitude to God for the good things in your life.  See if this practice doesn’t turn around your mood for the remainder of the day.

When we use the tool of gratitude in the second realm, we are thanking God for providing that for which we have asked.  Gratitude in this realm then, is part of the 2^nd step - - the step of believing.  If you truly believe that you received what you asked for, you will easily be able to give thanks to God for providing that thing.  We needn’t get stuck on whether or not the requested thing is yet physically seen.  This type of gratitude is just like the thanksgiving you would give if you had received an inheritance.  Your money may not yet be in hand, but you know that it is yours.

In closing, I am sharing the following quotes about Gratitude:

“He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.” - Epictetus

“If you want to turn your life around, try thankfulness.  It will change your life mightily.” -  Gerald Good

“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” - John Fitzgerald Kennedy

“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” - William Arthur Ward

"You simply will not be the same person two months from now after consciously giving thanks each day for the abundance that exists in your life. And you will have set in motion an ancient spiritual law: the more you have and are grateful for, the more will be given you." - Sarah Ban Breathnach

"To speak gratitude is courteous and pleasant, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live gratitude is to touch Heaven." - Johannes A. Gaertner

“The daily practice of gratitude is one of the conduits by which your wealth will come to you.” Wallace Wattles

How do we Attract Good Things by Thinking Good Thoughts?

Experts disagree on the number, but researchers estimate that the average person has approximately 60,000 thoughts/day.  I don’t know about you, but I can’t keep track of that many thoughts!  In fact, I’m certain that I’m not consciously aware of all 60,000 thoughts.  In my case, it may be closer to 100 – 200 thoughts that I am consciously aware of thinking.  If all thoughts entering our minds are not the result of us consciously thinking them, where do the rest of these thoughts come from?

I don’t have the answer to that question.  But I do take heart in knowing that I’m not at the source of all of the thoughts that go through my head.  That means, some of these random thoughts that enter your mind from time to time, aren’t the result of you consciously thinking them.  That should relieve a fair amount of worry for some.  Having a random thought about doing something that is outside of your character doesn’t mean that you are flawed or that there is anything wrong with you.  It simply means that particular thought wasn’t from you. 

We need to get our thinking corrected in this area.  For many of us, we haven’t been having thoughts.  Instead, our thoughts have been having us!  What I mean by that is that we believe that we are our thoughts.  That is absolutely not true.  Your thoughts do not make up who you are.  You determine who you are.  And, you have the right to think thoughts in line with who you say you are.  And, you also have the right to disregard any thoughts that pop into your mind, which don’t line up with who you say you are.  Those thoughts aren’t from you anyway.

So, if we’re having so many thoughts of which we are unconscious, how do we know whether or not we’re thinking “good” thoughts?  Well, we do know from the Law of Attraction that if we want to attract good things into our lives, we need to focus on thinking “good” thoughts.  This is where we need to tune in to our feelings.  Our emotions, or feelings, are the prime indicator of our thoughts.  In fact, at any time of the day, you can simply do a quick check of this by asking yourself, “How am I feeling right now?”  If you’re feeling good, your thoughts must be on good things.  It’s impossible to feel good while thinking “bad” thoughts, and vice-versa. 

Try this experiment right now.  Think of a fond memory you have from childhood or your young adult years.  Maybe a fond memory of a special time shared with your mother or your father or a childhood friend.  Now, while you’re thinking about that good memory, try to feel upset or angry.  It’s impossible!  You can’t feel bad if you’re thoughts are on good things.  Now we have an easy barometer to use to check our internal dialogue.  If you’re feeling good about yourself, you can know that your thoughts are on good things.  If you’re feeling bad about yourself, you can know that your thoughts are on negative things.

So, what do we do if our thoughts are on things that are making us feel bad?  Well, we all have things that can trigger a happy emotion/response from us.  You’ll want to think about what these are for you and have 3 – 5 “happy triggers” ready to use at a moment’s notice.  Things you may consider using are:

• Listen to Music  (a favorite, or soothing piece of music can change your mood very rapidly)
• Take a few minutes of time to spend with a Pet 
• Recall a favorite Joke or antidotal story (one that makes you laugh heartily)
• Recall a fond Memory of a favorite person you enjoy spending time with

There are many other “happy triggers” that you can use.  But the above are some of the most common and a good place with which to start.

Wishing you days filled with happiness and every good thing.

The Power of Thoughts

or…...."Thoughts Become Things"

In my blog of Sunday, July 5^th, in which I introduced the Law of Attraction, I included the four axioms of that law. Two of those tenets are: (1) Thoughts become things and (2) What you think about, you bring about.

Thought is a powerful tool according to the Law of Attraction. This law asserts that those things to which we give the majority of our thought-life, will manifest in the physical world, with some action on our part. Luckily for us, we don’t have thoughts and then immediately see the results of our thoughts manifested. If we did, I dare say we would all be in trouble. That would be like you thinking “mountain of gold” and then having a gold mountain appear, seemingly out of thin air, right before your eyes!

Instead, when we desire something and we continually think or meditate about that thing, we will receive some inspiration that will prompt us to take an action or actions, that will ultimately result in us obtaining that thing. Our thoughts don’t produce results without some action on our part. In other words, you can’t spend an hour of your workday each day in day-dreaming about getting that new job to just have the new job magically drop into your lap. The Law doesn't work like that. The universe requires that you be in action. The action you are prompted to take may not seem inspired at the moment of inspiration. It may seem that by coincidence, you meet the person who is in a position to get your resume into the hands of the right hiring manager. Or, you might feel the urge to make a change to your resume - - and that change will be the thing that makes the difference to the individual reviewing your submission.

We don’t dictate to the universe how or when something will manifest. We don’t choose the channels through which our desires will come. There are endless possibilities of how we might ultimately receive the things we desire. But how and when, is up to the universe to determine. Our part is to spend time meditating on the things we desire, and to take action when inspired to do so.

Why do we see Bad People Who Prosper?

The Law of Attraction is really the combination of two spiritual laws: (1) the Law of Faith & (2) the Law of Giving & Receiving (also known as the Law of Sowing & Reaping and the Buddhist principal of Karma (which means “deed” or “act”)).

The Law of Faith is summed up in Mark 11:24 (NKJ) which reads, “…whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.”

The Law of Sowing & Reaping says that, “…whatever a man sows, this he will also reap” (Gal. 6:7 (NAS)).

The Law of Giving & Receiving says that whatever a man gives to others, that same thing will he receive back unto himself (paraphrased – Luke 6:38 (NAS)).

And the concept of Karma more broadly names the universal principle of cause and effect, action and reaction, that governs all life. Accordingly, we produce Karma in the following four ways:

• through thoughts
• through words
• through actions that we perform ourselves
• through actions others do under our instructions

So, the Law of Faith stands on its own as producing that for which we believe. The other three Laws illustrate that we receive back that which we give to others.

So, why do people who treat others poorly prosper in the world?

We have to differentiate between what a person believes and who a person is. If a person believes that he will become wealthy, he will prosper, and he will gain riches, and if he is intentional toward that goal, he will obtain those things. That is the Law of Faith in action. The Law of Faith isn’t respective of who you are. It doesn’t care if you are a man, a woman, a boy, or a girl. It doesn’t care if you are poor or rich or black or Indian. It doesn’t care if you are a good person or a bad person; and it doesn’t care what your current circumstances are. The Law of Faith simply manifests that which you desire, ask for, and believe that you have received.

Who a person is, then, is governed by the other three laws. If a person is mean to others, he will get meanness back. If he has bad thoughts towards others and treats them unfairly, he will also be treated unfairly and his mood will be dour and cynical. The hearts of bad men are not bright but rather they are darkened from the return of the bad thoughts, actions, and energy that they put out into the universe.

We may not be able to [physically] see these laws at work but they are just as real as the Law of Gravity. There is no side-stepping them and there are no free passes. We receive from others and from the universe, the same as that which we give out. If we treat others with kindness and mercy, we receive that back. If we are rude to others and resentful of their good fortunes, we receive rudeness back and others will resent us. What we receive by faith is independent of our goodness. We don’t receive what we believe because of our merit. We can never act “good” enough or do enough “good” things to coax God into giving us the things for which we ask and believe. He put a law into motion in the universe that provides those things based on the simplistic approach of: ask, believe, and receive. That law - - the Law of Faith - - is not retractable.

Laughing in the face of Dire Circumstances

Yesterday’s blog focused on using your faith / the Law of Attraction to bring about healing in your body.  Today’s blog is about another tool that we have at our disposal when we are standing in belief for something.  That tool is laughter.

Psalm 2:4 (NAS) reads, “He who sits in the heavens laughs,…”  Why do you think that God laughs?  I believe that laughter is very powerful.  It holds in it the power to change our moods, lift our spirits, and cause good things to come into our lives.  You may be familiar with the saying, “Laughter is the best medicine.”  Perhaps you’ve even read some of the many stories of people being healed through laughter.  One of the best known of these is Anatomy of an Illness as Perceived by the Patient by Dr. Norman Cousins.  But why does God laugh?

Let me illustrate why I believe He laughs.  Let’s say that you’re an attorney and you own your own law firm.  One day, while you’re working in your office, a young man from the mail room is delivering mail.  When he arrives to your office to deliver your mail, he suddenly turns to you and says, “Before today is over, you are going to be fired.”

What would your response be?  Would you rebuke the young man and tell him to leave your office or would you laugh at the absurdity of his statement, knowing that as the owner of your firm, there is no one above you who holds the power to fire you?  I assert that your response would be the later of the two.

Just as God in Heaven knows his place as creator of the Universe, if you know your place, your position, and your authority, you can laugh all of the time.  You declare how your body will function and whether or not your body functions in wholeness and health or if it will be riddled with disease and dysfunction.  We declare by faith.  We fight because of fear.

If your faith has you at cause in your life rather than being at the effect of circumstances, you, too, can laugh.  If you are using the Law of Attraction to bring healing into your body, you can laugh because the outcome has already been decided.  It was decided as soon as you asked for your healing.  Now, you must simply stand in faith believing that you already received your healing.  Act as if you are healed.  See yourself doing the things that you couldn’t do when you were sick.  Feel the emotions of how it feels to be healed.  Give thanks with a grateful heart to God for healing your body.  And laugh in the knowing that you are above sickness and not beneath it.

Fighting Against Sickness

Why is it that we’ve always believed we have to fight for what we want? We fight each other, fight other countries, fight cancer, fight nuclear arms, fight in the war on drugs, and fight in the war on terror. 

I’m not writing that fighting is, in itself, wrong.  I don’t pretend to know everything about the merits or downfalls of fighting.  I do however want to assert a claim here when dealing with things of a personal nature.  When we have a sickness within our bodies that we want to rid ourselves of, we do not have to fight it!  Scripture (1 Timothy 6:12 – NIV) tells us to “Fight the good fight of faith…”  Before you check out on me, read the rest of this blog and then decide whether or not you agree with what I’ve written.

Firstly, we must realize that no one has ever gotten, or become, something by studying its opposite.  In other words, no one has ever gotten peace by studying war.  No one has ever produced a non-addicted society by studying drugs.  We don’t obtain righteousness by studying sin.  We don’t gain wealth by studying poverty.  And, we certainly don’t obtain healing by studying disease.

[Please read this in the light intended.  I’m very grateful for those who have studied different diseases in order to understand their makeup so that cures could be made through medicine.  I’m not arguing against doctors, the use of doctors or medicines, or the study of diseases by doctors and scientists.  What I am saying is that if you are seeking healing outside of the aid of medicine or doctors, you won’t get well by studying the sickness.  You’ll only obtain your healing by studying, and focusing on, your health.]

Carl Jung (1875 – 1961), noted Swiss psychiatrist and founder of analytical psychology known as Jungian psychology, stated that “what you resist, persists.”  This is the central theme of today’s blog.  The basic concept is that through resistance of a thing, we keep that thing in place.  When we no longer fight a thing, but allow it to be as it is, and we put our efforts into standing for the opposite, the thing we had been resisting will lose its power and will cease to rule over us or exist in our lives.

When Sister Theresa was approached about attending a war protest, she emphatically replied that she would not.  She went on to say to her requestors, “However, if you ever hold a peace rally, I’ll be there” (paraphrased).  Sister Theresa understood this concept, that you only obtain what you want by standing for it - - not fighting against what you don’t want.

The Law of Attraction states that we attract to us what we think about.  The principal is the same as how a magnet works - - like attracts like.  If we put out thoughts (energy) into thinking about our being well, we attract healing to us.  If we put our thoughts into thinking about the sickness, what it’s doing to our bodies, how it’s limiting our abilities, we simply attract more sickness to us.  If we try to resist the sickness, we are still focusing our thoughts on the sickness; therefore, we continue to attract more sickness to us!

Romans 4:17 (NIV) tells us that God himself, “…calls things that are not as though they were.”  God, the inventor of the Laws of the Universe, calls things that are not as though they were.  Using God’s example, we can call our sick bodies well.  Look closely here, the scripture doesn’t read that He calls things that are as though they were not.  He is not a God of denial but a God of faith.  Therefore, if we’re to have our faith work for us, we would be best to consider the source of faith and not deny our sickness (which has us focused on the sickness), but instead, call our bodies healed (which has our thoughts and words focused on our health).

Take a good look at your life right now.  Write down on a piece of paper all of the things that you have been resisting.  Write down how long you have been resisting them.  Then look to see if any of those things have changed due to your resistance of them.  I believe you’ll find that it hasn’t happened.  Now, consider experimenting with the idea above.  Pick one thing on your list; and instead of resisting it, now embrace it.  Let it be as it is.  Don’t fight it.  Just step over into faith and declare what it is that you are standing for.  Don’t deny what is already in existence.  Just begin believing for what you want to come to fruition.  When you think of that thing throughout the day, smile and think of how it feels to now have in your life what you want (even though you don’t yet see it in the physical realm).  I promise you, the desired thing will manifest in the physical realm and the undesired thing will disappear.