I’ve talked many times about the importance of feeling that you already have the things you want to attract; but I think it’s time for a refresher. You want to not only think about your goals, but also get into a positive emotional state about them. Feel that you already have them; or at least, that they are inevitable for you.

This is an often misunderstood aspect of attraction, so I think it’s worth repeating: we don’t attract what we “want” in life, we attract more of what we already HAVE. That’s why it’s so important that you feel like you already have the things you desire–-that you get into a positive emotional state about them; a state that is confident and relaxed.

This is the opposite of how some people go about trying to achieve things. They focus on their desires with an intense feeling of wanting and lacking them. They are VERY aware that they don’t have them, and they feel that they are missing in their lives.

It is practically impossible to attract something into your life this way. If you feel that something is missing, you will resonate that energy of missing it, of not having it. That energy only attracts more missing it, and more not having it.

You have to resonate an energy of having in order to get things. One obvious example is a job interview. Candidates who seem desperate and fearful are always less attractive to employers then candidates who seem like they have it all together–-those who aren’t radiating lack and limitation.

It is the same with relationships, business ventures, negotiations, you name it. That’s why it’s helpful to get into a feeling state of already having the things you want–-to psych yourself into “seeing” them as already being a part of your life. This type of confident, relaxed mindset is extremely attractive.

The tricky part for some people is cultivating this laid-back “having” mindset; but you can certainly do it. Through daily visualization and exercising your imagination in a practical way (what I call “applied imagination”), you can begin radiating abundance rather than lack, and self-confidence rather than doubt and insecurity.

The key is to use your imagination to help you achieve your goals, and use it in a disciplined way–-every day. Just as with any other pursuit, consistency is important. If you’re trying to get into good shape, you won’t get great results unless you work out and eat right consistently. It’s the same with developing the abundance mindset. Working on it daily is the key.

So don’t let a single day go by without taking time to work on your inner vision and applying your imagination to your goals. Even if just for a few minutes. And remember, when you visualize the things you want and the life you want, always do it from the end result perspective. See yourself already having the things you want. Focus on them in a positive way that feels like they are already yours. Make it as fun as possible–-if you stress about it or “bear down too hard” you’ll just wind up radiating fear or frustration, emotions which will push your desires away from you.

It takes time and a little bit of effort to discipline your mind, but the results are worth it. Make it a priority to work on your state of mind daily; exercise your imagination and apply your creativity to your goals and dreams. You will see results!

“I saw a video where you said there was no such thing as lack or limitation. How can you seriously say something like that? There are millions of people in the world without enough food to eat and malnutrition kills people every single day. Obviously there is a lack of food and other resources in the world, so how do you explain that?”

This question came in last week, but it’s not the first time that my view on lack and limitation (that for all practical purposes, they don’t exist) has been challenged. So allow me to explain what I mean by lack and limitation, and why I stand by my assertion that these things are simply illusions; though admittedly, they can be very pervasive ones.

Unfortunately, there are people without enough food in the world, and it is shameful that people die of malnutrition in this day and age. But there is no lack of food.

A web search and a quick look at the data will show you there is food enough to feed everyone on this planet. The numbers don’t lie. Worldwide starvation and malnutrition COULD be wiped out in a matter of weeks, not one person excepted.

But if it isn’t a lack of resources that causes starvation and malnutrition, what is it? Simply put, it is greed.

Greed is a fear-based emotional state, and probably the most competitive state of mind we can experience. Maybe you’ve seen those videos where I talk about the competitive mindset. The concept of greed pretty much sums up everything that is wrong with the competitive mindset. It assumes lack and limitation are everywhere, but make no mistake — these assumptions are only perception, NOT reality.

What I’m trying to say is, I am well aware that there is the APPEARANCE of lack and limitation everywhere in the world. I remember a business course in college where the professor taught us that consumer demand increases when there is a “perceived scarcity,” whether that scarcity is real or not. In other words, you can get more money out of people if you can convince them that something is scarce or limited, that there is a lack of it.

In some ways, this business concept of perceived scarcity sums up the modern world; and explains why it is difficult for most of us to truly experience abundance (even though we are surrounded by it). We have been taught from an early age to NOT focus on abundance; but instead, to keep our attention trained upon lack and limitation. In other words, to perceive scarcity where there actually is no scarcity.

That’s why there appears to be a scarcity of food when in fact there is food enough for everyone. That’s why some people go through their lives feeling lonely, believing there is a scarcity of love, companionship or romance, when there are millions of others sitting alone feeling exactly the same way. And it’s why so many people are painfully self-critical and despise aspects of their own personality, when they are actually wonderful, caring, interesting and intelligent individuals.

Why do we buy into these ridiculous paradigms and accept them as “reality?” Remember that scene from The Matrix? The one where Morpheus says, “The matrix has you.” Well, the bad news is, it does.

There are cultural matrices in every society, and we are indoctrinated into them before we can even a walk. The good news is, as adults we can begin thinking critically about these beliefs, and questioning our assumptions about the world.

We don’t have to accept everything we have been force-fed all our lives. Humans are by nature curious and even a bit rebellious.The best use of our natural curiosity and rebellion is to throw off the shackles of our mind, and take a hard look at what we actually believe, and why.

~Jon
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Call it karma, attraction or whatever you like, but common sense tells us that what we put out into the world definitely affects what we get back. The law of attraction says we “attract” people, circumstances and things according to our “vibration.” When we are buzzing with positive energy, optimism and verve, we are in a higher vibration. When we feel angry, victimized or ungrateful, we are in a lower vibration.

The point of all this is simple: you always attract according to your own vibration. This means that your emotional state determines the results you get. If your dominant emotional state is love, appreciation and enthusiasm, you can ONLY attract people, things and circumstances that match that vibration.

That’s why it is important to become skilled at manipulating your own emotional state. You don’t want to just react to outside circumstances, but instead, pro-actively create the emotional state you want within yourself — REGARDLESS of what is going on around you. It requires practice, but the more you work at raising your emotional state, the better you will get. And the better you get, the easier it becomes to stay in that high vibration, and consistently attract things that match your positive energy — things like abundance, wealth, love, friendship and success.

The ability to manipulate your emotional state (and thus, raise your vibration) depends a lot on habits. The most important of these habits is focusing on things that make you feel positive, grateful, inspired, abundant, optimistic and loving. We have the ability to focus our attention anywhere we want, and this is where the process of attraction begins. But this is also where it becomes difficult for some people, because they have old habits of focusing on things they don’t want.

For example, some people love horror movies, and they feel excitement (in the guise of fear) when they watch them. But while they may ENJOY watching these movies, that doesn’t necessarily mean they are good for them. After all, many people enjoy eating chocolate sundaes (like me!), but that does NOT mean they are good for them, or that they’ll will produce good results in the long run.

So you have to take care what you allow “on your radar.” Personally, there are television shows and movies I would really like to watch — but I don’t. I’m a fan of British actor Hugh Laurie who plays House MD. I have loved everything I’ve ever seen Laurie in, and I’m sure he is fantastic as the eccentric, curmudgeonly Dr House. But even though I’m sure it’s great, I have never watched that show — and I never will.

Why? Because House MD is all about disease, ill health, emotional problems, drama and strained relationships. I don’t want any of those things in my life; therefore, I don’t want them “on my radar.” So I don’t watch the show. Simple, right?

Practicing the law of attraction means developing mental discipline. Like me, you may need to occasionally remind yourself that “what you study is what you get,” and deny yourself certain short-term pleasures (like watching House MD or eating chocolate sundae’s for breakfast in order to produce better results in the long-term. But it’s a small price to pay to attract a better life. Plus, you’ll be taking responsibility for your own emotional state–instead of leaving it up to circumstances, chance or the whims of others. Now how’s THAT for real empowerment? =)

I was never a big Star Wars fan, but I always appreciated the idea of “using the force.”

Actually, I tend to call it “working with the energy,” but it’s the same concept. In fact, it’s practically identical to the Law of Attraction idea that our thoughts and beliefs shape our lives, and if you get good at working with the energy you can create your life any way you want it.

You are the sculptor, the artist, the architect, the engineer of your existence. And when you really get the hang of creating your own reality you become something akin to a “Jedi Master,” a powerful creator who can twist, pull and shape the world around you to your liking.

But you know, many people will read these words and sense on a deep level that they’re true, but then they’ll think, “I guess some people can do that — but not me.” It’s a toxic state of mind I call, “not feeling your own power.”

And it’s a real shame, because EVERYONE has the same creative ability to design their life and their experience of reality. And even when we bump up against people, situations or circumstances that we cannot directly control or change, we always have the creative ability to “see” the situation any way we choose.

For example, maybe you can’t directly change the fact that a few irresponsible people managed to plunge the US economy into a recession. But you CAN change how you see this event — and you can change what it means to you. You can choose to see it as an opportunity, and you can look for the possibilities (economic and otherwise) that it presents.

And if you’re thinking, “what possible economic possibilities could there be in a time of recession?” You need only check the headlines of the Wall Street Journal last week which revealed that more millionaires were made in 2009 (right smack in the middle of a recession) than in the five previous years when the economy was booming.

The lesson is clear: there are ALWAYS possibilities and opportunities (all is abundance), but you can overlook them if you’re not focused on abundance, and that’s why lack based thinking is so harmful. What you focus on is always your decision — you are in charge of your thoughts, no one else. If you focus upon lack, I guarantee you will find lack. And if you focus upon abundance, likewise, I guarantee you will find abundance. You’re not a victim of circumstances, economic, or any other. You are in control.

Now, the question I’m asked a lot: “how do I get good at focusing my thoughts and beliefs — how do I become a “Jedi Master?”

The answer is just practice. Like any other skill, learning to discipline your mind to focus on abundance takes practice. The more you do it, the better you get at it, until one day you wake up and the concept just comes to you naturally. And the good news is, even if you aren’t a “Jedi Master” right now, you can still change your life tremendously for the better by simply making an effort.

If you can discipline your thoughts to focus on abundance just 10% more than you’re doing right now, you WILL see this reflected in your circumstances. Even a simple 10% change will make your life at least 10% better, and it can easily snowball from there. And once you get pretty good at making these small changes and attracting better things, you can take it to the next level and focus on abundance 20% more than you currently do, or 30%, or 50%, etc.

In the Star Wars movies, the Jedi Masters continued to study and train for a lifetime. People who work with the law of attraction must follow a similar path. It is a lifelong philosophy, and you never stop learning and getting better at it.

As for me, I’ve been doing this over 10 years now, and even though I don’t always feel like a Jedi Master (especially first thing in the morning-haha), some days I absolutely do! And if I compare my life now to the life I had 10 years ago, it is obvious how much better things are for me, and how much better I’ve gotten at using “the force.”

10 years ago I was attracting things into my reality “by default.” Some things were pretty good, but many other things were pretty awful. That’s really all you can expect when you’re not actively working with the Law of Attraction — it’s hit and miss. Now I won’t tell you that I haven’t had any difficulties in the last 10 years, and that things have gone perfectly for me. I’m as human as anyone else. But I will tell you that my life is about a thousand times better that it was, and I am surrounded by abundance in every area of my life.

From the scores of wonderful people I’ve attracted into my life, to a much better relationship with my family, to developing a successful and prosperous business, to experiencing greater confidence and self-esteem — I’m not exaggerating when I say that EVERYTHING in my life is better because I began working with the law of attraction. And the more I have used it, the better I have become at “working with the energy.” Things that used to seem difficult for me or scary, like putting together a new business partnership, or traveling around the world on my own (like I did last summer for three months throughout Asia). These things are a piece of cake today — when even five years ago they would have seemed overwhelming.

The moral of the story: keep the faith and keep working with the energy. Using the Law of Attraction gets easier with practice. You get better and better at it, just like any other skill, until you wake one day to find that “the force” is strong with you!
~Jon

I’ve heard it said that money won’t solve all your problems, but I can confidently make this assertion: there is NO problem you can have in life that LACK of money won’t make worse (think about it).

We all want financial success, but not many of us understand HOW to attract wealth. Most put it down to luck or being born wealthy or some other outside influence. When the truth is…wealth begins inside you. It all starts with your beliefs and your habitual way of looking at the world.

Have you heard the old expression “money is the root of all evil,” or something similar? This paradigm is common in society, and yet there is no truth to it at all. Money is neither good nor bad — it is what we do with it that makes all the difference.

In order to attract riches into your life, you must appreciate all the good money does in the world. If you see money as “sinful” or “evil” you can’t be too surprised when it doesn’t exactly flow to you like a raging river…

It’s true, of course, that there are tight-fisted, stingy and money grubbing rich people. But by the same token, there are also many generous and giving rich people who do untold good in the world (look at the billions of dollars Bill Gates has donated to charity, for example)

It’s helpful to remind ourselves that financial wealth does a lot of good in the world. It builds hospitals, funds charities, paves roads and provides clean drinking water (a really big deal in much of the world) for millions of people. If those aren’t positive things, I don’t know what is. (continued below)

The law of attraction teaches this point of view about money, and I believe it is a useful perspective. Too many of us have been brainwashed into the assumption that lack and scarcity are simply “the way things are,” and abundance is just an illusion. This is the complete opposite of the message of the law of attraction, and completely out of touch with reality and common sense.

Thinking that we have to scratch and claw in the “rat race” for money is a lack-based mindset, and (take it from someone who’s been there) it’s also completely false. This false paradigm points us toward a belief that it is hard to be wealthy (when it actually isn’t). But as long as people embrace this notion, they find it hard to get ahead in life, and often struggle to attain any success at all. Their BELIEFS hold them back.

To attract wealth and abundance, we have to establish a positive relationship with money, and learn to give and receive freely. The enemy, as always, is fear.

Fear tries to convince us that we don’t deserve wealth, or it would be a hassle if we got it, or that it would change us into a bad person, or any number of other silly mistruths. The reality is, we should never buy into “the myth of lack.’ Nature is abundant, and there is always more than enough for everyone, once we open our eyes to it.

A competitive or fearful mindset derails many people who want to attract wealth. It stops the flow, and prevent us from giving and receiving openly. And once that happens, we are no longer living in abundance–we have turned to the “dark side,” the side of fear and the competitive mindset.

The competitive mindset is that little voice that tries to make us resent the success of others, or criticize those who have created abundance. It attempts to convince us we must compare ourselves to other and “keep up with the Jones’.” It is, without any doubt, the reason so many people wind up feeling trapped in the “rat race.” It is nothing less than a prison for our minds.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. We can realize that every one of us has our own path to abundance. And if an individual we know comes into wealth we can feel happy and excited for them, and we should — because our time will come too.

The truth is, there is no reason to EVER compete for wealth. The abundant universe provides plenty for all. Plenty of money, love, success and everything else. It’s all there, just waiting for us to turn our attention to it.

“If It Don’t Fit, Don’t Force It. Just Relax and Let it go” ~ Kellee Patterson

At one time or another we’ve all tried to bend nature to our will. Usually this happens because we are just plain inpatient — we want what we want and we want it NOW! But nature has its own timeframe and always knows best. For example, if you are desperately trying to get into a new relationship and it’s just not happening for you, maybe you’re not ready for new relationship?

Many times in life I’ve noticed that the universe has a way of looking out for us, even when we’re not looking out for ourselves so well. And often, when we think we really WANT something, deep inside we either don’t want it, are afraid of getting it, or we are just not ready for it right now.

That’s why having patience is such an important skill in using the law of attraction. Just like the planet itself, every life has seasons. A time to sew and a time to reap. And the worst thing we can possibly do is to try to force an outcome before its ready. This concept is sometimes referred to as the law of gestation.

A good example of the law of gestation is childbirth. It takes approximately 9 months for a child to the born, and trying to rush or delay this process is a complete waste of time and utterly unproductive. That is simply nature’s way.

Starting a new business venture is basically the same — there is a gestation period involved, and results will come when they come — not a moment before.

And just as you would not rush a baby to come out before it’s time, we shouldn’t rush our goals and aspirations to manifest before THEIR time. Patience is not only of virtue, it is a skill we must develop in order to live abundantly and utilize the law of attraction.

Occasionally a new coaching client will say to me, “Jon, I’ve been doing everything I’m supposed to do — I’m visualizing and focusing on what I want, and turning my attention away from things I don’t want. But I haven’t seen results yet.” I always tell them that it’s good they’re doing those things, and they should squeeze the maximum amount of enjoyment out of doing them, with absolutely no regard for the outcome.

It is imperative that you enjoy the game if you’re going to play.

Think about it, if you are doing something just to get to a specific outcome (and not because you actually love doing it), you’re really working against yourself, and going against the flow of nature. Ideally, you should be doing the things you do because they feel good and you enjoy doing them to the best of your ability. When you quit fussing about the outcome and simply enjoy life and let nature take the time it needs, your success is virtually guaranteed.

Remember, play for the love of the game, and squeeze every drop of enjoyment out of what you do. If you do this, I guarantee you will see a noticeable change in the results you’re getting.

Actually, this subject reminds me of an unusual quote by Willie Nelson. When asked about the secret of success, Willie scratched his scruffy beard and replied, “whatever you’re aiming for, you’ve got to want it — but not want it too much.”

Willey’s quote just about sums it up. You’ve got to “want it,” but not obsess about it, especially about the outcome. Just play the game for the love of playing the game. Everything else is just gravy. Take this message to heart and you’ll see the difference in your life too. Believe it!

Years ago, I learned a few Law of Attraction Secrets that changed my life. Today I want to write about one of them.

When I first read The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace Wattles I was presented with an idea that was completely foreign to me: “There is no lack, poverty or limitation in the world — there is only abundance.”

At the time, I must confess that I found this idea to be completely absurd. Like many people, I was used to looking at the world in such a way that I assumed that there was a limited amount of everything good — money, property, opportunities, relationships, success — and that my job on this planet (like everyone else’s) was to struggle and fight to get my share of it before the other guy took it away from me.

The truth is, most of us can be forgiven for falling into this lack-based point of view. After all, we are inundated by TV and other media that bombard us with the idea that we are hapless victims in this life, and will be lucky to get anything good at all.

But even though I did not truly believe Wattle’s assertion that there was only abundance in the world, I continued to read his book, curious of what possible justification he could have for making such an outrageous statement. Before long I began to (slowly at first) see exactly what he meant by this claim.

You see, Wattle’s pointed out that all of us choose how we will look at the world. Fearful people choose to see the world as scary; generous people choose to see the world as generous; hateful people choose to see the world as full of hate; wealthy people choose to see the worldas wealthy; and so on, and so on…

As I continued to study the work of Wallace Wattles and other Law of Attraction teachers, I came to see the truth of abundance in the world — and how all limitation, lack or poverty is simply illusion, albeit some times a very persistent one.

You’ve heard that old saying, “there are two sides to every coin.” Well, there are also two ways of looking at anything that happens in your life: you can look at something from the point of view of lack and poverty, or you can look at it from the point of view of wealth and abundance.

Many people do not realize that they have this choice — that they can consciously choose to see anything that happens in the world from a lack-based or wealth-based point of view. Understanding these Law of Attraction Secrets enable you to create the life YOU choose.

Now some of my students understand this point very clearly, but they will still object and say, “yes Jon, I get that; but even if I view something that happens from a wealth-based point of view it still does not change the reality of what is happening — for example, if I lose my job, I can view this from a wealth-based pointed view, but I still don’t have a job!”

I understand this objection very well, but here’s the important point to understand: when you choose to look at things from a wealth-based point of view, it will affect how you RESPOND to the situation. In other words, if you lose your job and you respond to this event from a lack-based point of view, you will likely feel desperate, and you may even accept the first position you are offered, even if it makes you miserable and is poorly paid.

But what if you lose your job and you respond to this from a wealth-based point of view? Your certainty of wealth and abundance will prevent you from accepting a poorly paid position that will make you unhappy — and your confidence and optimism will make you far more attractive to prospective employers who can offer you a good job, one worthy of your wealthy state of mind. You see how this works?

To create wealth in your life you MUST have a wealthy state of mind. This is one of the most important secrets of the Law of Attraction, so I want to say it another way to make sure the point is fully understood:

You can not get rich as long as you continue to have a poor state of mind.

The way you experience the world on the inside — your state of mind — will always be an exact reflection of how you experience the world on the outside. No exceptions. Remember, poverty is a myth–an illusion. Abundance is all. Use these Law of Attraction secrets to create the life YOU want and the wealth and success you deserve!

To your continued wealth and success!
Jon

Jon Mercer, MA
Personal Development Coach

http://www.attractanything.com/

Managing Director, Youniverse LLC

Law of Attraction Secrets

I received an email a few days ago from my friend Naveen, and I wanted to share it here on the blog. Naveen’s email made me stop and think, and reminded me of some things I already knew, but maybe I hadn’t thought about as much as I should lately.

I hope you enjoy Naveen’s words as much as I did (special thanks to Naveen for giving permission to reprint the email here!);

FROM: NAVEEN TO: JON

(QUOTE)…..I have figured out one important thing about the universe:

These are just some of the things that i experienced myself once I started following the UNIVERSAL LAWS. (END QUOTE)

I hope you all enjoyed Naveen’s words as much as I did.

Peace and Blessings!

Jon

www.attractanything.com

Just a quick point to ponder today…

I heard a great story this week from one of my coaching clients. She told me about her grandfather’s strange habit of ironing his cash money to keep it looking clean and neat at all times. When people asked about his unusual habit, he replied, “this stuff has been very, very good to me. It feeds and provides for my family every single day–it deserves to be treated with the utmost respect and love.”

It struck me that her grandfather’s attitude was one of appreciation and wealth, and I wasn’t surprised at all to learn that he had aquired great wealth during his life. Of course he did! Money flows where it is appreciated.

 How about you–do you appreciate your money? And if so, how do you show that appreciation?

Jon Mercer, MA
www.attractanything.com