We’ve all had those days when it seems like everything than can go wrong does and life’s little challenges are more like nuisances. But the flip side of the coin are the days when life is beautiful and the world is ours for the taking.
What’s the difference? If we dig deep, we see that life is pretty consistent in its inconsistencies – what is different is how we approach the ups and downs of the world. This is the premise for the Law of Attraction, a theory from Rhonda Byrne’s 2006 book The Secret.
The Law of Attraction says we bring about what we think about. The idea behind this theory is that we can attract and bring into our lives the things we want by changing our behavior – by using affirmations, expecting positive things, living appreciatively, visualizing our dreams, and taking inspired action. The most critical piece of the Law of Attraction is the recognition that our thoughts matter, and that our thoughts, feelings, actions and the life we create for ourselves are all intertwined, without exception.
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Consider these four tips to start activating positive thinking and positive change in the way you perceive everyday life.
1. Define Your Goals and Visualize Your Dreams – Start delineating your goals today by asking yourself questions about what you would like to accomplish in a month, six months or a year. Your goals could be personal (I want to get in better shape) or professional (I want to make a career shift). No matter the nature of your goals, review them often and see how this can create a shift in how you feel.
A tangible way of visualizing your goals and dreams is to create a vision board – a place where you collect images and quotes that inspire you to move forward into action. These images allow us to access our true longings, moving beyond what we think we are supposed to strive for. Creating concrete goals and acknowledging dreams are a powerful way to kick start energy and passion to bring these things to life.
2. Practice Gratitude and Focus on the Good – Gratitude is a powerful tool for grounding us in the good of life when we are feeling irritated or off-balance (think of sitting in gridlock traffic or ruminating on something hurtful a friend said). The next time you find yourself in a cycle of negative thoughts or feelings, try making a mental gratitude list, ticking off things that you are thankful for in your life. This is a powerful practice that can open up our minds to how good things really are and take us out of the mire of negativity.
By focusing on the positive aspects of life, you actually invite more positive experiences in and will feel happier overall. The next time you find yourself in a funk, no matter what the cause, try shifting your focus to only positive thoughts and see what a difference it makes in your outlook.
3. Watch Your Self-Talk – How we talk to ourselves is of paramount importance because it shapes the way we think and feel. If we focus on what we don’t want, the self-messaging takes on a negative connotation and can dampen the positivity we want to invite into our lives. Try turning self-talk into affirmations; instead of saying to yourself that you’re stuck in a bad work environment, say that you are open to new opportunities and are sure they will manifest. Develop five sayings for daily affirmations and say them every morning and evening.
4. Step Into Action – If you practice the suggestions above, your passion, energy and inspiration should be supercharged in no time. When you define your goals, visualize your dreams, experience gratitude and the good in life, and give yourself loving affirmations, you can’t help but move toward action in your life to effect positive change.
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Commit to taking one action every day that will help materialize your goals and dreams. In a year, you’ll be amazed at how far you’ve come to living the life that you want.
