I have read several of the posts and in particular those that are trying to explain their interpretations of the LOA. Let me share some information that may really help you. Are you familiar with the work of Abraham - Ester & Jerry Hicks? If not you may want to go to their website
www.Abraham-Hicks.com to get the full story. I recently attended their Art of Allowing workshop where I was exposed to a book they have written called Ask and It is Given. Not only will it answer most of the questions you have posed but it will give you 22 processes that can be considered. By the way given a specific situation you will only be using the one or two processes that apply so that this does not become overwhelming.
Two of the most important points that I have learned is that we are all some place on the vibrational scale. You can only move from one vibrational level to the next. So you are stuck on trust issues. For anyone to tell you that all you have to do is be positive for example which is a jump from the 14th level out of the 22 levels to the 4th level which is where Positive expectation/belief are is the equivalent of you having a $100,000 and believing that you can jump to several million in the next 60 days-it just is not going to happen. Rather a good first step for you is to get to the next level which might frusutration or irritation which are much higher on the vibrational scale. Said diiferently the LOA are really saying that in order to attract what we want we must be in closer alignment with what we seeking. You know that you are putting requests out to the universe on what you want and that the universe immediately springs into action. If you are close to being in vibrational alignment with what you are trying to attract it will come quickly. However when you are not in vibrational alignment it is going to take time as you move along the vibrational scale. It is very much like setting your radio dial to 610 AM you don't expect to hear what is being transmitted by 87.5 FM as you are not in alignment.
The other major point that I have learned is that we all have our own GPS which is guiding us all day everyday. You may think of this as your feelings. Your feelings are telling you which way to go. In every situation there are choices. You can swim" upstream or downstream" meaning there is a hard way to go or an easier way to go. Because we erect monuments to people who have accomplished great things or overcome terrible adversity we conclude that hard is the correct direction. What I have learned is that life is meant to be joyous and to be enjoyed everyday. There is always an easier path. Your feelings will guide you towards that easy path if you let them. Because men typically ignore their feelings or hide their feelings because they are deemed to be a sign of weakness we ignore this wonderful GPS that we have all been blessed with. I can honestly say to you that attending the workshop and reading and applying in Ask and It Is Given is the best and least expensive practical information for changing ones life. I hope in some small way you will have a similar experience. I have never been better and I now know why.