Law of Attraction teaches that we attract what we think. In another word, if we think negatively, then negative things will happen. For example, if I keep on thinking that people will not like me at the new work place, then I might in fact end up with a job where I am disliked by my colleagues.
If I understand it correctly, the solution to that according to LoA is to think positively. If I fear dislike by my colleagues at the new job, then I should think that I will be liked by my new colleages.
This is where my own experience becomes inconsistent with the theory of law of attraction. On numerous occasions when my thoughts turn negative, I immediately reversed it and think its opposite. If my mind start sabataging my confidence in my ability to improve in class, for example, I force myself to imagine myself getting Acing the next test. Yet, I always end up with a disappointing result.
Why does that happen? My theory is this. My attempt to reverse my negative thoughts by thinking about its exact opposite is itself an act of confirmation of my negative thinking. If I didn't truely believe in this negative thought, I wouldn't have bothered to make an effort to reverse it by thinking positively. Therefore by forcing myself to think positively immediately after I think negative thoughts, I end up actually amplifying the power of these negative thoughts!!!
The point isn't that law of attraction doesn't work. I believe this law of attraction is very real, for otherwise I wouldn't have consistently obtained negative results when I think negative thoughts. The point is that perhaps we need to deal with negative thinking through a different approach other than just thinking of its polar opposite in order to maximize the positive potential that can be brought by the practice of law of attraction.
How should we do that? Well, there are two things that I have been trying lately, and seem to hold some promise. First, whenever I think of negative thoughts unwittingly, I dismiss them right away, by focusing on my concious attention on something that has nothing to do with the content of the thought. For example, if I am studying financial modeling, and feel that I will flunk the test on Monday, I dismiss this thought by taking a break from the studying, and go watch TV. Obviously, I am not gonna watch a television program on finance, economnics, or business which will serve to remind me of financial modeling. I might watch an action movie. Later on, when the emotional impact of the negative thought had faded, which creates an emotional vaccum unoccupied by negativity regarding the class I am taking, I go ahead and fill the void with positive thinking. In another word, instead of immediately countering a negative thought with its direct polar opposite, dismiss the thought, and come back to deal with it later when the negativity has receded.
A second method is to counter the negative thought immediately with a positive thought about something totally different. Lets say I lack confidence in mathematics, but I love literature, and am very confident that I am VERY good at literature. Then whenever my negativity regarding mathematics surfaces, I should counter by thinking about the joy of reading literatures. The key here is to think of something positive, yet totally irrelevant from the negative thought that I have. Also, I must truely beleive in that positive thought. If I am not confident that I am good in literature, then thinking about my being good at literature to counter my negative thoughts regarding mathematics is pointless. It might perhaps end up creating the exact same effect as immediately countering my negative thoughts regarding mathematics with its direct polar opposite, which is to amplify that negative thought.
Wheeww....a long post, but I hope this will be of some assistance to those who practice law of attraction. If any of you have other great ideas regarding the operational aspect of practicing law of attraction, please share with us here. I have found that understanding these spiritual principles are easy. But practicing them at the operational level is quite another totally different thing. This is often the result of lack of clear, concise, and concrete instructions regarding how exactly one should practice them. So any insights will be greatly appreciated.
