Pursuing a self concordant goal is a process that raises our sense of well being and lets us feel that we are truly expressing ourselves. During its pursuit, we feel as if we are fulfilling our destiny and that all is well with the world. It is the journey and not the final destination that allows learning, growing, and feeling satisfied. According to the Law of Attraction however, a major loophole seems to exist.
Law of Attraction enthusiasts would have us believe that just by thinking of what we want, the universe is willing to materialize it for us…if we are ready to receive it. In the book The Secret, three steps are all that are required for all your desires to manifest themselves: ask, believe, and receive. I don’t know about you, but I’ve been thinking about, believing, and quite ready to receive a winning lottery ticket. Oh wait, I didn’t win. Maybe I should hire a law of attraction coach to keep me focused and help me truly be ready to receive the universes’ gift to me. It seems the only people really amassing riches from this Law are those that are preaching (or selling) this idea.
I will attempt to compare the concepts of this movement with what is known in the fields of motivation and goal attainment in order to bridge what seems to be a large gap between the two.
The first step according to the book The Secret is to ask. By asking, we are basically defining our goals. We are shifting our focus from the abstract to a specific, attainable goal. This is an important step if we are to move on to the next step and move closer to attaining it.
The next step involves believing: focusing on the object of desire. By putting all your focus on what you want, you are supposedly attracting it. Here, we are not only to believe that attainment is possible but that we have already attained it: tricking our mind into believing we have already obtained what it is we desire. This is an interesting idea that can actually be explained by research in the field of positive psychology. It is true that the brain doesn’t know the difference between what is real and what is imagined. If, for example, you think about a spider crawling on your arm, your brain will react in the same way it would if a real spider was there.
By believing you have (or can) obtain the goal in question, you are creating positive emotions that have the potential to create opportunities towards its pursuit. Barbara Frederickson’s Broaden and Build theory suggests that positive emotions broaden our awareness and promote creativity in thought and in action. Therefore, if by believing we are able to attain our goal (or by tricking the mind into believing we have already succeeded) we are potentially creating positive emotions and opening ourselves to see different ways of obtaining what we want. Our broadened awareness of our goal will allow us to see opportunities that we would have otherwise missed because our focus would have been elsewhere. This also permits us to increase our motivation and devise a plan that will enable us to successfully pursue our goal.
The last step is to receive. This is where the Law of Attraction seems to be oversimplified. According to this theory, by asking (clearly defining) and believing (motivation and plan), the universe will somehow hand over to you what it is that you ask for. There is clearly something missing.
What ingredient seems to be missing in the Law of Attraction that would make it scientifically plausible? A dirty six letter word has the power to crush the hopes of those sold on the idea of manifesting their desires through thought (and through thought alone). That word is action.
Once you have defined your goal (ask) and have developed a realistic plan to attain it (believe), the next logical step is action. It is the single most important step in the pursuit of success and well being. So, the next time you are dreaming about something you would like to achieve, don’t just think about it – Do it!