Life lessons can be valuable to us not only personally, but professionally too.
-Written by SIYP Team
The book, The Secret, teaches life lessons we can use in every aspect of our life.
Several years ago, “The Secret” became a world-wide phenomenon. First the movie, then the book, then the website, revealed the law of attraction to the masses. Suddenly, this ‘law’ was being talked about everywhere.
Tons of other law of attraction works were created and people seemingly couldn’t get enough of this ‘new age’ theory based on the premise that our lives are merely a reflection of our inner thoughts and beliefs.
According to the law of attraction, one of the life lessons it shares is we get what we expect and our reality is a product of that on which we put our attention and focus.
Yet, while many grabbed hold of this concept of deliberate creation (and still do), others – especially those who consider themselves more practical or business-oriented – wrote and write it off as too mystical or mythical to be real.
In other words, some believe the law of attraction is mere nonsense. That it holds no merit in the real world. These people believe there are just too many variables we can’t control and the real ‘magic’ lies only in working harder than your counterpart and/or being more ambitious – even ruthless – when necessary.
Which is right? Have you decided or formed an opinion on the law of attraction? Do you use it – or disregard it – in your daily life? Your business?
Are there actual life lessons in the law of attraction we can use to be more successful?
Regardless of your stance on the LOA and whether or not it ‘really works’, there are 3 practical business and life lessons we can take from the law of attraction to make us more successful.
#1 – The Law of Attraction Says You Get What You Expect
In life or business, the first step to achieving success is defining what that really means to you. This entails getting super clear on what it is you want to accomplish. How do you define ‘success’? How will you know when you get “there” if you don’t know where you are trying to go?
Whose help will you need to enlist to achieve your goals? Who will need to say, “Yes,” in order to get you there? You will need to approach these people or persons deliberately and intentionally and give them reasons to help and with the expectation that they will want to help because it is in their best interest. How? Be sure to share how their helping you with your goals will help them with theirs.
#2 – The Law of Attraction Says Your Outcomes Will Reflect Your Focus
One of the big ‘rules’ or life lessons the law of attraction teaches is that you must be ultra-careful where you put your focus as that is what will be reflected back to you. For example, you don’t ever think or say, “I don’t want to come up short on our sales forecasts.” In this statement, your focus is on coming up short on sales forecasts. According to the LOA, that would then be what you would get or the result(s) that would be realized.
Instead, you would say, “I want to ensure we meet or exceed our sales forecasts.” This is a positive statement and sends out to “The Universe”, “meet or exceed sales forecasts”. Therefore, your result would be sales forecasts that meet or exceed expectations.
In dealing with your family or loved ones, you know – innately – that you should never talk about what behaviors you don’t want. How do you feel if someone does that to you? Instead, you naturally know you should focus on asking for what you do want and how great that would be. Generally speaking, positive talk motivates and negative talk evokes fear and is not conducive to positive results or success.
So, from a practical perspective, this law of attraction rule holds true in business too, for many reasons. Using this same sales team example above, your team members do not need to hear what you don’t want over and over. It’s not motivational and it’s not empowering or inspiring. What they do need from you are positive expectations and goals to strive for and reach for—not what they need to avoid. You need them to think in terms of positive possibilities and potentialities and not be out there in fear of a result you or they don’t want.
#3 – The Law of Attraction Says to Consistently Express Gratitude
Another life lesson within the law of attraction says the best way to receive more of what you do want – positivity, motivation, success – is to look for and express gratitude for everything. Those who believe and practice the law of attraction say that nothing is inherently ‘good’ or ‘bad’ but rather it’s your perception of the meaning you choose to attach to anything that makes it good or bad.
Practically, this may seem like the most ‘far out’ of the principles. After all, some things that happen are just plain negative, right?
Maybe not. Science has proven optimists actually do accomplish more – are more successful – than pessimists.
This is also a sign of a great leader – someone who learns to roll with the punches and when things appear to ‘go wrong’, looks for a way to garner something positive from the rubble. Seeking the ‘good’ in any and all challenges opens the door for innovation and opportunity.
Additionally, always expressing gratitude for ‘what is, as it is’, is also better for your state of mind, health, and is more motivational to your team, co-workers, subordinates, and family and friends too!
So while the law of attraction may seem like new-age mumbo jumbo to some, there are definitely life lessons and business lessons anyone – even the most pragmatic pragmatist – can take from its premises.
How about you? Where do you fall on the law of attraction? Do you feel like it can be useful in your life and business? Consider these questions and whether the ideas behind the law of attraction just might help you be more successful—whether you ‘believe’ or not!
