How the Law of Attraction and Positive Thinking Could Change Your Life
Imagine if we could think our way to success.
We simply visualize our dreams, bring them to mind, and *POOF* – there they are.
In reality, this isn’t too far-fetched.
Concepts like the Law of Attraction, manifestation, and the power of positive thinking have been surging through the mainstream: affirmations and rituals to raise your frequency, manifestation mantras to tap you into the flow of abundance, self-help books teaching how to upgrade in life through thoughts, and so much more.
People are starting to ask – is there something to this?
While it’s a little more complicated than a magical “poof,” …
We say, abso-heckin-lutely!
And when you apply these concepts to your business, many doors open for you.
What is the Law of Attraction?
The law of attraction states that the energy you put out is the energy you attract. That your thoughts, beliefs, feelings, and actions determine your physical reality.
It’s a lot like the law of gravity: it’s always happening, and it’s always there.
We are constantly manifesting. We are always putting energy out into the universe and receiving energy back from the universe.
We are never not manifesting. It’s just a matter of what we are manifesting.
If your reality doesn’t match up with your goals and dreams, chances are your beliefs are a big part of the problem.
You could dream to live in a big house with a thriving business and a happy family. But if you believe that you could never afford a house, you don’t have what it takes to run a business, and happy families don’t exist, then the universe and energy will align with those beliefs by making sure you never get those things.
It will instead send you the apartment you believe you can afford, the crappy jobs you don’t enjoy but believe you deserve, and the lonely lifestyle you believe is safe to live.
Everything is energy and similar energy levels are drawn to each other.
The law of attraction doesn’t work with our wants (no matter how much we sometimes wish it would). It works with our beliefs and our actions.
You can easily want something but, for whatever reason, believe it’s not possible for you (or maybe anyone) to have.
That’s why, with manifestation, it’s not only about what you think but also about how you act on those thoughts.
Affirmations are handy, yes, but without action, nothing can be accomplished. Even if you attract the right opportunities, the steps that have been laid out before you, leading to your goals, are worthless if you don’t take them.
The actions we take show us what our current beliefs are. We act from our beliefs.
If you were to make a choice out of fear and then you took the time to examine why you felt that way and why you made the decision you did, you would find a direct link to your beliefs.
Each time you make those choices out of fear, you also attract more fearful situations because this is what you are choosing for yourself.
Like attracts like, friends.
The Secret by Rhonda Byrne provides a tremendous basic breakdown of the Law of Attraction and how it works with our thoughts through visualization.
But let’s take it a step further and look at why it’s not just our visions and dreams but also our day-to-day thoughts that play such a large part in creating our reality.
Mindset and why it’s important
According to the Law of Attraction, what you focus on and think about repeatedly is what you attract into your life.
When you bring attention and awareness to a thought and repeat this thought often, the brain rewires itself to turn this thought into a pattern. Eventually, with enough repetition, this patterned thought becomes a belief within the subconscious mind.
You then (often unconsciously) begin taking action based on that belief because it’s what you know to be true.
Most of the actions we take are based on what we believe the outcome will be. We look to our beliefs about ourselves and the world for evidence of those outcomes.
For example, if you always think fearful thoughts, you will make most of your decisions from a place of fear.
This limits you in many ways.
It keeps you playing small.
You believe that you can’t have/do/be something because you fear the outcome. And you are fearful of the outcome because you have trained your mind to believe that certain realities aren’t possible for you.
And by believing certain realities aren’t possible for you, the universe is reading that energy and providing you with the evidence you are unknowingly asking for. (Shoutout: Law of Attraction)
Making these decisions out of fear also shows yourself and the universe that you aren’t ready to take the more significant steps necessary to get to your goals.
It shows that you don’t trust yourself.
Opportunities that have the potential of bringing your dreams to reality may continue presenting themselves to you, but you will continue denying them out of fear.
You will never attract what you desire until your beliefs and actions align with it.
Your thoughts create your reality, and your reality is an “out-picturing” of your consciousness. What you see in your life now is a reflection of what is happening within you.
Therefore, to change your reality, you must change your mindset.
Why fear is your biggest obstacle
We’ve talked about fear a hefty amount already, but that’s because it seems to be one of the most significant barriers for business owners.
Fear acts as an obstacle because it makes you think you’re not safe and that you may lose something.
It holds you back from trying and keeps you living in and acting from a scarcity mindset, which only attracts more lack into your life.
Fear-based decisions aim to keep you in your comfort zone, where growth is tough to experience.
You lose trust in your ability to make choices.
You end up turning to history for evidence on how possible something is, rather than your gut feelings and intuition – which isn’t always bad but doesn’t always mean you’re making the right choices for you and your business.
Fear challenges your belief in possibility. And if you don’t believe something is possible for you, your reality will mirror that back to you and ensure it never becomes possible.
Fear is simply another disguise that self-sabotage likes to masquerade in.
When business owners can release their fearful beliefs and thoughts, they’re able to act and make critical decisions from a much more stable and clear-headed space.
What a healthy mindset in business may look like
A healthy mindset has everything to do with how supported you feel.
Does your mindset support your growth?
Does it keep you hopeful about life?
Does it inspire you to go after your dreams?
Do you bring continuous awareness to what your mind’s chattering about all day?
When it comes to business, your mindset plays a huge role in your success.
Running a business involves making some big decisions and stepping out of your comfort zone over and over again.
It may sound scary at first, and you may be wondering why anyone (why YOU) would choose that type of lifestyle. But when an entrepreneur strengthens their mindset, it allows them to handle those big decisions with confidence and courage.
They have nothing to be afraid of because they trust themselves, they trust the Law of Attraction to play its part as they play theirs, and they believe that anything is possible for them.
What does a healthy mindset in business look like?
That will be different for everyone because everyone thinks and acts in their own beautiful and unique way. There is no “perfect mindset” you need to be striving for.
However, it helps to have an idea of what a supportive mindset might look like as a business owner, and these mindset shifts are ones every entrepreneur would benefit from.
See if any of these resonate with you and feel like a mindset you would want to adopt:
Fear may creep in, but you quickly remember that you are in total control. You instead transmute that fear into excitement for the growth that’s on its way to you.
Business decisions become easier because you remain calm and trust yourself to make the right choices. Or, you trust that if you make the wrong choices, everything will work out because you know your thoughts create your reality.
You create and run your business the way you want to, rather than how you are told you “should” run it.
You trust that all the people you are meant to serve are energetically finding their way to you (“like attracts like”), and the number of people you can serve in your lifetime is infinite.
You don’t have competition because you don’t have a reason to believe in it. You know there are many clients to serve as long as you continue to stay visible in your business so the right ones can find you.
You are not afraid to be seen for who you are because you know that you embody your beliefs and values, which are guiding you to your goals through the Law of Attraction.
You don’t sweat investing in yourself and your business because you know your supply to wealth is limitless, as long as your thoughts and actions align to it.
Notice that fear isn’t present in any of these mindset examples. There is only confidence and trust.
This doesn’t mean you’re expected to never have a fearful thought or feel a negative emotion.
These things are normal and part of being human.
The goal is not to get stuck in these fearful or negative thoughts and feelings.
You want to see and acknowledge them, check to see if they align with your supportive mindset, and if they don’t, allow yourself to let those thoughts or feelings go. Then replace them with thoughts and feelings that do align with your new mindset.
This can all be accomplished through training the brain and working on your mindset regularly.
How to keep your mindset in shape
Your mindset isn’t something that can change overnight.
It takes repetition and focus, a lot like when you build a particular set of muscles.
You dedicate time and energy to working those muscles, exercise them repeatedly, and remain patient, knowing the growth is happening in the background – even if you can’t see it yet.
And if you put the proper work in, over time, those muscles will be much larger and more robust than when you first started exercising.
There are many ways to nurture and shift your mindset to a more beneficial one for you and your business, but we put together some good places to start:
Journaling
Before starting, it helps to know what your beliefs and mindset currently look like. Write everything out. You can find journal prompts galore online regarding any topic. Plus, there are many different types of journaling. You can do fear journaling, scripting, stream of consciousness notes, etc.
Google is your best friend here. Get creative and see which type of journaling works best for you.
Self-help books
Again, Google is a great resource to find some of the best topics to match your mindset goals. We also wrote a blog post giving some major love to self-help books and even offered up a few titles we enjoyed!
Practice awareness
Keep track of your thoughts and whether they support you and your goals.
If a thought doesn’t align with what you are trying to manifest in your business or life, remind yourself of the opposing thought that you would rather believe in. The more often you catch these unsupportive thoughts and flip them to a more aligned view, the faster you’ll train your brain to think the new, more supportive thought instead.
This is simply a conscious rewiring of the subconscious mind.
Surround yourself with positive influences
You become the five people you spend the most time around. The content you consume tends to fuel many of your thoughts throughout the day. Do these people and content inspire you, or bring you down and cause you to question yourself?
Begin noticing the people you enjoy spending time with. Make an effort to be around these people more often.
Set a new goal to follow accounts that inspire you or find shows that make you laugh.
Speak affirmations
Affirmations are positive statements you repeat to yourself to challenge your negative thoughts. They’re a simple way to begin training the mind to shift its belief from a self-sabotaging view to a more supportive view.
Honor your emotions
Don’t ignore, push away, or try to cover up your emotions with happier ones. You are feeling a certain way for a reason. Your emotions often act as a messenger to share important information with you – which can help you become more aware of the current state of your mindset.
Ask yourself why you are feeling a particular emotion. Where does it stem from? What does it have to tell you? Trust that your emotions are constantly fluctuating, and the lows don’t last forever.
Observe what your emotions have to share.
Ask for help
You don’t have to do this alone. You’re on the path to changing your LIFE! That’s some big stuff.
Many coaches and service providers specialize in working with mindset practices and aim to help you create the life of your dreams. You could work with a business coach, energy healer, intuitive coach, Akashic Records reader, a wellness coach – whatever feels most supportive to you on your journey.
These support systems can help you get clarity on your mindset goals, provide supportive practices and routines, and keep you motivated when things get difficult. Think of it as a personal trainer for that set of muscles you’re trying to grow, but one for your mind instead!
Focus on strengthening your mindset
The most straightforward first step is to focus on watering and tending to your mindset. When you pour energy into an intention with your thoughts and actions, that intention grows. You show the universe that you wish to expand in this area, which attracts the necessary opportunities to do so.
Once you understand the Law of Attraction and how it works, attracting your largest dreams and desires can be as simple as a daily routine of mindset practice and patience – one that you and your business are sure to thank you for.
Written by Lara Carney