I’ve written about the Law of Attraction before in my newsletter (“What are You Attracting?”) as well as in my high recommendation of the movie The Secret . One of the distinctions that intrigues me most is always the one between action and effort. I read a blog post today by Joe Vitale (one of the experts in the movie The Secret) that summed it up nicely. You can read Law of Attraction: Require Action or Effort at his blog.
What I liked most about the distinction is how easy it is to totally understand and implement in your own life. It isn’t woo-woo or some ethereal concept you struggle to get your mind around. It is as simple as “do I enjoy/flow when I do this?” or “do I not enjoy/struggle to do this?”
For instance, I love to exercise. I find it enjoyable and it serves me well. While there are a whole number of levels in terms of how intensely I might exercise on a given day, in general I love to do SOME form of exercise every day. This holds true whether I am on vacation, working, or just at home. I seek ways to be healthy and fit. To me this is akin to taking action. I love doing it and it supports goals that are very important to me (staying healthy and fit). On the other hand I hate running errands and shopping. While there are some kinds of shopping I love (say shopping for wine, books, or gear for my hobbies), for the most part I find shopping a pain in the butt. To me it is a great deal of effort. Even if it supports me toward a goal I hold highly (say creating a nurturing and enjoyable space at home), I still find it full of effort. I suppose if I could do it quickly and easily with no other people in the store and no traffic on the road, it might be more bearable, but I’d still rather be home or out doing something I love.
Think of something you love to do. When you are doing it, does it feel like a lot of effort? I doubt it. You probably get lost in what you’re doing and feel great. Now, think of something you hate doing. How do you feel now? Probably a lot less congruent.
As you create a vision for yourself of what you truly want, it is crucial to develop a strategy and plan that allows you to take action but leave the effort for some other poor soul who doesn’t know any better. If the steps you need to take to get where you really want tip to the struggle and effort side of the scale, ask yourself if there is another way to achieve your goal that is more pleasurable. If not — perhaps you’re looking at the wrong goal.
Remember that like attracts like (think: magnet). So if you’re flowing and feeling good, you’ll get more “feeling good”. If you are struggling and putting forth unpleasurable effort, you’ll get more struggle and feel drained. Which would you prefer?