Law of Attraction and Creating a Vision Board

You plan a huge outdoor event. Caterers, entertainment, and the whole nine yards are perfectly planned right down to the very detail. And you have no plan B. This event needs to go down as exactly planned or your world will end. Then, you start thinking:

“What if it rains?”

“Oh, it’s not going to rain,” You tell yourself.

“But what if it does?” you ask yourself in a worried voice.

“It can’t rain. Not that day. Can it?” you answer, now creating doubt in your mind.

All the way up until that thought entered your mind; it was probably going to be a clear, beautiful day. The moment you thought about rain on that day, you sent that message out into the universe. And the universe said, “Sure, why not?”

The Law of Attraction

This is basically part what the Law of Attraction is, that we attract into our lives whatever we think about, that our most dominant thoughts will always find a way to manifest. So, if you are obsessing over something happening, you are basically inviting it into your life. Walking around complaining how you never have any money and you are always so broke and you can’t pay your bills, is going to bring you more of the same.

The other part of the Law of Attraction equation is that “like will attract like”. If you think positive thought about a situation, you will attract a positive outcome. The same holds true for negative thoughts, which will manifest a negative outcome. So, being focused on a negative possibility for your event, it raining, manifested a negative outcome, it rained. Negative thoughts about your finances will yield negative financial outcomes.

How it works (sort of)

There are many that believe that reality is subjective because it is experiential. If you ask 10 people to give their account of an event, you will get 10 different versions. Are they all wrong? No, because this is how they saw this event unfolding within their own realities. This concept, subjective reality, implies that we create our own reality. The basic premise for the concept of subjective reality is:

P1: There is only one consciousness in your reality.

P2: You are that singular consciousness in your reality.

P3: Everyone and everything within your reality is a projection/creation of your thoughts, your consciousness.

P4: Your intentions are the only intentions in your reality.

Conclusion; your consciousness creates your reality, everything in it and everything that happens in it.

Ok, so I create my own reality. Well then, why can’t I just blink and make things happen? Because, physical reality is a very dense, highly complex thing, more so than say a dream world or a video game. Changes occur at a much slower, gradual rate because reality needs time to calibrate, pave the way for the change to occur. Imagine the chaos if reality changed in much the same way that you change the channels on your TV.

This concept of Subjective reality is really the key to the Law of Attraction. Since we create our own reality, we have the ability to attract what we want into it.

Law of Attraction as a recent concept?

In 2006, the film The Secret created a cult following. The next year, the book based on the movie had the same effect. People in all walks of life were praising this new concept of attracting positive things in their lives through this Law of Attraction. Even Oprah Winfrey was on the bandwagon, making The Secret the topic of several shows, again acting as if the movie and book unearthed some bright new concept. Only, the Law of Attraction isn’t a new concept at all:

New Thought Movement (1904-1910) Thomas Troward, who had a strong influence on the movement, wrote

“The action of the Mind plants that nucleus which, if allowed to grow undisturbed, will eventually attract to itself all the conditions necessary for its manifestation in an outward visible form.”

Theosophical Movement (1915-1930’s) Annie Besant compared her version of the Law of Attraction to gravitation and karma.

In 1937, Israel Regardie wrote his book entitled “The Art of True Healing: A Treatise on the Mechanism of Prayer and the Operation of the Law of Attraction in Nature”.

These are just a few examples of the Law of Attraction prior to The Secret. There are other older examples as the Law of Attraction is prevalent in sympathetic magic that dates back to the stone ages. My point is that the concept is not a new invention at all. And, it is resurrected every so often because it actually works. That is why get rich books are often based on it. In order to make it work for you, you have to understand the rules.

Rules that govern the Law of Attraction:

1. You must assume 100% responsibility for everything you are experiencing in your reality right now – absolutely everything, be it good, bad or craptaculur - then you assume the power to attract what you want into your reality. If you keep telling yourself that it is someone else’s fault, that you didn’t do it, that you have no control over whatever it is, then you are going to attract that situation. This is your reality; own it.

2. Since “like will attract like”, positive thinking will attract a positive outcome. Negative thinking or thoughts that contradict the outcome you desire will affect that outcome. Keep your thoughts positive and positive things will happen.

3. Be clear and specific about what your goal actually is. Take time to think about what it is you really want to happen and establish that as your goal. Make sure this goal is as specific as you can make it. If you want to have extra money every month, and you aren’t specific about how much you would like extra, than it may be that you have 50 cents left at the end of the month. It is extra money but I am sure it wasn’t what you had in mind. Keeping your intended goal clear and specific leave little room for error.

4. Be realistic and willing to do what it takes to reach that goal. You cannot expect to win the lottery if you do not buy a ticket. There has to be a plausible way for your goal to be reached, a road on which these can come into being.

5. Focus on the desired outcome and your path to your goal, not all the problems you are trying to solve with it. If you say, “I need a better job”, you are to “need a better job”, not “get” a better job. Your goal is not a need, want, wish or desire but a declaration of your absolute determination of what the outcome will be. So, a better phrasing in this instance would be “I am going to have a better job by the end of this month.” It is clear, positive and specific, leaving no room for doubt and negativity to creep in. And, everything you do to get that better job attaches to that statement. “I am updating my resume because I am going to get a better job by the end of this month.” “I am doing this and that because I will have a better job by the end of the month.” These are positive statements that keep you moving towards your goal.

6. Beware of self-sabotage. We are our own worst enemies. Since we create our own realities, our fears, doubts and poor self-concepts can really do a number on that reality. When you set your goal, that goal should be your only focus. Thoughts that you can’t do it or don’t deserve it no longer apply because setting that goal means that you have decided that you do deserve it and you can do it. All thoughts to the contrary are, therefore, untrue. Positive thoughts are the key that move you in a positive direction towards your goal, so they are the only thoughts that matter.

7. Finally, set a realistic time frame and be patient. Your reality is a complex system that requires time to create the conditions necessary to manifest your goal. The bigger your goal is, the more change it is going require, which means it will require more time. Big goals require patience and determination since they take the longest. Slow and steady will win the race.

Tools and Methods

Now that we have figured out how the Law of Attraction works, with clear, specific goals and positive thoughts that work to change our own reality, here are some helpful tools to help manifest your goals into being.

The Gratitude Journal:

In this journal, you note everything you are grateful for. Not only are these things you are grateful for from the past and the present, but future things you will be grateful for. By showing gratitude for future blessings you are creating a positive path for them to actually happen. This is not a journal to whine, bitch and complain in. This journal is all about gratitude and sharing positive thoughts, attracting gratifying, positive outcomes.

The Vision Board

Sometimes called a life map or goal map, a Vision Board is a visual representation of the things that you want to have, be or do in your life. These are pictures, writings or representations of the desired outcome of your goals. By bringing your vision of your goals realized from the internal mind to your external reality, you are, in essence, moving your goal from an internal concept to somthing tangible that you can actual see in your physical reality.

These pictures, writings and representation also are positive thoughts and often passionate emotions connected to this going, which attracts positive, passion-charged energy towards your goal, working much the way an amplifier works with a guitar. It ramps up the energy that you and the universe put towards this goal, making it more likely to come into being.

It also works to program your brain in that it tunes your brain into the external representations of your goal, helping you mover closer to your goal. Images and symbols are the language of the brain, especially our subconscious minds, which is where our instincts and motivations to attain our basic desires reside. These images on your Vision board are symbols of your goal/positive outcome, which your subconscious mind sees and turns into one of those basic desires your subconscious mind moves you towards, even if you may not even realize it.  So, if your subconscious and conscious mind are on the same page, working towards a specific goal/positive outcome, how could your possibly not succeed?

A well designed, successful Vision Board should be visual, with as many pictures, words and phrases as possible that represent your goal. It should also be emotional, evoking a positive emotional response that makes you happy and charged with passion to achieve your goal. It should also be placed in a location where you will see it often as your subconscious mind will need maximum exposure to it to keep that part of your mind on board with your goal and moving you that much quicker to a positive outcome.

Your Vision Board does not need to be out in a location where everyone can see it if you don’t want it to be, just make sure you look at it several times a day. I have seen them on the freezer door of a refrigerator, the driver side sun visor of a car and the inside of a medicine closet. One handy trick that is really effective is to take a picture from your cell phone camera or digital camera and make it the screen saver or home page of your cell phone. It can be as simple or elaborate as you like, as big or as small. The only limit on this is your own imagination.

Supplies:

*You will want something to mount your pictures onto something. Foam board or a piece of cardboard will work best as it will give you something solid to hang or place where you want it. It can be as big or small as you like it.

*Pictures, word and phrase, or anything else that represents your goal. These can be printed off the internet, clipped out of a magazines or books, or even pictures you have taken yourself. The only limit here is, again, your own imagination and creativity.

*Double-sided tape, glue or rubber cement and scissors to get the ball rolling.

*Anything else you would like to use to decorate your board with.

*A clearly defined goal, whether it is a new career, changing bad habits, or just being happy.

Creating the board

Step 1: First, just cut out all sorts of pictures, images, words and phrases that appeal to you or you feel apply to the theme or goal of your vision board.  Don’t judge your choices.  Just trust your instincts.

Step 2: Start laying everything you are using out on your board, following your instincts on this as there is no right or wrong. Make sure you have placed everything as you want it before you start gluing as there is no going back.

Step 3: Glue everything onto the board. Then, start placing words either phrases taken from magazines or you can paint or write the words with markers, glitter pens (from fun, informal) or print from your computer, for a more serious. Add writing, if you want. You can paint it on, or write words with markers or glitter pens (for a more fun, informal board) or with computer printed text (or a more serious, business approach).

Step 4: Sometimes people like to put a happy picture of themselves in the center of this board.  This is optional but can really energize the vision and heighten the impact of the board.

Step 5: Place the vision board somewhere where you see it often. 

If you are using your fridge as your vision board, you can use small decorative magnets to hold the pictures in place. You can even swap pictures out as your goal changes or you find something you like better. This is ideal for short term goals. You can also use bulletin boards with decorative thumb tacks, old poster frames or large picture frames that need a new purpose, or even a gorgeous 8"x10" frame that you discovered at a thrift store. It is up to you how big or small, how simple or elaborate you vision board is. Here are Four Types of Vision Boards to give you some hints:

1. Focused:

For this board, you will have a specific thing they want to change or manifest in their life, even breaking a specific bad habit.

This board focuses on a clear and certain goal and attracts powerful specific changes to their life.

2. Themed:

This vision board is ideal for a specific event (like a wedding) or area of your life.

You can also use a vision board to show what you want to an interior designer or architect.

3. Business:

For a specific business project or proposal, even to work towards a promotion or change careers to a job you want.

4. Open-minded:

You know you want to change something about your life but you aren’t sure what. Group together pictures and words that reflect what would make a happy life for you.

This is also great for those who are depressed. On this board, you are designing your ideal life.

Once you have designed this board, you can always make another one later with a more specific goal in mind. This board will get your mind thinking as well as attracting positive change into your life.

Here are a few pictures of vision boards I found on line.

 

You can do a google search and find tons of pictures to give you ideas. There are even websites that will help you create and maintain a vision board, some free and some not. Make sure you read all the details before participating in these as some have expensive hidden fees.

If you create your own reality through your own thoughts, then there is no reason why it can’t be the creator of a positive reality that attracts to it all the positive things you can have in life. The Law of Attraction can work for anyone willing to take command of their life and willing to let go of all the negative programming we have inflicted upon ourselves. Positive thinking begets a positive outcome every time.

Blessings!!

Urban Crone