I’ve been reading a bit about this since watching “The Secret” last week. Now let’s get the gripes out of the way first…

The tele-movie was crap. The more I think and research it, the more I believe that this is simply a clever marketing tactic to promote the speakers and the producer. The general premise of the show is this:

Anything you wish hard enough for, will come true. If you are thinking about good things, then good things will happen to you. If you are thinking bad and negative thoughts, then bad things will happen to you and your life will continue to suck.

We all like to be accepted
Again, the tele-movie was total and utter crap. The foundations it is based on however are far more interesting once you dig deep enough. Let’s start with this scenario…

You drive out of the car dealership driving your brand new red Mazda3. Over the next few weeks as you drive about, you suddenly realise how many other Mazda3 cars there are on the road. They are everywhere.

“It must be a pretty good car given it’s so popular,” you think to yourself.

You continue to drive around in your new Mazda3 feeling pretty good and confident about your new purchase.

This is a very common scenario. Many of us naturally look for acceptance and confirmation of our actions. When driving in your new car, you see more of the same type of car because your mind is looking out for them - to confirm that you made the right purchasing decision. You find exactly what you are looking for.

The Law of Attraction
The Law of Attraction is nothing more or less than your subconscious mind confirming your conscious thoughts. If you wander the streets thinking that bad things always happen to you, then every time the smallest “bad thing” happens, you reinforce the fact that you were correct. And thus begins the vicious downward spiral.

Good things still happen at the same time, but your mind is more attuned to recognising the bad. Why? Because that is your mindset and you are built to look for affirmation.

The same happens with positive thoughts. Go around seriously thinking you will have a great day. If your thoughts and will are strong, no matter what crap is thrown your way during the day, you will continue to recognise and seek out the good.

How we might use this to our advantage
Keeping away from new age tendencies, positive reinforcement thinking can actually be quite powerful. It is well known that by simply writing down your goals and reading them once every day, you will be more likely to achieve them.

Personal trainers and motivators use these techniques to get extraordinary results from ordinary people. They use positive phrases (you can do it, you’re a great runner, this is easy for you, etc.) to seed your mind with positive thoughts. When you do achieve a goal, endorphins release, you feel great and accept that what you thought was right. This reinforces the belief and the cycle continues.

Steve Pavlina, although sometimes a little new agey for me, has some great articles on this topic with relation to goal setting:

• Cause-Effect vs. Intention-Manifestation
• Million Dollar Experiment

For the first time in my life, I’m going to begin writing down my goals. I might even join Steve’s “Million Dollar Experiment.”