In my own experience with the New Age movement and the Law of Attraction, I’ve found much to uplift and inspire. But I’ve also learned from my mistakes, and would like to help others avoid these same painful pitfalls that can create setbacks. I’m not about blame, so I’m not going to say it’s the teachers or the students, I’m just going to offer some caveats and solutions.
There is no substitute for hard work. There are no shortcuts to lasting prosperity. If you want to be rich, you have to earn more than you spend, over time, and that’s all there is to it. But if you can avoid these top ten mistakes people make when using the Law of Attraction, you will get where you’re going a little more smoothly.
It is my sincere wish that these words will be of service to someone who needs to hear them.
Six Of Ten Mistakes To Avoid
- DO NOT blame the victim. Perhaps many people spend too much energy blaming others for their own short-comings, and a little self-examination can be good for almost anybody. But we can’t blame ourselves for other peoples’ hurtful actions and remain psychologically or morally well-grounded. Rapists, murderers, and terrorists, aka bad guys may be attracted to goodness, freedom and its symbols; goodness, by its virtue, will attract evil. Such is the nature of existence. Bottom line, there is no excuse for apathy toward, or participation in, evil actions.
- DO NOT feed the ego (of the leader) at all costs. Why give your valuable time, attention, and money to groups that are built on such a dynamic? It’s good to feel good about yourself, but it’s not necessarily even better to feel better-than in relation to others. Keep in mind in any group situation, psychological dynamics can be manipulated to make one person’s ego the controlling factor in every interaction. When a leader presents himself as superior, and surrounds himself with yes men and women, he becomes more and more out of touch with reality and more likely to inadvertently cause harm to vulnerable people whose egos are not as strong. Separate the actual knowledge you’re receiving from the charisma of an individual who has amassed power and wealth, if you can. Remain critical. Ultimately, you are the only person who can take control of your life.
- DO NOT stop working (or quit your day job!) in exchange for “attracting.” Almost everyone knows someone who quit his job after watching “The Secret” and two years later is still out of work. We can expect miracles and accept miracles, but when we demand miracles, the powers that be may decide that what we really need is an attitude adjustment.
- DO NOT embrace what just doesn’t make sense. From spirit messages from outer space to cliches and over-generalizations, someone else’s theory may or may not line up with your own reality. For example, if energy flows where the attention goes then why are there so many money-obsessed people who are broke? Those who do not have money and think of little else, in my experience, are easily manipulated by those who have, or fake having, money. What high achievers generally appreciate when they see it, because it is rare, is a person who has absolutely no desire to sponge off of anyone else, whose opinions cannot be bought. There’s a difference between being “negative” and anticipating potential obstacles and having a plan to deal with worst-case scenarios in place.
- DO NOT forget about others. Our worlds are interconnected, and overlapping. In a world where there is poverty and despair, where man-made natural disasters are becoming more and more frequent and severe, a compassionate, balanced perspective is lost at our own peril. The class of people who consume “self-help” books and attend seminars is mostly made of those who are already very good, relatively speaking, at helping themselves. Perhaps we need less self-help, and more helping others, to truly feel happy and secure. Put down your self-help book and go help someone else.
- DO NOT substitute New Age beliefs for religion. There is no official God of the New Age movement, but The Universe and Source are most commonly used in ways similar to a traditional use of the word God. In the Judeo-Christian tradition, God is male, often angry, and perhaps even abusive toward His followers. He is often portrayed as a distant but powerful, loving but strict Father. Growing up with such a concept of God, like many others, I often felt I could do nothing right. The New Age Universe is too often interpreted more like an overly permissive, all-nurturing mother, the kind whose children can do no wrong: She just wants you to do whatever you want, and not worry how it impacts anyone else. Perhaps it’s time to rethink these gendered, imbalanced interpretations of the Divine. We can accept the feminine without losing the masculine and vice-versa. Remember your traditions, and don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.
That which has the power to help, has the power to harm. Never give your power away to someone who says they can help you. The only person that can truly help you is yourself. The best way to help yourself is often to go help someone else.
According to ancient Chinese astrology, 2013, the Year of the Snake, has been a time of shedding outdated beliefs. As we prepare for what’s next in 2014, let’s think of new ways to replace the cult of personality with a circle of shared perception, insight and equality. Here’s to your success!
Read the other four points of this story by clicking on the law of attraction tab on the table of contents, found in the current issue of The Hollywood Sentinel link at the bottom of this page
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