Law of Attraction is turning up all over the place it seems (actually that is part of the law!). Perhaps you have been hearing about it? Its getting a lot of play in movies like The Secret and What the Bleep Do We Know, etc. My favorite teachers of it, Esther and Jerry Hicks (ala Abraham), are topping the charts with their books on the subject: Law of Attraction, Ask and It Is Given, and The Amazing Power of Deliberate Intent.

I've been studying LOA for about five years now and it can take a bit to really start to comprehend it. But once you do, it turns out to be an elegantly simple concept.

What is LOA? Law of Attraction is an energy concept - kind of like Newton's Law of Gravity. It is a proposed universal principle. Advocates of the principle (folks on the cutting edge or the kooky edge --- depending on how you look at it) believe that there is an underlying 'attraction' law that governs how things work in the world.

The basic premise is that everything in the universe/world/whatever you want to call it, is made up of energy. And every energy (or thing) has a particular mark or frequency --- a 'vibration' if you will. Law of Attraction states that similar energy is attracted to similar energy, or more simply: Like Attracts Like.

Thoughts and Feelings are Things: In this theory, thoughts and feelings are counted as things - and as such they have an energy to them (they have a specific frequency or vibration). There are obviously a whole spectrum of thoughts and feelings in the world --- a full range of them. This range moves from 'good feeling thoughts' to 'bad feeling thoughts'. Not in the moral or values based kind of good and bad. But in how those thoughts actually 'feel' in you as you think them. The kind of mood or effect they have on you. Some thoughts that you think feel bad (as in uncomfortable, uneasy, sick, etc), while other thoughts you think feel good (as in comfortable, easy and nice).

The Power of Your Focus: The 'so what' around LOA really starts to kick in when you consider the power of your focus. What you focus on expands. What you choose to think about, ponder, feel, consider, return to, etc - is what you get more of. Like a big laser beam or giant photocopier. Like is attracted to like. You will get what you focus on. So if you want to start changing what your reality is made up of (i.e.you want to change or shift your life), you need to get aware and conscious of what you are choosing to focus on. Because that is how you are getting what you are getting. And by changing what you are focusing on, you change what shows up in your reality.

Situations, things, people, circumstances, etc don't just randomly show up in your life. They are a visible and tangible symptom of where the majority of your thoughts and feelings are on a regular basis.

An Example: An example of this is 'right livelihood'. A good percentage of my coaching clients are people who want to improve the state of work or career in their life. They want more joy, satisfaction, creativity, prosperity, etc out of the work that they do. They want to make a shift.

My job as a coach (and a coach who uses LOA principles) is to get them feeling as good as they possibly can overall, and most particularly about the subject of 'work'. I need to get their focus off the negatives that have them feeling bad and onto things that feel better. To do that, we become 'selective sifters' --- we choose to focus on the aspects of work (in the past, present and desired future) that feel good (or at least somewhat better, if they are really entrenched). Sometimes people are so used to complaining, worrying and ruminating about the subject that it can be a real challenge to 'flip them' onto things that have an improved vibration.

Now, this might seem simplistic or not a big deal - but when you understand what is going on, it really is a BIG deal. It is the difference between making a shift or not. How you 'feel' is everything. The trick is to get people to feel better and to literally 'vibrate' differently than perhaps they ever have before. (Or, in the case of my clients who have reached heights of satisfaction and success and then lost them, to get them back into the vibrational state that they once had.) Once they consistently hold a different vibrational pattern, the Law of Attraction will kick into effect. Instead of attracting things that match their negative focus, they will start attracting things that match their more positive one. Better things will start showing up (in this case, improvements in the career area of their life). Yes, action has a role in all of this. You can't escape that. But the better feelings come first, then aligned action.

Why Graphics Work So Well With LOA: I am a pioneer in graphic coaching. That means that I use visual or 'graphic' methods to help clients make shifts in their lives. The use of visuals is particularly useful when one is using LOA principles. Drawing and writing out what is going on inside your head and heart helps you literally SEE what you are doing (and how you are getting what you are getting). You can choose to map out what feels good (as opposed to what doesn't). Markers, pens and paper force you to funnel and harness your focus for the better. Make things more visible, conscious and understandable. Indeed, the pen really is mightier than the sword!

Additional Resources: Obviously I've just touched on the subject of LOA in this article. Just given you a taste or tease. I'll be writing more about the Law of Attraction and graphic coaching tips in future articles so you can get an even greater handle on this powerful concept. In the meantime, I'd suggest you check out the movies and books listed above and keep an eye and ear out for LOA principles (now that you have read about them they are bound to start showing up in your life more and more). Next month I'll be freshly returned from an LOA cruise --- so I'll have more to share then (after I get done asking Abraham all my LOA questions!).

© 2007 Christina L. Merkley

About the Author

Christina Merkley, "The SHIFT-IT Coach" is creator of the SHIFT-IT Graphic Coaching Process. To learn more about SHIFT-IT, Graphic Coaching and Personal Visioning and Planning, visit www.shift-it- coach.com.