The Law of Attraction

by Kevin Eikenberry

Several years ago I was looking for a new person for my team. A person who had been helping on a temporary basis was going back to graduate school and I knew I would need some assistance on several projects.

Thinking about my situation on a Monday morning, cross-country airline flight I made a list of the attributes, skills, attitudes and circumstances for the perfect person for this role. I made the list as specific as I could, thinking about details that would truly make this person “perfect.” As my week of consulting began on the west coast I reviewed the list I created each morning.

On Wednesday afternoon my cell phone rang, and I had my very first conversation with Traci Nolan.

She introduced herself and told me she had heard through a friend of a friend that I might be looking for some help. Our short phone conversation left me thinking that I may have indeed found my new team member.

I talked with her face-to-face on Friday. She possessed more than 90% of the things on my “perfect person” list, right down to details like being a stay at home Mom with a the desire for schedule flexibility.

Traci was a great team member, and we worked together for several years. I met and worked with Traci because of the Law of Attraction.

The Law of Attraction states that we are continually attracting things into our life that are consistent with the energy we are putting into the world.

I know that statement doesn’t seem very specific or tangible. It doesn’t change the truth or validity of the Law.

The reason many people don’t believe in this Law is that they don’t completely understand it, or they mis-apply it.

The Law's three parts

Many people think this Law is about visualizing what they want – getting a clear mental picture of their desired future. These thoughts are a very powerful part of the law, but they aren’t the whole package. You absolutely must have a clear mental picture, but it must be a picture of what you really want.

People misuse this part of the Law when they think about what they don’t want – like “we want to reverse the sales trend,” or “we want to reduce turnover.” In these cases you are literally attracting more of what you don’t want! We correctly use our thoughts when we think about what we want – a highly loyal staff or exceeding our sales goals.

The second part of the Law of Attraction is your feelings. The more we visualize our desired state – the more clearly we hold that picture, and the more we believe in that visualization – the more attractive we become.

Thoughts and feeling are powerful things. And even when people correctly apply the thought part of this Law and engage their feelings in it, they are still missing a key part.

The third part of the equation is spelled out in the Law itself. Attraction. If we want the Law of Attraction to work for us personally or professionally, we must take action.

Mark Victor Hansen and Jack Canfield had a vision and strong feelings related to making the Chicken Soup for the Soul books successful, but they also took action – everyday. They challenged themselves and their entire team to find five ways to sell books each day.

Were their vision and feelings important to the (continuing) success of these products? Of course. But without action they wouldn’t have met the ultimate success that they have achieved.

Thoughts, feelings, and actions; all in alignment. Put these three energy sources together, and you will begin to tap into the Law of Attraction.

How you can apply the law

You can apply this to any part of your life – including your work and workplace. Here is a brief synopsis of how to get started.

1. If you have a strongly held picture of a desired future situation, great! If not – start there. Create the goal or future picture.
2. If this is a shared goal, get other people involved in co-creating this goal with you.
3. Believe in that vision! See yourself in that situation, with the types of employees, Customers and circumstances you would have then. Make your picture as three-dimensional as you can. Literally see yourself having achieved the goal.
4. Once your belief is strong, help others build their belief as well.
5. Take action. Maybe you don’t know exactly what the perfect next step would be. So what! Take confident action, even if it is a small step, in the direction of your desired goal.

Now you have the building blocks. After that you keep repeating steps 3-5 with confidence.

Apply the Law by using all three of these energy sources to literally begin to attract the things you desire into your situation. Think about how you can use this Law in your work today.

A caveat

Recognize that the Law of Attraction will work, but only if you are ready to receive it on the terms of the universe – not your terms. This means that you must be willing to let go of your thoughts on exactly how or when things should happen. Do the steps above, everyday. The Law will work, just like gravity, but only if you do your part correctly.

Potential Principle – The Law of Attraction is as powerful as any physical law and just as real. When you understand it, you can use its power to change your life and your organization for the better.

©2006, The Kevin Eikenberry Group. All Rights Reserved

Kevin Eikenberry is the President of The Kevin Eikenberry Group, a learning consulting company that helps its clients reach their potential through a variety of training, consulting and speaking services. To learn more about the company's services on facilitation click here, or contact Kevin toll free at: 888.LEARNER or email to: Kevin@KevinEikenberry.com.

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