April 18, 2007

The MYTH Of The "Law" Of Attraction

In This Issue:

Feature Article: "The MYTH Of The "Law" Of Attraction"

(This article is so important I wanted to publish it on it's own)

* FEATURE ARTICLE *

“The MYTH Of The "Law" Of Attraction”

What I'm about to say won't be popular with many people...

Especially, those big name self-help "gurus"...

I may get a lot of unsubscribes as a result of this...

Maybe even some nasty emails.

But I can't sit back and watch while this myth continues to be perpetuated.

So I'll come right out and say it:

The "law" of attraction is a THEORY... NOT a law.

Until I see a scientific study published in a reputable science journal and endorsed by a number of objective, respected and knowledgeable scientists, no one can convince me that the law of attraction is a proven law of nature.

A law of nature is irrefutable and there are just too many holes in the "law" of attraction for it to be irrefutable.

Don't believe me?

Then you tell me:

• Did the 32 people murdered by the gunman at Virginia Tech ATTRACT their deaths?

• Did the 2,973 victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks ATTRACT their murders?

• Do children who grow up being abused and mistreated ATTRACT that abuse and mistreatment?

• Do the innocent victims of countless other physical, social, economic, political and other crimes ATTRACT those crimes?

NO!

It's time we stopped allowing the simplistic idea that we attract everything in our lives to be "sold" (literally) by certain members of the self-help industry!

Now, none of this is to undermine ALL the ideas advanced by those who advocate the law of attraction.

As a subscriber to this newsletter, you know that I believe wholeheartedly in the power of an open, optimistic mind and that, in a general sense, we determine the course of our lives by the choices we make - both proactive choices about how we think and what we do, and choices about how we react to events and circumstances that are beyond our control.

But accepting the "law" of attraction without question is not opening our minds and empowering us... it's CLOSING our minds to other - perhaps more legitimate theories of success - and in turn DISempowering us.

In case you're wondering where this leaves me, here is what I believe:

1. We control the quality of our lives by how we perceive and think about events and information. In other words, it's not really what we do or what happens to us that determines our happiness - it's how we perceive and think about what we do and what happens to us.

2. The keys to being successful and happy - no matter what life throws at us - lie in:

-- building a high self-esteem
-- being positive and optimistic
-- having an open mind

3. When you have high self-esteem, are optimistic, and possess an open mind, you see the world differently - you spot opportunities, you're open to ideas, you believe you CAN do it (whatever "it" is), you take ACTION, and you don't give up. All of which make for a happier, more successful life.

4. You must take action. Visualizing and repeating affirmations are all very well, but at the end of the day you have to go out there and DO IT to make positive changes in your life.

5. I have watched The Secret movie several times. I even bought copies of it for my family for Christmas. I have also read similar works advocating the "law" of attraction. I believe these to be well-intentioned and actually AGREE with many of the sentiments they espouse. I just can't sit idly by while millions of people are seduced into believing that this theory is somehow a law of nature. What happened to healthy debate?

Having said all this, there is much in this world that I - and no scientist - can explain. Not yet. And maybe not ever. I certainly don't pretend to have all the answers.

But even if the "law" of attraction is real, it's NOT as simple as that conveyed by its proponents that I've come across.

No baby EVER "attracts" child abuse... no innocent person EVER "attracts" being attacked or subject to any other crime... no person ever "attracts" being victim to a freak accident of nature... no family ever "attracts" losing two daughters to cancer let alone the two women themselves (yes, this one's close to home).

And I bet you could think of plenty of examples yourself where the "law" of attraction just doesn't add up.

I just don't buy it.

If you agree with me - or even if you don't, but support the idea of a healthy debate - here's MY PLEA TO YOU:

The Secret and similar works have been circulated among millions and millions of people. If everyone who read THIS article sent it to a few friends, who sent it to a few friends and so on... then we might just have a fighting chance of redressing the balance and encouraging more people to look a
little more critically (in a positive, productive way) at the "law" of attraction, and recognize that it's just one THEORY about how we shape our lives.

So please: forward this article to your friends, family and colleagues.

Thanks for reading. Let's make a difference!

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