The Secret About The Secret

By Roger Ellerton Phd, ISP, CMC, Renewal Technologies Inc.

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The Secret (Rhonda Byrne) discusses the Law of Attraction, which is to focus on what you want in life.

You've got to pay attention to what you're attracted to, because as you hold images of what you want, you're going to be attracted to things and they're going to be attracted to you. But it literally moves into physical reality with and through you.
- Bob Proctor, The Secret

The more precisely you focus, the better the Law of Attraction works. The opposite is also true - the less you focus on what you want, the less you achieve. And what is overlooked and is significant: the more you focus on what you don't want, the more you get of that!

The Law of Attraction does work and it is not a new discovery. Successful men and women have known, used and been writing about this for some time. James Allen, in his book, As a Man Thinketh (1902) said,

Good thoughts and actions can never produce bad results. Bad thoughts and actions can never produce good results. This is but saying that nothing can come from corn but corn, nothing from nettles but nettles. Men understand this law in the natural world, and work with it. But few understand it in the mental and moral world (though its operation there is just as simple and undeviating), and they, therefore, do not cooperate with it.

Or as Oprah Winfrey said,

The big secret in life is that there is no big secret. Whatever your goal, you can get there if you're willing to work.

Let's explore how the Law of Attraction works and how you can use it to your advantage.

Understanding the Law of Attraction

It is estimated that your brain receives about four billion nerve impulses every second. Are you consciously aware of all of this information? Of course not. For example; right now, are you aware of how your shirt feels on your back? Unless your shirt is particularly tight or uncomfortable or you have a sunburn, I suspect that you were not aware of how your shirt felt until I mentioned it. Why? Because it was not important at the time and it was filtered out. Of the four billion bits of information, most is filtered out. In fact, you are only consciously aware of about 2,000 bits, or about 0.00005 percent of all the potential information that you have access to.

You focus on the 2000 bits of information that you perceive to be important at that time. If you are having a difficult time with a family member, co-worker or friend, most likely you focus on those behaviours they exhibit that prove your point, while discounting or ignoring information that indicates they are not as you believe. Whereas, some time in the past, when you held them in a positive light, you did exactly the opposite - observed only those behaviours they exhibited that you interpreted as positive and supported your expectations.

And what about yourself? If you believe you are not good at something, what do you focus on? You focus on all those times when you interpreted the results of your actions as failure. Thus, reinforcing your belief about yourself.

The Role of Beliefs

What you believe influences what you observe and your interpretation of that event or behaviour.

Also be aware that beliefs generate the interpretation that 'proves' the belief to be true. For example, at one time, most people believed the world was flat, and there may still be some today who believe this. To verify this belief, just look at the ground below you - it's flat! In the distance you may see a few hills and valleys, but these are just ripples on an otherwise flat surface. All of the land is bounded by water and it is well known that if you sail far enough, you will fall off the edge of the world. This is certainly verified by those sailors who set sail and never return. For those who do return, they just didn't sail far enough.

In the past, which 2000 bits of information have you paid attention to? What role has this played in constructing your beliefs about others, about yourself, about what you believe you can or can't do? You have created your own reality, haven't you? Is it time to move to a new more supportive reality by paying attention to that which supports your new desired beliefs and identifies opportunities for achieving your dreams?

The beliefs you have today and that drive how you live your life are the result of past interpretations. As you interpret your current actions and observations, you have the opportunity to reinforce your limiting beliefs or you can create new beliefs that propel you forward to your chosen destiny. If you accept and maintain your past limiting beliefs, you are destined to get the same results in the future.

Using The law of Attraction to Your Advantage

Focus your attention and energy on what you want.

If in the past, you tended to focus on the 2000 bits of information that did not support your desires and who you can be, you may wish to play the 'opposite game'. That is, every time you notice (i.e. interpret) something negative about yourself or other people, reassess your interpretation and look for two things that you can interpret as positive and supporting your new view of yourself and the world.

Make this a way of life and you will find that your world will begin to change. Maybe slowly at first, and it will change. As this becomes a way of life for you, your beliefs about yourself and others will strengthen leading to greater successes.

Enjoy and best wishes for success and happiness in your life.

Author: Roger Ellerton is a certified NLP trainer, certified management consultant and the founder and managing partner of Renewal Technologies. The above article is based on his book Live Your Dreams Let Reality Catch Up: NLP and Common Sense for Coaches, Managers and You.

Copyright © 2007 Renewal Technologies Inc. All rights reserved.