thinking is feeling is doing

We’ve been hearing a lot lately about “The Secret,” a book and DVD about the law of attraction, or the 1950’s version, “The Power of Positive Thinking.” If you’ve read the book or have seen the movie, you may be thinking, “Oh right, all I have to do is envision what I want and it will occur. Sure, I want $100,000 and a body like Angelina Jolie. So, why isn’t it happening?”

You may also be put off (like I was) by “The Secret’s” mystical, esoteric message about the law of attraction. The contributors make it seem, somehow, that you must be into fractals, kinetics and transcendental meditation to succeed with “the law.”

I’m a little more practical than that, and my understanding of this (seemingly new, but not) phenomenon runs more along the lines that Cognitive Therapy’s founders, Albert Ellis and Aaron Beck, proposed. The basic premise of Cognitive Therapy is: what you think has a direct result on what you feel and, subsequently, how you act.

If it is true that we think in ways that create and maintain our negative moods and emotions, it must also be true that we can think in ways that create and maintain our positive moods and emotions. Depression and anxiety are often a direct result of how we think, and our fears and phobias are nothing more than our thoughts.

Imagine having control over your negative thought patterns. Oh wait, you do! This is where the power of positive thinking – or the law of attraction – comes in. Each of us has free will, or personal responsibility, to think about something in any way we choose. What if we chose to reframe a negative thought? Here is an example of different ways to think (and, as a result feel) about the same event:

Incident: A male cashier is rude to me

Thought/Feeling
I’m not worthy/Depression or Low Self-esteem
He’s an idiot/Hostility or Anger
He might overcharge me/Anxiety or Fear
He’s having a bad day/No reaction or Compassion

If you find yourself stuck in destructive thoughts that lead to pessimism; if you are experiencing depression or anxiety or you have too much conflict in your life, your thoughts may be contributing to your experience.

Try this easy formula – A-C-A = Awareness/Choice/Action. By increasing your Awareness about how you are thinking, then making a Choice to confront and change those negative thoughts and, finally, choosing to Act or react in new ways, you can enhance joy and peace in your life.

I’m certain that this is the true law of attraction. Creating a life full of serenity and happiness and making meaningful connections is priceless compared to $100,000 and a body like Angelina Jolie.

I wish you much success and challenge you to start right now: What are you thinking about this new information? If it is “I can’t do this,” try reframing with “This sounds like something I can do.” You are on your way to creating the life you desire.