Methods of Thought

Earlier today I received an e-mail with the following link (thanks Mom):

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/law-of-attraction-should-be-renamed
-the-law-of-distraction.html

I purposely did not make the link "clickable", as I do not really want to promote this individual's ideology. However, reading the article would probably help you make more sense of what I am about to say. So, the link is there - just copy and paste it into your address bar if curiosity gets the better of you. ;-)

This is what my Mommy wrote in her e-mail. I have included it because it provides a quick summary of the article:
Here is a blog to read from someone who doesn't like the idea of the Law of Attraction. I agree with him in that many people may have the idea that you don't have to actively do anything to create what you want because you can just think it and then have it.

For those of you who know me, you most likely know that I am a firm believer in the "Law of Attraction". Of course, until the recent media hype, I had no idea what to call it, but now I know the buzz phrase. What is the "Law of Attraction", or, to be super cool, the "LoA"? Check out my sidebar link to The Secret for an in depth description. In my mind, though, the "LoA" can be summed up in the following statements/quotes:

"What we think about, we bring about"

"Like attracts like"

"If you build it, they will come"

"Energy flows where attention goes"

In other words, we are in control of our own lives and our own destiny, and it is up to us to choose wisely both in our thoughts and actions.
The debate comes in to play when portions of "LoA" lectures, videos, books, etc. are taken out of context. I liken it to taking a quote from the Bible without reading the rest of the passage. (Yeah, like THAT would ever happen)

Anywho, in case you still have no idea what I am talking about, I'll explain a bit further......many proponents of the "LoA" use health and wellness as a big selling point for the theory. The idea (very simply put) is that, through the power of positive thinking and conscious awareness, we can control the health and well being of our own body. This even includes healing oneself of a potentially terminal illness.

The skeptics will say that this is impossible; That only a deliberate and well planned regimen of pharmaceuticals and western medicine will affect the healing process. (Please understand that I am looking from one end of the spectrum to the other. There are many levels/schools of thought to this....very gray area, not black and white as I just made it sound.)

As the author of the.....oh, heck, here's the direct link.....Article
states, some people interpret the "LoA" to mean that they can get anything that their little heart desires simply by sitting around and thinking about it. The author begs to differ, and therefore titled his article "Law of attraction should be renamed the Law of Distraction".
Prior to reading his article, this was my reply to my Mother's e-mail:
I haven't read the blog yet, but wanted to comment on the not liking the Law of Attraction. The way I see it, like it or not, the law exists. It is somewhat like gravity, in my opinion. People may not like the fact that if they leap from a building without something to propel them upward, they will inevitably fall to the ground at the rate of 9.8 m/s/s. As for thinking and not doing, that is simple ignorance. Back to the gravity example, if I simply think about flying from a building and not plummeting to my doom, it won't work. However, if I align my thoughts and actions to this desire, then I will find a way to acquire a jet pack and will then fly rather than fall.

After reading his article, I find it very interesting that he claims to be such a skeptic of the law of attraction.
He sums it up in this one point:

this is a quote that the author used from a proponent of the "LoA":
"(4) Proponents say that by abiding by these, and avoiding "negative" thoughts, the Universe will manifest a person's desires."

Here is the author's rebuttal:

My experience tells me that (by and large) the only person/thing that will create forever positive change in my life is ME... yes, thinking plays a role but typically it's more about my actions, my life choices, my ability to persevere and deal with discomfort, my ability to adapt and... my drive to create something from nothing."

YES!!!!!!! Craig (the author of the article), that is exactly what the "LoA" is stating!!!! It IS up to you, the individual, to make your own life choices and adapt - to create something from nothing, if that is what you want to do! The only additional piece of information that the Law of Attraction proponents include in their statements is that an individual attains his or her goals with the ADDED ASSISTANCE of POSITIVE THINKING.
BTW, I fully agree with this, especially as it relates to health - whatever ailment someone has, if they TRULY believe that their chosen healing modality will bring them back to health, and they go forth with the "treatments", then they will find good health again. (Is there more to it than this simple statement? Yes, but I will only have your attention for a limited time, so let's leave it at that for now.)

Now, I do agree with Craig that there are people out there who misinterpret, or, I should say, under-interpret the whole concept. It is not through thought alone that we can achieve our wildest dreams. It is through the alignment of our thoughts, our actions, and (I'm going to take it one step further) our attitude that enables us to achieve our goals.

With all of that said, I do think that the whole concept of the Law of Attraction is becoming way too commercialized. It's one of those things that is much better received when it is not about making money. Alas, we are all learning a little something from it, and it is proliferating some sort of intellectual thought. Please realize also that this is not a new concept. There are books upon books about the power of thought and positive thinking, some of which date back centuries!

(keep in mind, that if your "wildest dream" is to become a green sea monkey and swim to the enchanted underwater forest where you will live out the rest of your days in bubbly paradise, you might want to rethink your goals.....or wait for your next incarnation - uh oh, another can of worms opens with that one, no?)

Please, send me your comments, e-mails, whatever....I'd LOVE to hear from you about this "controversial" topic!!!!