How to Stop Playing Life on Hard Mode
Are you a go-getter who puts a lot of effort into making things happen?
Do you feel like you have to try really hard to create the things you want in your life?
Well, if you answered "yes" to one (or both) of those questions, you aren't alone. The bad new is that many of us are very action oriented because that's what we are taught to believe in, "hard" work. The good new is, there are is a better way and it WILL change your life.
"Did you know that there is actually a great conspiracy that exists to help you? It's called the Universe."
-Fredrik Eklund
(Sound the trumpets please!) Introducing the law of attraction!
"... Isn't that that new age thing that hippies swear by?"
Yeah, it is. But it sure isn't new and once you get the hang of it, you could care less if someone calls you a hippie because your life will be way more fun than theirs. Shall we?
The law of attraction is a universal law that states that like energy attracts like energy and basically makes it possible for you to think things into existence. It's not this woo woo thing that some people make it out to be, it's legit. Because of it, whatever you focus on (in your thoughts and feelings) will show up in your reality. It's the law. AND, when leveraged properly, you can get anything you want, without the slaving away to make it happen.
How? Because the Universe is helping you out! (If you're new to the whole manifesting and law of attraction thing you may want to read this first.)
But when it comes to manifesting and trusting that the Universe has your back (because it does), there is a fine balance between action and inaction. For the sake of this article "action" implies trying to make things happen on your own (aka the hard way of life) and "inaction" means trusting that the Universe will do all the work for you.
The truth of the matter is that once you put out the intention of what you want, your only real task is to be open to receiving it, not work your ass off the make it happen. There is very little, if any, action required on your part. So if you're doing a whole bunch of stuff to try and "make it happen" are you really trusting the Universe to provide it for you? #notsomuch
If you're trying really hard to "make it happen" are you really trusting the universe?
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Trying too hard can take many forms (even for the seasoned manifestor). Often times it can be something as subtle as, praying for the same thing over and over, visualizing what you want every second of the day to the point of obsession, making tons of vision boards and wish boxes, or just simply working way too damn hard... Basically, anytime you do something from a place of need or desperation, you've already surpassed the point of "trying too hard".
If you're too busy over manifesting (as I like to call it), you're going to start to get frustrated that what you want hasn't showed up yet.
Each time you try harder, you will dig yourself a little deeper into a hole of hopelessness. Because when you try again and again to manifest the same thing what you are really doing is affirming to the Universe that you don't already have it! Which only creates resistance within you, which holds you apart from the very thing you're wanting to manifest!
For example, every time you pray for the same thing you have already prayed for, there's an undertone of non-expectancy, because if you expected that the Universe really did hear you the first time, and you knew that when you ask it is already given... what are you repeating yourself for?
You're repeating yourself because you don't trust.
Action vs Inaction When it Comes to the Law of Attraction
The reality is, as soon as you let the Universe know what you want, it immediately gets to work to make it happen for you. So you don't technically need to visualize ALL THE TIME, and you sure don't need to ask for it again and again.
Once you set your intention, it's best to just focus on making yourself feel as good as possible so that you can be a vibrational match to what you want and therefore can receive it rather quickly. Simply meaning, all you have to do is ask for what you want, let it go, and feel as good as you possibly can until it comes! That's it.
Ask for what you want, let it go, and feel as good as you possibly can until it comes!
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With that being said, depending on what you want to manifest you will have to take action (sometimes). This is where the fine line between inaction/trusting, and action/creating come together.
When to take action
There's a story (more like a joke) in Mexican culture about a man who wanted to win the lottery.
He hoped, wished, and prayed, fully expecting for God to fulfill his wish. But to his surprise, he never won. When he finally died and got to heaven he said "God, I thought you had my back. You never had me win the lottery!" and God said, "Well, you could have at least bought a lottery ticket!"
This parody really says it all.
Manifesting is a co-creation, between us and the Universe. Meaning we don't do all the work alone and the Universe doesn't just magically make things happen for us. It takes two.
Think of the law of attraction as a tool that you leverage to make your life easier, not a slave that tends to your every beck and call.
Most of the time your only work is to feel good, so you can receive what you want, but sometimes you have to take some real life action. Actions that support the Universe in giving you what you want. Setting yourself up for success.
For example, if you want to manifest the love of your life, you should probably put yourself in some social situations where you are likely to meet "the one", cause I highly doubt he's just gonna show up on your couch one day.
Just like if you wanted to toast a piece of bread. First, you would plug in the toaster and then the toaster would do the rest of the work. You leverage the power of the appliance to get what you want, but the toast doesn't just toast all by itself, without some sort of initiation on your part.
When not to take action
BUT, there is an exception.
If you truly believe, with all your heart, that no action is required on your part to get what you want and that the Universe will do all the work for you, then that will be your reality. Because the law of attraction proves each and every one of our beliefs correct in our own experiences. (Hence why everyone thinks they are right all the time. In their experience, they are!)
If you are the exception and this is the case for you, then congratulations! You are truly a miracle worker. But for the rest of us muggles, this usually isn't the case.
Most people believe in effort and action. They believe there is always a price to be paid. And because of this we don't truly believe in the power of the law of attraction, that we can just ask for things and have them realized, so we won't be able to fully take advantage of it (until we change our minds about how things work that is).
Here's a true story to give you an idea of what I mean. There was a lady who really wanted a car that was exactly the same as her first. An old BMW. But she couldn't find it anywhere and even if she could she wouldn't be able to afford it. So, her plan was to save up enough money to one day buy one, in other words, she was trying real hard to "make it happen".
Then she started working with a spiritual life coach. She told him about her situation and he said to her, "Well, would you be ok with the car simply showing up? Would you be ok if say... it came in the next few days, somehow, someway, without you having to do anything?" And of course, she replied with, "YES! That would be extremely O.K."
Literally, the next day, her parents called, out of the blue, to say they had bought back the original car from the current owner and wanted to gift it to her because they remembered how much she had loved that car! (This was all what most would call "a coincidence", but if you look close enough you can see how it was clearly the Universe's creative way of delivering her dream car.)
(Pssst... this is something I teach more in depth in my online course Manifesting Masterclass. If you're ready to become a manifesting machine, I highly suggest you check it out here.)
The Final Verdict
So what's the definitive answer here? Is it best to take some action, or to trust that it will all work out?
Well, that's really up to you and what you believe is possible. If you believe that action is the only way to make things happen, then it will be. And if you think that anything is possible, then that will be!
It's time to start evaluating your beliefs and decide how you want to live your life! Do you wanna play on hard mode? Or easy mode? The choice is always yours.