by Susan Gammage, Baha'i Life Coach
Does the Law of Attraction Work? This question has been asked time and time again by just about everyone thatâs ever watched âThe Secretâ and heard of the Law of Attraction: does it really work? It often comes up in my Bahai-inspired life coaching practice, as people want to set goals for themselves. As hard as it may be to believe, the Law of Attraction works. It has always worked and it will always work whether you practice it or not.
Have you ever wondered why BahĂĄ’u'llĂĄh tells us:
To look always at the good and not at the bad. If a man has ten good qualities and one bad one, to look at the ten and forget the one. And if a man has ten bad qualities and one good one, to look at the one and forget the ten.
J.E. Esselemont, BahĂĄ’u'llĂĄh And the New Era, p. 83.
Or why ‘Abdul-BahĂĄ tells us:
I charge you all that each one of you concentrate all the thoughts of your heart on love and unity. When a thought of war comes, oppose it by a stronger thought of peace. A thought of hatred must be destroyed by a more powerful thought of love.
Abdu’l-BahĂĄ, Paris Talks, p. 29.
Simply put, the Law of Attraction states that like attracts like. Itâs based on the fact that everything in this world emits a certain vibration and those vibrations seek out and interact with other things that have similar vibrations. If you focus your attention on the positive, you’ll attract positive; if you concentrate your energies on love and unity, you’ll be a magnet for those qualities too.
Havenât you ever noticed when one bad thing happens in your life it is often followed by another? This is often called the domino effect. We have other sayings for it such as: âWhen it rains it pours.â Thatâs the Law of Attraction at work.
If the Law of Attraction is so great, why use negative examples to illustrate its effectiveness? For some reason, we as a society find it much easier to believe something negative instead of the things that are positive. When good things happen we just write them off as a one-off lucky break or think that it was just chance.
Is the Law of Attraction About Chance?
Thereâs no such thing as chance. Everything that happens in this world and in your life happens for a reason. That reason is the Law of Attraction.
Whether you accept it or not, the Law of Attraction works. To believe that it works means that you have to accept responsibility for where your life is and that makes it hard for many to accept the Law of Attraction. Most people right now reading this are going to think: âI do accept responsibility.â Do you really?
Where are your thoughts right now? Are you worrying about money or how to pay the bills? Are you stressed over the fact that more bills keep coming and the money keeps getting spread thinner and thinner?
- The more you worry and stress out about bills, the more bills youâll receive. The more you worry about not having money, the less money youâll have in your bank account. If you simply change the way you think about these things, youâll be amazed at what will happen. You will begin to take positive action subconsciously.
Spend the next 14 days not thinking about your bills. Donât look at your bank account. Every time you go to the mailbox, picture money in there. Every time you start to think about bills and debt, transform your mind into thoughts of overflowing abundance.
- Think about what you have in your life that is good. Everyone, no matter who they are, has something to be grateful for. Figure out what youâre grateful for and focus on it.
“. . . recount the blessÂings of his Lord, and render thanks unto Him at all times and under all conditions”.
BahĂĄ’u'llĂĄh, Tablets of BahĂĄ’u'llĂĄh, p. 155.
Some people will argue that it takes more than just âthinkingâ about things to make them happen or appear, which is true. Thoughts need to be transformed into actions, thatâs why some believers say that, so long as youâre thinking about what you want in life, you will take the necessary actions to make those things happen. This is simply another way the Law of Attraction can work. As we know from the Bahai Writings:
“Intention brings attainment”.
‘Abdul-BahĂĄ, Ten Days in the Light of âAkkĂĄ, pp. 30-31.
The Law of Attraction is working right now, all around you. Itâs at work in your life. Itâs time for you to take control and make the Law of Attraction work in your favor. This means you have to change the way you think. You have to be grateful for what you have and you have to always focus on the positive. The Law of Attraction is real, and it is powerful.
How have you seen the law of attraction work in your life? Post your comments here.
by Susan Gammage, Baha'i Life Coach
The Bahai Writings teach us:
If we should offer a hundred thousand thanksgivings every moment to the threshold of God . . . we would fail to express our gratitude sufficiently. (’Abdu’l-BahĂĄ, Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 37).
What do you have to be thankful for?
Starting your day off with some gratitude affirmations is a great way to remind yourself of all the wonderful things you have in your life. When you repeat aloud these affirmations of gratitude, you energize yourself and gain the courage to face the day and all of the frictions and adventures it may bring.
Affirming your gratefulness helps you recognize that you can have what you most want and need in order to reap the fulfilling life you deserve. After all, if you arenât grateful for the things you have in your life now, why would God give you any more? Joy, love, and happiness are yours for the taking. You deserve it!
Affirmations are easy to do and they don’t take much time at all. In just a few minutes you can turbo charge your day better than a rocket-fueled cup of coffee ever could. By reflecting on your prosperity and abundance you’ll soar above your current highest high!
Gratitude Affirmations and Stress
Once you’ve worked affirmations into your morning (you can say them anytime again throughout the day or night, too) you’ll start to notice that your inner world is much less stressed. Maybe this is why BahĂĄ’u'llĂĄh has given us so many beautiful prayers and asked us to say them throughout the day.
The whole duty of man in this Day is to attain that share of the flood of grace which God poureth forth for him. (BahĂĄ’u'llĂĄh, Gleanings from the Writings of BahĂĄ’u'llĂĄh, p. 8).
When you have finally let it sink into your subconscious mind that with Godâs grace, you can have all that you need and desire, your stress will start to slip away. Your negative reactions are soothed and they slip away. You can now enjoy peace of mind and a sense of calm that you may never have known before.
12 Highly Effective Affirmations
1.              I am grateful to be a happy and joyful being.
2.              I am grateful for everything I already have and for everything I receive each day.
3.              I am grateful for recognizing God and His Manifestations.
4.              I am grateful for all the virtues developing as a result of my tests and difficulties.
5.              I am grateful for all the many opportunities for teaching and service in my day.
6.              I am grateful to know that all my efforts in this life will be rewarded in the life to come.
7.              I am grateful for all the health, love, and goodness that my life has revealed to me.
8.              I am grateful for every person and every living thing in my life.
9.              I am grateful that my life is singular, unique and wondrous.
10.          I am grateful for all the natural beauty around me.
11.          I give gratitude for God’s endless treasures.
12.          I am continually amazed and grateful for how abundant my life is already!
As it says in the Baha’i Writings:
O Lord, increase my astonishment at Thee! (BahĂĄ’u'llĂĄh, Seven Valleys, p. 34).
Using the Bahai affirmations above along with your own will help you lead a less stressful and more fulfilling life.
Spending some time with positive affirmations, while appreciating all that you have and all that’s heading your way is one of the easiest “stress relief drugs” you’ll ever take. They come with no negative side effects and best of all, they’re free.
How do you choose peace in your life by using the power of affirmations and gratitude? Post your comments here.
The War in Afganistan got personal when a son of a Bahai friend of mine went over there. Please pray for his protection and for any other soldiers you know, as you watch this video, made by my good friend Penny Filias.
To watch the video, please click here:Â Â pray4allies
O GOD, my God! Thou seest how black darkness is enshrouding all regions, how all countries are burning with the flame of dissension, and the fire of war and carnage is blazing throughout the East and the West.  Blood is flowing, corpses bestrew the ground, and severed heads are fallen on the dust of the battlefield.
O Lord! Have pity on these ignorant ones and look upon them with the eye of forgiveness and pardon. Extinguish this fire, so that these dense clouds which obscure the horizon may be scattered, the Sun of Reality shine forth with the rays of conciliation, this intense gloom be dispelled and the resplendent light of peace shed its radiance upon all countries.
O Lord! Draw up the people from the abyss of the ocean of hatred and enmity, and deliver them from this impenetrable darkness. Unite their hearts, and brighten their eyes with the light of peace and reconciliation. Deliver them from the depths of war and bloodshed, and free them from the darkness of error. Remove the veil from their eyes, and enlighten their hearts with the light of guidance. Treat them with Thy tender mercy and compassion, and deal not with them according to Thy justice and wrath which cause the limbs of the mighty to quake.
O Lord! Wars have persisted. Distress and anxiety have waxed great and every flourishing region is laid waste.
O Lord! Hearts are heavy, and souls are in anguish. Have mercy on these poor souls and do not leave them to the excesses of their own desires.
O Lord! Make manifest in Thy lands humble and submissive souls, their faces illumined with the rays of guidance, severed from the world, extolling Thy Name, uttering Thy praise, and diffusing the fragrance of Thy holiness amongst mankind.
O Lord! Strengthen their backs, gird up their loins, and enrapture their hearts with the most mighty signs of Thy love.
O Lord! Verily, they are weak, and Thou art the Powerful and the Mighty; they are impotent, and Thou art the Helper and the Merciful.
O Lord! The ocean of rebellion is surging, and these tempests will not be stilled save through Thy boundless grace which hath embraced all regions.
O Lord! Verily, the people are in the abyss of passion, and naught can save them but Thine infinite bounties.
O Lord! Dispel the darkness of these corrupt desires, and illumine the hearts with the lamp of Thy love through which all countries will erelong be enlightened. Confirm, moreover, Thy loved ones, those who, leaving their homelands, their families and their children, have, for the love of Thy Beauty, traveled to foreign countries to diffuse Thy fragrances and promulgate Thy teachings. Be Thou their companion in their loneliness, their helper in a strange land, the remover of their sorrows, their comforter in calamity. Be Thou a refreshing draught for their thirst, a healing medicine for their ills and a balm for the burning ardor of their hearts.
Verily, Thou art the Most Generous, the Lord of grace abounding, and, verily, Thou art the Compassionate and the Merciful.
(Abdu’l-Baha, Tablets of the Divine Plan, p. 56)
by Susan Gammage, Baha'i Life Coach
The Bahai Faith teaches:Â “The attainment of any object is conditioned upon knowledge, volition and action. Unless these three conditions are forthcoming there is no execution or accomplishment.”
‘Abdu’l-BahĂĄ, Foundations of World Unity, p. 101.
If you want to stand out from the crowd or competition at work, then you need to be seen as an expert in your field. This takes knowledge, will and action on your part and not just walking around telling people that youâre an expert.
Everyone has the potential to be an expert at what they do. Here are a few simple steps that youâll need to follow first to be recognized as an expert.
Educate Yourself
First and foremost, make sure that youâre educated on what youâre doing.
- Take evening courses at a local college or university to help further your education and keep you up to date on the latest knowledge and technology.
- Read more. It doesnât matter what you do as a profession, you need to take advantage of the vast knowledge in the library or on the internet.
By expanding your knowledge youâll also build your confidence. Tell me one person that was ever seen as an expert that didnât believe in themselves and what they were doing. Can you name one? Not likely! With knowledge comes confidence.
Demonstrate Your Knowledge
Itâs one thing to talk about what you know, but itâs something else entirely to actually do it. Let’s look at this quote from the Bahai Writings:
Deeds not words are what they demand, and no amount of fervor in the use of expressions of loyalty and adulation will compensate for failure to live in the spirit of the teachings.
(Shoghi Effendi: Living the Life, p. 4.)
Experts donât walk around and brag about what they can do, they take action. If you encounter a difficult problem or situation, youâll be able to take charge and find a solution.
- Be proactive. If a problem arises, take action right away to find a solution. If you donât know the answer yourself, pray, consult and search out someone who does. Even experts need to learn new things and they arenât afraid to admit it to others.
Learn to be a Great Communicator
People have to understand what you can do and why youâre the best one to do it. This means that you have to understand and foresee the questions and concerns of others, then prepare and articulate the answers and solutions to them.
- Great communicators donât just boss others around. Use your communications skills to teach and empower your coworkers.
Always Act With Integrity
Donât take credit for things you havenât done and donât take shortcuts. Skipping out on doing something the right way doesnât make you an expert, however, this doesnât mean that you have to do everything yourself.
There will always be things weâre not so good at. In those circumstances, you have to learn how to delegate those responsibilities to others who have the skills required to get the job done. Part of being a good expert is seeing the strengths of others and how their talents can be put to good use.
- Give others credit for a job well done. Wise leaders and the most incredible of experts donât do everything themselves. They have a talented team around them who have the skills they themselves lack.
By following these simple steps youâll become the person with the answers. These are the experts who become irreplaceable and well respected because they take action.
How have you developed expertise in your field? Post your comments here.
by Susan Gammage, Baha'i Life Coach
There are times when we all want to be more creative. We wish that there were something we could do to express ourselves and create something beautiful at the same time. The Bahai Writings tell us:
It is natural for the heart and spirit to take pleasure and enjoyment in all things that show forth symmetry, harmony, and perfection. For instance: a beautiful house, a well designed garden, a symmetrical line, a graceful motion, a well written book, pleasing garments — in fact, all things that have in themselves grace or beauty are pleasing to the heart and spirit
`Abdu’l-BahĂĄ, A Brief Account of My Visit to Acca, pp. 11-14
If youâre looking for ways to discover your creative side and release the artist within, here are a few simple activities that you can do to get the creative energy flowing.
Express Yourself
What type of personality do you have? Are you able to express that personality freely at work or with friends? If not, tackle one of these projects and let your personality shine!
¡ Decorate your house, or at least one room, the way you like it. It doesnât matter what anyone else tells you, just decorate your room, your way. This will help you unleash your own self-expression.
¡ Dress the way you want. If tackling the house is too big of a job, then take a look at your wardrobe. Dress how you want to dress. Trust yourself and trust your instincts. You are dressing for you, not the world. Donât worry; you can express yourself while still being professional at work.
You have to find ways in everything you do to allow creativity to flow through you. This can be as simple as the way you sign a letter, mail an envelope, the way you dress or the house that you live in.
. . . for in this wonderful new age, art is worship. The more thou strivest to perfect it, the closer wilt thou come to God. What bestowal could be greater than this, that one’s art should be even as the act of worshipping the Lord?
‘Abdul-BahĂĄ, translated from the Persian
Change Your Routine
If youâre stuck in a rut, do things that take you out of your normal routine. It doesnât really matter how stimulating your work or home life is, when you take a moment to step out of your normal routine for some âme time,â youâll be open to new ideas and new thoughts.
How can you step out of your normal routine?
1. Read a book that you wouldnât usually pick up
2. Watch a movie that you wouldnât typically choose
3. Talk to a total stranger that you think looks interesting
4. Go shopping at a store that you have never been to. You donât necessarily have to buy anything, just go in and look around.
5. Meet a friend you havenât seen for a long time
6. Try dressing in a different order (if you usually put your socks on last, try putting them on first etc).
Pay Attention to Your Surroundings
Another simple activity to increase your creativity is to pay attention to your surroundings. You may laugh and think that is absolutely ridiculous â after all, you see the same things and people everyday, and you probably even drive the same route to and from work, too. But try to take a few moments and actually pay attention to your surroundings. See things the way they are and not the way you think they are.
¡ Take a different route home from work. Discover shortcuts or new neighborhoods.
¡ Sit on a park bench and people watch. Think of stories for each person or couple that you see.
¡ Have you ever really paid attention to the people in your office? What about the person that sits right across from you? Take five or ten minutes and take notice. Donât stare, but pay attention. You just may find that other people can be quite the source of inspiration for creativity.
Use Your Imagination
If you have a favorite poem or story that you loved as a kid, sit down and start writing that story, but make the changes that you always thought should be there. What were Jack and Jill really doing on their way up the hill? If they were fetching a pail of water, what was the water for? You donât have to re-invent the wheel, simply make the everyday your own.
Increasing your creativity starts in small, simple ways. Your life is filled with opportunities for you to test your creative energies but itâs up to you to take action!
How do you express your creativity? Post your comments here.
by Susan Gammage, Baha'i Life Coach
Being a BahĂĄ’Ă doesnât exempt us from bad things happening in our lives:
. . . poverty, disease, bereavement, - they seem to be part of the polish God employs to make us finer, and enable us to reflect more of His attributes!
Shoghi Effendi, Lights of Guidance, p. 604
Letâs face the facts: life is full of both good and bad surprises. You canât live your life worried about bad news, otherwise youâll paralyze yourself in fear. Instead, you need to become more resilient and learn how to expect the unexpected.
You really can learn how to cope with unexpected news and become a stronger, more confident person in times of pressure.
Letâs go through some ways to make coping with the unexpected easier.
Expect the Unexpected
Have you ever gotten a call from a friend who cancels a get-together you were looking forward to? This is an extremely trivial example of unexpected news, but it represents what we all deal with on a daily basis.
You may feel disappointed or frustrated, especially if you spent time preparing for the event, but you have two choices: detach from your expectations, move on and make the best of the day, or take offence and allow it to sour your mood and hold you back.
Ask yourself: what do you typically do when you encounter the unexpected?
Well, instead of allowing the change of plans to ruin your day, try to get your mind busy onto something else. Is there a fun activity that you can do at home? Is there something you can do for yourself or your family? You can choose to make the best of things by recognizing the hand of God at work and turning the unexpected into a new opportunity.
Build a Solid Support System
Another way to deal with unexpected news is to turn to your support system. Bad news can come with great pain. If you get the news that someone has passed away, for example, this is something that is going to cause you deep pain and suffering. Of course, itâs normal to feel these very real emotions.
In these times it is important for you to turn to those around you for support. You may need someone to talk to, someone to cry with, or even a helping hand. Itâs crucial that surround yourself with positive influences instead of isolating yourself.
Indeed the believers have not yet fully learned to draw on each other’s love for strength and consolation in time of need. The Cause of God is endowed with tremendous powers, and the reason the believers do not gain more from it is because they have not learned to fully draw on these mighty forces of love and strength and harmony generated by the Faith . . .
Shoghi Effendi, Directives of the Guardian, p. 41.
Using the Power of the Mind to Cope with Bad News
Positive affirmations are another way that you can cope with unexpected news. Affirmations are concise statements that you can use to help you think in a more positive manner.
When bad news is overwhelming you and you donât know how to cope, you can stop and say:
¡ I lay all my affairs in thy hand. Thou art my Guide and my refuge.
(’Abdu’l-BahĂĄ, BahĂĄ’Ă Prayers (New American Prayer Book), p. 119.)
¡ I have renounced my desire for Thy desire, O my God, and my will for the revelation of Thy Will. (BahĂĄ’u'llĂĄh, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, pp. 37-38.)
¡ Let my movement and my stillness be wholly directed by Thee. (BahĂĄ’u'llĂĄh, Prayers and Meditations, p. 240.)
¡ I will be a happy and joyful being. ‘Abdu’l-BahĂĄ, BahĂĄ’Ă Prayers (New American Prayer Book), p. 119.
¡ I will no longer be full of anxiety, nor will I let trouble harass me. (‘Abdu’l-BahĂĄ, BahĂĄ’Ă Prayers (New American Prayer Book), p. 119.)
¡ I will not dwell on the unpleasant things of life. (‘Abdu’l-BahĂĄ, BahĂĄ’Ă Prayers (New American Prayer Book), p. 119.)
¡ Confidence and assurance, hope and optimism are my prerogative. (Shoghi Effendi, Unfolding Destiny, p. 225.)
¡ ¡ This will soon pass. (’Abdu’l-Baha, Star of the West, Vol. 12, No. 181, p. 280.)
When you say these phrases aloud, youâre reaffirming the statement in your mind and youâre re-focusing your energy on solutions, instead of worries. Whether you believe it or not, words have power. Repeating these affirmations may console you and remind you about your strength during difficult situations.
When you use positive affirmations and the other coping techniques mentioned, you will find that you are more confident to deal with whatever life throws your way. Remember, itâs okay to be afraid of uncertainty, but you can equip yourself with the tools, techniques, and support system to overcome any obstacle, challenge, or situation.
What helps you cope with bad news? Post your comments here.
