I’ve noticed that a lot of people are trying to work with the “Law of Attraction” but are frustrated with their results.  I’d like to share a story with you to illustrate one of the reasons that it might not be working for you.

I began using the “Law of Attraction” as a child. I’d use it on little things in the beginning but when I was around 12 years old I decided to try it out on something big – a new bike.  (OK, that was BIG to me back then!)  I had never owned one and decided that it would be a fun thing to have.  So with everything I had, I visualized my new bike sitting in our driveway waiting to be ridden.  I had been asking – or perhaps even nagging – my parents for a new bike for some time, but wasn’t getting any response.  So I decided to put the “Law of Attraction” to use.  I was excited.  This would be the first time I’d been able to manifest something BIG for myself.  My insides were jumping for joy at the thought of this new bike being delivered to my home.  I could hardly wait.  I stopped asking my parents and went to work visualizing the outcome that I wanted.

You can imagine my delight when one day, shortly thereafter, I came home from school to find my father unloading my new bike from his station wagon!  As I watched this event unfold, I could feel the excitement brewing from my core to my face where there I planted an enormous smile.  As my insides jumped for joy, I silently declared to myself “It worked! I can manifest anything I want! Yahoo!”.

But wait… there was something about this scene that prevented me from running, jumping and skipping up to my dad with my share delight.  What was it?  Instinctively I knew something was out of place.  Something was wrong with this picture.  My dad wasn’t looking at me as a father would who had bought a surprise gift.  I stood and watched as my joy began to turn to anxiety.  What was wrong here?  The picture looked so perfect and yet there was a looming feeling that was putting my joy on hold.  And there in an instant, was the source of my anxiety.  I grabbed my breath as my younger brother stepped out from behind the car and said, “How do you like MY new bike?”  “His new bike?” my mind screamed.  How is this possible?  Where did I go wrong?  Anger welled up my spine.  I stomped my foot and tearfully exclaimed, “It’s not fair!  That’s MY bike”.

This was a powerful lesson on the “Law of Attraction”.  At 12 years old, I did receive what I asked for but it didn’t come to me in the way I wanted.  I visualized the bike just fine, but had not extended my vision to incorporate all that the bike would give me.  I saw the bike but I didn’t feel the bike.  I had seen the bike, but I wasn’t on it!  I didn’t ride the bike in my mind nor did I see how the bike was going to change my 12 year old life.  I didn’t see and feel the freedom in owning a bike.  Although I was visualizing what I wanted, it was both incomplete and unclear.

It was a few more years before I began to understand how to truly utilize the “Law of Attraction” to create my world.  Once I understood, I used this knowledge to change my life.  I helped myself heal from a progressive physical condition, create success in multiple businesses, create good physical and emotional health and wellbeing, and create a life that brings me joy and abundance on many different levels.

The “Law of Attraction” is always working – whether we intend it to or not.  We are always attracting to us what we focus on and feel.  We are constantly creating our lives with every thought and every action.  Understanding this law allows us an infinite ability to create the life that we want, rather than have life “happen” to us.  When we are in the process of consciously creating what we want – that which truly nurtures and supports our aliveness – then we are at our most peaceful, joyful and abundant.  We all have the ability to create life in a way that truly sustains us.

I have only touched on one aspect of “The Law of Attraction” here, but don’t make the mistake that my 12-year-old self made.  When you want to attract and manifest into your life, make sure you include yourself in the picture!