Ask and you shall receive. Be careful what you wish for, because it could happen in more ways than you could ever imagine! I recently found this out in the most incredible way. If you’re craving change in your life and need some inspiration or just want a very surprising and entertaining read, this post is for you!
Some of you may have read in this previous post how I started making some big changes in my life at the beginning of the year, the biggest being quitting my full time job. By instigating this change, it was inevitable that other things would shift, n’est pas?
I’m a firm believer that we can attract what we want into our lives, and on the flip side, that we can also (unintentionally) attract what we absolutely do not want. That said, it’s easier said than done; I’ll go through periods of extreme positive thinking, then drift into a negative slump. An amazing example how positive thinking can work, which some of you may recall, is the story of the teressa magica: the magic credit card that we could use to “buy” the things we wanted in our lives.
I guess I could have dug my tessera out when I’d decided to start my new life back in January, However, its beginning was put on hold by an unexpected trip home. Therefore, my fresh start actually only started a few weeks ago, in mid-March, when I returned from North America. Instead of the tessera, I decided to re-reading a book I had on the law of attraction. Some of you may roll your eyes and not believe in these new-age-y philosophies, however, don’t click off the page just yet, what I’m about to describe could convince even the worst cynic.
The book I picked back up is called The Law of Attraction (by Esther and Jerry Hicks). The writers explain how we attract things into our lives by advice acquired through channelling “from a group of non-physical entities called Abraham” (cue raised eyebrows from strictly rationally minded people). This alternative line of thinking mightn’t be for everyone, but if you boil it down the basics of like-attracts-like, even a scientist can’t refute the laws of magnetic attraction. This theory was also popularized in the movie and book The Secret by Rhonda Byrne. I’m about to give you the craziest example of this actually working!
Here I was, a few days on my return, doubt and worry starting to creep over me. Was I completely insane to quit my job (au revoir security blanket!)? Was their some kind of fraudulent activity on my bank account making all the money I’d saved up as a buffer when I left my job? I calmed down and told myself that I had to be completely positive for one week (I could do that) and things would fall into place. It was to help put me into a good frame of mind that I returned to The Law of Attraction.
The Hicks’ book is a lot less “here are exercises to put these concepts into practice” as The Secret and other self-help or spiritual books, however, as I was reading on night to get over my jetlag, I came to a practical exercise. Since my brain was fogging over, I put the book down, saying I’d get to the exercise when the cerebral mist had cleared. It did by Sunday night so I got back to it.
I was to take three pieces of blank paper. On each I had to write something I wanted, then give the reasons why on one side and on the other, why I thought I deserved said things. I pretty much wrote the first three things that came to mind, three things I want in general:
- To have success in my new projects
- To find the right guy for me
- To have my villa
Well, when I wrote the villa down, I thought, I don’t really need the villa right at this exact moment in my life… but it’s the one thing I truly know ‘ll have one day (villa as in big country home probably in Italy where I can welcome all my friends and family, I wouldn’t turn down a vineyard, a pool and a pool boy to go with it). I decided to leave the villa on the list even if a bigger, nicer Parisian apartment might have been more fitting at the time being.
I finished up the exercise and I felt really energized. I guess I really did believe those three things would happen… but I would never have guessed in the ways nor how the speed at which they would materialize!
The very next evening, within 24 hours, I received an email from someone whom I’d recently been in touch about something completely different… wondering if I might be interested in a part time job as the writer and editor for a luxury villa group. VILLAS! I wasn’t just getting ONE villa… I now had HUNDREDS! Okay, they weren’t mine… but then again I hadn’t asked for it to be mine! The first case of the exercise—and above all the law of attraction—working. Since I would be writing for this new job, it was an achievement towards desire #1 as well, thus I’d very oddly killed two birds with one stone, in less than a day. Two down… one to go?
The next day I was out with a guy friend and a few of his buddies. One bar led to another, then to a pizzeria, then another bar, a divey place that’s being hipster-ized. We were mostly standing around the bar, a very social place to be. This guy kept coming up to talk to me. Geez he was really persistent, but not in an annoying way. I eventually started talking to him more and he was really interesting. I was sure he looked about 12 so I wasn’t really so sure about him, but he did have other good characteristics and a sexy South American accent, so I gave him my number.
Then the following Thursday I was coming home dinner party sharing a taxi with a fun gay friend and regular partner in mischief. As we were driving past a cluster of bars we liked in Sopi, we saw that the area was buzzing with people. It only took a naughty glance exchange between us and we jumped out of the car instead of heading directly back home to be snug in our beds. Laughing our way down the street towards the bars, we passed these two guys walking together in the opposite direction, when all of the sudden the one swings around and starts talking to us. Was it that obvious that we looked fun? Or could he tell that my friend was gay? I’ll never know, but all I can say is that after we’d chatted for a bit and the two had started off on their way… the chatty guy ran back down the street after us and we had a fantastic night dancing till dawn (well, maybe not just dancing).
The problem with both of these surprise suitors? They were way too young for me… though ever since this law of attraction exercise has unleashed a whole crew of would-be suitors! I’ve been wooed on a get-together turned date… had three messages from past flings or romantic interests and a surprise whatsapp from a forth; a lovestruck Panamanian whom I’d met a year or so ago who’s now sending me little fluttering heart text messages. I even ran into Mr Mali, my Montmartre love stalker, one rainy evening on a completely random street. So is this what the law of attraction really is?? How do I turn the magnet off?? Woe was entirely me!
The exercise was powerful, there is no question about that. There is just one HUGE defect. It doesn’t instruct us to be extremely precise about what we want. I do know this from previous trial and error! As you can see through my first example of work-villa, I did attract what I asked for, just not in exactly the form I really wanted. Same for the boys! I’m sure each of them has traits which would make up “the right guy for me…” nevertheless, I was hoping for these in one and not six! Well, one of them might work out in the end … and then there’s this dreamy guy I also met last week who seemed to tick all the boxes, but he is just too handsome, he must have a former top-model, Ivy-league diplomaed girlfriend.
Looks like I have to sit down in front of another piece of paper and list out everything I want in this “right guy.” Maybe the next time he might actually materialize? In the meantime, I urge you to look into the law of attraction or why not try the exercise yourselves, but don’t forget: you have to truly believe in it (and be as detailed as possible!).
If you do have any success stories… please let me know or add them to the comments below!
I love this story! I am a firm believer in what I like to call “positive visualization”, since the Law of Attraction theory tends to be a bit too out there for most people. When there is something that is really important to me, I spend 5-10 minutes every day focusing on it, mentally picturing myself having it, what it will feel like when I get it, how it will help me, etc. It’s worked every time I have seriously used it – getting French citizenship at a time when it was the only way for me to continue staying in France, meeting my husband (who has nearly every quality I could desire in a man), finding our apartment, which literally ticked off every box on our list. I also try to go to bed every night thinking about everything I am grateful for. Like attracts like, so you might as well focus on the positive, right? 🙂
Thanks for reading Sam! And for adding in your own story and method. That’s a really good idea about the 5-10 min a day. We can all find that tiny bit of time and as you’ve illustrated it can make all the difference! Here’s to keeping positivity flowing!!
Hi Lily,
I fully believe in visualizing the thing you want to accomplish and then reverse engineering your future by identifying the goal and planning backward. I’m totally down with your law of attraction ideas and think it’s probably a good idea to send the visualization into the world to manifest the thing you want! Sounds like a good plan. 🙂
And boy do I have a story for you… I’m a fierce list-writer, and since high school I’ve had the tendency to write out lists defining my “perfect man.” It was a habit for years, and especially when I was single. At first my lists were terrible! I didn’t really understand what I needed in a partner. I would just write a random list of accomplishments or attributes or interests that sounded like the perfect guy. I’d meet men who matched my lists, but the relationship wouldn’t be quite right. Single again, I’d write another list, further refining what I felt I needed in a relationship. In 2011, I met a man who checked ALL the boxes. I thought my list was really well-thought through, so I was super excited. I thought I had met “the one.” He was equally excited and it felt really great. …but within the first three months I could tell there was a certain chemistry, a certain “je ne sais quoi” that was missing. I ignored it for 3 years! And eventually I broke it off. I was 32, and could hear the “clock” ticking, and was pretty upset about having missed the mark yet again. Back to the list-making and dreaming. Months later, at a wedding in the South of France, a beautiful French architect started to pay a lot of attention to me… Long story short, this guy checked all the boxes on my list (except one that was NOT that critical), and we were married last year! True. Story.
Go make those lists! 😉
Can’t wait to hear how it goes!
-Tammy
Hi Tammy! Thanks for reading this post and for also sharing your fantastic story! Wow! It’s great to hear that you met your perfect man… and when you least expected it! I went back to honing my list… and more crazy surprises arose! In the middle of writing a post about it which should appear shortly! Here’s to attracting what (or whom) we really want into our lives! Bisous Lily