Life responds to seed, not need

You have to sow before you can reap. You have to give before you can get

- Robert Collier

The law of giving and receiving is simple and known to all. It is more commonly expressed as:

• You get what you give
• What goes around comes around
• As you sow, so shall you reap

The law is very specific regarding sequence:

• You give and then you receive.
• You become and then you attract.
• You grow personally and then you advance materially.

Yet despite the familiarity of this law, many people still have the sequence reversed. They say “When I receive, then I will give”, “When I have enough money, then I will give to others”. But the law is clear. In order to receive more, you must first be willing to give and contribute more. And in order to contribute more, you must first become more, and you become more by expanding your own consciousness and finding new and creative ways to offer value and service to others. It is an inside-out process and this is why the first series of posts for the acronym MAGNETIC included:

MINDSET

GUIDE TO WHO YOU ARE

THE LAW OF VIBRATION AND ATTRACTION and

CHANGE BEGINS WITH YOU

Nothing could be fairer than a law which states that the universe will respond to everyone with the same energy that they send out. If you send out a “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!” energy, you will attract back similar demanding energies. This may be in the form of a demanding boss, challenging clients, or pressure from overdue deadlines. Alternatively, if you send out love, kindness and respect, the universe will respond by sending back to you the essence of similar ‘good feeling’ energies.

Put simply, you give, then you receive

But you can’t give what you don’t have. This may seem an obvious statement but it is worth considering further. For example, if you want to give someone a book, or flowers or money, you must first be in possession of what you want to give. The same principle applies in respect of our emotions. If we want to extend more love, kindness and forgiveness to people, we must first have a plentiful supply of love, kindness and forgiveness for ourselves. We can’t give what we don’t have.

Another example is if you find yourself responding to personal criticism with anger, hatred or bitterness, it’s because these qualities are already inside you. You have a red light on the panel and as long as you hold those negative energies, you will attract more of the same back to you.

The following analogy may help. If you squeeze an orange, orange juice always comes out because that is what is inside. This is true no matter who does the squeezing, the location of the squeezing, when they do the squeezing or the circumstances surrounding the squeezing. What comes out is what’s inside, and the same principle applies to you. If someone squeezes you or puts pressure on you, or insults you and out of you comes anger, hatred, bitterness or revenge, it is because these traits are already inside you.

There are not many people who genuinely respond to personal criticism with love and forgiveness. But if you want to live in harmony with natural laws and principles, this is the price you have to pay. Of course, you also pay a heavy price for holding on to all the negative energies and attracting more of them back into your life.

So if you want to live your life on purpose through contribution and service you may first wish to carry out a personal inventory to see what emotions you have inside you and which you will draw from to give away.

Exercise 6

Write a list of the type of qualities you would like to ‘give away’ to support, help and make a difference in the lives of others. What steps will you take to go the ‘extra mile’ to build up your own personal inventory of these qualities?

For example, if you want to give more love and compassion to those who feel alone and unloved, what can you do to build up an abundant supply of love and compassion in your own life? You can read GUIDE TO WHO YOU ARE to remind yourself that you are, first and foremost, a spiritual being created in the image and likeness of your Creator. The spiritual part of your personality, sometimes referred to as your Higher Self, is the part of you that is perfect and loves you unconditionally.

When you love another person, it is because you have sensed that feeling of love within yourself, and your love for that other person arises out of the over-flow of love you have for yourself. This is discussed more fully in the post LOVE.

Spend time each day in silence to imagine this universal flow of unconditional love and compassion rushing, streaming and pouring into you from all sides as you sit quietly. Imagine this flow filling you up to overflowing and from this place of overflowing you extend this unconditional love and compassion to all those who feel alone and unloved.

You may also wish to read the earlier post IT’S NOT YOUR FAULT to re-mind yourself how our unwanted behaviour is driven by our belief system which we did not consciously choose. And that when we know better, we have the opportunity to do better.

The next post … YOU\’LL NEVER WALK ALONE

The meaning of life is to give life meaning

There are two great days in a person’s life – the day we are born and the day we discover why

- William Barclay

It is very likely that you’ve been attracted to this blog because you have a desire to grow. You may not be consciously aware that this is your reason for being here, but secretly within you there is a tremendous desire to be more. It’s like a divine discontent and restlessness which affects the lives of all of us. Intuitively you know that there is more in you than is currently being expressed. And one of the reasons you’ve been drawn to this blog is because you know, at least unconsciously, that there is a way in which you can discover something of that ‘more’.

The intention of this second series of posts (see Welcome message for background details) is to help you discover and release more of the ‘more’ that is within you. In the posts for the acronym MAGNETIC, we shared with you that we live in an orderly universe and that nothing happens by accident. There is a universal intelligence that coordinates and orchestrates everything in perfect harmony. You may not be consciously aware of this intelligence but it is at this very moment lovingly taking care of your every breath and heart beat, as well as controlling your circulation and digestive systems without any effort on your part. You are an integral part of this intelligent system and there is a reason you are here, on planet earth, at this precise time.

In the words of Eckhart Tolle

You are here to enable the divine purpose of the universe to unfold. That is how important you are!

Yes, YOU are very important, and until you feel you are living your life on purpose and making a difference, you will not rest content, no matter what you do or what you have. The following 9 posts for the acronym LIFESTYLE will share some thoughts and insights related to purpose to help you live a life of joy, meaning and contribution.

At some time in our lives, we probably all reflect on life’s most challenging questions:

Who am I?
Why am I here?
What am I supposed to be doing with my life?
What is my purpose?

For many, such questions arise in response to a crisis – the loss of a loved one, a serious illness, a relationship breakdown or the loss of a job. It is only then we put life in perspective and consider what is really important to us.

We are continually inspired by people, who in the face of a terminal illness or severe physical handicap discover new meaning to their life. People like Christopher Reeve, who used to be Superman in the films, but then became a super-hero because of his work in advancing medical science following his tragic accident. The video clips of Dick and Rick Hoyt and Nick Vujicic shared in the post MINDSET are further examples of people who have used their challenging circumstances to be a source of inspiration to people all around the world.

Until this ‘wake up call’, it is so easy to take life for granted and get lost in the busyness of daily life. But deep within each of us there is this intuitive, invisible voice that’s calling us to get on with what we came here to do. Until we engage in ‘work’ that is both enjoyable and meaningful, this voice will not leave us alone.

So don’t wait for a crisis to happen before you begin the process of discovering what is deeply important to you. What are your unique gifts and talents? How can you combine what is important to you with your gifts to make a positive contribution to the world?

The suggested exercises in the LIFESTYLE posts should be carried out when you are alone and free from interruptions. Discovering your purpose is an inside-out process that requires deep introspection and reflection. It is not a problem to be solved in a single day. It will require an investment of time, but is one of the most important and beneficial investments you can make

Exercise 1

In order to assess your current situation in relation to purpose, please complete the following questionnaire. As you consider each question, pay particular attention to your feelings and respond with either a ‘Yes’ or ‘No’.

1. Do I wake up in the morning feeling energised to go to work?
2. Does my work bring out the very best in me?
3. Am I allowed to use my unique gifts, talents and creativity in my work?
4. Are my opinions requested and valued at work?
5. Do I experience true joy in my work?
6. Am I earning a living doing what I really love to do?
7. Do I know what is most important to me and what my core values are?
8. Do my work colleagues share the same values?
9. Can I define what success means to me?
10. Do I use my unique gifts and talents to add real value to people’s live
11. Can I speak my purpose in one clear sentence?
12. Do I go to sleep at night feeling I am making a difference?

Total up your ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ answers

If you have less than 9 ‘Yes’ responses, these posts and exercises will help you. If you have nine or more ‘Yes’ responses, congratulations. We hope this blog will inspire you to be of even greater service.

Follow on with the next post … IMAGINATION

Cathie draws the short straw and experiences the Magnetic Lifestyle!

If you have read the WELCOME page, you will realize that this blog is slightly different in that we are using the acronym MAGNETIC LIFESTYLE to present some ideas and insights which we hope will help you attract the lifestyle you choose.

The first 8 posts for the acronym MAGNETIC are foundational and are intended as a ‘map’ to help you apply the subsequent 9 posts for LIFESTYLE in a fun, effortless and enjoyable way.

In the post  IT’S NOT YOUR FAULT it was explained that when you describe what you see in the world ‘out there’, you are not describing true reality, but a dramatically filtered version of reality created through your own personal beliefs. This is a key understanding because it means that as well as looking at the world you see, you have to look at the lens through which you see the world, your belief system or your own internal ‘map of reality’.

The following analogy may help. In celebration of the publishing of the MAGNETIC posts, ‘techie queen’ Cathie and her husband Dave are jetting off to Thailand for 22 days stopping at Bangkok, Phi Phi & Krabi Islands & Phuket.

Now imagine that the travel agent sends Cathie a street map marked ‘Bangkok’ but due to a printing error it’s actually a map of Nonthaburi (2nd largest city in Thailand). When Cathie arrives in Bangkok she gets the street map out and is immediately confused. So she calls up the travel agent and explains that she can’t make sense of any of the street names. The travel agent representative, who has been brought up to believe in the importance of diligence and perseverance, politely tells Cathie to ‘try harder’. So Cathie, who is renowned for never giving up, sets off with Dave with a quickness in their step, determined to find their hotel. The result – they now get lost twice as fast!

Feeling worse than ever, Cathie rings the travel agent again. Realising Cathie’s attitude and spirit are very low, the travel representative tells Cathie not to get disheartened and to think more positively and asks her where she is. Cathie says she’s outside a bookshop and the travel agent tells her to go in and pick up all the books she can on Positive Mental Attitude (PMA). So Cathie goes in, purchases a couple of books and reviews them with Dave. Now they’re both so psyched up and feeling so positive that you can’t stop them. They set off again and because of their new positive attitude, they don’t even mind that they’re lost and can’t find their hotel! They smile and accept the reality of the situation.

Although this may seem a silly analogy, how many times do we try to change our behaviour and attitude without questioning the accuracy of the ‘map’ from which our behaviour and attitude automatically flow? This is not to say that a good positive attitude is not important. It most certainly is, but you still need a correct map if you are to successfully navigate your way in life and achieve the changes you desire.

Cathie takes up the story by sharing her own personal insights on the importance of a correct map….

For over 50 years I’ve lived with the belief that to be successful, I had to work hard and that nothing came easy. Although my family and friends know me as a very positive, determined and hardworking person, I was continuously being asked why I wasn’t getting anywhere, even though I believed I would ‘someday’. Being a very passionate person, I’ve always given 100% to everything I attempt, yet I couldn’t put my finger on what was missing that would get me to my ‘destination’.

Like many people, my life has been a mixture of good and bad experiences. But the significant and big changes in my life only began when I took the time to really examine my own map of reality. I had always had a positive attitude and yet I was still not achieving the results I wanted. Why? It was because I had an inaccurate map. It was only when I started to challenge my current thoughts and beliefs about who I was and what I was capable of, that I realised that my ‘map’ or the lens through which I saw the world and myself was completely untrue.

As I began to create a more accurate map, based on the truth of who I am and what I can achieve, my new behaviour, attitude, actions and results changed automatically. It is the best investment of time I’ve ever made.

For more information read About Cathie

In order to allow YOU sufficient time to really examine your own map or the lens or beliefs through which you see the world, we have decided to defer publishing the 9 posts on LIFESTYLE until Cathie’s return. This will give you the opportunity to complete all the ACTION Steps and Belief Study Workbook published so far.

The next post is … LIVE YOUR LIFE ON PURPOSE

Your results are a reflection of your conditioning, not your potential

If you are continually seeking and not finding, it is because you focus outward. Focus inward and you will find that you are the one you have been looking for.

Peter Field

As mentioned in the Welcome page to this blog, the first 8 postings in the acronym ‘magnetic’ are designed to instil the belief that you can attract your ideal lifestyle. This is not pie-in-the sky, mumbo jumbo, wishful thinking.

In a previous post APPEARANCES LIE we learnt that we live in an orderly universe which operates in accordance with precise and repeatable laws. The difference between people is not one of potential, but one of understanding and working in harmony with these laws.

In the British Society for Scientific Research, Professor William Bateson states, “We are finding now beyond doubt that the gifted and the geniuses of mankind are due not so much to something added to the ordinary person, but instead are due to factors which in the normal person inhibit the development of these gifts. They are now without doubt to be looked upon as releases of powers normally suppressed.”

A frail old lady lifts a car

These powers are within each of us right now, but due to conditioning are normally suppressed. The following story illustrates the extent of these powers. It appeared in Time magazine a number of years ago and concerns a woman in Florida convalescing after a long serious illness. She was sitting in her wheelchair on the front porch of her family home. Her son was in the front yard working under his automobile, which he removed the wheels from and placed on blocks. Suddenly the mother watched, shocked, as the car lurched and fell, crushing the son. The whole life of the boy was about to be crushed out of him and he was screaming for help. The husband came running and tried desperately to lift the car off his son but to no avail. So he jumped in his car and sped off to find help.

As the groans grew fainter, the mother knew she must help. But how? She hadn’t walked in months. In a flash she realised it was life or death for her son, and she was the only one to help. She raised herself shakily to her feet and walked unsteadily to the car. Bracing herself, she lifted the car a few inches, just enough to let the boy scramble free and then she collapsed to the ground. The doctor was called and other than some strained muscles, she was unharmed. Incredulous over what happened the doctor said, “I will always wonder how far she might have lifted that car if she had been well and strong!”

You may have heard of similar stories of ordinary people suddenly becoming capable of incredibly courageous deeds. In a true emergency, the mind stops, you become present and you don’t have time to think and allow your fears, doubts and worries (conditioning) to determine what you can or cannot do. This was the case with this frail old lady. She acted in the present moment and in the words of William Bateson released ‘powers normally suppressed’.

But you don’t have to wait for an emergency to release these powers. There is within you, right now, the potential to be more, to do more and to have more because we are all drawing on the same infinite power and working with exactly the same laws.

When you are drawing from the infinite, you can never take more than your share

So if you’ve already attracted great things into your life, know you can attract more and if you haven’t attracted great things yet, know you have the potential to do so. As Thomas Troward, one of the greatest authors of the past 500 years reminds us, “Where we are drawing from the infinite we need never be afraid of taking more than our share. That is not where the danger lies. The danger is in not sufficiently realising our own richness, and in looking upon the externalised products of our creative power as being the true riches instead of the creative power of spirit itself”.

You are created in the ‘image and likeness’ of your Creator and have the same creative power of thought to attract to yourself all that you desire. Your current results are simply a reflection of how you have used this creative power. For example, one person may use this power to visualise and dream about owning their favourite car. Yet another person may use this same power to visualise and dream about owning the car dealership. The universe will support both visualisations because this is the gift of free will.

This is discussed further in a previous post … EVERYTHING IS ALREADY HERE

It is important to understand however that while universal intelligence or spirit will support you in attracting your desires, you must take the required ACTION. Nature may provide in abundance, but even the bird must search for the worm. The Quakers suggestion “Pray and move your feet” is good advice.

The insights and ideas shared in the first 8 posts of this blog lay down the foundations from which effective and significant change can take place. However unless you take action on the ideas shared in this blog, then it becomes just more information that you’ve gathered.

So in the second part of our journey together, the acronym LIFESTYLE looks at how to apply your new understanding so you can attract a lifestyle that is worthy of YOU.

ACTION

Step One

If you have not read all the posts and completed all the exercises in the acronym MAGNETIC it is recommended you do so before proceeding further. They provide a solid understanding that will serve you well on the next stage of your journey.

Step Two

Surround yourself with people that encourage, support and help you release the powers ‘normally suppressed’. Become active on this blog. Leave your comments and share your experiences so that you can help others on their journey. Remember this is a universe based on attraction and the more you give, the more you will receive in ways that will inspire and delight you.

In order to allow YOU sufficient time to complete the Action steps and Belief Study Workbook published so far, we have decided to defer publishing the 9 posts on LIFESTYLE until Cathie’s return from Thailand. Full details are provided in the supplementary post … WHY CATHIE NEEDS A CORRECT MAP OF THAILAND