The Law of Attraction

Here is an unbelievably cool incident involving the Law of Attraction. If you don't know about the Law of Attraction, I suggest listening for awhile to Abraham Hicks on the subject. Or the movie "The Secret."

Formally, Law of Attraction states "that which is like unto itself is drawn."

So, phase 3 of my life, years 60 to 90, rely heavily on consciously creating my reality. I am going from a corporate job, sustained by mother corporation to being a sole proprietor / creative artist sustained by Source Energy. It is a big change, largely enabled by the teachings of Abraham Hicks.

So, I landed in my new life with a crash. The market is down and my house isn't sold. My life long fear of financial security is around. I am a upper middle class raised American, and trained to think always about money. After all, houses and college and cars and etc are not that cheap. Anyway, my new life involves transferring my reliance to Source Energy in a very direct way. I need to learn to use the Law of Attraction and consciously create my reality.

Abraham has a technique of spending $100 emotionally every day as a means of creating the emotional environment of prosperity, and prosperity will flow to you (  The Money Game ). While I was out walking today, I asked myself how I would emotionally spend $100. I didn't get too far with my emotional trip because all I ever want to buy is running shoes. So my brain switched to mulling over the formal statement of the Law of Attraction, using Oprah Winfry's voice in my head since I heard her say it. And I was thinking about words which give me a positive feeling.

As I am walking, I notice lots of little white scraps of paper littering the side walk. Then I notice that each one is a copy of a $100 bill. Suddenly I practically yell, " F**k." If Abraham can have a game about spending money, I can surely pick it up off the sidewalk. My brain doesn't actually know the difference between these copies and the real thing; and I get the emotional experience of picking up money that easily. So I start picking up all the $100 bills. Then I am walking along the street counting them. I have over $4,000 and still counting when the phone rings. It is my future employer offering me a job!

No sh!t. I got the offer just as I was counting the free money off the street. Law of Attraction worked. I set up my emotional condition, clearly I was in the receptive mode, and then the Universe responded with a job offer.

One of my thoughts while I picked up the money was to show the Universe that I could see positive aspects. I am not blinded. Richness is all around me, free for the picking up.

So, now my life is set for a few years: part time job with benefits, learning to be a writer and going to school part time (free tuition from my job). Living sweetly in my little house. Enjoying creativity.

The Path

It had been an emotional morning. Not that anything in particular had happened to create emotions. These were the type of emotions that rise up when one has space and time. The sort of anxiety for no reason, but which picks on some minor issue of human life. The type of emotion which plagues the quiet emptiness of the solitary soul.

As usual, attempts to focus thoughts or quiet thoughts were initiated. 5 minutes. 5 minutes. 5 minutes. No phone call. 5 minutes. 5 minutes. 5 minutes. Still no e-mail.

Emotion is thought. Reach for a better feeling thought they said. I did. I just could hang on. Better thoughts disappeared as my feelings were too slow to grasp them. The crowd of anxiety moved back in.

And so the forest called. The forest had a nice path, beautiful trees and clean air for lungs that need to breathe deeply.

The path is cemented. Someone has brushed off the first batch of fallen leaves. The intense crackling of a foot landing on dry leaves is gone. Walking proceeds in silence.

Many leaves have fallen. Those still hanging are mostly brown with some green or yellow. Here and there, a gem, an orange maple. The orange takes my mind and stills all thought except for a wordless awe. Orange against a bright blue sky.

The path is neither flat nor straight. One cannot see beyond the next curve or over the next hill. The trees line the path in untamed existence. The old fallen ones left to rot amongst the living.

And rocks. A creative person has been here. Along the path, little piles of shale pieces. That mound looks like a man. That mound looks like a bench. That mound should fall over but doesn't.

Cold weather has silenced the cicadas. Beatles crawl cross the path. Daddy long legs. Don't step on the bugs. Rustling in the leaves is squirrels. Water falling over rocks soothes. Stop to listen to the water fall. It is a real sound, the real thing. Not an app. Pause and listen.

Then head back to the car. A purposeful brisk walk has helped the lungs to cleanse the body The forest has absorbed the emotional energy. The idea of serenity is the mood received.

Super Saturday

Today is a beautiful sunny day with temperatures in the 60s. I decided to go to Weston Bend State park for my run. It is hilly. I did 5 laps of the 2.75 mile loop. Here is a video of a beautiful orange tree.

This week I continued to work on my writing project. To augment this work, I got a book from the library on the business of writing. How to be a writer. And I had to rededicate myself to putting my energy into this new phase of my life. Recreating my life is really what I was trying to do  with so called retirement.

So called retirement: well, I did get hired by a sporting goods store to be their part time "Running Specialist." That so plays into my personal brand. And I get to wear a radio. I also have an interview on Monday at Starbucks. The reason for that is that Starbucks has some awesome benefits for part time employees. We'll see. I am open to all creative opportunities, but need to leave space in the schedule for writing.

Overall, my life is enjoyable. Part of the reason for so called retirement was to enjoy my life some time before it is over. So if I get to run in a park for 8 miles every day: Success. That and connect with people. That and spend 2 hours or more a day in spiritual work. You could say that my life is exactly what I wanted.

Facing Inward

Yesterday marked one month since I quit my job. One month of moving, unpacking, beginning new things. I knew when I began this life that it was out on the edge of the norms of my social class. That is, what is considered financial security and what is considered success in occupation. I took my dog out of the race.

Yesterday was really the first day where I sat in my kitchen in the morning and felt peace. There were no pressing issues, like needing to go to the license bureau or do homework. So I could remember, experience and feel good about my dream. My dream is an existential dream; it could be monetized but that is not really its point. Actually, I wanted subsistence living so I could have time for existential pursuits.

It is a new way of being for me. I have a life. I have life itself. I have time for inner connection, reflection, just being.

Money anxiety lurks. Not all is perfect nor is the buffer invincible. I feel the emotion of scarcity. This emotion is taught. It is not real in my case. This feeling is in fact what I want and need to generate in my subsistence life. I wanted to make just such a discovery as I made this morning. Money anxiety is just a form of general existential human anxiety. This general existential anxiety drives some people to achievement in order to hide from it. It drives others into addiction to hide from it. I want to heal it for myself and for mankind.

I remember my dream. It is a dream of knowing my depths, human depths. There is no way to find your depths without facing the inner. The inner seems to be filled with the demons of emotion . Maybe under the demons is a void, an emptiness, a silence of truth. My dream is to find this. So I have to proceed with a certain amount of anxiety. Anxiety is my soul's sand paper; the constant reminder to let go and remember Source energy.

I think, "My new life, my dream." This thought gives me energy and hope. I feel better. Not hope for security, but hope for inner knowing. I absolutely must find the inner before I die. I feel good thinking about this.

Retirement week 4

Don't worry, I won't keep weekly reports forever. I do it now because I am so damn happy still.

Tonight I went to my first class at the library; and it was really good. And they are so friendly and eager to help anyone. Such a great resource.

Today, I went to a new trail, Line Creek. This trail wasn't there when I lived in Kansas City before. I really enjoyed it. And, I fixed my toilet. That was exciting because it was really easy.

One of the reasons I retired was to have more time to work on my writing projects. Each day I spend 2 to 3 hours either writing, doing research or now learning about the business end. The original writing part still goes quite slowly but at least I don't have to shut it down in order to go to work.

I am also enrolled in tax school. I have class twice a week and several hours of homework in between. Our first mid-term is this week so tomorrow will be spent studying for that. I think doing taxes will be a good gig; and probably will find another gig.

I've been spending about 2 hours or more a day either jogging or walking. Some days I've gone as much as 20 miles. And I finally got my other exercise equipment and weights set up, so I add that in also; especially on days when there is no class. I am signed up for a 24 hour race in 3 weeks so I am trying to balance time on feet while moderating the running part to prevent injury.

12 step groups are more like spiritual fellowships than whatever you saw on TV about AA meetings. I have reconnected with the AA group I got sober at 33 years ago. It has been exciting to see many of the same people, plus new ones. I was promptly asked to be archivist; and said yes. Service work is important.

I am living on the edge of a new life, discovering new ways of being in the world. I have old beliefs that need to dwindle away. I practice new ways of loving. Letting go of the hustle and strict scheduling. I don't think about my old career hardly at all; and it is very easy to notice when an old resentment comes up so it can be shut down before it gains momentum. What is frequently on my mind is the explanation to myself of why it was financially ok for me to quit my career. Just today, I suddenly realized how much of the day had been spent going over these facts in my mind. Now that I am aware, I can switch channels to the one playing my fabulous future. This work of controlling my thoughts is important because I create my own reality.

Once again, I recommend to anyone who wants to create a fabulous future life, check out Abraham Hicks on YouTube.

Retirement - Week 3

The alarm went off and I got up. And so I have time this morning before running off to accomplish administrative tasks. I had time to reflect on my life and my career; ending in gratitude.

I'm still in a little bit of shock for what I have done. Did I really give up a career and move away? The decision and implementation of the plan took more than a year; but now that it happened, it feels like an impulsive move. But I still agree with it. I needed to move my life on to a different environment.

When I came squirting out of college, it seemed all systems were go for a magnificent and successful career. I had been elected outstanding senior. I had been elected president of engineering societies and leader of a senior project team. I could have got a job anywhere. As soon as I hit the corporate world, something was wrong. I didn't fit exactly. Oh, I am a great engineer, just not really able to commit to a corporation. I didn't really want to work as much was expected. I didn't really care that much how many pounds of product went out the door. "Business" didn't excite me.

My career never made it above technical expert, and then technical expertise became boring futility. I couldn't stand the dead beat managers, lack of recognition and opportunity for creativity. Still, and always, I had more energy invested in my private studies and running endeavors. Privately, I was achieving. At work, I was earning money. So, I guess my career gave what I wanted: money.

Onward. Suddenly, here I am in Missouri and wondering how this happened. That is a long story, yet to be fully unraveled and appreciated. But I still need to move forward. I truly want to do more with my life. So....

Today is exciting. I went to the license office and took care of business. Then I went to the library. OMG! They have so much help for small business and writers. They even have people to help you. They have a book printing machine. They have classes and groups. I got a book! Not knowing anything about running a small business, even a business with only 1 employee has been bothering me. I'm so ignorant of everything. Now, I have a fantastic resource. I know where I will start to learn.

Nothing can stop me. Incredible.

Notice how excited I am. I am excited about my writing project and it was for this that I quit my day job.