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I have learned that what one focuses their attention on will eventually manifest. However, I have also learned that one needs to release or surrender their attachment to their vision as dwelling on one's vision actually causes a resistance to that vision or goal. However, to me this seems to be a rather interesting dichotomy. How does one focus one's attention on one's goal while simultaneously surrendering one's attachment to that vision? Or am I perhaps misunderstanding the term "attachment" here, and it's Ok to stay focused on one's goal, but not to be so attached as you care or worry about the outcome? As a part of my focus I like to visualize (continually) what my life will be like as if I have already attained my goal. Is this perhaps not what I should be doing? Is this becoming too attached to my hopeful outcome? If so, then what's the point of visualization...or does one only need to visualize once, and then let it go never to visualize about that goal again? I enjoy visualizing my goal repeatedly every night for about 30 minutes...is this perhaps not what I'm supposed to be doing? If I stay focused on my goal every night, is this not a good thing, or is there perhaps a limit between focus and obsession? Thanks |
That opening statement of yours is not entirely accurate. In fact, you could write the exact opposite statement and it will be equally accurate :)
The paradox can be reconciled by understanding that you do not create through your ongoing focus...you only allow the creation. So your focus on your goal at all is irrelevant to the actual creation of it. For a full explanation, see What should we imagine, visualize or believe? The only value then in focusing at all on what you want (because you'll get it whether or not you focus) is for the enjoyment of the focus. If you are not enjoying the focusing on the end-result, you might as well not bother focusing on it at all and let what you want come to you by itself while you focus elsewhere instead on something you do enjoy focusing on. Ask any genuine creative artist what they truly enjoy about their art and they will tell you that is the creative process that draws them to it, not the materialistic end result of the music, painting, sculpture, movie etc.
The same applies to our physical lives for we are the creative artists of our own physical realities. It is the creative process that makes our lives enjoyable, not the end result of the physical manifestation. The true value of the physical manifestation is as an excuse to enjoy the process of manifesting it. Thanks Stingray. This has always been on aspect of LOA that I have never fully grasped. I hear that one is supposed to ask the universe, then release that request with no attachments to it, and then align oneself to receive. I'm pretty sure I have been doing this. Much of my time is spent asking for a job, and then visualizing every day all the great things I will be able to do again once I'm working. I'm wondering is this is still not right though.
(16 Sep '14, 15:42)
Pacal Votan
2
@Pacal Votan - "I hear that one is supposed to..." - Think of it this way: How does anyone who has never heard about these ideas, say barely surviving in some poverty-ridden war-torn country, even exist in physical reality if the process was not fully automatic as it is? It would be like requiring someone to keep focusing to keep their own heart beating, or their lungs breathing in and out. It wouldn't work...most people would probably forget to eat if they didn't have hunger to remind them :)
(18 Sep '14, 03:31)
Stingray
3
@Pacal Votan - So, considering that, all these manifesting ideas must be set up to work independently of us. Where people mess it up is that they forget (or twist) the most obvious fact of all...Good Feels Good. This is the only requirement for the entire process to work by itself. But through bizarre logic and bizarre philosophies, some manage to convince themselves and others that Feeling Good Is Bad and then it's like suffocating yourself and wondering why your lungs have stopped.
(18 Sep '14, 03:36)
Stingray
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@Pacal Votan - All that genuine manifesting ideas ultimately are is re-reminding ourselves that Good Feels Good. Everything else is optional. Why do we choose to use manifestation techniques as opposed to getting in the vortex? But there's nothing wrong with doing stuff that is optional if you are enjoying doing it :)
(18 Sep '14, 03:41)
Stingray
1
I thoroughly enjoy the manifestations in my life on a daily basis - my family, my job, my house. If I hadn't manifested my new job, I would have been less happy every day than I am now. To insist on the fact that manifestations does not make us happy is meaningless to me.
(20 Sep '14, 09:58)
Pebbles
2
dear @Pebbles, What if something were to happen and you were to lose all these manifestations that you value? Could you be happy then? This is a reality for many people. Thats why actually to be attached to the manifestations is meaningless. I'm not claiming that I can be happy in the face of anything that life throws at me, but I can share that my life situation hasn't changed in any really tangible way since doing 'manifestation' work, but I am SO much happier inside that it hardly matters.
(21 Sep '14, 08:55)
Inner Beauty
1
I hear what you're saying @Inner beauty - but we are manifesting for a reason? I'm sure that I could be happy without a lot of my manifestatons - but spending my days in a workplace that I like makes me happier than spending my days in a workplace that I don't like. I just think it's pointless to claim that manifestations don't bring joy. Of course they do. Jo brings joyful manifestations, the joyful manifestations makes us even more joyful, which in turns brings even more joyful manifestations.
(21 Sep '14, 16:11)
Pebbles
These are great follow-ups...thank you. What I have done in recent months is ask the universe for a job in my field. I have seen many opportunities and I have applied for them. I have also had 8 interviews this year, and have fallen short, but at that rate I'm sure I will eventually succeed. I find great joy in planning my life every day and all of the things I will be able to do once I get that job though. I only hope that this doesn't negatively affect my main manifestation.
(21 Sep '14, 21:31)
Pacal Votan
1
This is an interesting discussion. I think it's a combination of both perspectives, joy does bring joyful manifestations and observing those manifestations can create joy but, also, KNOWING that you can be happy alone, with or without a family or job is truly what being in the vortex is. There's security in that because you know that you will be fine and happy whatever the outside circumstances are, and you also know that you can manifest new circumstances and situations from that secure place.
(23 Sep '14, 12:06)
Yes
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Actually both of you are right. You will both experience exactly what you are conscious of. So one of you thinks focusing will lead to manifestation (: hold focus and it will :). The other says if you focus on something it blocks the manifestation (: that will also be the experience :). You experience what you are conscious of because you can only be conscious of what you are conscious of in essence. Now, having said that. A baseline or foundation of emotional well-being is required for all pleasant desires to flow from us into their manifestation in our reflection (: conditions :). If you're focusing and it is a strain then it is best to switch to something (: anything :) that you do feel good about. When you persist in focus in an EFFORT to "make things happen" what you're doing is holding both the pleasant and unpleasant desire in your consciousness and attempting to mold the unpleasant into the pleasant. This will usually result in more of being "stuck2. You don't mold or change the unpleasant into the pleasant or v.v. - they are different states of mind altogether you just pick one to "occupy" via focus / imagination. So it really is smart to imagine for the pleasure of imagining and, indeed all the "manifestation" is entirely about the feeling achieved (: nobody would deliberately seek to manifest a Bentley if it meant constant unhappiness :). You cannot actually "surrender your attachment", you just switch your attention to something else and that is why multiple interests are desirable or learn to be emotionally indifferent to the manifestation (: meditation helps a lot here :). The best way to focus your attention would be to develop your connection with your eternal state of GENERAL well-being and enjoy and appreciate as much as you can of the journey to the manifestations (: which are only temporary stops really :). @harsha: Awesome...thank you too. I appear to be doing a bit of both; asking and releasing, and focusing. I asked for a job in my field, but I will periodically return to that thought to visualize how great it would be to work in that job. I also daily visualize and affirm my personal (non work) plans for when I get that job [I find great joy in planning for some reason :-)]. I'm just hoping I'm not shooting myself in the proverbial foot by visualizing other plans instead of the job.
(21 Sep '14, 21:37)
Pacal Votan
I don't know what you mean by releasing but in fact you can't really "release" anything because all possibilities exist but you can be notice the state you are occupying and then occupy another one. The only way to "Release" is to focus on something else. You can't keep looking at something and trying to release it (: I've tried that :) because it magnifies. You notice it perhaps but then you move to a different pleasant focus. The rest seems fine. remember that asking and focusing are the same.
(22 Sep '14, 05:53)
harsha
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What you do is let go of the thought after the manifestation session. If it pops up, simply tell yourself that it's coming AND GET BUSY DOING SOMETHING ELSE THAT WILL TAKE YOUR ATTENTION OFF THE MATTER. This is the hardest part of the process to learn. If you're bored and not engaged in something, it's too easy to keep thinking about it, and that is a way to express doubts. If your manifestation requires your participation (I'm writing a book, so mine does), then you need to stay present. For example: Write for writing's sake. Write for the book's sake. Write to improve your writing. Write because it's fun watching ideas come forth and take shape. Write because you enjoy learning. Don't write because you are manifesting a book. PS: I've never tried manifesting this type of thing before, but I've been manifesting for many years, and this seems to be following the same route that I used when I wanted to learn how to play the piano - and play it well. I practiced for the joy of learning, I endured the scales because I quickly realized why I needed to be so good at them. I practiced for the reward of getting better, and for the amazement as I watched my abilities flower. In my manifesting sessions, I saw myself playing the grand piano that I had already manifested. I was playing a Chopin Nocturne, I can now play that Nocturne. Not bad, considering where I began. @Gail: Good point...I didn't think of how to divert your attention from your main manifestation...that's a good idea. Perhaps that's what I will do in the future when learning how to "expect" one's manifestation. I'm just hoping that visualizing and affirming a secondary goal (i.e. what I hope to do once the primary goal has manifested) will hurt everything.
(21 Sep '14, 21:41)
Pacal Votan
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