NLP & The Law of Attraction

People that have heard about NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) and the Law of Attraction (as popularized in The Secret) might not think of these two seemingly separate concepts as closely related, but I think they are. I will explain more about that below, but first want to give a brief explanation of each separately for those who are unfamiliar. (And by the way, sorry if this gets deeper than what you were expecting from this site! I love the deep stuff….)

NLP is a branch of physchology that was created in the 1970s by Richard Bandler, John Grinder, and later expanded on with Milton Erikson. It was later popularized by students like Anthony Robbins, and portions of it have been adapted and expanded in all sorts of different fields. The ultimate concept is that we think in series of images, sounds, words, and little movie clips that create responses within us. We can control that sequencing consciously to produce any desired mental state, and we can also model others by imitating what they do. This method allows us to create rapid and lasting change when applied intensely and in the right way.

The tenants of NLP are:

1. The Map is Not the Territory -  Our thoughts about the world are NOT the world. We respond to OUR  PERCEPTIONS, and NOT the actual facts of the world.

    

2. Experience has a structure – Thoughts and Memories have a precise pattern to them. If we interrupt and change that pattern, we change our response to it.

    

3. If one person can do something, anyone can learn to do it. – We can learn from experts and model them.

    

4. The mind and body are parts of the same system. - If we change either one, a change in the other will follow. (Try to be sad and do jumping jacks at the same time. You Can’t!)

    

5. People already have all the resources they need. – We can use the building blocks of thought that we already have to create any feeling or build up any skill that we choose to.

    

6. You cannot NOT communicate. We are always communicating non-verbally to others, and to ourselves in thoughts.

    

7. The meaning of your communication is the response you get.  – People interpret our words and actions through their own flawed mental maps, and then give us feedback on their interpretation.

    

8. Underlying every behavior is a positive intention. –  Every hurtful thing was done with a positive intention in the original situation.

    

9. People always make the best choice available to them. - Based on experience and our mental maps, we make the choice we percieve to be the best

    

10. If what you are doing isn’t working, do something else. – If you always do what you’ve done, you’ll always get what you’ve got.

     

The concept behind The Law of Attraction is that we attract into our lives that which we focus on intensely. There are various different interpretations here, many are metaphysical in nature. Might seem strange at first, but really intriguing when you start to read and learn more about it.

As you can see in the description of both NLP and The Law of Attraction, both of them begin in the mind. With NLP, our thoughts compel us to feel a certain way, which causes us to behave in a certain way, which creates specific results as a consequence. In the Law of Attraction, our thoughts changes our internal energy levels in some way, and things, people, and events with similar energy levels are attracted to us, and us to them. 

Being generally science-minded, NLP concepts are much more palatable to me, but there is something to the Law of Attraction. Books like The Field show repeatable science experiments that fit in line with the concepts of the law of attraction, even if we don’t yet understand the precise mechanism. (The author of The Field, Lynne McTaggart, discusses what some of today’s leading scientists theorize about this.)

I think what is happening is that God has agreed to meet us half way: we take the first steps toward our dreams, and he meets us in the middle. There is no such thing as "luck" in this way, we create our own luck by preparing and working hard, and then seizing the opportunities that are placed before us whenever we can. And then, there is a snowball effect as we grow and become more and more skillful. Just as the accient Chinese Proverb says "Opportunities multiply as they are seized."

Anyway, there was a little more deep thinking than you’ll find on most "home-based business" type websites!

I hope that you understand the power that is within each of our minds, and make the committment to use it and develop it as much as you possibly can!

I have a few other resources at my Personal Development page for  you to look at as well, but here are some additional NLP and Law of Attraction related resources that I highly recommend:

  NLP: The New Technology of Achievement  – This is a phenomenal introduction to NLP, with exercises.

  Beyond Positive Thinking – Robert Anthony has an incredible, deep writing style that will open up your mind.

  The Law of Attraction - A straight forward, hands on approach to utilizing the Law of Attraction. Teaches you how to think.

   Mind Secrets Exposed - This is instantly downloadable, you can start learning and applying it right away! Also includes audio downloads.

  Covert Persuasion – Combines NLP with persuasion techniques. Excellent both for business, and communicating more effectively with everyone in your life. (No, nothing "underhanded" here. Sorry!!)