| > | | | | of her personal slough of despond given enough |
| The key to reconciling the power of positive | | | | experimentation. |
| thinking and the law of attraction with the way of | | | | But I think you'll agree that it's not polite to turn |
| things is to cultivate awareness of and gratitude | | | | your back on a gift from your best friend. (Now, |
| for the perfection of the present moment. Love | | | | who or what might that be?) You can think of |
| yourself and your life now, and when you can't, | | | | The Work as a way to open the gift of the |
| do The Work. | | | | present (ouch!) by gently and thoroughly untying |
| Samuel Johnson once characterized a friend's | | | | the ribbons of your thoughts with the four |
| decision to marry as "the triumph of hope over | | | | questions and turn-arounds. Inside that present is |
| experience." That applies to many approaches to | | | | the wealth and success you are seeking, and it |
| ending scarcity and creating wealth. | | | | has been my experience that they do, in fact, |
| Hope is always a story of the future. When you | | | | attract more of the same. |
| study the law of attraction or try to use the | | | | THE TRIUMPH OF EXPERIENCE OVER HOPE |
| power of positive thinking in the hope of getting | | | | The key to reconciling the power of positive |
| what you want, you are affirming that you don't | | | | thinking and the law of attraction with the way of |
| have it now. I suspect you know that and are as | | | | things is to cultivate the experience you hope to |
| frustrated by it as I have been for many years. | | | | have. Experience wealth now to attract wealth |
| You know that the only way you can use the law | | | | later. Experience self-acceptance now to attract |
| of attraction to get the results you want -- is by | | | | self-acceptance later. (Oh, and by the way, let go |
| knowing that you have everything now. Now is | | | | of results. But that's another story.) |
| the only place and time where experience can | | | | The primacy of experience has everything to do |
| occur. You can't hope for what you already | | | | with the manner in which you approach and apply |
| experience, and if you hope that a pleasurable | | | | The Work. The Work is an experiential process of |
| experience continues; you generate worry, not | | | | meeting your thoughts with compassionate |
| attraction. | | | | curiosity for the love of truth. (Thank God, you |
| But what if your definition of wealth or success is | | | | don't have to be perfect at that. I'm here to tell |
| at odds with your current situation? Welcome to | | | | you that my love of truth is a bit tattered |
| cognitive dissonance, the static that is created | | | | sometimes. But I digress.) |
| when your way of thinking and reality are at war. | | | | To experience the results you want, go in and let |
| The mind races to resolve cognitive dissonance, | | | | the answers to the four questions rise up from |
| which it achieves by means of changing beliefs or | | | | inside. Resist the temptation to answer from |
| denying reality, or both. | | | | what Katie calls the "I Know Mind." What you |
| The classic illustration of how the mind resolves | | | | already know can only get you what you already |
| cognitive dissonance concerns a UFO cult that | | | | have, Go in and hang out in that possibly |
| became even more entrenched in their beliefs | | | | disorienting space of not knowing what you are |
| following the failure of their leader's prophecy. | | | | supposed to notice. Sit. Wait. And in spite of your |
| When the expected destruction of the earth -- an | | | | conviction that you can't do this, the answers will |
| event central to their belief system -- did not | | | | rise. |
| happen, cult members simply adopted a new | | | | Now the fun begins. As you become aware of an |
| prophecy: that the aliens had chosen to spare the | | | | answer, savor it. Take the whole roller-coaster |
| planet for the sake of the faithful. | | | | ride, fully experiencing all that your thoughts |
| Obviously, leaving the resolution of cognitive | | | | create, from misery to ecstasy. In the space of |
| dissonance up to an unquestioned mind is a risky | | | | not knowing, it is safe to meet and explore your |
| move, but what can you do to resolve the | | | | craziest and most problematic thoughts. |
| dissonance between your perception of lack or | | | | Why would you want to experience the icky |
| inadequacy and your desire to create wealth and | | | | stuff? You may be thinking you already spend |
| success? | | | | more than enough time believing your stressful |
| As you have doubtless discovered, arguing with | | | | thoughts. But believing or arguing with them is |
| your thoughts leaves you exhausted at best and | | | | entirely different from taking the ride. When you |
| feeling slimy and inauthentic at worst. No amount | | | | fully experience the consequences of your painful |
| of spiritual contortion will straighten your path to | | | | beliefs (Question 3, "How do I react when I |
| happiness. | | | | believe that thought? What happens?"), you fully |
| USING THE WORK TO BRIDGE THE GAP | | | | experience the power of mind. |
| BETWEEN SCARCITY AND WEALTH | | | | Your worst fears -- the ones that have kept you |
| Enter The Work of Byron Katie®. If you prefer | | | | from paradise -- reveal themselves as tickets to |
| to muddle your way to a successful, meaningful | | | | the amusement park of mind. Every painful |
| business, as I did for decades, skip this section. | | | | thought is a ticket to freedom, but only if you |
| I'm living proof that a good-hearted and confused | | | | question it. This is one transformation that can't |
| person with a chip on her shoulder can climb out | | | | be faked. |