Where to begin

Gratitude. An important premise of the law of attraction is that you need to start with gratitude. A true appreciation for life and a feeling of thankfulness for even the smallest things that give you joy, hope and pleasure are important for reactivating the law of attraction in order to reap the benefits. Gratitude works on many levels and is not as simple as giving thanks for that which you have. It is also important to acknowledge why you are grateful for the things you choose to list. For example, a roof over your head can be acknowledged by recognising that your home isn’t simply a place for shelter but also a place for celebration with family and friends, a place of comfort and stability and a reflection of your other achievements.

Self confidence. The law of attraction works by reciprocating what you give out, so start by fully loving yourself, building your confidence and working out what will really give meaning and fulfilment to your life. It’s not enough to simply long for your desires. If you don’t truly believe in your ability to have these things, if you don’t truly believe you are deserving of them, then simple wishing will not be enough to engage the law of attraction and get it working for you. Building confidence is a process and you must be fully conscious in your efforts. Build yourself with positive acknowledgments of your value, skills and achievements and surround yourself with people who also build you up, avoiding those who tend to pull you down.

Language. The law of attraction operates as a constant; it’s never switched off. Therefore it’s important to be vigilant in what you send out into the universe if you hope to use the Law to achieve your desires. Vigilance must be aligned with the language you use to frame your desires. If you frame them in the negative you will still attract negative things. For example, if you would like to be financially secure but you think about it in terms of being poor, unlucky or put upon, this is what will continue in your life. If, on the other hand, you frame your desire in the positive — for instance, freedom, personal control, generosity and abundance — you will attract positive opportunities into your life.

Coping with hurdles. You affect the universe through the thoughts you have that generate powerful emotions. This is an important point to note because there is no way to avoid negatives completely. Life is full of ups and downs, of people who cause us pain with their actions or words, with loss and grief, with upsets and broken hearts. The way we respond to these is crucial. If we wallow in our pain or anger, if we magnify the things that happen to us as typical of our luck, if we use our thoughts to persecute, to condemn, to revisit and rehash past events, we will frustrate any attempts to change our fortunes through the law of attraction.

It’s important to learn to either accept the pain in your life, incorporate the experience as a part of who you are and move on, or practise mindfulness so you become less judgmental about what is happening around you and to you. If we learn from our pain, if we take something constructive from it, we can turn a negative into a positive and continue to benefit from the law of attraction.