When you read about the Law of Attraction, most of the focus is on how feeling good will attract good things into your life. The opposite of this is that feeling bad, or negative, will attract negative things into your life.
Does this mean, then, that if you consistently feel good, you will never experience things that you don’t want to experience?
It does not.
You might be asking yourself, “How can this be?” Is the whole Law of Attraction concept flawed, then?
The answer hinges on how we perceive a “negative” or “bad” event occurring in our lives.
Everyone Experiences “Contrast”
If you’ve ever read or listened to the Abraham-Hicks materials, you’ll know that they talk about “contrast” a lot. Contrast is basically anything happening in your life that you don’t want happening.
So what does Abraham have to say about contrast?
They consistently ask us, “are you enjoying your contrast?”
And that is the key. You see, everyone experiences contrast. It’s a natural part of being human. Where we tend to trip up, though, is when we experience contrast, and think of it as being “bad” or “negative”.
Contrast is just something showing up in your life that helps you clarify what you don’t want, and ultimately, what you do want.
Rather than being “bad” or “negative”, it is neutral. You get to make of it what you will.
Are You Ready for CreationTown?
A friend of mine, Holly Sorensen, likes to call that feeling of contrast “CreationTown”. She has taught me that I always have a choice as to how I perceive contrast, and most of all, that the experience of contrast can ultimately push me forward to a place where I am more easily in alignment with who I am.
Holly calls this push forward “CreationTown”, because you can use contrast to make significant self-discoveries and spiritual growth.
And from such discoveries and growth, the manifestations will appear more easily, more effortlessly.
But it’s not about the manifestations. It’s about being in alignment. Contrast can help with both things.
My Own Recent “Bump in the Road”
In all honesty, the next article that I was planning for the Abundance Journal was one about the process of manifestation (that’s still in the works - keep your eye out for it!). But then, a week and a half ago, I hit a bump in the road.
When you’re a deliberate creator, and stuff happens in your life that you’re not too thrilled with, it’s often be-totally-honest-with-yourself time.
Total honesty, total authenticity. Because if you believe that you create it all, there aren’t any excuses. Excuses just aren’t possible.
So here’s what happened. January happens to be my busiest month in terms of work deadlines. I was facing a flood of deadlines, and then that Saturday morning, I woke up and somehow, while I was sleeping, I had pulled a muscle in my neck.
From the very first sharp twinge of pain I experienced, I knew that I had created a pulled neck muscle. I even knew why. I had been in a place of complacency, opting for the status quo in life - without really thinking about it, without making a conscious choice about it.
But I discovered that simply knowing why I had created this painful bit of contrast in my life didn’t really help the experience pass by any quicker.
Here’s what I learned that week:
1. While you can’t make any excuses anymore as a deliberate creator - it’s all about taking radical responsibility - you also can’t indulge in self-judgment or criticism, either. There is no place for blame. You have a reason for creating what you did, and even if you don’t get why you did it, you just have to trust that all is well. No matter what.
2. Self-love is a powerful tool during challenging times. Whenever I became aware (rather painfully) that I had to choose between making me a priority, or making my work deadlines a priority, I discovered that choosing me had the physical effect of easing the physical pain in my neck. It worked every single time, without fail.
It had to be a pure choice, though. I couldn’t “choose” to make me a priority, and then keep beating myself up with thoughts about how I shouldn’t be resting, I should be working, that every second not working would just plunge me into more stress.
What I had to choose was Me, without any doubts or second guessing.
And you know what? My work didn’t suffer. I met deadlines and in some cases, almost magically, deadlines were extended exactly when I needed them to be.
3. It’s more difficult feeling connected and in alignment when you find yourself deep in the middle of a challenging situation. Surrounded by all this evidence of what I did NOT want, I definitely wasn’t my usual, more-connected-than-not self.
But I discovered something else that truly amazed me. The connection between who I am now, and who I want to be, is always there. And yes, it might seem like a very thin thread at times, but that thread is made of something that’s stronger than the strongest steel - something unbreakable.
4. Keeping yourself open to self-discoveries and inner understanding makes it all worthwhile. I learned so much about where I was, and where I wanted to be, because of that pulled neck muscle. I feel like I have a map now, and my feet solidly planted on the right path.
Those Bumps Are Only as Bad As You Let Them Be
I can’t say I enjoyed a week of intense neck pain. And a part of me thinks, “I can’t even say, oh, I was out doing skiing or snowboarding or rock climbing when I pulled my neck.” That I did it when I was out having fun. No, I pulled my neck in the middle of the night, during a time when I let myself become overwhelmed with the stress of work deadlines.
But I learned a lot of valuable things last week. And I have emerged feeling strengthened, and more connected with who I am than I was feeling before I pulled that neck muscle.
I found answers to questions I didn’t even know I had been asking.
So when that road gets bumpy, it doesn’t have to be such a bad thing.
January 24th, 2008 at 3:42 am
Hi Belle
I’ve just found your blog, and I wanted to let you know I really enjoyed this post.
As you’ve mentioned above, I’ve had all too many times where I’ve kept going and going and going, pushing myself beyond the limits of my resources, and the only time I’ve stopped has been when my body’s finally turned around and pushed back… kind of cause and effect really *embarrassed smile*
I’m slowly getting better at spotting the signs that I’m pushing too hard earlier and earlier now, which helps a little. Sometimes though, even if I see the signs, I choose to ignore them in favour of whatever I’m trying to achieve by pushing myself.
My theme for the coming year is to start *really* building stable foundations for myself - no big flashy goals this year, but instead, a choice to focus on the small habits and reminders to stop and listen to what’s really true for me at a given time.
*soft smile* - of course, like everything else, it’s a work in progress.
Blessings, and thanks for thought-provoking article.
Starfire
February 12th, 2008 at 9:36 pm
I found your experience of making yourself or your deadlines a priority intriguing … that by choosing yourself, your neck pain eased, and consistently.
A physical therapist once told me that, in his experience, women tend to hold stress in their necks and upper backs. I wonder what would happen if we all followed your example and, instead of beating ourselves up, made that conscious decision to first do what’s best for ourselves and our bodies.
Thanks for this and your other insights!