Who says the "law of attraction" is law?

Over the past several years I’ve been hearing a lot about the law of attraction…I imagine you have too. And I’ve got to say, I’m skeptical of it. Extremely skeptical. I mean sure – it’s a great concept, I’d like it to be true, I’d like to believe it’s true. But at the same time, if it is true what does that say about me and the things that aren’t the greatest in my life. Are they like that because somewhere deep inside I want them to be? And how do you explain those people who go out day after day, year after year buying a lottery ticket, hoping that one day they’ll have their big win . . . does the law of attraction mean their belief is really not belief at all? How sad. How pathetic.

Now maybe I just don’t understand the law of attraction. Maybe those of you who do are sitting in front of your computer screen or device shaking your head at my ignorance. And that’s fine. Enlighten me! But while I’m waiting, let me do my own little search . . .

So, what I’ve gleaned from my reading – the law of attraction is basically that the way we think, whatever we think, creates and brings to us whatever we think about. I understood that much already (or at least the idea of it). And I do make an effort to have a positive perspective about things in my life, knowing that I have the power to decide how I react to all situations in life and to act in ways that will work for me, not against me.

The idea behind the law of attraction, however, is that the universe is hearing our thoughts and then responding. Which raises the question to me . . . well then what about morals? Justice? What if the universe thinks, and rightly thinks, that I’m a jerk face and don’t deserve the positive things I’m trying to bring to myself . . .even if I don’t think that. If I thoroughly feel I deserve all the good I want – then do I get it? Well, maybe that’s why so many people who are jerk faces seem to be living the high life. Hmm . . .

In a show summary for Oprah.com Louise Hay, who apparently is considered the mother of positive thinking encourages people to start living the law of attraction by saying things like, ‘I love who i am. I love life. Life loves me. It’s going to be smooth and easy. Life works for me.’. I just tried it. A lot of me retains that skepticism, and thinks the universe part may be all a bunch of hokum, but a part of me also got the warm fuzzies as I spoke. I want to believe this is true . . . and I suppose even if it isn’t technically, thinking those thoughts, saying those words to myself can’t be of much harm. They may help to give me a more positive perspective on the things that aren’t so ideal in my life.

Other people talk about negative energy, disbelief, and desperation and say if you have fear of failure, fear of lack, whatever, the law of attraction won’t work. So maybe that’s my problem (though I don’t know that I do have a problem). That I don’t feel I really believe it. So how do I overcome this? And do I believe that overcoming it will make a difference?

I won’t go through all I’ve read on this quest (if you’re interested in learning more, go ahead, look things up yourself) but I will say that as I’ve been reading a greater part of me is thinking, what do I have to lose by striving to believe, by acting belief until maybe it becomes true?

Ms. Hay comes back with the quote “When the student is ready, the teacher appears.” If she’s right I guess I just need to decide that I’m ready, act on that readiness, and when I truly am a teacher will show me the way.

What do you think about the law of attraction? Do you believe it? Do you live it? Have you had experiences with it? Do you believe the concept in general but not that ‘the universe’ is involved?