There are many myths around the Internet regarding the Law of Attraction. Buying into some of these ideas can actually hamper your success. What’s at the core of the Law of Attraction? What are the best practices you should follow?

I recently found a blog post on the Law of Attraction Tutor about Five Things to know about the Law of Attraction, which got me to thinking about what I believe about it.

Here are five important things I think everyone needs to know about the Law of Attraction:

1) Awareness

You cannot do ANYTHING until you take control of your mind. It’s really the only quality we have that nobody else has, that nobody can take that away from us. We can decide what we choose to listen to, or not. That is the power of awareness. You need to be conscious of the thoughts that you are letting into your subconscious mind.

2) Avoid Limiting Beliefs

The LOA Tutor lists this as his #5 belief, but I think it’s one of the most important ones: Once you become aware, you are able to neutralize the limited beliefs. You know when something bad comes into your mind, you can diffuse it by not letting it set in your mind. Many times, this means that you need to get rid of the perceptions and preconceived notions things you were exposed to early in your life.

3) Setting Clear Intention

The next step in applying the law of attraction is knowing exactly what you want. When you set an intention, you need to be very specific. You also need to be very positive. If you are visualizing something and simultaneously feeling negative energy about something surrounding that thing, you are actually giving power to the negative thought. By telling the Universe exactly what you want, you are instructing it on where you are headed and how it can support you in getting there.

4) Taking Action

You have the Law of Attraction, but you also must consider the Law of Actions. You have to take action. I can sit here and talk about all the things I want to be, such as, “I want to be an Olympic champion.” Unfortunately, there is no way I’m going to become an Olympic champion if I don’t lift any weights. It’s just not going to happen. I’m not going to make the Olympics if I’m not practicing any sports. I can visualize myself playing basketball and making three-pointers every time, but if I never go to the court to put in some time and effort into what I want to be, it will not come to be.

5) History of Law of Attraction

The LOA Tutor reminds us that the true Law of Attraction is not a flash-in-the-pan idea. It has actually been around for quite a while, some say as far as 100 years back. Self-help books from 50 – 75 years ago teach the principles of the Law of Attraction that are presented today as being brand new. The long history behind the Law of Attraction is a testament to the success that people have found with it, when they’ve learned how to apply it correctly in their lives.

There are plenty of people out there who are not visual thinkers. These people, maybe you’re among them, can’t see visualize scenarios in their mind’s eye. The root cause of not being able to see what you’d like to experience is a lack of belief or awareness. There are ways to increase these vital steps in the process. Train your mind.

Start by putting your intentions on paper. If you’re not a writer, get a digital recorder and list your objectives by speaking them aloud. Describe all of it in the present tense, the here and now. Put it down and read it/play it back again later. It’s much easier to visualize something while reading or listening than it is to just sit there and try to picture it.

Another method is the picture collage. If you can’t picture your success, find pictures that match what you’re after, cut them out and post them someplace you’ll see them everyday. Soon you’ll see yourself in your creation and your intentions will be easier to visualize.

When we were children, the visual part of our brain ruled the roost. When asked what your were going to be when you grew up, you didn’t just see yourself as a fireman or a teacher in the future – you were one right then! Fighting imaginary fire and teaching those dolls the alphabet was in the here in now. You didn’t just see it, you lived it.

For adults, it’s harder to imagine in the present tense. Many people’s brains have been rewired through school and work and the harsh reality of life. But, what has remained is the emotional desire to better ourselves. Tap into that desire and put it on paper, record it or find some other way to express it. Train your mind to see your intentions unfold in the present tense and believe in it. Done correctly, success won’t just come visually. You’ll witness the power of the Law of Attraction.

You’ve heard me talk about the Law of Attraction before. It’s basically the idea that our thoughts influence the chances and opportunities in our life. There are five basic ways you can tap into the Law of Attraction in your life.

• Set clear intentions. The Law of Attraction can have a major impact in your life, but what do you intend to accomplish? Setting some goals is a vital first step.

• The next thing would be to use affirmations.. More and more people are using and benefiting from daily affirmations. First, you want to make sure you’re using them in the present tense. And, what you’re doing then is reinforcing that belief system to your subconscious. In that, you’re basically reinforcing that belief system to yourself.

  “Every day, in every way, I get better and better.” Notice I used “that” in the present tense. I’m not saying I will get better. Instead, I’m in the present tense: I am getting better and better.”

• Visualize your success. Positive affirmations and visualizations serve the same purpose but in a different dimension. With visualizations you’re telling the subconscious mind that you’re living the experience. Your subconscious mind doesn’t know the difference between what is real and what is not, what is good and bad. It just acts upon your feelings and your belief system. The tricky thing about it is, the subconscious doesn’t know the difference betweem real and unreal.

  For example, if you tell yourself that you’re dumb, you’re good for nothing, never accomplish anything in your life. Its kind of like a mirror. But by visualizing the experience you’d like to have, it materializes in the material realm. What you feed it, it gives back.

• Become consciously aware of your thoughts. Become aware that negative thoughts don’t get you anywhere. Protect your subconscious mind from the negative. This part of your mind is like a garden and you must keep the weeds from growing. If I had a negative thought, then I switch it out for a positive one. Remember, your sub-conscious can’t tell the difference between real and not real. If you’re telling it you’re not good at anything, your sub-conscious begins to believe it.
• Take action. We all know that nothing happens without taking action. Do things that will take you closer to your goals and avoid things that don’t serve you.

By using these five basic steps, you’ll be able to introduce the Law of Attraction into your own life and begin to influence your chances by adopting a new way of thinking.