I am reading a great book titled The 28 laws of attraction by Thomas J. Leonard, and has such valuable information on its covers that I thought I’d share it in a series of mini-reviews.
I have based my business model (and pretty much my entire life) on the Law of Attraction, so I was curious what Mr. Leonard had to say. This initial review of his book deals with the first chapter, Get incredibly selfish.
Selfishness does not have to be negative. We can also think of it as ensuring that we meet our needs in a reasonable and responsible manner; It doesn’t have to mean being self-centered or insensitive. You can start by making a list of what you think your needs are, realizing that there is a big difference between needs and wants. Needs can be defined as what you require to live and be fully yourself; wants to provide gratification. If you’re interested in some basic but in-depth work on needs, Google ‘Maslow’s Hierarchy’.
Next, know what you want and don’t be afraid to say it. Probably, at some point in his life, she has been in the position of trying to figure out what another person needs. It’s awkward, to say the least. Once we’ve clearly communicated who we are and what we want, everyone can relax and get on with any interaction. And face it, creativity and excellence require a degree of selfishness!
It always amazes me how many people are genuinely reluctant to be selfish in a positive way. Pretend it’s your birthday if you have to, but have fun with this! Here’s a challenge: spend the next seven days doing something very selfish every day. Make a list of seven things you really want, or want to do, but haven’t been able to give yourself (sleep in, go to the movies, buy something you’ve been longing for). Decide that you deserve these things and go get them, one every day for the whole week. It really feels good to take care of yourself this way, so enjoy it!
The value of becoming selfish is to give yourself room for your strengths to grow. In one way or another, we are all gifted and talented people, but these attributes cannot flourish and expand without food. You owe it to yourself to create an environment in which they can flourish, and yes, that includes learning to say, “not“. Create what Leonard calls “a positively selfish focus on balance, wellness and quality of life.”
The wellness he’s talking about, of course, includes minimizing the stress in your life. Identify your stressors and eliminate them or find a constructive method to reduce the effects. Restructuring one’s finances to reduce stress and committing to regular exercise are two other important areas. Leonard also mentions living in the present, a foreign concept to most Westerners. Only this moment, right now is real. The past is over and the future hasn’t happened yet, so what do you have to lose if you live in the NOW. It is an art that must be cultivated.
The 28 laws of attraction it has so much more to offer that I will continue to write about it as I read. Essentially, we attract what we think about, so think about being good to yourself in all aspects of your life.
