"Keep a light, hopeful heart.
But expect the worst."
-- Joyce Carol Oates
[Classic post from 10-24-16]
Continuing with the idea of practical Spirituality.
I love the quote above because it is so silly, but I don't think she was laughing when she wrote it. Sure, "keep a light, hopeful heart," is a grand platitude, but then to negate it with, "but expect the worst," is bizarre, and yet, it is how many of us live in the world today.
It is said that we get what we expect, and so to expect the worst is to attract it to us and then how long do you suppose a light, hopeful heart will last? Until you turn on the news? Pick up the newspaper?
Does it even occur to us that to expect the worst and then try to keep a light, hopeful heart is so much work? It's got to be tiring, stressful to contradict ourselves all day long. A house divided cannot stand?
We think, 'well, this is life. This is how it is. This is my lot. I can't imagine how I could _________. There's no use in ____________ because ________ is ________.' And, all of this is trying so desperately to have a light, hopeful heart while expecting the worst, isn't it?
That's when people say, 'all that Spiritual stuff sounds good, but it isn't real, and it isn't practical. All that philosophical stuff is bunk.' They agree with Amit Kalantri when he says, "lovers tend to be philosophical, achievers are practical." We want practical. It's like Tony Blair, when he said, "What matters is what works."
So one of those Spiritual, philosophical things is that Law of Attraction idea: What is like unto itself is drawn. Yeah, so why isn't the money in my bank account yet? Why hasn't my life changed for the better? I've been thinking positive thoughts. . . well, sort of. . . I mean when I think about it I do. . . when I have time to set aside to think. . . but I'm so busy. . . I got so much to do. . . I gotta pay the rent. . . I don't have time for this crap. . . I want results! Now!
Perfect. Results are what the Law of Attraction is all about. It always, unerringly, unfailingly produces results. You think thoughts, and more thoughts like that are drawn, and the more focus or attention is given to a thought to the point that emotion is felt, the more like it are drawn. You could think of that as the gas pedal in a car. The more you press the gas pedal, or the stronger the thought, the faster the car goes, or the faster and more powerful are the like things drawn.
A strong thought doesn't just draw another like thought, but it also begins acting on the strength of the thought by helping to create opportunities, ideas, circumstances. In other words, those thoughts now become things and those things that match the strong thought become new circumstances, meeting people with similar goals, opening doors that we didn't even know existed.
However, as we work so hard to keep a light, hopeful heart, but expect the worst, we immediately negate the idea of improvement. Instead, the more powerful thought, which in this case has to be to expect the worst, the Law of Attraction goes to work on that, or best case is that we simply stand still and nothing much happens to change. We desire to change, and then we expect to not change if that makes more sense.
Simplicity is the way the Universe works. Simplicity rules. So to keep it really simple, as we focus on what we want, more of that is drawn, and as we focus on what we don't want, more of that is drawn. We can go back and forth, back and forth at will. We can wonder why these bad things keep happening to us when that is not what we want and wonder why our positive thoughts don't seem to help. But, that doesn't change the fact that the simplicity and consistency of the Law of Attraction are at work 24/7/365.
Realizing this is always working on our behalf is all that is needed to understand what we are getting. If we are not getting what we want, follow the trail to our thoughts and expectations. Expectations are only thoughts that have more power, and that is why we get more of what we expect than what we think.
Practicality and the Spiritual Law of Attraction are one in the same. It is eminently practical, and it is also completely Spiritual. Make use of it or ignore it as one might wish. It doesn't care. Use it to benefit yourself or bring more and more hardship. It doesn't care. It is completely and exquisitely neutral.
Your Wish Is Its Command. Wish For. Wish Against. Your Choice.
Spread Some Joy Today--by making the simple choices. I recommend the ones that feel good.
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