Law of Attraction, Move Over!
Here is a great guest post by my friend and colleague Steven Rice about the Law of Attraction and how it really applies to your business.
If you are an entrepreneur seeking to create an enlightened business, good luck! You are facing a whole set of challenges beyond the typical business struggles that all business owners face. In addition to bottom lines, profit and loss statements and marketing strategies, you may be struggling with obstacles created by the current culture and business “norm.”
The Culture of ‘Lack’ and Business
Over the last 100 years, western civilization has created a culture of lack in business. In marketing, we have learned to identify the need of the customer (“lack”) and highlight that. We drive all focus to it, and then provide our product as the best solution for what appears to be missing in the customer’s life.
We “fight” for the sale, and competition–not cooperation–is the trait most highly valued by the modern business paradigm. All of these viewpoints are based on a belief that there is a limited number (of sales, dollars, customers) to go around and that to “win” at business, it means putting your competitors out of business. Or at least, marginalizing their influence in the market place.
A Bit of Context…
Over the past few years, there has been a lot of focus on the Law of Attraction with the popularity of films like the Secret. Many people, newly introduced to the LOA, have become disenchanted with the idea that what we think about draws our circumstances to us because they have experienced perceived inconsistencies in results produced by applying the “law” of attraction.
Searching for consistency and understanding, many of us have been seeking more and more information to try to explain this seeming disconnect. All the things we took at face value are being challenged. We’re a little afraid, but more excited about what this means for the future.
As our consciousness expands, we look for ways to assimilate all the stimulus of how we perceive our “new world”. As we open ourselves to abundance and ideas of enough, our old ideas of how to run a “proper” business are challenged.
How the heck are we supposed to hold the belief that the world is abundant and there is more than enough when business practice tells us that we have to go out there, hunt it (the leads, prospects, sales, etc.) down and drag it home?!?
Ugh…I wanna pull my hair out sometimes!
We want to run an abundant business, but we act from hunter/gatherer instincts. How, then, can we engage in a profitable but enlightened business? Here are my thoughts…see what you think.
Leveraging the Law of Generosity
The LOA is great, but let’s take a few minutes to talk about the Law of Generosity. You’ve probably never heard of it referred to in this manner…or maybe you have. I don’t know, but let me explain what I mean.
The natural ebb and flow of creation is giving and receiving. As you create, there is a natural expansion that occurs, which requires giving. If not, your life and business will stagnate in every way.
Generosity is not only about giving, but it is also learning to receive (which is really generosity shown toward one’s self).
Face it, Sweetheart…You gotta be willing to receive before you can truly give to others without reservation, or you simply become an opportunistic SOB (and we’ve all worked with or for one of those). Don’t be that person!
When you believe that there is not enough, you think that the only way to receive is to “get” something from someone else. The truth is that you can never get anything from anyone else that you have not given to yourself first.
You can get trinkets and toys, but the true gifts that those things represent will be withheld. It is not the stuff you’re really seeking, anyway, but the underlying values that they represent. Abundance comes from within and is born of the belief that we fundamentally deserve it.
The Main Point
Business is about expressing yourself in a physical and tangible way. As entrepreneurs, we sometimes–or a lot of the time–allow our business to become the primary focus of our lives (professional and personal–or both).
Your business is the method by which you expand in the physical world. It is the tool and platform by which you share your gift with others. Business is the mechanism by which your creativity is shared with the world around you.
When I say business, I am using it very generally to describe the commerce of our lives. Business is the exchange of one thing–money, time, energy–for something else.
Therefore, this broader definition is comprised not only of the narrower idea of business as exchange of money for goods and services, but it also encompasses all exchange that occurs in our lives. Business is the manner in which we interact with life.
Back to the main point, thought. Business is not the end. It is the means. The end is the journey. The end is the creation. The end is the expression of your gifts.
Don’t get so wrapped up in the commerce of business that you forget the business of living!
Generosity and Commerce
So let’s wrap up this article by bringing it all down to the bottom line. Let’s talk business–real, profit and loss business!
How does an understanding of an abundant universe and a generous spirit blend with a business that must make a profit in order to stay afloat?
Let me start by asking you to think about a couple of assumptions we tend to make.
ASSUMPTION 1: Money must be earned.
We think that our money is a result of our efforts…and it is. However, what if we chose to look at it a little bit differently.
What if we chose to recognize that money represents energy flow? What if we then recognized that energy is always flowing? What would that mean about the flow of money?
What if we chose to simply look at our businesses as a bucket? What if all we had to do was hold up the bucket in the rain storm in order to fill it? How would that change things?
ASSUMPTION 2: Generosity means I don’t get paid.
We think that generosity means that we must give up something to (or for) someone else at the expense of ourselves. We think that if we give that means that we have less.
In business, we think generosity means giving away products or services. We think that if we are running a spiritually generous business then we cannot (or should not) get paid.
What if we truly began to believe the universe is abundant?!? What if we chose to believe that generosity means expansion? What if we finally realized that it is impossible to truly give without gaining? What if we realized that receiving money is absolutely necessary to a truly thriving, enlightened and generous business?
What would that mean? How would that change things?
Your Turn!
What do you think? Share your comments below and please tell me about your experience creating an abundant, enlightened business.
What practical steps have been successful in helping you to be truly generous in your business? What has that looked like for you?
Photo Credit: renjith krishnan
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Sherrie,
Thanks for the opportunity to speak to your readers. This is a really interesting challenge for those of us seeking to create a more enlightened business that reflects our values and intentions. At the same time, we have to “play” in this physical world, so it’s good to have this discussion, I think.
Steve Rice@True Spiritual Awakening recently posted..Why Do “What If’s” Still Scare the Sh*t Outta Me?!?
Steve,
Thanks for writing this great article for us. I think this is a subject that needs to be talked about a bit. There is a lot of confusion on how to create what you want in the confines of a busines world. This article should get the ball rolling!
Sherrie
First, I should explain that I am not a proponent or adherent of the Hypothesis of Abundance. (It is NOT a Law.)
Secondly, while I practice generosity, I know that I need to have a ticker associated with it. Too many (Americans, Chinese, and Japanese) love to take advantage of your generosity. One would think that if you offered advice to someone- even if they don’t pay you for that effort, they would return the favor in some way or another. I have noted that in more than 75% of the cases that is a fiction; I will admit that the return for the 25% that do can make up for some of the “takers”, but not enough. As such, I have developed an invisible timer/invoicing system; once the “free” portion has been depleted, my efforts cease unless the coffers get repaid (with referrals, publicity, credit, whatever).
Roy A. Ackerman, Ph.D., E.A. recently posted..How’s YOUR vision?
Good point, Roy.
I, too, have noticed that unending “giving” is frustrating…and actually in a way runs antithetical to my primary point regarding generosity: That one must be generous to one’s self first.
Sometimes this requires setting a healthy boundary (as you indicated). I believe it is within the rights of every person to set appropriate boundaries for him/herself in this sort of situation.
When a relationship–social, professional or personal–ceases to work for either one of the parties involved, it is time to make changes.
Steve Rice@True Spiritual Awakening recently posted..Why Do “What If’s” Still Scare the Sh*t Outta Me?!?
I must mention something. When it comes to the spiritual views of generosity you rarely receive back from the same person you give to nor should you expect it. Generosity is rewarded from many different sources. Think of it as a pay it forward system.
For me, generosity –both, towards you and others- starts by clearly defining the best part of you, the one you can share and makes you feel great just by sharing it. The best thing to do is to make this as clear as possible and, if it is not as easy as it looks, hire some help.
That’s a great point, Gustavo! It is–at the core–about clarity. Once I know what my gifts are, I can freely offer them to others. Thanks for that insight, my friend.
Steve Rice@True Spiritual Awakening recently posted..Why Do “What If’s” Still Scare the Sh*t Outta Me?!?
I think that, for a lot of us who are in the business of helping others, it is sometimes difficult to learn to receive. This has been a very timely and relevant post and I thank you for sharing it! You are so right, we truly need to believe that the universe is indeed abundant.
Sherie recently posted..A Sudden Realization of Truth: Epiphany
Thanks so much, Sherie.
I appreciate your perspective, because it is a powerful challenge for all entrepreneurs trying to create a more “enlightened” business.
It’s hard to recognize that the flow toward us is as powerful as the flow from us.
Really glad to hear that this post connected.
Please feel free to share it and keep the conversation on this topic going in your networks.
Steve Rice@True Spiritual Awakening recently posted..Why Do “What If’s” Still Scare the Sh*t Outta Me?!?