Friday, May 28, 2010

Minding the Gap

As everyone who has studied the Law of Attraction knows, there are certain steps required in the manifestation process:
  • figuring out what you want
  • figuring out what you don't want
  • clearing limiting beliefs
  • paying attention to the language we use when setting the intentions because the Universe does not interpret meaning and cannot process negatives (as in "I don't want to do this anymore"
  • acting on the nudges the Universe provides us once we've set our intentions
  • learning to let go of the "how"
There is one step I've yet to see explored in any LOA materials, that I have determined is a critical part of successful manifestations.

I'm calling it Minding the Gap—the time between setting the intention/taking action steps and seeing the resulting manifestation.

This is a dangerous time in anyone's journey. Intentions are like missiles—we fire them off without knowing it, and they are already in progress. Then we set a conscious intention without being aware of the previously-set unconscious intentions we'd made before we knew better.

What happens is this. Let's say I am in the midst of awaiting the arrival of my consciously manifested result, and a completely different event occurs. My initial reaction?

Whoops! I tend to feel thrown off-course, and this is when I run the biggest risk of messing up. I think "Oh no, I made a mistake" or "Uh-oh, it doesn't look like it's going to work out after all!". This causes me to focus on the wrong outcome! I focus on the Oh No part.

What we focus on, expands, so the manifestation result shifts. Instead of focusing on the outcome I prefer, I allow my focus to shift to the outcome I didn't want and wasn't aware I'd called for. Then I get that outcome, and think the LOA doesn't work.

Ah, but it DID. :-) I just wasn't expecting that outcome because I wasn't aware I was setting the intention to manifest it.

The trick is, when an unexpected event occurs or something happens that seems to be the opposite of the preferred outcome, take it as a sign that your preferred outcome is on its way.

Why? Because manifestations, like intention-setting, happen in sequence. I'd unconsciously set an intention, and it manifested; since I'd set a conscious intention in between, this means my conscious manifestation is next in line!

No matter what happens, stay focused ONLY on your preferred outcome, knowing that anything random or unexpected that occurs between intention-setting and manifestation is just fallout from previous subconscious intentions, and the LOA WILL WORK for you. Every time.

5 comments:

koah said...

It's a good advice, just what I needed to hear...
I like your blog.
Thank you for your inspiration.

Iago de Otto said...

"I'm calling it Minding the Gap—the time between setting the intention/taking action steps and seeing the resulting manifestation."

Isn't the time between the act of setting the intention and seeing the manifestation results (what you are referring to as Minding the Gap) that "letting go" sitcom? By minding that gap in space/time between intent-launch and intent-landing, aren't you basically just waiting for something to happen?

Because of this tricky zone to be in, I am wondering more and more whether just sticking with chaos magic sigil casting instead of struggling with the good ole LOA visualization and manifestation process might not be the way to go, might not be an easier row to hoe. Creating the sigil can really ramp up the visualization of the intent. Once the sigil has been cast and then tossed off over your shoulder as you walk away from the little ceremony and forget all about it, moving on to your next chaos magic act or maybe having a bit of Ben and Jerry's, or watching a Tom and Jerry rerun, whatever, there is basically no gap to mind, you have "let go". When that forgotten intention materializes at some point, it can then be a pleasant surprise.

JB at MM said...

Iago de Otto, yes, you are correct in that the Gap is the time when we need to "let go and let happen".

The sigil you mentioned, same thing as a vision board, just a different format. Some create boards filled with illustrative reminders of their intent; in your case, you put that intent into a sigil/symbol.

Spell-casting, prayer, and visualization are all the same thing: consciously directing the energies of the Universe to manifest something desired. These are the easy parts. So is seeing the result manifest.

It's the time between (the Gap) when we have to "let go" that is really tricky for most people. It's the one time where people's manifestations are most likely go off course because of the many factors that can pop up in between intention-setting and manifestation stages: factors that redirect one's thoughts, emotions and focus over to what's unwanted, resulting in accidentally manifesting that outcome.

Understanding that this is a natural part of the process, and having a bag of mental tricks to call upon when it unfolds, makes it easier to get through the Gap. When one is well-armed with knowledge and puts it into practice, it becomes easier and easier to set an intention, let it fly, then let go with complete trust. It becomes easier to navigate the Gap.

If you're at the point where this has become an easy process for you to put the intention out there, and forget about it, trusting fully that it will arrive, no matter what else happens in the meantime, congratulations! :-)

As for me (and many others), it doesn't come so easily, and I spent a lot of time analyzing why it wasn't working for me yet—where was I being tripped up, and how? The Gap was the part I had the most trouble with, and when I figured out where I was making my mistakes, as well as what to do to "fix" them, I began to see manifestations that look more like what I expected them to look like.

I haven't seen a lot of LOA guru authors address this. I imagine it's because they haven't run into challenges with that aspect of the manifestation process like I have. I was pretty sure if I was having trouble with it, others were too—hence this post. :-)

Iago de Otto said...

What I like about the sigil (besides the focus [or lack of it maybe, like a diffused focus, or an empty mind {as if}] on the "intent" making one can involve) compared to a vision board, which hangs out there on the wall waiting for you to look at it again (although this is well and good, I guess, for so-called affirmations) besides the making of it, is that it can be (supposedly, or perhaps apparently) forgotten about once cast by flushing its ashes down the toilet or washed down the drain of the sink, or being stuck between the pages of a book, or thrown off a bridge or over a pier, or eaten, or whatever -- but yeah, all that is really nothing more than "a bag of mental tricks" to help one lap the gap, of leap it (But mind that abyss!!!)

"If you're at the point where this has become an easy process...."

No, actually, I smoke almost two packs a day.

JB, thanx for the feedback, you fellow SBHAHE you.

Iago de Otto said...

"It's the time between (the Gap) when we have to "let go" that is really tricky for most people. It's the one time where people's manifestations are most likely go off course because of the many factors that can pop up in between intention-setting and manifestation stages: factors that redirect one's thoughts, emotions and focus over to what's unwanted, resulting in accidentally manifesting that outcome."

All those manna-infestations, I know, sometimes they just stick to the roof of my mouth. Tasty though.