<b>By Martha O’Regan</b>

Attraction or distraction: Which one is it? What if it is both? And, how do you know?

With the Law of Attraction, science tells us we create our own reality through our thoughts, perspectives and personal beliefs. I believe there must also be a Law of Distraction, where we create reasons to fall off course, procrastinate or basically lose focus.   Sometimes it’s subtle, like a video post that you felt compelled to watch, and other times, more obvious like an illness or drama in a relationship.

Journeying along my path, feeling the twists and turns, noticing what is showing up or not, I have discovered how often both “created” and “built-in” distractions show up to divert or slow down progress. Although these distractions may create great annoyance, it helps to understand that they are somehow programmed in for our highest good. For example, when something shows up in our life that pulls us off course, creates laziness or procrastination, did we create a distraction or did we actually attract an opportunity to percolate on an idea or avoid something more difficult or dangerous? Did that “wrong turn” provide an opportunity to meet someone who ultimately supports our journey?

I believe we are all created for a unique purpose with an ultimate destination while here on planet earth, and by design, spend years or decades zigging and zagging along trying to “find our path” until we tire of being lost or create limiting pain, eventually bringing us back into focus of our originally planned journey.  Once aware that we even have a personal path, there is still much work to be done to stay on it — it is a life-long adventure.

So, we wake up to the idea that we live in a friendly and abundant Universe and begin regularly setting intentions and praying for more joy, peace and prosperity, yet often find ourselves broke and frustrated. What’s up with that? Don’t give up, it is all part of the grand design. Instead, begin paying closer attention to what is showing up in your life and realize that you are attracting exactly what you are putting out there, as a collective vibrational energy within and “out with” you.

My favorite example is the person who thinks positive thoughts, enjoys daily walks in nature, eats high frequency organic foods, yet has the 24 hour news station blasting because they need to have “background” noise, and wonder why they aren’t finding their bliss.  Guess what? If the negative frequency of the news overrides all the positive frequency of your actions, by law, you will attract more of the negative. It is really that crazy simple ... just not always easy.

Start paying attention and being curious about everything that shows up — your thoughts, people, phone calls, billboards, songs — and asking “why did I attract that into my life?”

Check in to how it feels in the body, where you feel it and what emotion you would label it with. Let’s say it feels like frustration, then ask, “where else is frustration showing up?” Immediately you think about your teenager’s messy room which makes you feel the same feeling of frustration.  Ask yourself why that situation is frustrating and work with what comes to mind. Whether a reason is identified or not, see if that frustration could be replaced with something else, even something as simple as gratitude that you don’t have to sleep in that messy room. Now, every time that room is passed, shift to gratitude, then begin to pay attention to things that show up that you are grateful for.

Our body and life create the perfect feedback to what we are “putting out there” at any given moment, allowing us to observe how we are doing. But, you have to begin by paying attention to everything. Every experience is coming to you, from you, for you, so even when the tough ones show up, try to muster a “gee, thanks, just what I asked for.” Puts it in a whole new perspective, doesn’t it?

<i>Martha O’Regan, B.E.S.T. Practitioner, Coach and Speaker, teaches ways to manage the energies of mind, body and spirit for a healthier and happier YOU!  Contact her at theravista@gmail.com.</i>