"The Secret" and Beyond: The Five Most Common Mistakes in Mastering the Law of Attraction

Did you love the movie "The Secret" and have been trying to practice what you learned? Are you experiencing any frustration or confusion about how to effectively manifest your dreams? If so, the tips in this article will help you to make the secret behind the law of attraction less of a secret. Due to the popularity of "The Secret", many new books, CDs and programs have been developed to help people put the ideas into practice. People such as Esther (a.k.a. Abraham) Hicks, Wallace D. Wattles, Jack Canfield, Bob Doyle and countless others have offered their own spin on the principles of "The Secret." Many of you may have purchased such materials in an attempt to master the law of attraction and bring the things you truly want into your life. Read on to discover solutions for the five most common mistakes made when people first begin practicing the law of attraction.nnMistake #1: You don't practice what you know. It may sound silly, but many people who watch "The Secret" think it's a great idea but then continue doing exactly what they've always done. nnSolution: Pick at least one of the ideas in "The Secret" and start practicing it today.nnMistake #2: Becoming attached to one particular outcome. Many people focus their thoughts on one particular thing they want to manifest in their life and lose sight of the bigger picture. They end up blind to all the good things that are actually happening in their lives because they can only see that one outcome that they initially imagined. nnSolution: Things don't always come in the exact form that we expect. Focus instead on the underlying importance of what you want-- see the bigger picture. Be open to experiencing the miracles that come as the result of your efforts. nnMistake #3: Sending yourself mixed messages. You have probably heard how important it is to focus your attention on what it is that you want. Often, people think they're concentrating on what they want, but are actually complaining about what they don't have. They say things such as: "I want more money because I'm sick of being so broke" or "I'm going to find the person of my dreams as soon as I lose some weight." All these mixed messages make it very challenging to manifest what you truly want.nnSolution: Being conscious of the fact that you're focusing on mixed messages is the first step to centering in on your intention. Write a list of all the things that you want to manifest. When you speak or think about these things, make it a game to see how many times you become aware that you're mixing your messages. nnMistake #4: Creating expectations that you don't believe are possible. We see it all the time: someone gets very clear about what they want, starts to practice the steps, and yet doesn't expect a change to happen. The problem is that your experiences create your belief systems and if you don't truly believe something can happen right away, it's guaranteed not to happen.nnSolution: Let go of expectations. Trust that changes will come in perfect time for you to accept them.nnMistake #5: Focusing only on future returns. Gratitude is an essential component to manifesting your dreams. Very often, people focus on a plan to be grateful in the future for all the things that will manifest in their lives. The big car, the great house, the perfect partner... the list goes on and on. Your day-to-day experience is what captures your attention and what you focus your attention on grows. Therefore, unless you can find things to be grateful for right now--within your day-to-day experience--you will end up focusing on everything that you don't have instead of on what you really want.nnSolution: Learn to cultivate gratitude in your day-to-day life. Each morning, survey your life. Pinpoint at least 3 things you can be grateful for right now. Once you get the hang of this, it becomes easer and you will begin noticing many more things for which you are grateful.