August 20, 2007

No One Wants to Win the Lottery

This weekend my sweetie participated in two events at his employer's Corporate Games. As regular readers know, my boyfriend likes to win - not just play, not just compete - he wants to be #1.

His experience reminded me of the question people often ask in terms of how law of attraction works when people want the same thing but only one can win. Like a lottery, a job or even a girl.

If each competitor wants to win and they're each vibrating "win," how could everyone get what they want?

This could be a long post, but I'm shooting for short & sweet.

Whoever is in closest vibrational alignment to winning will do so. But just because you're competing to win doesn't necessarily mean you're vibrating "win." Your energy could be "want to win" or "wish I could win" or "what if I don't win" or "hope I don't lose" or even just "do my best."

Vibrating "win" with clarity and confidence is easier said than done. And truly, Universe is pretty creative in delivering to us exactly what we're vibrating, as Russ experienced.

Before I continue, though, let me say it's important to drill down to what we really want. It isn't usually as simple as "win."

Example: I don't think anyone truly wants to win the lottery. I suspect what they really want is a higher quality of life, to be free from financial worries, support loved ones better, etc. And sometimes that happens as a lottery winner; sometimes it doesn't. Getting clear on what you genuinely desire is crucial to achieving it.

Someone who thinks he wants to "win over" a particular person probably isn't seeing things clearly either. What he really wants is more likely the feelings he thinks being in relationship with that person would give him.

We often miss the real target.

Back to my sweetie's story: for these corporate games there were many competitors who wanted to take home the gold, Russ included.

When he came home Saturday with a gold medal for bowling, he was pleased but nonchalant. Turns out what he really wanted was TWO gold medals. Especially the one for golf, where the competition was steep. That would mean more to him.

He just phoned to report that he also won the gold in the golf competition. Was he satisfied with his two gold medals now? Not remotely.

Turns out there was a three way tie on the golf course. Instead of conducting a playoff, they awarded gold medals to all three four-person teams. So 11 other guys are carrying around the same gold medal my sweetie is. He felt a little ripped off.

Not at all what he imagined having two gold medals would feel like.

What he really wanted was probably something more like acknowledgement that he's the best. I'm sure if he'd walked away with the gold by default because no one else showed up or were disqualified due to violation of stupid rules, he wouldn't have been satisfied.

Aren't we funny?!

Last night I watched a portion of the girls gymnastic national competition trials on tv. One competitor wanted to defend her title as champion; another just wanted to make the national team; another was quite pleased at evidence she was the national favorite; another wanted to do her best and make her parents proud, another young one wanted to gain experience for future high level competitions.

It was easy to see how each of them could get what they wanted, and still not be the "winner."
In fact, the girl who scored the highest was talked about as being very relaxed, having a good time and clearly enjoying her performances. Not a surprise, huh?

My point: 1) it's worth getting clear about what you really want and vibrating that, and 2) don't underestimate the Universe's ability to deliver on it. Apparently they make extra gold medals just in case. :)

20 comments:

  1. Jeannette,

    Wow, what a great way to explain how the process works! That is one of those types of questions that gets asked a lot.

    Great job explaining it. I'll definitely be sharing it with my readers.

    p.s. - I loved the part about the Universe making extra medals! :)

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  2. Hee hee...yeah, sometimes you don't really realize what you WANT, as in, if someone's "taking your order."

    The girls' gymnastics is interesting, because often in those situations, the girl wins because she didn't expect to be there, is ever so thankful to be there, and expects NOTHING. However, there's a thin line between expect your best, and expect nothing...if you get my drift. :)

    Some people say to "expect" the checks, whereas others would say not to worry about them. Or is it a detached expectedness? I don't know. Still working with it.

    Peace.

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  3. As I understand it, it's got nothing to do with belief. It happens whether you believe in it or not. It's a universal principle, built in to how things really work, not a Wish Upon A Star fluff-fest. "Expecting" might be a good description, as might be the idea of "assuming" what one desires shall be made real, though both seem to me a weak and passive use of the principle, which most people use without knowing, rather than the proactive and intentional use of intention which is the study of LOA.

    So it's not hoping, not believing, not even presuming without thought. It's activating the universe's tendency to say Yes.

    Am I on the right track, here?

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  4. Eustacia, your example reminds me of Taylor Hicks on American Idol. Do you remember the story of how he just auditioned on a whim? And didn't seem to get nearly as caught up as everyone else in the fear of being voted off?

    His is a powerful example of holding it lightly.

    But that's not the only way it works, for sure. Remember the story of Rudy? They made a movie about how determined he was to play for Notre Dame, and his story of how he achieved it through lots of hard work and commitment to his dream.

    Completely opposite example of how it works.

    I think a good personal guide is to determine what feels best to you, on each particular subject. Some things might feel good to fully expect, other things might feel better to just have a fleeting thought about and let the Universe work the magic to make it happen.

    I've used both approaches and have had success with both. Good for you, Eustacia, for experimenting to find your best formula for success. :)

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  5. John, I like your words about "activating the Universe's tendency to say yes." Although hoping and believing can be big vibrational improvements for some, I agree our strongest point of creation is beyond that.

    Tell me more what you're thinking ...

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  6. Awesome post. I like the way you point out the two different examples or working hard like Rudy and being light like Taylor Hicks. I think it boils down to a phrase from the Teachings of Bashar "Whatever you believe to be true, is true, for you". And I think it is because whatever you believe in is always the least resistant way, for you. If you believe hard work is the way, then it is. If you believe its just having fun, then it is. Nothing really matters, there is no absolute truth, there is only YOU.

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  7. Yes -- getting clear on what you really want and then.... hoping and then.....believing and then.....Knowing

    Knowing is that vibration of total expectation -

    When I can vibrate that Knowing -- then it all lines up so sweetly!

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  8. Truly, Ellie, there is SO much power in "knowing"! It is a tremendously different signal to the Universe, that allows manifestations with velocity.

    It is a nice place to be when we manage to get there, huh? :)

    That's the beauty of working with LOA over time. Eventually you develop such a strong confidence in your creative abilities that you can "know" something is coming simply because you chose it.

    At least, that's how it's worked for me. It took a while. That wasn't an overnight ability for me (to get to "knowing").

    Thanks for posting, Ellie! Nice to hear from you again!

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  9. Alan, your comments fit perfectly in the post about Action, as well. I couldn't agree with you (and Bashar) more! Very well said, my friend.

    We do each create our own truth. There is no "absolute" truth. Knowing that not only explains a LOT, but also empowers us to choose what we believe and act in accordance with those beliefs.

    I'm looking forward to hearing more of your wisdom and comments in future posts, Alan! Thanks for weighing in!

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  10. Alas, Jeannette, I'm just trying to get a grasp of manifesting correctly. (I appear to have brought about a small disaster upon myself, yesterday, in exactly the way you've described before, so getting a handle on this is in the forefront of my mind.) For me, understanding how something works is very helpful in correctly applying it. Keeps me from doing silly things. Usually.

    So I'm just figuring out how to make intentional positive manifestation more powerful than accidental negative manifestation (which seems deeply unfair as a default setting). If my grasp of the principles is at least reasonably sound, it's definitely time to learn from application.

    And that's what I'm thinking. :^D

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  11. Hi Jeanette I love the timing of this article because I have an audition this weekend for a film and it will be my first audition since getting to grips and harnessing the powers of LOA. In the past I was a jobbing actor and always unsure of where the next job would come from. I would fill up with dread when going for a role and seeing 10 other more experienced actors there - bad vibes, I hardly got parts or never the ones I wanted I think my vibes were I want this, that actress will probably get it etc. I created this audition and so I now create the right vibe to get the part, using the tips you have written. Thank you xx

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  12. Anonymous, your post is making me think of a client that I just hung up (who gave me permission to share). She's required to enroll a certain number of people in her employer's very expensive program each month. When she tries really hard to get lots of folks excited about writing big checks to participate, she has dismal results.

    When she relaxes, when she forgets to or runs out of time to "try hard" to get them enrolled, they flock to her like flies. Okay, there's a better analogy than flies, I'm sure. Bees to honey! lol

    But my point is when she gives up the "effort" (which in doing so dramatically shifts her vibration), she has fabulous results!. In fact, she's quickly becoming one of the most talked-about reps in the company because of her success.

    Which - guess what? Makes her want to try hard, because she can see the potential of doing really well if she would just put more effort into it! lol

    And then you know what happens, right? Her enrollments dry up. Which reminds her to relax. And that's when she has stunning success again.

    At the risk of offering unsolicited coaching, go have fun at your audition. Relax, lighten up, be YOU, and let good things happen.

    Thanks for posting, Anonymous. I look forward to hearing from you again! :)

    Oh, and PS - go read Alan's post at http://www.madetobegreat.com/index.php/archive/my-law-of-attraction-experiment/

    It's a very cool example of how feeling good serves us best.

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  13. John, your comments about understanding how something works helps in applying it is still on my mind ...

    Have you connected the dots on your "small disaster"?

    For anyone else who might be wondering why things are turning out the way they are, a simple and usually effective way to make the connection is to check in on how this "event" made or is making you feel, and then checking in on whether this is a familiar feeling. Have you felt this way recently or somewhere in your past? That time delay sometimes fools us about how the world works and our responsibility for it, but it's there when we look.

    Remember Abraham relating the story of the woman driving across the bridge who had unexplained panic attacks that came from "out of the blue"? And how when Abe asked she discovered she'd been feeling nervous after her neighbor was broken into?

    I don't know if this remotely helps, John, but thought I'd offer it since your comment was still on my mind.

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  14. Good story...I especially like the part about getting clear about what we want. I have offered those nervous vibes before (what if I don't get it???)....and guess what? The Universe will deliver just that!

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  15. Today's post, about doggie troubles, precisely matches the issue with my little work-related disaster.

    (As an aside, before I forget to mention it, did you know that the theoretical 10th planet of our solar system is named for the Greek goddess Nemesis? It's out past Uranus and Pluto. Uranus... Nemesis. I was thinking that you have a urinous nemesis too.)

    Anyway... It's that sinking feeling you had that is *exactly* what I was feeling about the project. It was done, all was well, everyone loved me and my work on it. There was a "yeah, but some unforseen thing is going to come back and bite me" feeling, which turned out to be the case. Too Good To Be True actually was. Now I get to deal with fixing it as well as fixing my foot-shooting vibe.

    No, I'm not familiar with that story, being rather new to the whole thing and distantly behind on the literature. I'll have to look it up. For now, suffice to say that I, like you in the dog tale, have to get on top of that feeling; and I think it's time for me to add some serious, frequent practice to get positive things happening.

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  16. Jeannette:

    Very interesting post! Steve Pavlina once wrote an article about this subject. I've written about how there is really no such thing as competition. It's all about what we intend for ourselves! Great article - I, too, enjoyed the part about the Universe making extra medals. Great!!

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  17. Hi Jeannette:

    I loved your article. I went through the same thing and the exact same understanding/steps only it was regarding kitty messes and voila it worked. Imagine that.

    Okay, now I have a favor to ask you since you reach so many folks. When you have time, please take a look at:

    http://www.letemin.com

    And if you like this particular idea of promoting peace, I would greatly appreciate any promotion you can give it..i.e. adding a link to your site.

    The site is what it is. It isn't going to be a hundred pager..I've left that for my "practice" sites, but I sure would like to get the word out.

    Have a look and tell me what you think.

    Thanks in advance.

    Susan Kerr Jacoby

    www.thepracticeofattraction.com

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  18. Hey Stephen, would love a link to your article if you care to post it here!

    And Susan, your subtitle to your site made me laugh out loud! I'm liking what you're up to here - encouraging everyone to encourage peace with one simple act. Isn't it the best feeling to let someone in? I love that feeling even more than when someone lets ME in. Keep up the great work! (I'll remember to use your link next time I'm on this topic!)

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  19. Hi Jeannette,

    Interesting how you mentioned that people tend to believe they want a specific thing without identifying what they really want, which is the feelings they believe they will have upon achievement.

    I'm thinking about a situation I currently have: A job I visualized nearly 2 years ago has suddenly become available!

    Originally, I visualized this job because I needed to quit the job I was in so that I could learn something in another industry.

    Now, I am somewhat stunned that it has shown up, and I am feeling the same apprehension that I feel whenever I have to approach a situation I think I might not like.

    But I'm thinking that making sure that I remember why I'd take another admin asst job might make things easier for me. I want the money and I'd like to learn about buying a house - the job is in the real estate industry, by the way. (See? I don't want to win the lottery, either! LOL!)

    I'm sure I could nail the interview blindfolded, but my apprehension tells me that I have to remember that I don't have to be committed to the job for life. I am also going to look for solutions to supplementing my current income as a Plan B so that I am not so attached to the outcome of the interview. (Hey, it worked with the job I have right now - except for the money part... got to get clear on my intentions...LOL again!)

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  20. Nice manifesting, Marquina! Sounds like you get to distinguish between internal guides and gremlins in this choice.

    Knowing what we want - without interference from our "gremlins" who tell us what's realistic or what we "should" want or what others want for us - makes the process much simpler. Let me know if I can help, but I'm sure you'll find your way to the perfect next step!

    Congrats, my friend!

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