Ian Somerhalder Foundation Book Club discussion

Kim Falconer

Like Attracts Like

What we think is what we get . . .

Law of Attraction says that everything is energy and all energy vibrates.
Like vibrations attract like vibrations. (like attracts like)
Our thoughts and the emotions that power them determine our vibration. Thoughts (as vibration) become the experiences we have in the world. Basically, what we think and strongly believe in (a belief is a thought that we keep thinking) attracts a matching vibration.
To summarise: Everything is energy and energy vibrates, attracting like vibrations to itself. With your thoughts you can change your energy vibration and deliberately attract specific ‘things’ (energy) into your life.
If we want to change our lives we change the way we think.
Examples from Path of the Stray
Below is Ruby remembering a conversation at Treeon Temple when she was talking with her sword Master. He taught her to think different thoughts to create a different experience of ‘reality’ – We always have a choice of what we think. Page 406-407

‘But, Sword Master, it is ghastly the way the bandits
robbed Timbali Temple. The high priestess was
murdered! Doesn’t that frighten you? It’s not safe any
more.’
‘Not safe any more? Is that what you think, Ruby?’
Ruby thought of her life on Earth and knew for a
fact that nothing was ‘safe’. Nothing. ‘The high priestess
is dead. That constitutes a safety risk as far as I’m
concerned.’
The Sword Master had chuckled. ‘You need to loosen
your grip, Ruby.’
‘My grip?’ She bent down to pick up a twig. ‘On
what?’
‘Reality.’

Ruby stopped, squaring her shoulders as she faced
her mentor. ‘I don’t get it.’
‘What kind of world do you create, Ruby, when you
think it is not a safe place?’
‘I don’t create anything. The Timbali priestess was
murdered! It isn’t safe!’
‘Exactly! Well done.’
‘What?’
‘That’s the world you create.’
Ruby shook her head.
‘Consider it like this,’ he said. ‘What would you feel
about the world without the thought it isn’t safe?’
‘You mean if I pretended?’
The Sword Master nodded.
Ruby let out a deep breath. ‘I guess I wouldn’t be
having this conversation.’
‘What else?’
Ruby looked at the distant peaks of the Prieta
Mountain range. ‘I’d worry less.’
‘And what would that be like?’
Ruby chuckled. ‘It would feel good. Relaxed. I’d be
more excited about the adventure, about what was
coming next.’ She raised her hands over her head and
twirled. ‘I’d be happy.’
‘You’d be happy?’
‘Yes. Definitely.’
‘Then why do you keep thinking that thought “the
world isn’t safe”?’
Ruby’s hands fell to her sides. ‘You make it sound
like I have a choice.’
‘Young apprentice, it is the only thing you do have.’

Thoughts and Beliefs

Thoughts and beliefs go hand in hand. You can think something is so but if deep down you don’t believe it, your vibration isn’t going to change. Janis


has some great advise here for Ruby on how to change a belief. Start thinking of instances where what you want to experience has happened, and can happen again. Nothing is impossible.

Janis put her arm around her daughter. ‘But if I
know anything about experiencing what you want,
Ruby, it’s that you have to believe in it first. Let’s
not focus on the lack of ability. Instead, let’s do
everything we can to affirm its presence.’
‘If I could remember doing it in the past, I’d have a
little more hope.’
‘That’s a start. I’ll help you regain those memories.’ Page 205-206
* * *
Ruby practices letting go of fearful thoughts and tuning into what she wants .

‘Is Sencia … I mean, is she …’ Ruby couldn’t get the
words out.
‘My mother?’ Allec said. ‘Can you see the
resemblance?’
‘Oh.’ Her skin prickled. ‘I can.’ She couldn’t but she
didn’t know what else to say. Her throat tightened
again. How would she eat? I’m going to have fun, she
told herself. I’m going to have well-deserved fun. No
pressure, just fun. She said the mantra over and over
until it no longer seemed so impossible. Page 353

* * *

Check in to what you are attracting

Ask, what am I creating?

Do you think about what you want as if it’s already here, or dwell on what you don’t want?

Do you relive memories of sadness or conflict, or find ways to see the positive in them. Can you imagine a bright and fulfilling future.


How do you see others? As a reflection of yourself or a contrast to yourself?

Can you look at your life as a mirror of where you are focusing your thoughts?

How easy is it to focus on what you want to experience? Do you practice?

Tips for aligning thoughts with desired experiences (deliberate creation)


1) Set an intention for what you will experience. Say it as if it is already so!

2) Find something to appreciate about what is, right here, right now, without a thing having to change.

3) Focus your thoughts on what you want.

4) Let go (meditation, relaxation, exercise, immersion in nature, beauty, love).

5) Do things that make you smile. All the time.

6) Repeat as desired.

One thing we can all do is to focus our thoughts towards reverence for all life. Seeing ourselves as connect and treating everything as a ‘thou’ and not ‘it’ raises our consciousness, heals us, and heals our world. It all starts with appreciation, and practicing new thoughts.

Discussion
What are your thoughts on the law of attraction – like attracts like? Have you experienced it consciously? Are there times where you have changed your thinking and the situation altered as well? Do you practice being ‘deliberate’ with your thoughts? Why? Why not?

Hey everyone!

While I was reading this post I fell back in my thoughts for some days.
I read "The Secret" by Rhonda Byrne some years ago and I really lived my life the way that was described in this book (There is a movie about it, too, but I didn't see it).
And I think there is much truth in the law of attraction.

Our thoughts cause our feelings and these feelings cause the circumstances. If you are already late to get to your appointments and you think about the traffic, be sure you'll hit a traffic jam. And with your thoughts of red traffic lights they immediately turn red when your car is near.

I think you can apply this to every other situation, too. When you want something, for yorself or for something you care about, you have to believe in it. And you have to feel it as if it already happened. When you have an inspired thought, you must trust it and act on it.

Like Heny Ford said “Whenever you think you can or think you can’t, either way you are right."

“When you want to attract something into your life, make sure your actions don’t contradict your desires. Think about what you have asked for, and make sure that your actions are mirroring what you expect to receive, and that they’re not contradicting what you‘ve asked for. Act as if you are receiving it. Do exactly what you would do if you were receiving it today, and take actions in your life to reflect that powerful expectation. Make room to receive your desires, and as you do, you are sending out that powerful signal of expectation.”
― Rhonda Byrne, The Secret

In my opinion you have always the choice to feel good and happy or to feel bad. It's all up to you.
Be grateful for what you have. And to be honest to ourselfes: Everyone has many many things to be grateful for.

"Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions." Albert Einstein

I did now read Kim's book yet, but it is definitely on my "to-read" list. I'm really looking forward to it.

Wow i got an really good example of how creating by thoughts works for me.
About two years ago my life didnt look so bright as it does now, little or no money, we had to leave our house, no friends, not a very good health etc etc.
But then i stumbled upon a book, it is called heal your life by louise hay, it learned me about the power of thinking. And since that time my life changed completely! I feel i can create whatever i want, i have a house, a good job, starting to make friends, feel healtier than ever, i even found my long lost sister!!
And you know what i am just thinking, when i was a kid i used to dream about some famous guy that would use his power and influence to help the world, hey wait a second, that dream/wish has come true!!!
i still dont have kim's book, but i will certainly buy it(oh wait start thinking: I have enough money, i have enough money, just kidding)

I've been suffering from a mysterious illness since January (I said mysterious in an oh-so mysterious voice in my head by the way and hope you read it that way too) and by eliminating gluten and working out when I have thyroid storms, i've been able to get through it - so far. But in reality, the most effective 'treatment' is actually the power of thought.

I tip out of the sky when an 'attack' happens. No, not literally, but my mind boggles and tilts and shifts until i'm spiralling out of my chair. I used to cry and beg for an anti-emetic but now I have learned to flip myself back around just by telling myself that the sun is shining and hey, enjoy the ride, right? I'm dizzy anyway. Stop seeing it as an issue and just go with the flow.

I believe i'm an empath. You know when they say you can cut the atmosphere with a knife? It's because of energy and anybody can change that. I can feel it. I can try and help change it when it needs changing.

Negativities, positives, uncertainties. They can all be moulded into what we want them to be. So yes I will be putting my Converse on and taking a walk outside in the sunshine today. Yes I will be dizzy. But no I will not feel sorry for myself today and my mysterious (yes, that voice again) illness will not hold me back.

I set up a photography business 3 years ago. I had no experience, no camera, no idea what I was doing to be honest. But I did it because I let myself see it.

Anything is possible. The mind is the most powerful part of all of us.

Smile, so that other people will smile back at you.
Be kind to people so that other people will be kind to you, too.
Think positive and try to see the good sides of life and you dicover a more pleasant life.
:)

There was an amazing Press Conference yesterday with Ian Somerhalder in the Philippines. He mentioned Deepak Chopra being a strong figure (friend & mentor) behind the decision of creating the ISF. Ian talked about the Environment & how we can reprogram ourselves to think in terms that "we are the environment & the world is one biological process. The trees are our lungs... when we destroy our environment we are effectively destroying ourselves... When we are slashing & burning all of these forests, imagine taking out one of your lungs, how hard it is to breathe. Destroying our waterways & river systems, imagine if our cardiovascular systems were carrying nothing but chemicals & waste into our organs. Guess what, we would literally start to shut down. That's what we are doing to our world."

He spoke of how river systems & our veins are similar patterns; of how trees & coral are like our lungs. As in Bejan's theory of Constructal Law, we are all connected in a similar design by nature.

Anyway, I was blown away! It is so nice to hear him go into his heartfelt explanations of how we need to protect our ecosystems. Hopefully the full interview will get back on-line soon.

But what do you think about it? So you agree with what he said?

I agree with all my heart & soul. If I were to be asked what religion I am I would answer 'Naturalist' I grew up with 'going out to play with the kids' meant to jump on the logs with the baby goats outside. Where I live & grew up, demographically there is a high percentage of many different Native American tribes & reservation land. They still fish for Salmon in the rivers. Some try to continue practicing their ancestral rituals. I have worked for Eskimos in Tanana Village living off of Moose & Salmon through the winter, dog mushing & pulling water out of the Yukon. I was raised Quaker & Unitarian. I believe in our reliance on Nature & our oneness with all living beings including the earth & the water, sky & the universe. It's not as hippie as it sounds, it really is just Survival.

I was once lost in the Redwoods after coming out of -50F (-45 C) degree weather in Alaska in January. I was so glad that I could survive in the 50F (10 C) degree rainy weather; I went for an overnight hike in one of our few Redwood State Parks. The next morning while following a marked trail, the trail disappeared. When I turned around to find it again it was nowhere only brush & logs. I learned very quickly not to wear cotton, since I was soaked. Ferns were above my head & the trees can be 300 feet tall (100 yards) by 21' diameter (7 yards) It is a very humbling experience just to be around those trees & the forest they support. Our coastal county of Humboldt is known for its year round fog. Luckily a friend gave me a compass which I had traveled with. This was the first time I needed to pull it out & it seriously saved me. I just kept going West. I knew I would reach the ocean at some point. Took a couple of days & a few hours walking South on the beach before I ran into some campers, who nicely gave me a cup of Chai tea & a ride 30 miles home.

I believe Wildlife & Nature are at this point more sophisticated beings than humans. I can kill & destroy by making a decision in a grocery store or firing up a chainsaw or excavator, but I wouldn't last weeks in the Redwood forest. The Mattole River watershed in the Douglas Fir forest, where there is more diversity of plant life I have experienced eating nearly wild (vegan) food. Miner's Lettuce, wild onions, wild oats... but the Redwoods only have redwood sorrel & wild ginger. The other thing would be clothing. We are so far from being survival that I do not understand how most things work in my daily life (which I guess is why I stick to feeding sheep & training horses) but still we must function as a society. We are such a large population that we would have to start Restoring Nature rather than destroying it in order to preserve our own origins. Another thing is shelter. I stayed dry for a year under a fallen Old Growth log while we were defending the Mattole from loggers. Many forest practices are able to take Large Woody Debris. We continue to shoot ourselves in the foot, just as quickly or slowly disallowing the Wild creatures the right to struggle for their own survival. They do not have other options. A 3rd growth tree cannot keep a bear dry for the winter & a Spotted Owl cannot sleep on the ground.

I don't live in the city & many do not live in the woods or out in the country. There are people out there who live happily off-grid. Transportation is always a big issue. Gas prices here are up to $4.50, which I know is nothing compared to some global prices, but it is extreme since the price of living continues to go up while technology takes over so many jobs. Public transportation is virtually non-existent in many locations.

I do not feel I am 'like' a motor or a machine. Maybe some people do, but I resonate more with things that have blood, flesh, sap, gills, wings, branches that tell me they will take care of me, they provide for me. You can feel the life pulsating from a giant tree, or hear the water beneath the rocks, the sound of plants growing in the springtime sun. Watch lizards come out of hibernation, while so many creatures rely on migration. Humans alter terrains, landscapes, create giant dams, cast 30 mile long nets into the ocean? I don't understand. The only thing I can understand is my connection to the living Earth that created us. We can practice kindness & take care of our family or we can take a side road & bulldoze a highway, no matter who we are displacing. I am not competitive enough to survive the rat race, but I will stand up for what I know is survival.

I loved the interview. I sent it to everyone I knew & who got to see it were impressed. A fellow Wildlife Rehabber wrote: "THIS is the real essence of HIM. What a gift!" She doesn't even know who he is, she just could tell he was speaking from the heart. I'm sure someone will repost it once the news is done broadcasting. Thanks for the question, sorry for the long winded answer, I'm trying to curb my post lengths, I'm just so excited about this group!

One of my favorite quotes -



The Invitation
Oriah Mountain Dreamer
Canadian Teacher and Author


It doesn't interest me what you do for a living
I want to know what you ache for
and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing.

It doesn't interest me how old you are
I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool
for love
for your dreams
for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon...
I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow
if you have been opened by life's betrayals
or have become shrivelled and closed
from fear of further pain.

I want to know if you can sit with pain
mine or your own
without moving to hide it
or fade it
or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy
mine or your own
if you can dance with wildness
and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your
fingers and toes
without cautioning us to
be careful
be realistic
to remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn't interest me if the story you are telling me
is true.
I want to know if you can
disappoint another
to be true to yourself.

If you can bear the accusation of betrayal
and not betray your own soul.
If you can be faithless
and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see Beauty
even when it is not pretty
every day.
And if you can source your own life
from its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure
yours and mine
and still stand on the edge of the lake
and shout to the silver of the full moon,
"Yes."

It doesn't interest me
to know where you live or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up
after a night of grief and despair
weary and bruised to the bone
and do what needs to be done
to feed the children.

It doesn't interest me who you know
or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand
in the center of the fire
with me
and not shrink back.

It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom
you have studied.
I want to know what sustains you
from the inside
when all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone
with yourself
and if you truly like the company you keep
in the empty moments.


© 1995 by Oriah House, From "Dreams Of Desire"
Published by Mountain Dreaming, 300 Coxwell Avenue, Box 22546, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4L 2A0

@Barnyard:
I think your post wasn't "too long". I liked reading it. And I have to say I agree with the two of you, too. I think we are one big organism, our whole universe. And if we destroy one part (or creatur) we destroy a part of ourselfes.

@Kendra:
Beautiful Quote. What does it mean to you? How does it fit with your "daily life"?

Hi clubmates!

I agree only with the most basic premise of the “Law of Attraction” theory, which is that we have an ability to bring about change in our lives and those of others. HOWEVER, the idea that simply thinking positive/negative thoughts will somehow bring about positive/negative outcomes in and of itself is, in my mind, comparable to those vibrating belt “exercise” machines from the 1950’s. In the eco-context, it even diminishes the urgency of the issue and undermines the tangible efforts that we should be taking to protect the planet.

I think that it is integral to acknowledge the problems around us. The “secret” is, I think, to refuse to be discouraged or overwhelmed by them. If I think that there is no way out of a jam, then of course I’m not going to formulate a way out of the situation; I'm going to appease myself with excuses. If I’m positive that the problem(s) can be fixed, then I’ll work to figure something out.

My interpretation of the Master’s wisdom in the passage that Kim cited re: Ruby's recollection of a conversation at Treeon Temple is this: “Yes, welcome to reality. The world is not perfect. What are you accomplishing by running away from it? Nothing, except to make yourself feel miserable and powerless. Stop worrying, clear your mind and start doing something about it.” (this is clearly the sassy friend version:)

Thanks all!

HN

@Dana, It makes me aware that I want to really live life, not just float through it, even with the mundane, day to day living. I've done nothing in my life I regret, because I did what I wanted, even if it ended up not being great ideas, and tried to learn from it all.

And I want to meet others with that same view, not the "Life is awful, boring, horror" that so many people seem to be suffering from.

Yes, I agree with the law of attraction. Your thoughts create your world BUT there is a second part to that...you have to take actions on your thoughts. Saying 'I want a beautiful green world' is nice but if you don't do anything about it it's just a dream. If you take action it will become a reality. no matter how small the action as long as it is in alignment with your thoughts and dreams you will make progress towards actually creating that dream.

What are your thoughts on the law of attraction – like attracts like?
I think that the people with whom we communicate, we exchange the better are people with the same purpose in life, the same vision. But we are all different in our education, our life's travels , then what is interressent is to seek complementarity. In a team, knowledge, skills, must serve at the community. Each one with its role, its place and it is together that we can do great things. That we can achieve our common goal. We can be seduced by the stranger, attracted by the différence, but to make things in the time, we need themselves understand give a sense to things, actions !

I believe it. Even with things that are or seem to be different, there is usually something in common. Some good friends of mine are Hungarian, and while I never would have assumed that we'd have anything in common, we actually do. Getting to know them, and really getting the deeper history of Hungary, and finding friends who truly enjoy horses as much as I do, has made them more alike than what I would have ever thought. One day, I do hope to make it over there and see that country!

Kendra wrote: "I believe it. Even with things that are or seem to be different, there is usually something in common. Some good friends of mine are Hungarian, and while I never would have assumed that we'd have..."

The saying goes, 'if they are in your life, they've got something to do with you.' We may not see it on the surface but it's there, that 'likeness' if we care to look deeply. Love your story about the Hungarian horse friends!

Lea wrote: "I've been suffering from a mysterious illness since January (I said mysterious in an oh-so mysterious voice in my head by the way and hope you read it that way too) and by eliminating gluten and wo..."

Oh Wow! That was amazing! I just loved what you wrote. I.....I can't explain it..it was jsut amazing the way you said it.

Saskia wrote: "Smile, so that other people will smile back at you.
Be kind to people so that other people will be kind to you, too.
Think positive and try to see the good sides of life and you dicover a more ple..."

:D I've tried it and it works! My day is nicer and I don't feel like the things I usually do are weights I carry around. Peopel are nicer than I have noticed and I have generally just felt better.

Jawaria wrote: "Saskia wrote: "Smile, so that other people will smile back at you.
Be kind to people so that other people will be kind to you, too.
Think positive and try to see the good sides of life and you dic..."

Beautiful. So good to hear! What a great vibe lifter it is to read your post! Thank you!