Tag Archives: Law of Attraction

Nudged: Put $5 into 4 random pockets

Leave a reply

Backstory: My friend Candace introduced me to this practice many years ago, and it’s been ages since I’ve last done it. You know how we get so stressed about money (usually the lack of it)? Well, this is one way to be delighted by money for a change (interesting pun–hehe!). Here’s how it works:

  1. Get four bills ($1, $5, $20 — whatever you can swing)
  2. “Hide” each of the bills in a different pocket, or in something you don’t plan on opening for some time. The first time I did this, it was summer and I put the bills in the pockets of different winter coats. You might also slip them inside books you plan to read, in the back of a drawer you rarely open — any place you’re likely to forget about for a while.

That’s it! A few months from now, you’ll reach into that pocket and SURPRISE! Then do something nice for yourself with it.

What Happened: Interestingly, it was a little challenging getting four $5 bills. I had to go to two places to get change!

With four “Abes” in hand, I spent a couple of days thinking about where I might hide them. Since my coats are in active rotation right now, that didn’t make sense. Old purses? Between the pages in big, serious books I really should read (but keep getting passed over for fun stories)? Then…huh…what about those jeans I’ve been using to monitor my current weight-loss efforts?

Tucked in the back of my closet are three pairs of nice jeans I am hoping to get back into before the year ends. It will feel sooooo good to slip them back on, knowing I have achieved significant goals, so why not double-down on the joy and happiness when I discover a bonus prize in the pockets?

That took care of three bills. The last I finally tucked deep inside a box of postcards. I will definitely forget about this, and it will be super-fun when I finally find it and reward myself for my good deeds of keeping in touch with people.

The Ah-Hahs: This Nudge is a little different than others, in that I won’t get the pay-off (what is with me and puns this week?!) for some time. However, I had fun doing this. As I hid each bill, I imagined how delighted I will be when I discover it, and that emotion took hold of me now. And that is what I wanted to get with this Nudge: to link money and happiness right now. Ch-ching!

Nudging: Put $5 into 4 random pockets

Leave a reply

Backstory: My friend Candace introduced me to this practice many years ago, and it’s been ages since I’ve last done it. You know how we get so stressed about money (usually the lack of it)? Well, this is one way to be delighted by money for a change (interesting pun–hehe!). Here’s how it works:

  1. Get four bills ($1, $5, $20 — whatever you can swing)
  2. “Hide” each of the bills in a different pocket, or in something you don’t plan on opening for some time. The first time I did this, it was summer and I put the bills in the pockets of different winter coats. You might also slip them inside books you plan to read, in the back of a drawer you rarely open — any place you’re likely to forget about for a while.

That’s it! A few months from now, you’ll reach into that pocket and SURPRISE! Then do something nice for yourself with it.

Nudged: Answer a call

1 Reply

Backstory: How do you make God laugh? You tell her your plans.

It’s an old joke, but lately it’s felt like much of my life. Between sheltering-in-place (for months and months…), political upheaval and civil unrest (that’s putting it mildly), a family member with COVID (wear your mask!), and the widespread fires and resulting deep layers of smoke, few things have gone as planned. This has included recent Nudges. I drew tasks that I really looked forward to, only to have them kiboshed by forces way out of my control.

Instead of crawling under the covers till it all passes, I decided to get creative this week. I am doing a Nudge that is not off the original list, one that will allow surprise and spontaneity.

“Answer a call” does not mean picking up a call from “Unknown”. It does not mean picking up when I see the caller is someone I really really don’t feel like talking to. Instead, it means listening to myself. Listening to that still, small (and occasionally nagging) voice inside me. And when it says “You should do this,” whatever “this” might be, I have every intention (not “plan”) to drop what I’m doing and…well, you know.

What Happened: I’ve been reading a book about the Law of Attraction, and earlier this week I read a passage about the importance of clearing space to make room for what I want. This gives a whole new dimension to my ongoing decluttering efforts. I’ve been so focused on “getting rid of” (shredding, tossing, sharing) that I haven’t given much thought to “what I want.” Until this week. 😉

There are many big projects on my to do list, one of which is going through my closet. Daunting! There’s stuff in there…I don’t even know where to begin. Stuff that doesn’t fit, suit my current lifestyle (or climate), feel good, or look good. I’ve long wanted to upgrade to Me 2020, but have put it off until…I lose weight, make some extra cash, activate my Stitch Fix account, decide what my authentic style is, win the lottery…. Till then, there’s just been a soft nagging to “Get to it.”

This morning I finished a client job ahead of deadline and had the gift of a little free time. As I headed back to my office after lunch, that soft voice got louder and announced “SHOES!”

A section of the pre-sort jumble.

Okay then. That was my “call”. I set a timer for 30 minutes, pulled everything out, and sorted. Final tally: 5 embarrassingly worn-out pairs to the trash, 2 barely worn pairs to the donation box, and 6 empty boxes that have just been taking up space. Inspired, I added to the donation box a special occasion dress I’ve worn once in seven years. (Even though it was pretty on the hanger, it made me feel frumpy.)

The shoes that went back into my closet are neatly organized, which feels good. But what might make me the happiest is these beauties got pulled out of the shadows and into an easily accessible spot.

Ready to go!

Plans to go on hikes with friends are on hold right now, till the fires are contained and smoke cleared. But as soon as we get the okay from the air quality index, I’ll be ready to go.

The Ah-Hahs: I do like having plans. I like setting goals, breaking them down, and checking steps off my list until I reach the finish line. However. Life is rarely that direct, so I’m learning to work with zigs and zags, to go with the flow, to open myself up to new opportunities. I suppose I end up in the same place, and some times the journey feels a little more fun when it isn’t just about being at the destination.

This week’s nudge was a perfect example of that. It was spontaneous and productive. As I type this, I feel lighter — and not just because I’ve unloaded some old stuff. Maybe it’s because I took a “must do” and reframed it into a “nudge”. Maybe it’s because once I cleared away the worn-out and uncomfortable stuff, I was left with the nice and comfortable stuff. Maybe it’s simply because I found a way to physically experience the act of clearing space to make way for good of every kind to come into my life. 🙂

 

Nudged: Let something go

2 Replies

Backstory: A thing? A relationship that has run its course? A limiting belief?

This is a deep nudge. It involves my deciding to fully release something*. Completely. No negotiating. No hanging on.

And trusting. For I believe that when I create space in my life by removing something that isn’t serving me, I open myself up to something better.

*You might add “over to God/Spirit/the Universe” here, if that is part of your faith practice.

What Happened: The inspiration for this nudge came from a note I discovered tucked in an old journal:

“It is Spirit’s responsibility, not mine, to lead me to my highest good. All I have to do is listen and believe.”

“All.” Like it’s that simple!

But…maybe it can be. For what this nudge is asking me to do is let go of my worries, my expectations, and live in the moment, and trust that what is coming is good.

I’ve had a lot to worry about lately. Haven’t we all? And dwelling on the possibly bad outcomes has not helped me one bit.

I thought about what I’ve learned about the Law of Attraction and made the choice this week to actively turn off my “stinkin’ thinkin'”. Instead, I focused on all that is good in my life right now. (It helped that we just did the gratitude journal nudge.)

I won’t claim to be completely worry-free, but this practice lifted my spirits.

And this afternoon I noticed that our lilac tree is again in full bloom. Despite my almost completely ignoring it the rest of the year, this fierce and sweet little tree comes back every spring and delights me with her abundance of beauty.

The view from my office window: Lilacs in bloom.

The Ah-Hahs: Evidence of faith, joy, and resilience is all around us. Sometimes I just need to ignore the noise and notice what I’ve been overlooking: like a beautiful tree that reminds me Abundance is Natural Order.

Nudged: Stash $s in pockets

2 Replies

Backstory: Maybe 25 years ago, a friend introduced me to this idea: Get a stack of dollar bills and “stash” them away in the pockets of coats, purses, hidden spots, etc., so that months later, when I find them again, I’ll be surprised and delighted. (I think it also had something to do with attracting abundance, but that part of it is lost to my memory.)

Imagine this: A couple of seasons from now, you’re heading out to run errands or meet a client or take care of some task that has you all stressed out. You hustle into your jacket, hoping it still fits after the indulges (aka stress eating) of the previous months, grab your purse, grab your keys, double-check to make sure your wallet and cell phone are with you. With a deep breath (aka heavy sigh of the overburdened), you head out the door and stuff your hands into your pockets to avoid the chill that has permeated the air since yesterday. Wait…what’s this? Oh, geez, is it an old to do list? The phone number of someone you were supposed to call ages ago? The long-lost receipt for that item you meant to return? Nope. It’s a crisp dollar bill! Huzzah! Add that to the change jingling at the bottom of your purse, and you can treat yourself to a hot and soothing cuppa tea!

Some might ask if this a true Nudge. Does it push me out of my comfort zone, help me to reveal some great Ah-Hah? Probably not. But it definitely qualifies as fun.

What Happened: Just asking for change in singles made me giggle to myself. Does the cashier think I’m heading for a strip club? Ha!

From the moment I pulled this Nudge, I felt the anticipation. It’s funny, because none of this will come to fruition for a long time. In fact, I hope it takes a long time, because that will make the reveal so much more fun for me.

$10 – or rather, ten single $1 bills.

The first went into the pocket of my fanciest coat, one that doesn’t get taken out of the closet very often. (Hmmm…idea for a future Nudge?) The second went into a random page of one of my all-time favorite books, one I know I’ll re-read in a year or two. For half a second I thought about how it would suck if I decide to donate the coat or book before I discover the hidden treasure, but since it’s only a buck, it wouldn’t be a hard loss. And I enjoyed imagining that savvy second-hand shopper as she discovers the bonus inside.

Bill #3 got tucked into the back of a picture frame. And so on. Throughout this week, I let ideas present themselves to me and hid the bills around the house. And each time I felt…giddy.

Giddy. “Dizzy; lighthearted; silly; joyfully elated,” says Merriam-Webster. Yep. All of the above. All week long I felt this in spurts, and I know I will feel giddy again at least 10 more times as I rediscover the bills.

Ah-Hahs: There are so few good surprises left in life. I remember how much fun I had doing Fairy Deeds for others (see this post), so how fun was this to set myself up for 10 future surprises!

Lately I’ve been working on finding my mojo (see this post) and getting through an especially dark Life Funk. There were times I’ve thought about rebooting with a spa day (couple hundred $) or a session with a professional counselor (couple hundred more $). Instead, I spent (but didn’t really spend) just $10 and succeeded in nudging my spirits up for the week.

 

Dear Reader, Whether you’re new to 52Nudges or have been following along for a while, I would appreciate your feedback. Specifically, I’d like to know if there was (1) a previous Nudge you found was impactful for you and (2) a previous Nudge that you’d like to give another go in the future. Send me a note in comments. Thank you!

 

Nudging: Stash $s in pockets

Leave a reply

Backstory: Maybe 25 years ago, a friend introduced me to this idea: Get a stack of dollar bills and “stash” them away in the pockets of coats, purses, hidden spots, etc., so that months later, when I find them again, I’ll be surprised and delighted. (I think it also had something to do with attracting abundance, but that part of it is lost to my memory.)

Imagine this: A couple of seasons from now, you’re heading out to run errands or meet a client or take care of some task that has you all stressed out. You hustle into your jacket, hoping it still fits after the indulges (aka stress eating) of the previous months, grab your purse, grab your keys, double-check to make sure your wallet and cell phone are with you. With a deep breath (aka heavy sigh of the overburdened), you head out the door and stuff your hands into your pockets to avoid the chill that has permeated the air since yesterday. Wait…what’s this? Oh, geez, is it an old to do list? The phone number of someone you were supposed to call ages ago? The long-lost receipt for that item you meant to return? Nope. It’s a crisp dollar bill! Huzzah! Add that to the change jingling at the bottom of your purse, and you can treat yourself to a hot and soothing cuppa tea!

Some might ask if this a true Nudge. Does it push me out of my comfort zone, help me to reveal some great Ah-Hah? Probably not. But it definitely qualifies as fun.

 

Dear Reader, I have a small request for you. I’m looking to reup the 52Nudges this fall, with a list of return and new Nudges, and I’d love your feedback. In the comments, would you please share with me two past Nudges, one that had an impact on you and one you’d like to give another go. Thank you!

 

Nudged: Draw something to manifest x5

Leave a reply

Backstory: I think my original idea was to use this space in my office—the big white board I have on one wall and look at every day—to visualize something I want in my life. I’m not entirely sure what I meant by “x5”. Could be I wanted to draw a new image each day of the work week, or am I supposed to draw five different images that represent one dream? I’ll figure it out.

Please remember, I am a writer, not an artist, so don’t expect this to be pretty. 🙂 I hope this Nudge will be fun—and fruitful!

What Happened: I brainstormed what I might want to manifest. Breaking my Life into categories, I noted a few things under each. For Work, I want to finish a big personal project (maybe draw images of the final printed version). For Mind/Body, I want to reach that long-sought-after goal weight (I envisioned drawings of the scale with my “magic” number) and get in some replenishing naps. For self-care, I want to be gifted with some really nice PJs, both cozy flannels and something that feels feminine and luxurious.

Really? These are the big “dreams” I want to manifest for myself? Who is this person?!?

I took a step back mid-week to mull this over. Sure, things like winning the lottery so that I could feel financially secure would be lovely, and taking steps toward being more financially secure is a worthy goal. But a “dream”? Hardly.

Where did my big dreams go? What happened to being recognized for my creative work and feeling successful and finding true love? (That last item on my bucket list got checked off, by the way.) None of the items on my initial list are the least bit exciting. How depressing is this?

It crossed my mind that 50-something women don’t dream. The Big Things in Life are those we hope for in our 20s and 30s, when fame and fortune and achievement and recognition seemed all-important. I don’t, honestly, want to be living a Rich & Famous lifestyle, but every March I still imagine my Oscar acceptance speech (“I’d like to thank the Academy…”).

The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to imagine manifesting something “impossible”. So here’s what I ended up drawing:

Starting at top left, my rendition of the Pulitzer Prize Gold Medal, followed by my work at #1 on The New York Times’ Best Sellers List, and at the bottom a check for $250,000.00.

What this represents to me is being recognized for my writing, for my creativity, for my connecting people through my work. I have no idea what kind of work this might be, but I don’t feel that’s my job right now. My job is to state (or draw) my wishes to the Universe, then step back and let the Universe do its thing.

The Ah-Hah: Honestly, I felt disappointed in myself this week. I want to dream big again. I want to feel inspired and motivated and excited. What will it take to do this? I don’t know yet, but I’m determined to find that “impossible” goal and have fun going for it.

Nudged: Create a vision board for one goal

1 Reply

Backstory: Oooo, this is a good one! It’s creative, it gets me manifesting, it’s fun!

The idea is to pick one of my goals or dreams—any one—and create something that represents to me what it would feel like to have it be my reality. It is putting the Law of Attraction to work for me.

In the past I’ve clipped images from magazines and pasted them onto a poster board in a collage. (If you’re more artistically gifted than I am, you might draw or paint yours.) The resulting vision board is then placed where I will see it every day.

Got my scissors, got my glue stick…let’s do this!

What Happened: Total bust. Utter defeat. Epic failure!

My pathetically empty vision board

I stared at this Nudge all week and couldn’t do it. First, I couldn’t decide on which goal or dream to manifest. So many, and none jumped out as The Big One I wanted to pursue. Second, I didn’t want to spend money on buying a stack of magazines to cut up, and I couldn’t pull from on any stack of old magazines because I’ve successfully decluttered them all. (So maybe there is one drawback to decluttering.) Or maybe I am just feeling burned out this week.

What’s a gal to do?

Get up. Brush myself off. Take a few deep breaths. Regroup.

In a few hours I’m going to draw a fresh new Nudge from my little bowl and dive into it with renewed courage and conviction.

Meanwhile, I’ve written “Create a vision board for one goal” on a new strip of paper and tossed it back into the mix. (If I draw it later today, I’ll just have to go with it, right?)

How did you do? Were you inspired to create something wild for your vision board? Did you manifest something from it? I’d love to hear about it.

The Ah-Hah: See “Get up. Brush myself off. Take a few breaths. Regroup.” Would add “And repeat.”

Or…maybe I need to hang my blank board somewhere, letting it represent my openness to something I can’t yet envision for myself. Hmmm…interesting.

Nudging: Create a vision board for one goal

1 Reply

Backstory: Oooo, this is a good one! It’s creative, it gets me manifesting, it’s fun!

The idea is to pick one of my goals or dreams—any one—and create something that represents to me what it would feel like to have it be my reality. It is putting the Law of Attraction to work for me.

In the past I’ve clipped images from magazines and pasted them onto a poster board in a collage. (If you’re more artistically gifted than I am, you might draw or paint yours.) The resulting vision board is then placed where I will see it every day.

Here’s a link with a good explanation and some tips on “How to Create an Empowering Vision Board” from Jack Canfield’s website*.

You might also check out examples in Pinterest.

Got my scissors, got my glue stick…let’s do this!

 

*Per the site, to use this link in my blog, I need to include the following: “Jack Canfield, America’s #1 Success Coach, is founder of the billion-dollar book brand Chicken Soup for the Soul® and a leading authority on Peak Performance and Life Success. If you’re ready to jump-start your life, make more money, and have more fun and joy in all that you do, get FREE success tips from Jack Canfield now at: www.FreeSuccessStrategies.com.”

Nudged: Interview an “expert” (someone doing something I want to do in life)

Leave a reply

Backstory: Do I want to change careers? Go back to school? Master a new skill?

In her book Sacred Success (see “For Inspiration” in the right column), author Barbara Stanny talks about one of her clients who was terrified about taking on a new challenge in her work. “I am not qualified…I better stay away…I might mess it up,” she told herself. (Hmmm, that inner voice sounds familiar.) Instead, she gave herself permission to be not perfect. “When you screw up, you can clean it up!” she told herself as she dove in. She later revealed that the secret was realizing “For everything I don’t know, I know someone who knows. I can just call them and they can tell me what to do—or do it for me!”

One of the most valuable gifts we have in life is our extended network. We know women who have made big changes in their own lives, women who have impacted ours in ways big and small, and women who are willing to mentor or at the very least give real-life answers to our really scary questions. What do I want to know? Who can I ask? How might it redirect me toward something I really want?

Who are you gonna call?

What Happened: Starting Sunday, I brainstormed experts I might call and questions I wanted answered. There’s the author of the soon-to-be-released memoir about personal transformation. (Would I ask about her journey or ask her about the ins and outs of 21st-century publishing?) I thought about exploring pastry making and cake decorating, skills I would love to acquire. My husband has a friend who volunteers for an organization that helps women escape from human trafficking and sets them up for fresh starts; maybe I could interview her about how I could contribute. Or I could email Elizabeth Gilbert, Expert in Living a Full Live, and see if she’d give me some advice. It can’t hurt to ask!

As I pondered my many choices, I got an email Tuesday morning from Kelly Mishell, a long-time friend who is a life coach who specializes in teaching women about the Law of Attraction. “Start each day with intention,” her email said. That’s interesting. I had read that same suggestion in a book the night before. Coincidence?

I’ve thought about becoming certified as a life coach, so figured she’d be the perfect expert to interview for my Nudge. Then a funny thing happened: This morning, as I drafted my questions for our interview, I realized I didn’t want her expert advice on becoming a coach, I wanted her expert advice on utilizing the Law of Attraction in my life.

Bingo.

Following is a transcript of our interview, all of which makes up this week’s…

Ah-Ha:

Kath Woods: What is the Law of Attraction?

Kelly Mishell: Everything unto itself attracts. Whatever you put out into the Universe is coming back to you energetically. Every thing in the Universe is energy. This includes things we see, our physical bodies, and our thoughts and feelings. So, say you’re feeling joy. It has a frequency and vibration, like a radio frequency. If you’re putting that out, the Universe matches your vibration and sends that back to you. Joy = Joy, also, Frustration = Frustration.

KW: Do you teach people how to control this?

KM: It’s not acting “as if”, it’s not masking. You can’t fake out the Universe with “Just think positively!” If you’re just covering crap with a bunch of roses, it’s still crap. You have to find better feeling thoughts.

KW: How does this work, for example, with worries about money?

KM: Instead of lack thought, such as “I can’t take a vacation, I never have enough money,” you have to shift to “I have everything I need. I’d like more money so I can take a vacation.” Another example would be the lack thought of “I’ve gone on so many bad dates, I’ll never meet the right person” or you can think “I’ve gone on so many bad dates, I know the right person is out there.” I coach clients to keep trying with a new statement until they find one that feels better, then they can use it as a mantra. You have to get into the habit of, when the mind goes to negative, you catch it and flip it.

KW: So it’s about mastering the feeling? Is that right?

KM: It takes 17 seconds for the Universe to match the vibration you’re putting out. If you can feel better and feel abundance, it gets matched. Then to manifest it, it takes 68 seconds, so you might speak it aloud for 68 seconds. There are other details, such as being clear and being specific, so that the Universe knows how to give to you. You don’t change overnight, so I give my clients exercises to practice—repetition and reinforcement—until it becomes habit.

KW: What kinds of requests do you get from clients?

KM: I get women who want to change careers but don’t know how or are afraid to do it. Some want the confidence to do anything, others want help in relationships, such as overcoming the fear of commitment. As women, we’re judging ourselves so harshly. “Is this how you’d treat your best friend?” I ask. I give clients exercises to help them know their worth, know their own light. I did it for myself. Marianne Williams said, “It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.” When we shine our light, we make it possible for others to shine too.

KW: How do you Nudge yourself?

KM: I say “Yes” to things. In the past, I thought everything through. I needed to see the outcome before I began. It was fear-based. Now I say “Yes”, then I figure it all out. The saying goes, “God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called.”

If you’re interested in learning more about the Law of Attraction and/or Kelly’s work, go to Kelly Mishell Coaching. If you could use an extra boost, sign up to receive her free “Weekly Wisdom” inspirational messages.