If that title causes some resistance, start tapping now. Sadly, the word “work” is going to scare away a lot of folks who could really benefit from this article. Ah well…

Thomas Edison once famously offered this observation:

“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is
dressed in overalls and looks like work.”

Somehow or another, we’ve been programmed to see work as a “four letter word.” Some of us might even squeak like Maynard G. Krebs: “Work?!?!?”

This is why so many of us are so quick to hear the message of the Law of Attraction as,

“You can have anything and everything you want
without ever lifting a finger.”

And part of us says, “Yes! That’s what I want – something for nothing!”

What I wish to suggest here is that this is simply not true. Not just that the Law of Attraction means no work – but, more importantly, it’s not true that this is what we really want.

Let’s face it – how many of the Law of Attraction teachers you know are couch potatoes? The ones I know definitely work. If it was possible – or even ideal – to manifest the life we want without doing anything, wouldn’t they do it…?

We have a German Shepherd. German Shepherds are so-called “working dogs” – it is in their nature to have a job, and they get restless when they go too long without something to do. Likewise, human beings are designed for a life of purpose. We are imbued with gifts and talents, and our natural instinct is to share those.

But for some reason, too many of us find the idea of work as, at best, a necessary evil. So the suggestion that LOA makes it unnecessary, like a “Get Out of Work Free” card, sounds like bliss.

Maybe part of you thinks, “If only I could manifest winning the lottery – then I could live the life I really desire.”

How many lottery winners do you know (or others who have been given great abundance without effort or offering service to others)? And do you feel admiration for them – are they role models for you? It’s not that I suggest feeling contempt for them – not at all. And I have nothing against money coming easily. But I also don’t think that’s the best way to create the ideal life, nor that it is what we truly aspire to.

Maybe that part of you might argue, “Once I have all that money, then I’ll be able to share my gifts and do good.”

That’s sort of like saying to your boss, “Pay me my annual salary up front, then I’ll do my best work.” If the carrot isn’t motivating before you’ve gotten it, what makes you think you’ll feel more motivated once you’ve eaten it…?

We’re told not to hide our light under a bushel, but sometimes we feel we’d rather stay under there, and manifest someone shoving money under the edge.

If you are feeling that way, stop kidding yourself. You deserve better.

Ask yourself who your role models are… who are the people in your life or throughout history that you really admire? Probably people who did something.

Books don’t write themselves, buildings don’t build themselves, etc. We’re grateful to people who have put in the effort – why wouldn’t we want to do it?

Edison didn’t just sit on the couch thinking about light bulbs... the Wright Bros. didn’t just sit on the beach positively imagining an airplane. They rolled up their sleeves and got to work.

And I’m confident they would argue – as probably you would – that it was worth it.

And think how deprived we’d have been if all these great achievers had simply manifested great riches and didn’t get around to sharing their gifts… Yikes!

So, what are you withholding…?

Maybe the wish to not have to work comes from a doubt that we really have something of value to offer. It’s not that we’re lazy – just afraid. We want the Law of Attraction to compensate for a perceived lack in ourselves. “I want to be rich, but I don’t have the equivalent value to offer, so I have to hope the Universe will pay me more than I’m worth.”

Rubbish. I believe our gifts are commensurate with our ideal lifestyle. If this doesn’t seem to be the case, either we are unduly doubting our gifts, or we are kidding ourselves about what we really want from life. (Not everyone really wants a private jet, etc. – and don’t let anyone else tell you that you should want one – or anything else they consider valid signs of wealth.)

Maybe the argument comes up, “I’m not opposed to work – I just don’t want to work hard.”

What we rarely do, though, is clarify what exactly that means. Many of us have been pummeled with the belief that to succeed will require hard work – and with that came the implication of pain and sacrifice. Given that, even just the word “work” by itself has a Pavlovian association to the word “hard,” and we hope to avoid the whole painful business.

Many of us admire great athletes – and becoming great in sports takes a lot of what we would classify as hard work. And that’s part of the glory.

Ask the winning quarterback of the Super Bowl, “Don’t you wish the other team had played less well, so that your victory could have been easier?” I don’t think so.

Maybe the argument comes up, “Yeah – it’s worth it when you win – but I haven’t always won.”

So, ask the losing quarterback, “Was it a waste of time? Do you wish you hadn’t bothered working so hard?” Chances are he’ll say he wished he had worked harder.

A lot of the things we look at and say, “That looks so hard” actually require very little actual effort – they just seem unappealing for some reason. Like making certain phone calls. How hard is it really to call someone? Burns very few calories – unless we have fear that causes us to sweat.

So maybe “hard” work is work that implies some kind of threat to our ego – something that requires us to move out of our comfort zone. And rather than challenge that – and ultimately grow – we avoid it.

We can clear this block by questioning the actual pain, and using tools like EFT to mitigate the perceived hardship.

We can also focus on the pleasure that comes from accomplishment. And as the saying goes, “Find a job you love, and you’ll never work another day in you life.”

I’m going to recommend something radical here. Along with visualizing yourself lying on the beach sipping a Pina Colada, also take some time to visualize yourself joyfully doing a job you love. Imagine yourself making that phone call, and having fun. Don’t just imagine how you’ll spend the money you make, but also the successful accomplishment of the task that earned the money.

You might be surprised to find that the doing of it, and providing real service, is more rewarding than the money you make…

We also grow from those efforts. Life is an opportunity to find out what we can do – not just what we can have.

Life is also about give and take – just like breathing. We can’t inhale without exhaling. The hope or expectation of something for nothing isn’t part of our true nature.

Many of us have been programmed with the idea of “It is better to give than receive.” While I’ve done a lot of work to help people escape the suggestion that it’s therefore bad to receive, it isn’t hard to see how this programming would make the idea of receiving without giving energetically distasteful, and thus not easily manifested.

So why fight nature? You are programmed at a deeper level to be of service, and you have ways to do that which are not only unique to you, but also enjoyable and fulfilling. And the world deserves what you have to offer – please don’t look for ways to avoid sharing your magnificent self.

The notion of “work harder” has been supplanted with “work smarter.” Using the Law of Attraction is just that. It doesn’t dismiss the necessity of work – it helps us to make our efforts more successful. Focus joyfully on successful efforts – rather than the bypassing of effort – and you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Now get to work – you deserve it. :)

© 2011 Brad Yates www.bradyates.net

Author's Bio: 

Brad likes to think of himself as an Evolution Catalyst. He is known internationally for his work with Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT). Brad has worked with a diverse group of clients, from CEO's to professional and NCAA athletes, from award-winning actors to clients in social service programs. He has been a presenter at a number of events, including Jack Canfield’s “Breakthrough to Success.”. He is the author of the best-selling children’s book “The Wizard’s Wish,” co-author of the best-seller "Freedom at Your Fingertips," and is a featured expert in the EFT movie “The Tapping Solution.” For more info and a number of great resources to help you experience greater health, wealth and happiness, please visit www.bradyates.net