Career Cube Blog

That which you give attention to, grows.

Don’t believe me? Try an experiment. For three weeks, constantly think about how tired you are and how you need a break. Think it, say it to everyone, write it down, sigh in exasperation, complain, and hope something happens to give you the break you so badly need. Then notice how you break your leg and have to rest for the next six weeks. Notice how nicely the universe gave you exactly what you asked for (break - break? get it?)

Then, for the next six weeks, while you’re taking it easy on your broken leg, repeat to yourself over and over, while you’re driving in your car, brushing your teeth, getting the mail, sitting on hold: “Great things happen to me! I’m a very lucky person!” And while you’re at it, three times/day, write it down 10x each time. Then watch all the cool stuff that happens.

All of you pooh-poohing me stop and think a minute about all the unconscious phrases and beliefs you subscribe to without even knowing it. Everyone who says the following - or similar - and notices how frequently and constantly you’re always wondering why these things are so, raise your hand:

1. I can’t believe I’m always doing such stupid things!
2. This day started off badly and it just keeps getting worse!
3. Why am I always losing things?
4. I’m so bad with names!

A-HA! Now you know why all those things happen. Becuase you’re giving so much attention to what is, that it stays that way. Here’s what’s happening:

1. You’re doing such stupid things becuase you perpetuate in believing you do stupid things. When you decide that you’re sick of doing “stupid” things and choose to change the situation by reframing how you see it, then you’ll stop doing “stupid” things.
2. Some guy cut you off in traffic and you got all ticked off about it. Then what happened? You stayed that way…because you chose to. Because you wanted to! Hang with me here…part of you likes it! You have a great story to tell when you get to work (”the injustice of people - can you believe what he did to me?”). Drama works for a lot of people. Bad days make for good drama. So the bad keeps getting dwelt on and thus keeps happening, until for some reason, you decide to snap out of it when something “made” you happy.
3. See #1. When you’re tired of losing things, you’ll start paying attention to where you put them. You’ll also notice that if you still lose them, it’s because you’re not paying attention to where you put them. When you decide you’re tired of looking for things, then you’ll start paying attention and won’t spend so much time in the drama of cussing out the item you’re looking for becuase you can’t find it and you’re in a hurry or whatever.
4. See #1 and #3. Pay attention. Repeat the name. Stop using that phrase as an excuse.

What do all these things have in common? Choice. You control your thoughts, you control your choices, you control your actions, you control the results.

What we’re talking about is energy. Everything is made up of energy; but let’s focus on you. Your thoughts project it, your words create it, your mood is suffused with it. When you like the drama of losing something or getting cut off in traffic, you bring more of that type of thing to you because that’s what you want. You look for ways to create it. You don’t even know you’re doing it.

Self sabotage is the same principle. Ever dated someone who believed they didn’t deserve you? And kept telling you that? They were afraid you’d leave, right? So what did they do? They kept asking you were you’d been, asking you if you love them, putting themself down and fishing for compliments until finally…….you said, “ENOUGH! I’m OUTTA here!”

And what they were afraid of is exactly what happened…..it’s exactly what they created. That’s what they wanted, that’s what they thought about, that’s what they go. You. Going. Out the door.

How does this apply to your job search? Are you uttering “I’ll never find a job!”? Then stop it. Look at what’s going wrong and if you don’t know what it is - and you probably don’t or it wouldn’t be happening - then find someone who can tell you.

When it comes to finding your perfect job, first you have to believe there is such a thing as your perfect job. You can’t find it if you don’t believe it exists. Makes sense, yes?

Secondly, some things involve technique and understanding of the process. You can believe all you want to that you can remodel your bathroom, but if you don’t know how to do it, it’s not going to happen (not like you see it in your head, anyway!) unless you learn the proper technique. Finding a job is no exception despite more than half the universe believing the complete opposite.

But if you believe you can find it, then your head starts looking for ways to make that happen. It begins to find ways to create it. You become open to new ideas and possibilities. You become more open to the possibility of problems so that you can find solutions. You become more focused on what you want instead of desperate for anything, becuase the very definition of “perfect” job excludes “any” job. By default, if you believe you can find your perfect job, you’ll begin to define what your perfect job is, and ignore anything that isn’t that.

What’s the moral of this story? Pay attention to what you think, what you believe, and what you say. The way things are is because you want them that way. Consciously, or more likely unconsciouly, you you made that choice. If you don’t like what you’re getting, then choose what you want and make sure your thoughts, actions, beliefs, and words match up.

That which you give attention to, grows.

Popularity: 5% [?]