Where Did the Law of Attraction Originate?

As I'm currently updating my book Daily Life Manager: Adding Action to the Law of Attraction to publish on Kindle, I have been on a quest to ensure that the material from the original book and any new material is as accurate as possible. This search has been quite enlightening. In particular, I have discovered some of the roots of how the Law of Attraction came to be discovered.

From my research, it appears that the Law of Attraction started in New England in the mid-nineteenth century (that's around 1850 for those who need a translator for terms not frequently used) as part of mental healing experiments. This movement became the New Thought movement. The basic premise of this movement is that thoughts are causative (thoughts are things). For the first half of the twentieth century, the Law of Attraction was called Positive Thinking. I know the purists will disagree that these are the same thing due to the addition of feelings or emotions in the equation, which is not generally emphasized in the Positive Thinking books.

However, it's impossible to ignore that Norman Vincent Peale's extraordinary work, The Power of Positive Thinking was anything but the Law of Attraction. Another example in this vein (albeit from a British Philosopher) is As a Man Thinketh by James Allen. These books are a fabulous foundation if you are interested in learning more about the why of this philosophy.

The book referenced by The Secret is the Science of Getting Rich by Wallace D. Wattles. We know little about his background but I did find it interesting that he ran for Congress on the Socialist Party ticket. One of my favorite philosophers is William James (whom some believe to be the Father of American Psychology). He was apparently was part of the New Thought movement as well and was an experimenter in mental healing. I think one of the secrets missing from The Secret is the role of habits as shown by this quote:

Sow an action and you reap a habit; sow a habit and you reap a character; sow a character and you reap a destiny. - William James

Regardless of your view on the New Thought movement, or the Law of Attraction, it's hard to overstate the impact that just a few of the authors identified above have had on the current self help movement today and the success that many people have enjoyed from the application of the principle that thoughts are causative. It's really fascinating to me (if the research is accurate) that the timing of the New Thought movement coincides with the Industrial Revolution. I'm not saying there is a link but it is curious, don't you think?

What are the 13 Virtues

It is difficult to overstate the contribution that Benjamin Franklin made to this world, in general, and America, in particular. What we want to know is how he was able to accomplish so much. This article will show you the plan that he followed in his life to Unleash His Potential, but first, here are some highlights of his achievements:

Author and Printer
While an apprentice printer, he discovered that he was a better printer than the owner of the business that employed him. Thus, he borrowed some money and set up his own print shop. From there, he bought a newspaper and began to publish Poor Richard's Almanack. His almanac was filled with wit and vibrant writing. Many of the famous quotes attributed to Franklin, such as, "A penny saved is a penny earned" come from Poor Richard.

Civic Contributions
Franklin contributed greatly to the city of Philadelphia from paving, cleaning, and lighting the streets to forming the group that started the first hospital in the city. Additionally, he started the first Fire Company (fire department) as fires were very dangerous threat to Philadelphians. His famous quote, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," was actually fire-fighting advice.

Inventor
He invented many things including swim fins, bifocals, and a heat-efficient stove. His work in observing the nature of electricity brought him international fame. You may recall his famous experiment with a kite in a lightning storm.

Politics
In the latter part of his life, he became very interested in politics. Prior to America’s independence, he served as the representative for Pennsylvania in England for almost 20 years. Upon his return, he worked actively for Independence even at odds with his son William, then the Royal Governor of New Jersey, who was a loyal Englishman. He was one of five on the committee that drafted the Declaration of Independence.

His Faithful Plan
With all of these accomplishments, you may be interested in his “plan”. He developed a behavior modification system for his conduct at the young age of 20, when he was returning from London on an 80-day ocean voyage. It is partially based on Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.”

His plan included 13 virtues, which in his own words, “I determined to give a week's strict attention to each of the virtues successively... Proceeding thus to the last, I could go through a course complete in thirteen weeks, and four courses in a year.”

1. TEMPERANCE: Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.


2. SILENCE: Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.


3. ORDER: Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.


4. RESOLUTION: Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.


5. FRUGALITY: Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing.


6. INDUSTRY: Lose no time; be always employed in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.


7. SINCERITY: Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly.


8. JUSTICE: Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.


9. MODERATION: Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.


10. CLEANLINESS: Tolerate no uncleanness in body, clothes, or habitation.


11. TRANQUILLITY: Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.


12. CHASTITY: Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another's peace or reputation.


13. HUMILITY: Imitate Jesus and Socrates.

Here’s an example of the chart he used to monitor his actions. Every evening, he would consider the day’s activities and place a dot for each offense he committed.

After awhile he went through the series only once per year and then only once in several years until finally omitting them entirely. But he always carried the little book with him as a reminder.

Benjamin Franklin's 13 virtues are unique and obviously served him well since he is one of the most respected and most accomplished men in the history of the United States.

The Bubble Planner
The Bubble Planner includes Franklin’s 13 Virtues and many other tools based on Life Changing principles. If you are interesting in more information about The Bubble Planner, My Bubble Life Student Planner, or any of their other unique time management tools, e-mail them at info@bubbleplanner.net or visit them on the web at The Bubble Planner.

Tags: Ben Franklin, Virtues, Habits

I Don't Like the 13 Virtues

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. - James 1:22-24

I have a shocking confession to make today, I don't like Ben Franklin's 13 Virtues. I know I have included tracking for these in both the Original Bubble Planner and the Big Bubble Planner, but, frankly, I don't like them.

Why Don't I Like Them?
The 13 Virtues act like a mirror on my life. When I track them to see how much I've improved my character, I have a choice to make. Do I take action on what I've learned about myself or do I just let it go?

As a creative person, I'm naturally resistant to structure and discipline. After all, much of creativity is seeing things in a new way, and structure is designed to keep things in their current state. So, when I see things like goals and virtues, my natural tendency is to rebel.

How's That Working for You?
The problem with rebelling against all structure is that some structure is good. For example, I generally stop when the light turns red at an intersection. This structure is good and necessary to keep me safe. It allows me and other drivers to travel safely.

Goals and Virtues act in a similar manner. These are examples of good structure and discipline. By accepting these constraints in my life, I am able to travel safely on the road of life.

The Place for Creativity
While it took me a long time to understand this, it is true. By accepting good structure and discipline, I'm not limiting my creativity. In fact, I'm making it more powerful. By accepting Truth (which is defined as the "ideal or fundamental reality apart from and transcending perceived experience"), I have discovered that I have the ultimate freedom to create because I know that I will create things that will be productive and helpful.

Creativity can take many forms, and, in fact, some creativity is destructive. The prisons are full of creative people. So, as much as I dislike the 13 Virtues, they are True, which means they are helpful in my creative process.

I'm interested in your thoughts on the 13 Virtues. Do you use them? Do you like them? Let your voice be heard, leave me a comment.