11.18.07
How Many Fire Hydrants Do You See?
I did this silly exercise once. I did it because I knew it would work and I thought it would be a good example to share with others. But, I didn’t want to share it until I had personally tried it. So, I tried it, and I have shared it on occasion.
This exercise shows very vividly how our minds work. Some refer to this process as,”The Law of Attraction.” Now, the “Law of Attraction” also has other names like, The Law of Magnetism, or, The Law of Vibration. But whatever people choose to call it, everyone utilizes this universal law.
And, by the way, this is not just a “New Age” theory. This law has been around a long time. I read once that the ancient Egyptians were aware of it. In his book, “As a Man Thinketh,” James Allen cites a verse from the book of Proverbs as his launching point to discuss this powerful principle: “As he thinketh in his heart, so is he.”
Just like the Law of Gravity, the Law of Attraction works, time and time again. It can bring about positive results and it can also bring about negative results.
It is so simple.
So, just for fun, here’s a little exercise that you can do that will show you, in a very simple way how your mind works. Try it for three days. I think you will be astonished.
For the next three days, wherever you go, look for fire hydrants. That’s it. See how many you can find over the next three days, in your normal traveling about. Look for them wherever you go. More than likely by the second day you’ll be laughing just like I was.
Do you know how many fire hydrants there are in your neighborhood? Probably not, but you will. In fact, you are going to be amazed. You don’t know how many there are because you’ve never thought about it, and thus, you have never noticed them.
But just tell your mind that you are really concerned about finding all the fire hydrants that you can, and then, keep an eye out for them. Usually, by the second day you won’t need to look very hard because they will be popping up everywhere! I drove on the same streets that I had been driving on for years but never noticed just how many there were! I even saw them in parking lots!
You might even be tempted to think that they were all put in over night while you slept!
Have you ever noticed that negative people continue to have negative things happen to them? What you look at and dwell on, you become. “Birds of a feather flock together.” “As he thinks in his heart, so is he.”
Our minds are designed to move toward and thus acquire what we consistently focus on. Once our thinking process becomes a core belief, then that is what we will manifest in our lives.
People who consistently focus their minds on failure will fail. They have continued to plant failure thoughts into their hearts. They will keep failing until they decide to change what’s in their heart.
Those who consistently focus their minds on poverty will be poor. They have continued to plant poverty thoughts into their hearts. They will be poor until they decide to change what’s in their heart.
Those who consistently focus on success will continue to succeed. They have continued to plant success thoughts into their hearts. They will continue to be successful unless they decide to change what’s in their heart.
Try this simple exercise with the fire hydrants for three days. At the end of the three days think and reflect back on how your mind worked. Recognize that you, by your own free will, directed your mind to find something specific. Your mind responded and you saw things that were there all the time, but you never really noticed them before.
If your mind could do that with something as silly as fire hydrants, what else is it capable of? Could you direct your mind to finding solutions? How about finding opportunities?
What will you attract today? The possibilities are endless!
Copyright © 2007 Michael A. Verdicchio
Michael A. Verdicchio is a husband, father, minister, author, and broadcaster. He is the author and producer of “Mike’s Pep Talks”, available at http://MikesPepTalks.com. He has produced other motivational and inspirational items, including the powerful audio CD, “Healing Words”, available at http://www.ThoseHealingWords.com. He has been the voice on numerous productions over the years, including the current series, “Stories for Joshua.”
He has a free newsletter, called, “The Pep Letter” available at http://www.christianinspirationalgifts.com/pepletter.html