Creation does not equal Effortlessness

When I was a teen, I had a friend who wanted to be a musician. He wanted to start a band, and play the keyboard and sing. He bought a keyboard, and it sat in his room where he could look at it every day. He just never seemed to get around to playing it, or actually starting a band.

Years later, he was still talking about starting that band, and learning to play the keyboard.

It seems that if he’d really wanted to do all that, he would have done what it takes to make that happen, right? But so often, that’s not the case. I’ve seen this happen over and over in my own life, and over and over in the lives of my family, friends, and clients!

And it usually goes like this –

• First, there’s the feeling of inspiration, and we start imagining how great life will be when we get to do this thing we are so excited to do!
• Then we get confirmation; we may experience a synchronicity that makes us feel as if we are on the right track, or maybe we’ll visit a psychic who provides confirmation that this is our ‘purpose,’ and our reason for being sent to the planet!
• Then we take a step – and it usually feels pretty significant; we’ll sign up for a program, create a website, or commit to a daily practice, and we feel excited about the direction we are moving in.
• Then our lives will get busy, other things require our attention, and this thing we want so badly gets put on the back burner.
• Or maybe no one responds to our creation right away, so we feel ignored and disappointed.
• Then we start wondering why, if this is meant to be, isn’t it happening for us? Shouldn’t it be easy and effortless if this is truly what the Universe has planned for us?
• Then we feel a major energetic shut down toward that goal, along with disappointment. We may even tell ourselves, ‘well, I guess it just wasn’t meant to be.’

If you have ever had this experience, and felt disappointed that something did not effortlessly manifest for you, you are not alone!

And there are two prevailing thoughts in the spiritual community that actually  support this experience!

First is the idea of effortlessness, and that if something is meant to be, the Universe will do all the work for you.

However, effort should not be confused with difficulty or challenge. Everything takes effort. If you received a college degree, that took effort. If you’ve improved your health, that took effort. If you play an instrument, that took effort. Even having fun takes effort. I recently took a trip with my daughter, and that trip took a LOT of effort, however, that didn’t diminish our experience at all. In fact, because we made the effort, we had a really wonderful time.

What you love is going to take effort; but this is a good thing. When you put energy into something, dormant forces are activated, and rise to meet to you!! And, the more energy and effort you put in, the more those energetic forces support you.

Second is the idea that if you just think the right thoughts (positive thinking) everything will fall into place for you due to the Law of Attraction.

While it is important to note that the Law of Attraction is a valid and powerful energetic force to keep in mind, it does not preclude taking action (making an effort).

I spent many years making vision boards, visualizing my happy outcome, and saying my affirmations, and still nothing was happening! In fact, nothing happened until I put in the effort to make something happen.

The Law of Attraction works with our thoughts and energies and actions by putting opportunities on our path that will move us toward our goals. However, we have to take an action in order to experience that opportunity. And, that takes effort.

As an Infinite Being in a body, remember that your Soul chose to experience itself through the human experience – this means that taking actions, and making an effort are actually fun for you at a Soul level, because it is activity that allows us to experience our divine nature while we’re in a body!

I know that it can be really hard to buy into this, and believe me, there have been many times I’ve wished someone would just wave a magic wand, and make my life awesome.

But here’s the thing, no one can wave a magic wand for you, because YOU are that magic wand. You are the channel through which divine energy flows into your own life as a creative force. And you activate that force by taking action.

Our Soul’s work is not about effortlessness, it’s about creation. Sometimes creation happens quickly, and sometimes our creations have to be sustained over many years. But whatever length of time it takes, remember that your Soul supports that creation, and your activity allows the force of creation to work through you, and manifest into your life.