Many self-help gurus believe your thoughts alone are sufficient to bring about meaningful change in your life.
Some even believe the universe can deliver your wishes to your front door if you merely ask in the proper manner.
Maybe this is true, maybe not.
But there is one law in the universe that works very reliably: the law of cause and effect.
Yet, it is perhaps one of the most powerful laws that work for or against you.
If you drop something heavy above your foot (cause), it will fall (go down due to the law of gravity) and hurt your foot (effect).
If you follow the directions accurately to make a cake, you’re guaranteed to receive a cake at the end.
The Bible teaches that you reap what you sow.
You get out what you put in.
Buddhism also covers the topic of cause and effect thoroughly.
The law of cause and effect may be the most universal law of all.
It only makes sense to ask oneself, how is this universal law working for or against me in my life right now?
Most of what happens to us is not due to chance or luck, but this law of causality.
We reap what we sow, even when we’ve sown something long before we actually reap it.
It works the same way in nature.
You don’t plant a tree today and get fruit tomorrow.
You need to wait.
Often you forget and then one day, there it is!
We often set things in motion only to experience the ripples of that much later.
Often to our surprise and even dismay.
So how can the law of cause and effect help you?
How the law of cause and effect can help you:
Your actions are ultimately the controlling factors.
This is great news.
All you have to do is take the appropriate actions and you’ll get the results you desire; most of the time.
Thoughts can dictate your actions, but the power of your thoughts is only seen when you take action.
Success and failure aren’t personal.
If you bake a cake, the cake turns out the same, regardless of your education, skin colour, religion, or favourite sports team.
Mixing the proper ingredients in the proper amounts and baking for the proper duration at the proper temperature are the only factors that matter.
The world is not yet a crazy enough place to work on the ideal laws we would like, so we must make peace with how it is and use it to our advantage.
Most outcomes are quite logical.
Over time, you reap what you sow.
If you’re kind to people, you can expect that most people will be kind to you; the Law of Reciprocity.
Mistreating people on a regular basis yields different results.
Eating too many pies brings obvious results, too.
Preparing and studying for exams brings good results.
The failure to do so brings opposite results.
It doesn’t matter if you believe the universe is out to punish you.
The outcome of your actions will still be the same.
All of this suggests that thoughts aren’t relevant. However, that’s not exactly true.
While you can successfully bake a cake while holding thoughts that your cake will never bake properly, you won’t try if your thoughts believe the opposite.
Having the appropriate thoughts makes the appropriate actions possible.
Ineffective thinking can be a blocker to taking advantage of the law of cause and effect.
Blaming and complaining are good examples of ineffective thinking that will keep you from taking action.
Making the law of cause and effect work for you:
Understand the cause and effect relationships in your area of interest.
What actions are most likely to lead to the results you desire? Do some research and be certain.
Find those who are knowledgeable in your area and ask questions.
Take the appropriate actions.
Remind yourself that if you take the proper actions, your results are almost guaranteed.
Monitor your thoughts and ensure they’re not holding you back.
Keep going.
Consistently taking the actions that have led others to success will carry you to the same destination.
Expect that success will take time.
Trust that your actions will be enough.
Perseverance is powerful.
Take away …
Even if success has eluded you in the past, you can rely on the law of cause and effect to hold true.
Focus on taking the actions that lead to your desired outcome.
Remember, no one has ever followed a cake recipe and received an apple pie from their efforts.
Conversely, if you have been getting apple pies but believed you were busy baking cakes, perhaps it’s time to look at what you are actually doing versus what you believe you are doing.
You get the results you deserve.
To get what you want you must deserve what you want.
Right or wrong, that’s how the world works most of the time.
Avoid letting someone fool you into believing that wishful thinking will hand you a cake!
