The law of attraction and other unexpected surprises

I have always been a believer in the Law of Attraction, meaning that I was aware of my ability to manifest what I paid attention to and acted on. I also believe that when I feel good (a clear conscience) about my decisions, things will not only turn out well, but also turn out well for everyone. My confidence in this law goes beyond knowing that my thoughts will create what I want. My thoughts will also attract me experiences that my soul needs to grow. The following story about how a little disaster was actually what you needed to create a successful business.

He had just finished the last concrete pour on a large stamped concrete project for a wealthy family in an exclusive area. The work included a backyard, front porch, a walk, and a long driveway. We dumped the last section of the driveway, which connected to the street. I set up roadblocks to safeguard work before returning home. This was the last spill in the project and it went well. I was quite satisfied. However, when I arrived the next morning to do the final details of the job, I discovered that a short, localized rain had damaged a very small but visible part of the fresh concrete. The entire last section was beautiful except for this little area where the rain marred the surface. All the work had gone well and the work was beautiful. I wondered, “How could this happen?” I got sick to my stomach. It hadn’t rained at my house just a few miles away! I felt like a victim.

My mind raced as I explored various thoughts in search of a solution. Perhaps the owner would not notice. What about the people who pass by? They may just notice the imperfection without knowing that the rest of the work was perfect. Perhaps you could repair the damaged area; it would be quick and cheap. But what if it didn’t match? I still felt the knot in my stomach. I followed another line of thought. Removing the entire last section would be more expensive, but it would mean that everything would match. Then the whole project would be flawless. I breathed in and this slowed my thinking. I mentally calculated the cost of the replacement: the labor; the concrete; the hassle of calling other customers to tell them I wouldn’t be there when I told them. I calculated the earnings from the job I had scheduled for the next two weeks and resolved that there was more than enough earnings on this job and even more in the next two weeks. I decided to replace the entire last section. I was instantly relieved! Slowing down so you could have thoughts other than panic and fear made all the difference. My stomach immediately relaxed more.

A moment later, the man of the house, a prominent dentist, came out to say hello. Between sips of his coffee he congratulated me on a job well done. I drew his attention to the area that concerned me. Even after I pointed it out to him, he said he couldn’t really see the stain. I encouraged him to look from a different angle. “Ah, that’s fine with me,” he said. For a brief moment I thought that maybe I could just leave it as it was. I could not. He needed to have a clear conscience. Even though the stain was only 4 square feet from a project involving thousands of square feet, I knew that it’s the blemishes that get the attention. I wanted to clean and clear leaving a flawless project. This whole scenario unfolded in the space of a few minutes. The decision I made represented a milestone in my conscience and in my career.

In those brief moments I went from fear based thinking to possibility thinking and also seeing responsibility differently. So I didn’t think I had all the responsibility resolved and I still don’t have it. However, the experience was a revelation. The way I came to that conclusion regarding the driveway was to realize that I needed to live up to my own standards, not someone else’s. While I didn’t like the feeling I had when I thought I was a disaster and would lose huge amounts of money, the thing that bothered me the most was having a job that I wasn’t happy with.

I took time to breathe. I thought about the job I had scheduled and what the earnings would be. Breathing and reasoning, I made sure that the funds would be available to do the job right, keep paying all my bills, and have a profit left over. The biggest consideration was to be true to my standards. I was committed to doing high-quality work, all the time.

I needed that lesson to forge the commitment to excellence that has paid off ever since. There were additional universal laws that came into play. Knowing that you really had more than enough money describes the Law of Abundance. Knowing that more money was coming describes the Prosperity Law. As soon as I made the decision that supported my goals, I felt more grounded and whole. My body immediately relaxed. I felt great because the fear was released! Fear is usually the unproductive use of the imagination. I was able to be present, breathe and feel better instantly after making the right decision. The veracity and value of that decision in business terms came back to me many times, as both the architect in that job and the owners recommended that I work for years. This was the beginning of being responsible for myself more than others. I was forming an attitude of sacred service towards my higher self. I was living my ideals.

That lesson, which came early in my decorative concrete business, led me to set the bar very high in terms of delivering the best possible product and also treating the customer as I would like to be treated. This is the meaning of the golden rule. I learned to always take the right path and that the money would always come back. Money is temporary and transitory. It comes and goes. Having more money than I need today does not mean that I am more or less spiritual today than yesterday. Money represents energy. Money is energy. Money is a tool to use, and in doing so we recognize our value. The money spent to replace the last section of the driveway was negligible compared to the volume of work I received over the years. Furthermore, it reinforced the principle of being true to the Self and not compromising one’s standards.

The principle of doing your best establishes a field of attraction that is greater than we can consciously imagine. Integrity is attractive. Trustworthiness is attractive. The intention to always do our best produces prosperity and abundance. It works all the time, for anyone, anywhere. If we always feel that we do not have enough, we will only attract the lack, until we decide to choose a different response to the stimulus. Thinking that I am not valuable and unworthy makes it very difficult to attract more money (or energy) towards me because I am sending a plea to the universe to create situations in my life that offer me the opportunity to change my way of thinking, to make another decision . about my attitudes to money and my self-esteem.

Sometimes I wonder about the odds of that rain and how it came at the right time to formulate and solidify a life guiding principle of what it really means to be responsible, responsible to yourself.