The Attraction of Challenges

“Smooth seas do not make for skillful sailors” --African Proverb

Last week working with clients, the theme that had emerged most has been the attraction of challenges. Often when someone shifts their perspective or sets a new intention (or goal), the opposite of their intention or an opposing force shows up heavily in their life.  This confrontation and challenge to the new intention often require you to stick to your intention and take action immediately. For example: If someone sets the intention to learn how to say no to offers. It is very common for them to get more offers than before. They are challenged on their desired behavior, testing them to take action on their new goal, to start saying no.

The Law of Attraction is the idea of like attracts like.  It means whatever you focus or speak is what you attract into your environment.  The Law of Repulsion is the opposite of the Law of Attraction. It is the idea that you may repel that which you desire.

I like to think of this as a challenge when you set the intention to change or create; your mind, the universe, (you fill in the blank) gives you more of what you are trying to change to allow you to take action on your new-found commitment and intention.  I am not sure if there is a fancy title (or Law) for what I have seen but I think it is the result of both attraction and repulsion working together.

Nothing happens on a goal, a plan, or an intention unless we take action and start the process.  I think this Attraction of Challenges is often what comes up for us so that we are more motivated to propel into to action and start the process of reaching our intention.  To gain/acquire what we want (attraction) we must let go/release something in the process (repulsion). Let go of the past. Release past failures, beliefs, strategies that now no longer work for the new goal or intention we desire. So in order to meet your intention, you need to be aware that it is common for you to attract the very thing, habit or outcome that you do not want in order to take action and create your desired result.