“Watch your thoughts, they become your words; watch your words, they become your actions; watch your actions, they become your habits; watch your habits, they become your character; watch your character, it becomes your destiny.” – Lao Tzu

This week I sat down with Bob Doyle of The Secret, a very popular film about the Law of Attraction. The power of intention is something we often talk about on Rat Race Reboot, and this concept is the foundation of the Law of Attraction. The Law of Attraction is one of several natural laws based on the theory that your thoughts control your results.

Q: How did you transition from working on The Secret to the realm of neuroplasticity?

A:  My first ‘Aha’ moment was around the Law of Attraction, which says that our thoughts control our results or that we attract what we put out. After working on The Secret I wanted to focus on the wiring of the brain and how it plays into manifesting results in our life. I like to take it a step further than just manifesting, because we know that positive thinking and belief alone won’t make our dreams become reality. We have to put in the transformational work. This is where taking action comes into play.

Q:  So, there’s an importance in taking action—a step further than what The Law of Attraction states?

A: The Law of Attraction can be misconstrued if we aren’t careful. While we can do all the visualizing of desires we want, if we do not have the tools to maintain our desires or know how we arrived at obtaining them, we won’t be able to continue the lifestyle or consistently get those results. If we woke up with a million dollars but we weren’t a ‘millionaire,’ we probably would have no clue how to get back the one million dollars if we lost it. There wouldn’t be a mentor to call for advice. We certainly wouldn’t have gone through the crappy parts of making the money that the millionaire had to go through. We wouldn’t have the knowledge needed to maintain our investments and resources because we didn’t have to do the work for the money. It’s why lottery winners will lose their winnings so quickly—they just aren’t able to maintain the lifestyle without the needed knowledge or putting in the work. The journey to the achievement is just as important as the vision you have for yourself.

Q: How would you advise to best bear the fruits of The Law of Attraction and the wiring of your brain to be the best version of you?

A: Think about who you want to be and what that person would be like. Maybe they are on time more often than you are, they eat three square meals a day, and they get enough sleep. If you are someone experiencing lateness, pangs of hunger, and tiredness all of the time, know that it is possible to change the situation. But how? Not just by thinking about who you want to be, but by living in alignment with these goals. For example, you want to run a Spartan race at the end of the year. Are you going to just show up for the race as you are right now? Not likely. You would be determined to train your body to go through rigor and treat it with the proper nutrition needed so you can be prepared to succeed.

Q: How does the wiring of one’s brain play into the navigation of their day?

A: Let’s say we’re not liking our daily results. We have to go back to the brain’s wiring in order to treat this problem. The wiring of the brain is a much more direct path to true transformation than just thinking about transformation (this is when manifestation is misrepresented, i.e., thinking you can sit on the couch watching television all day and at the same time still become a successful CEO of a Fortune 500 company). Yes, you should visualize what you want, because manifestation is an important layer to successfully achieving your goals. Quantum physics shows us this. There’s no negating the Law of Attraction, but giving it the scientific attention needed to take you that step further in achieving your goals is also important. We know it is not the end all, be all, however the Law of Attraction will create a good checkpoint for you when you’re figuring out your next step.

Q: How does one go about rewiring the brain to allow for success?

A: Rewiring the brain to change your thinking is the same as learning anything else. When we learn a new language or how to walk, we’re just feeding our brain new information on a consistent basis. This eventually carves out new neural pathways in the brain, which then allows that behavior or that knowledge to be on autopilot. It won’t take so much effort anymore to act out or access. When we pay less attention to the old wiring, it will wither away and we will have learned something new. When we do the opposite and give the old wiring what it needs to thrive, we are just solidifying our situation and circumstances. Maybe you justify your situation by telling yourself things like, “I can’t do it because I don’t have the money.” “I can’t do it because I don’t have the time.” The negative notion of the “I can’t” attitude will harm your ability to move forward in life. The transformation needed for your situation comes down to learning to be a different way. We have to make the decision to transform and give it the proper commitment to succeed.

Bob’s advice is spot-on with what we talk about here every week. If you want to take transformational actions, ask yourself: Who do I want to become? How can I do that? Who do I want to be? How can I serve? How am I living when I’m serving at my highest potential? If anything comes to mind, jot it down. Take an inspired action toward that person you want to be today, and another tomorrow.

You can reach out to Bob with any questions. If you’re interested in learning what type of Transformation Personality type you have, you can visit Bob’s site at http://boundlessliving.com. You can also visit my website, www.RatRaceReboot.com, for free handouts and a link to my podcast. Remember, everything is created twice, first in your mind and second in physical form.