Ask and You Shall Receive

The Law of Attraction in Action

“Ask, and it will be given you.
Seek, and you will find.
Knock, and it will be opened for you.
For everyone who asks receives. He who seeks finds.
To him who knocks it will be opened.” Matthew 7:7

I am certainly no expert on bible verses since I wasn’t raised with formal religion. However, my Mom made a practice of speaking in verses and clichés including the shortened version of Matthew 7:7 -“ask and you shall receive.” She said this to me often, along with “the squeaky wheel gets the grease.” Both were very important reminders for me, a shy kid who didn’t speak her truth or ask for what she needed. I think I confused the act of asking with being greedy, selfish, or rude. That childhood confusion has definitely progressed into adulthood, and like many women, I often find myself acting as the martyr – forsaking my own needs for the needs of others. But, I am coming to realize that there is a balance to all things and asking for what you need (and want) is no exception. There is really an abundance of good in the Universe and there is nothing wrong with asking for your share. In fact, if you want to be happy and healthy it is essential.

Put It Out There

The first and most basic element of getting your wants and needs met is to send your thoughts and feelings into the Universe. It is a bit of a variation on Give it to Godthat works whether you are religious or not. It actually is just the Law of Attraction and Quantum Physics in action. Since our thoughts and feelings have energy, when we release them into the world they gain the potential to be fulfilled. Honestly, I can’t explain the science of it all. I just know it works because it keeps happening over and over again. One example happened this past weekend when Carl and I were driving home from a trip to Vermont. It was raining and dreary much of the way, but occasionally we would see the sun peak through the clouds. We were both a bit discouraged by the rain, but trying to seek the silver lining I announced, “at least we might see a rainbow.” I followed that with a much clearer, but admittedly childish sounding, “Boy I hope we do see a rainbow. I can’t remember the last time I saw one.”

Rainbow in Springfield, MA Just north of Springfield, MA my request was fulfilled in duplicate, as we both marveled at the double rainbow that seemed to arch over the city. I tried desperately to get a good picture of the rainbows as we sped along, and frustrated I mumbled, “if you would only pull over we could get a good look.” Carl continued on not acknowledging my request. As we continued to drive we both kept our eyes on the puffy clouds around the horizon. It was really beautiful as the colors and shapes in the sky seemed to change every few miles.

double rainbowAs we approached our exit off the highway Carl said something about being surprised we hadn’t seen any additional rainbows by that point. I thought that was a greedy expectation and chided him with, “if you only pulled over we could have appreciated the ones we did see.” To which he retorted, “I didn’t think you were serious.” Just then he spotted an even more brilliant rainbow to the east of the car. Since we were already turning off the exit it was easy to just pull into the nearest parking lot where we could really take in the beauty. Again, it was a double rainbow whose colors were so brilliant they looked as though they were drawn with highlighter pens. I said “Thank You. Thank You God” as I took my pictures and basked in the beauty of what we were lucky enough to witness.

Believe

RainbowOnce you put out your wishes or intentions, you have to believe that they can and will come true. I know many people might read my rainbow story with valid skepticism. It was raining and the sun came out – duh! of course there is going to be a rainbow. I respect this view, as I suspect it is the very one that Carl held. However, as I said, I hadn’t seen a rainbow in years, and this is just one small example of a recent event that proves my point. There are many, many others and they seem to multiply the more I believe in the possibilities of asking for what I want. I’m certain that the childlike wonder and optimism with which I approach my requests, along with my consistent sense of gratitude, is what keeps the abundance flowing.

The Art of Asking

I feel like I need to be clear about something with regards to asking. So many people make demands from life, or harbor unrealistic expectations (myself included). We can’t just ask for a million dollars and think we are entitled. We also can’t wallow in what we don’t have. Both situations put us into a negative space where the asking gets muddied. Requests are then made in anger, fear, or with a sense of frivolity. Sometimes we get so stuck in the “I wish” or “I want” mode that we grasp for everything and end up unsure about anything. I’m not an expert on this asking thing and still struggle with it daily (as evidenced by my own failed attempt to get Carl to pull over to view those first rainbows), but when I take the time to really think about it I can see that the following practices are helpful in getting both what you want and need.

  • Be positive – all requests must be made from a place of belief and joy. Kids often get what they want because they are in that place much of the time.
  • Be genuine – ask for what you really, truly want. Everyone says they want more money, but is that really what you want? You could end up with money that you can’t even use, and as they say “mo’ money mo’ problems.”
  • Be clear and specific – broad general goals like making more money or winning the lottery are difficult to achieve, but specific requests like seeing a rainbow when the conditions are favorable are within reach.
  • Use visualization – by actually picturing what it is you want, you can bring it into being. After all, our thoughts create our reality.
  • Be gentle, kind, and appreciative – no one likes someone who is pushy or demanding, the Universe is no exception.

Say it Loud & Proud

It may feel silly to announce audibly what you want, but I think it is key. Although I have found limited success in asking for what I want in my journal or through my writing, the most effective results have come when I actually make requests out loud. As another example, I was visiting my parents who have a yard full of geodes, and had spent the first few days of the visit haphazardly looking for a piece of quartz silently wishing I could find one in the midst of the many little stones. It wasn’t until I literally said out loud, “I wish I could find a piece of quartz” that I instantly saw a shiny clear crystal right in front of my foot.

I don’t know if it will ever be easy to fully voice my wants and needs, but I do know that the only direct way to achieve them is to do so. Please leave a comment with your own tips or stories on asking and receiving. I said that out loud as I typed, so…

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