While in Cape Cod, we visited a used bookstore. Before even entering, I knew what I would buy. In the window, right near the door, sat a copy of Russell Banks’ Continental Drift. Mr. Banks is one of my favorite writers and I’ve been meaning to read this older work of his.

While my life centers around personal development and my writing and reading habits lean toward that genre, I believe just as much can be learned from great fiction (this is why I like Mr. Banks so much — he always teaches me something in his stories).

In this book (p 66.), he has a line that stopped me in my tracks. In context:

It came to me that money is what makes the world go round. Like I said. I know, I know everyone with a mouth says it, but most people don’t really believe it, which is why they don’t really understand it. You have to believe something before you can understand it.

I write and teach a lot about the law of attraction. Lots of people are interested in the topic — it sounds good and all. Yet even though people understand the law of attraction on a basic level, they still have problems living into this law and deliberately creating their lives. I have always maintained that in order to live in harmony with the law of attraction, you must bring two things to the table: 1) you must be willing to take responsibility for everything that occurs in your life, and 2) you must have faith in that this is how the universe works.

Looking more closely at #2, most people want all the evidence before they put their belief somewhere. They want to know that this is the right place to put their time, attention, or money. While teachers of law of attraction can produce supporting evidence from quantum physics or powerful personal anecdotes, the greater truth is that there is no proving this stuff, just is there is no proving that God exists.

It’s rather simple really. You either choose to believe. Or you don’t.

Most people are drawn to go deeper into the law of attraction because when they were exposed to it first, they felt a deep resonance with the message. The problem starts when our brain gets involved, trumping our feeling, our knowing, and wants all the evidence before fully committing to this new way of being.

But I believe Mr. Banks nailed it in his writing. In all of my experience working with people, if you are constantly practicing attraction with one foot in the water and one on land, always looking for the evidence before you surrender to a greater belief, you will never reach the level of understanding to meaningfully incorporate this way of being into your life.

1) Believe it.

2) Understand it.

3) Live it.

4) See the evidence all around you.

That’s the way it works.

And in that order.