I Disagree With Steve Pavlina About Polarity

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Steve Pavlina just posted a follow-up entry to yesterday’s post about on #1 Mistake People Make When Using The Law of Attraction. I’ll summarize it here, but to get Steve’s complete take on the subject you should read his article on the concept of Polarity.

Here is the meat of Steve’s concept:

The polarity of the energy flow is simply its direction. The in-flowing energy has one polarity, and the out-flowing energy has the opposite polarity.

So here are the two basic ways energy can flow through your consciousness:
1. You -> Universe (you direct energy from your consciousness out to the universe)
2. Universe -> You (you draw energy from the universe into your consciousness)
#1 is like breathing out, and #2 is like breathing in, except we’re talking energy instead of air.

He goes on to say:

Here are some examples of intentions that align well with outflow (from your consciousness out to the universe):
· write a book
· build a business
· compose a song
· draw a picture
· throw a party
· give a speech
· start a blog

And here are some examples of intentions that align well with inflow (from the universe into your consciousness):
· get a new car
· attract a new relationship
· receive a certain sum of money
· get a new job
· achieve a certain reputation
· win a contest

I believe that viewing this directionality of energy as a polarity is misleading and potentially detrimental to our work with Law of Attraction. I see it as a continuum and would propose that, instead of getting into an either/or equation we look at the optimal energetic direction for each intention, and, in fact, for each step in the manifestation process.

As humans, our essential nature is as much energetic as physical. Just as our physical bodies require a constant and cyclical flow of air in and out, our energetic essence requires a constant and cyclical flow of energy in and out.

Our physical bodies could not survive if we decided to spend a day – or even a few minutes – just exhaling. Nor could our energetic bodies survive for very long if we decided to just flow our energy out to the universe without receiving any energy back.

Unlike breathing, however, the inflow and outflow of our energy bodies happens simultaneously. We are constantly and simultaneously receiving and sending energy.

With breath, the seed of the next exhale waits in every inhalation while the seed of the next inhale lives in each exhale.

With energy, there is no separation. Even as you are flowing energy out into the world, you are receiving fresh energy to replenish it.

It is possible to regulate the flow of this energy, and with specific tools, training and practice, you can become quite adept at consciously directing this flow of energy. But, no matter how skilled you become at directing the flow of your energy, there will always be a simultaneous in- and out-flow.

On an energetic level this concept of inflow and outflow is more of a continuum than a polarity. It is not either/or it is a dynamic flow sometimes directed more outwards and other times directed more inwards.

Intentions work the same way. The successful manifestation of any intention requires a balance of in-flowing energy and out-flowing energy. To say that the intention of writing a book is aligned with outflowing energy is misleading.

To write a book requires a clear vision – outflow – and focused action – outflow – but it also requires attracting an agent and/or a publisher – inflow – a willingness to receive and act on constructive feedback – inflow – and a desire to attract income – inflow – etc.

Intentions are in a constant state of dynamic motion between the polarities of inflow and outflow. And this is where the concept of Optimal Energetic Directionality can be very useful.

Lets take the example of writing a book. Here are the steps a hypothetical author might go through on a daily basis along with an exploration of how bringing consciousness to the polarity of each step could help to empower the action.

When our intrepid author awakes each morning the first thing she does, even before getting out of bed, is create a clear vision of the completed book. She envisions herself embarking on a highly successful book tour, receiving large royalty checks each quarter, and speaking on radio and TV shows throughout the country/world.

This is a time for outflow. During this step, our author should actively engage a strong flow of energy out into the universe. She wants the universe to “hear” her vision. The more positive energy she flows out into the Universe, the faster the Universe will receive it.

Later, our author sits down for her morning writing session. She clears her mind and her desk of all distractions, and begins to write. She focuses on receiving the information that she knows will benefit others and translating that information into words that are clear and easy to understand.

This is a time for inflow. During this step our author should actively engage and open to a strong flow of energy into her space. This inflow will allow her to receive the exact information she needs to write in each moment.

Now, you might wonder how this can be a time for inflow when she is sending energy out through her writing. In this case, I consider the author and her computer, notepad, recorder or typewriter to be one “system.” There is energy flowing from one part of the system to a another part of the system, but the overall energy state of the system is one of inflow.

A few minutes into her writing session she gets stuck. There is a concept that she just can’t translate in a way that makes sense. She knows there is a way to express this concept clearly. And she senses that the answer is just outside of her conscious grasp. So she stops and leans back in her chair, closes her eyes and opens herself to receive the information that will help her translate this concept.

This is a time for deepening her alignment with inflow. Opening to guidance from Source, Higher Self, Intuition, God, or whatever you choose to call it, is a time to actively engage the inflowing polarity.

Later in the day, our author writes a query letter to an agent with whom she would like to work. Before she writes the letter, she closes her eyes and envisions herself having lunch with this agent. She sees and feels their strong connection and mutual desire to make this book incredibly successful.

Outflowing energy.

After writing and sending the letter, our author spends time actively entering a receptive state in which she welcomes the assistance of all those who can help her write and publish this book. She especially opens up to receive the assistance of this agent.

Inflowing energy.

So you see, no intention is exclusively inflow or outflow. In reality, each individual step in the process of manifesting your intention has elements of both inflowing and outflowing energy. This is why I see it as a continuum.

But while it is a continuum, each step has an optimal energetic direction. And when you become aware of that direction you can empower each step by consciously aligning your energy with that polarity.

You can begin to explore this topic of Optimal Energetic Directionality, by observing your actions throughout your day and becoming aware of the directional flow of your energy.

Another way to use this concept is to make note on your daily task list of the optimal energetic direction, in or out, for each task.

Steve has once again opened up a very interesting and useful area for exploration and I hope to see more. I assure you that you will see more on this from me. This concept has definitely started my wheels spinning. And hey, I guess that’s another reason why I blog!

Posted by Edward Mills | Filed Under Art of Allowing, Deliberate Creation, Energy, Law of Attraction, Personal Growth