The law of attraction is the idea that what we focus on, believe and feel tends to show up in our lives. Like draws like: hopeful focus draws good things, and fearful focus draws more of what we fear. It is real in a way, but the popular version leaves out the part that decides most results, which is the conditioning we picked up long before we ever heard of the law.
This page explains what the law of attraction means, where the idea came from, what the film The Secret said about it, and what it left out. It is written from the view of David Cameron Gikandi, who was the Creative Consultant on The Secret.
What is the law of attraction? A simple definition
Here is the law of attraction meaning in one line: your inner world shapes your outer world. What you expect, notice and feel most of the time leads you toward matching people, chances and results.
People explain how that happens in different ways. Some talk about energy or vibration. Some talk about focus: we notice what we are looking for, and we act on what we notice. Some talk about expectation: we behave in line with what we think will happen, and others respond to that. You do not have to settle that debate to use the useful part, which is this: what is going on inside you is not a side issue. It is part of the cause.
Where the idea came from
The phrase is much older than any film. It shows up in New Thought writing from the late 1800s and early 1900s, and the idea behind it is older still. Many spiritual traditions teach some version of “as within, so without”.
David’s own book, A Happy Pocket Full of Money, first came out in 1999 and became an international bestseller. It explores the same ground through what it calls wealth consciousness, and through the law of cause and effect. One line from the book sums up its view: wealth is first a state of being, which is then experienced. If that interests you, David’s mini-course Cause & Effect As A Wealth Tool works through it.
What The Secret said about the law of attraction
The Secret came out in 2006. A few years after his book, the filmmakers asked David to consult on the project, and he served as its Creative Consultant. The film introduced the law of attraction to a much wider audience than anyone expected.
Its message, in short, was that thoughts and feelings draw matching experiences, so you can change your life by changing what you hold in mind. For many viewers it was the first time anyone had told them their inner life mattered this much. That part was a gift.
What the popular version left out
Then a lot of people went home, made a vision board, thought hopeful thoughts, and waited. And for many of them, not much changed. Some felt worse than before, because now the lack of results seemed to be their own fault.
It was not their fault. Here is what we believe was missing, stated in full:
Because manifesting is as natural as breathing. It is already running, and it is already obeying the conditioning it was handed. So the work is releasing the brakes, rising above that conditioning, and building real structure and flow around abundance — the mindset, the financial plumbing, the entrepreneurial steps.
Let’s unpack the three pieces the popular version tends to skip.
1. Conditioning
Most of what we focus on is not chosen. It was handed to us as children: what money means, whether it is safe to be seen, whether wanting more is greedy. The law of attraction does not only listen to the thoughts we pick on purpose for ten minutes a day. It listens to everything, all day. And the old instructions are louder.
2. Brakes
A brake is the thing that kicks in just before a goal arrives. You go quiet before the launch. You discount before anyone asks. You lose interest the week the client says yes. These are not character flaws. They are old safety habits doing their job. No amount of positive focus releases them on its own, because they do not live in our conscious thoughts.
3. Structure
Even when the inside is ready, money needs somewhere to land. A clear offer. A price that holds. A way to keep what comes in. David calls part of this financial plumbing. Without it, good energy can drain away as fast as it arrives.
Does the law of attraction work?
In our view, yes, and that is exactly why it can feel like it doesn’t. It is always working. It is just working from the oldest, strongest instructions, not the newest, nicest ones.
David has spoken openly about living this himself. A few years before 2022, his own finances came down hard. He had been the Creative Consultant on The Secret. He had written an international bestseller. And he was stuck. What he learned was not a better technique. In his words: “I didn’t need to learn how to manifest better. I need to learn how to become aligned, how to get out of my own way.”
These are David’s own views, and they’re contested. Plenty of scientists see the law of attraction as focus, motivation and expectation, with nothing more going on. Either way, the practical work is the same: change what you carry inside, and build what your goals need outside.
How to use the law of attraction without the frustration
We do not sell law of attraction tricks. Manifesting needs no lesson. What helps is work on the two things that decide what it runs on: the brakes, and the structure. Here is a grounded way to start.
- Pick one real goal. Something concrete, like a price you want to charge or a number of clients.
- Write the inner reply. Say the goal out loud and notice the first reaction. A tight chest? A voice saying “who do you think you are”? That reply is the older instruction.
- Ask where it came from. Not to blame anyone. Just to see that it was learned, which means it can change.
- Release one brake. Choose one small act the brake usually stops, and do it kindly. Send the invoice. Post the offer.
- Build one piece of structure. Set up the account, write the offer page, book the calls.
If you have tried the law of attraction for years without the results you hoped for, David’s course Why Manifesting Hasn’t Worked For You goes deep on the hidden “counter-intentions” behind that. For the bigger picture of how creation works, read our guide to the mechanics of manifestation, or browse the Spirit & Flow hub.
Questions people ask
What does the law of attraction mean in simple words?
It means your inner world shapes your outer world. What you focus on, believe and feel most of the time tends to lead you toward matching results.
Is the law of attraction the same as The Secret?
No. The Secret is a 2006 film that made the idea famous. The law of attraction is an older idea that the film presented to a wide audience.
Why doesn’t the law of attraction work for me?
Usually because older conditioning is stronger than the new goal, because a brake kicks in near success, or because there is no structure for the result to land in. It is rarely because you are thinking the wrong thoughts.
Is the law of attraction scientifically proven?
No. There is research on how focus, expectation and belief change behaviour, but not proof of a universal law. We present it as David’s view, not as settled science.
What did David Cameron Gikandi do on The Secret?
He was the film’s Creative Consultant. The filmmakers asked him to consult a few years after his book A Happy Pocket Full of Money came out. You can read more about his work on the About page.
Where to go from here
The Abundance GPS masterclass is the clearest next step. It shows the whole picture: why the law of attraction stalls for so many people, and what to do instead.
And if you want company for the work, the Abundance GPS community on Skool is where it happens. We help conscious entrepreneurs with adverse childhood experiences get out of their own way and release their brakes — so they can multiply their income and magnify their impact. Visit the Abundance GPS community.
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