This morning I was reading an article in the Washington Post on the high price of gasoline. Among other things, the article talked about the big gas guzzlers like the Hummer.

A bit later, I saw a Hummer on my way to the post office. They're very rare in this small mountain town. In fact, I've seen only one other in all the time I've lived here. A couple minutes later, still on my way to the post office, I saw another Hummer. You probably know what they look like -- big, boxy military-looking gas hounds on four wheels.

Earlier this morning, as I was out jogging, it dawned on me I hadn't seen any snakes this summer. Normally we have plenty of them during warm weather. About two or three minutes later, I spotted a long black snake just off to my right.

Later in the morning, I was doing some grocery shopping. Without intending to, I "accidentally" turned down the aisle with dental products. And that reminded me I'd been looking for a particular brand of toothpaste for many months. But this store hadn't carried it in years. Suddenly, it practically jumped out at me from the top of the toothpaste shelf.

So what do all these seemingly insignificant, trivial events have to do with our spiritual paths?

Well, they show us how the Universe really works.

Here's Chief Joseph.

Chief Joseph

Friends, you live in a Universe that is exquisitely perfect in every way. We realize that may sound like a ridiculous thing to say, at least to many of you. Especially when you look at the world around you, including your latest huge human disaster, the hurricane called Katrina.

However, the Universe works in an entirely predictable manner. It is governed by the law of attraction. And everything that happens, happens according to the law of attraction. No exceptions.

And so, you might ask, "What is this law of attraction that governs the Universe and all of our lives?"

Well, we've addressed that question many times over the years. But it keeps coming up. And probably will keep coming up. And so we will keep addressing it.

The very essence of the law of attraction is this: You live in a Universe of vibrations. Vibration is all that is. Similar vibrations resonate with each other. Dissimilar ones clash with each other. But our real point and focus here today are the similar vibrations.

To put it simply, you attract into your lives (as individuals and as groups, large or small) what you focus mostly on.

Your focus, your attention to anything, sets up a resonance, a vibration. And the Universe responds instantly to that vibration.

And instantly whatever matches that vibration, or resonates with it, is on its way to you.

So, as we've said often before, it behooves you to pay attention to what you're paying attention to.

Let's take some examples from the experiences John described for you earlier.

As he was jogging, he started thinking about snakes. And lo and behold, a snake appeared almost instantly.

In another of his experiences that same morning, a particular toothpaste he'd been wanting a long time suddenly manifested.

We take these two examples because, among other things, they illustrate how irrelevant time is when it comes to manifesting your hearts' desires.

Time is, in fact, often the biggest block you face in creating what you want in your lives. Not because time matters -- it doesn't. The Universe could care less about time. It's you who care about time.

So when you ask for something, or give your attention to something, no matter how fleeting that attention may be, it's instantly on its way to you.

And if you simply allow it to come, and if you really do not care when it comes, it will often come to you quickly, or even instantly. When that happens, you frequently call it a "miracle."

But, often, your focus, after you've asked for something, is on the fact it's not there yet. Well, then you've set up a contradictory vibration. And you thereby slow down the manifestation.

You live in a perfect Universe. But it's a Universe governed by its own law of attraction. And so, by its own law, the Universe cannot deliver to you something you're not ready to receive.

In other words, you cannot receive something that does not match where you are vibrationally.

On the other hand, the Universe can, and often will, deliver to you instantly whatever matches where you are vibrationally.

That, of course, friends, can work for or against you -- for or against what you're wanting to create.

So, again, it behooves you to pay attention to what you're paying attention to. Your predominant focus determines your predominant vibration.

And that predominant vibration determines all of your life experiences. All of them -- no exceptions.

And that is how the Universe really works.

Copyright © 2005 by Great Western Publishing