While there are many successful users of the Law of Attraction there are still many who have yet to find the secret to the “Secret.”  The publishing world is ripe with books on how to effectively use the Law of Attraction, including my book, “Jesus Taught It, Too: The Early Roots of the Law of Attraction” but still, many have yet to master its use.  One major roadblock to would be masters of their own reality is what I call, “The Just In Case Syndrome.”

In addition to the notion that “like attracts,” the Law of Attraction contains within it basic corollaries such as form follows thought, where consciousness goes reality flows, what you think about the most you attract, fear attracts more fear, reality is thought made manifest and your world is a mirror of your predominant conscious and unconscious  thoughts.  Basically, what you hold in thought becomes your world.

Here is the problem: while many want to try to use the Law of Attraction, they suffer from the “just in case syndrome.”  Here are some examples.  You want or need a new car and you go through the steps of forming your intention, visualizing your new vehicle and even begin to show gratitude for what you expect to come.  So far, so good.  But, “but just in case” you fail, you decide to put a lot of repair money into your existing car.  Another scenario: you want to free yourself of some illness or dis-ease and do all of the visioning for a whole and healthy body.  But, “just in case,” you take any and every medication to try to cure you ailment.  Or how about finding that perfect job?  You begin to see yourself in your perfect occupation but, “just in case,” do all that you can to ensure that you do not lose your existing job.

The “just in case syndrome” applies to many such situations.  Reducing weight, finding that perfect relationship, building a business, achieving a life goal, reaching a state of enlightenment, moving, finding a new home and all of those things one may desire are subject to this syndrome.  Your thought process goes something like this; I desire “X” but “just in case” I am not successful, I will plan for “Y.”  Now “Y” is often your current situation or something near to it.  It exists because it has been your predominant thought(s) in your life.  It is what you see in your life’s mirror that you do not like and want to change.  The problem is that what you are really doing is trying to alter the image already in the mirror rather than changing what you are projecting on to the mirror.

Your personal mirror, despite all of its failings, is a comfort zone.  You have become used to the image and even if it is ugly, it is familiar and has some odd sense of safety.  It is what you have known to be true for your life and even though you want to change it, you provide for its continuance, “just in case.”  Does this type of thinking send a clear message to the Universe about what you really desire?  Are you not really telling the Universe, “I want this, but…?”  Is this a powerful intention and a clear image of what you are aiming to manifest?  This is not to say that you should delete all medications or not keep your car in functioning order.  However, you have to closely examine your intentions and thought patterns and determine if they are more in the direction of what you want, or more in the direction of “just in case.”

Think about this syndrome on a national and international basis.   We desire peace, but ‘just in case’ we also want the latest and most sophisticated weapons technology.  We want better education and health care, but “just in case,” here is my compromise plan.  The economy may be doing okay, but “just in case” here is our economic stimulus package.  We want people to get a long and share ideas but “just in case,” lets build this wall or fence.  It should be clear that intentions are mixed at best and contradictory at worst.  When you say one thing and act in an opposite manner, the Universe sees your actions as your predominant thought and the world is as it is accordingly.

Some may say that the “just in case” syndrome is another term for lack of faith or belief.  But of those words, to me, are suspect and by definition, imply uncertainty.  There is “knowing” and there is belief, but “just in case” it might get confusing, that will be a topic for another day.