We Are What We Seek?

Bob McInnis
3 min readOct 26, 2021

Do we always attract that which we are dwelling on? For example, if I am thinking serious thoughts about serious issues, do I find myself immersed in reading, writing, and discussing serious thoughts, or do those find me? Does it matter at all?
I am amazed by what I observe and understand when I allow my attention to focus on a specific subject, idea, or relationship. The discoveries are bold and ordinary, simultaneously. With my eyes, ears, and heart wide open, I find an array of opportunities, possibilities, and small treasures. But, do I attract those good things, or do they appear from an ether that my scattered mind has fabricated because it is feeling overwhelmed?
Is this evolutionary brain architecture? Or is it more like when I am on the 57th floor of an office tower, I only see the surroundings and people on that floor? I can imagine Evan on the 23rd floor, who I am meeting with tomorrow, and the great latte I will get at 10 am from the shop on the 2nd. Still, unless I am dreading or lusting for either, my focus eventually becomes my focus gets pulled back to the immediate.
Do I imagine that I see more expectant mothers when someone I love is pregnant? Or am I committed to watching for maternity as I have a seed of the process planted in my head and heart. Does it work like the Goethe quote that I have used here before (at least three other times)? “that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way.”
There seems to be something in the imagination that can cause cascades if we choose to be open to her mystery and magic.
What happens if I commit to a disposition for a month? Say generosity — Will I get more of it, see more of it and share more of it? Another flip of the calendar page begins soon. This sounds like a pseudo-science experiment that would be fun to take a stab at this.
If this were ‘pure science’ as described by some picky friends of mine (they are also correct), I might choose the Scientific Method.
Research
Problem
Hypothesis
Experiment
Results
Discussion and Conclusion
In my counterfeit experiment, I will take liberties with all the steps.
Research — secondary and tertiary evidence (think Google) is inconsistent in its conclusion.
Problem — is people aren’t intentionally generous; they aren’t generous
Hypothesis — if I focus on generosity, she will appear much more often for me and those around me
Experiment — observe and record signs and acts of generous behavior throughout November
Results — forthcoming
Discussion and conclusion — forthcoming in December 2021.
I will provide updates throughout but would love to have a larger sample, so the pretend process offers genuine narratives and examples. So sign up for November is Generosity and let’s have some fun.
Make Next Month Remarkable,
B

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