How to Raise Your Vibration

Before I get into today's post, I do have a "good news update" for anyone that's interested -- I got my old writing gig with Citystream back, and am now writing 500-word articles on local businesses and non-profits again (woo hoo!) I was sent five this week and turned them around in a couple of days. One of them was about a cat rescue non-profit in New Hampshire and I have to admit, writing that piece was personally way more fulfilling to me than anything I had to write in my past few full-time jobs. I'm convinced more and more and have so much faith that writing is the career direction I want to go into. I've been focusing a lot on abundance this week after watching a video series that's been getting emailed to me every day, and something...or actually, two cool things showed up in regards to writing and abundance, which I'll write about in another post soon. Today, however, I really want to talk about raising your vibration.

It's a phrase that comes up numerous times in virtually any LOA book you pick up or video that you watch. In order to activate the law of attraction and allow it to work for you, you have to focus on raising your vibration. But what exactly does that even mean?

I look at it in very simple terms: I like to think of our vibration as emanating from our emotions, and what we're feeling and believing. All humans are made out of and emit energy. That energy -- or vibration -- goes out into the universe and we attract back what we're thinking and more importantly, feeling. A chronically miserable person is usually going to keep attracting more situations that make them miserable, because that is the vibration they're feeling and emitting around them.

A lot of LOA gurus liken vibration to being tuned into a particular radio station. If you're on a country radio station, then you cannot be receiving and hearing jazz music. Likewise, if you're on the misery channel, you're not going to be receiving joy and positive things as long as that's the signal you keep transmitting.

(By the way, there is actual scientific proof that everything in our universe and on our planet is made out of energy. This was discovered by Antoine Bovis in the 1930s, who even devised a scale for measuring the energy organisms give off. You can Google that for yourself to learn more!)

So how does one raise their vibration? The shortest and direct answer is get happy, no matter what the circumstances. This is easier than done, of course (I'm still continuing my 30-day happiness experiment with some glitches along the way) but as Abraham Hicks reminds us (I'm paraphrasing here), "You want something because you feel that in the process of having it that it will make you feel better, and happy. So why not feel better and be happy now?" Here's my recommendations of things that work for me that typically raise my vibration...needless to say everyone is going to have their own personal list, but this may be helpful as a start:

1. Affirmations
There are some LOA instructors that advise against saying affirmations, especially if a person is not in a position yet to actually believe them. I disagree. When I first learned about the LOA, writing down, thinking, and saying affirmations was the first step that I did to start changing my negative thoughts and energy. And once they had been repeated a few times on any particular subject, I did start to believe them and feel my vibration shift. I also think making positive "I am" affirmation statements about yourself and your life is the most powerful type of affirmation. In fact, one of the videos in the series I've been receiving via email was an interview with Sonia Ricotti (author of a book called Unsinkable.) She said when she was working on turning her life around, she would repeat and immerse herself in "I am" affirmations to herself while walking her dog. I've been saying a lot of affirmations to myself this week -- such as, "I am a prosperous and successful writer", "I am rich", "I am abundant", and "I am in a loving, healthy, fulfilling soulmate relationship with the right guy." Even if you don't believe your own affirmations at first, give them time -- and be willing to at least suspend your disbelief of those negative thoughts that didn't serve you.

2. Do What Brings You Joy and Fulfillment
I'm not necessarily talking about a career (although I do believe a major source of people's unhappiness is when they're doing jobs that they're not truly into and they're too scared to pursue what their heart really wants.) I'm speaking more about hobbies and recreational activities that bring satisfaction and fulfillment -- for some that may be painting; for others cooking, volunteering, or being a mentor. For me, it's writing, knitting, and organizing events for my Meetup groups. I just know I feel really good when I do these things, so I think it's important to make time for some of the activities that you really want to do.

3. Exercise
I admit watching the Olympics the past few weeks inspired me to get back into shape by keeping my workouts regular. I always feel stronger, lighter, and more energetic when I work out a few times a week. I also like walking, riding my bike, light hiking, and cross country skiing.

4. Spend Time With Pets
I have found that it's virtually impossible to stay in a bad mood when you have a furry friend rubbing against you and looking for attention. Nothing gets my day off to a better start than being greeted by my cats after I wake up. Animals to me belong in the same category as babies -- they're innocent, curious about the world around them, and just want to be loved. I'm sure for many people, spending time with a beloved pet or child -- whether they belong to them or someone else -- is definitely a great way to raise your vibration.

5. Be Grateful 
Even after my most recent job "loss" (which honestly, I see as a gain) I've been very grateful for everything that I do have -- friends, family, health, plenty of money saved, a home to live in, my writing talent, the clothes in my closet and dresser, etc. As I see the dire weather conditions on the news that most of the country as in right now, I'm feeling awfully thankful for everything that I have while many people have lost their homes and many of their possessions. Recognizing the good things that you do have immediately takes the focus off any lack. I keep reading more and more about how important it is to be grateful, because it does help attract more of the positive into your life.

6. Spend Time Outside/In Nature
Something that I've always done during virtually every office job I've held is taking a lunchtime walk outside when the weather was appropriate for it. There's always been something about getting away from a piece of technology and reconnecting with the physical world around you. This morning I took a walk around the neighborhood (and following Sonia Riccoti's advice, recited in my head several "I am" affirmations over and over.) A bonus to spending some time outside is that it's a great reminder of exactly how abundant the universe is -- considering there are multitudes of birds, animals, insects, trees, plants, and rocks.

7. Spend Time Only With People That Make You Feel Good
When I come home after spending time with friends I want to feel as good as or better than I felt when I first greeted them. I learned a while ago to limit time with the Debbie Downers, or remove myself from their life completely if they were constantly arguing with me about anything and/or constantly complaining about how rotten their life was. I'm not saying you should cut a friend out of your life that complains or gets sad once in a while; everyone has down moments. I'm talking about those that are chronically not much fun to hang out with. Joining a Meetup group with people that share your interests is another great way to elevate your vibration.


8. Meditate
I resisted learning how to meditate for years because like most people, I thought you had to sit cross legged in front of a mountain to execute it properly. But thankfully meditation is much more broader than that, and doesn't require any deep techniques. It can be as simple as lying in bed or sitting quietly in a chair and concentrating on nothing more than your breathing. I have a couple of short meditations saved on my computer that I sometimes listen to before falling asleep. I have found that they melt any tension out of the body and help me focus on positivity for a brief, concentrating period of time.

9. Listen to Music Or Play An Instrument
I've written on here before about the power of music to lift -- or squash -- your mood. Listening or dancing to the right upbeat music by an artist or group that you love can definitely get the blood moving and affect your vibration. And if you play an instrument (provided you actually do love practicing/playing it) all the better for getting you in a good mood.

I probably could have added one more recommendation and made this an even ten -- but the truth is everyone probably has their own tenth tip that they can fill in for themselves. Whatever makes you feel good is what you should be aiming for.