Today it isn’t uncommon for parents to second-guess themselves.  They feel something isn’t right in their gut, but they shove the feeling aside because “the book” or “the expert” advised them to do otherwise.

Another way to tap into your inner guidance is using a concept called, “The Law of Attraction (LOA).”  It has a fancy new name, but it really isn’t new.   People with faith or who trust the universe, know the power of creating their own reality.  My own parents were great role models for me in regards to living their lives with a certain confidence - a knowing of how it all would work out.

Growing up, my parents often used the LOA without calling it that. When I was 9 years old my father became legally blind. My mother was a stay-at-home mom of five children. I am the baby of the family. My dad is a store designer, specifically for shoe stores. He relies on his eyesight.

I look back at this time and I cannot remember a day or even a moment that either of my parents’ shared their concern or worry with us. They were not sheltering us from their financial crisis or their fear of my father’s blindness. No, they simply trusted that things would be fine and we would find a way to survive. My father felt that our family should move from northern Idaho to northern New Jersey, 30 minutes outside of New York City.

I am still amazed that my mom fully supported his decision. A month later, we were packed into a truck and 2 cars with a dog and a cat and a friend who decided to join our adventure. We dropped my oldest sister off in Montana for her first year of college and made our way across the country to our new town, Teaneck, New Jersey. My father had no job offer or even any prospects. We had a disability check and a car load of kids. My parents assumed we would find a suitable rental and move in before the start of school. To their surprise, there were no rentals in Teaneck that August. The realtor was shocked when my mother had found a house on Queen Anne Boulevard and declared that it was the house we wanted and despite the desire for the homeowners to sell it, she was sure that they would agree to rent it to us.

My parents, my oldest brother, age 19, his friend, also 19, my sister, age 17, my other brother, age 14, and I at age 9, arrived on the front step waiting to be shown our new home. The home owners were astounded that my parents believed that they would rent their home. They had no intention of renting and certainly not to a group like us, from Idaho, of all places. Without disappointment, we left to return to our Holiday Inn where my mom reassured us that all would be well and that we would be renting their home; they just needed time to think about it. I was confident, not to mention excited, since I had already put dibs on the pretty room with yellow walls.

The next morning, the realtor called and relayed to us that the young yuppie couple, bewilderingly decided to rent to our family for one year. My mom received the call matter-of-factly, as if she had been expecting it. Within a week, we moved into our new house.

In remembering this story, I have begun to think more about how I can apply the Law of Attraction to my parenting. I want to be a more calm and responsive parent. Lately, when I begin to feel overwhelmed or the children’s play starts to escalate, I say one word, “calm,” to remind myself of what I truly am - my true reality. I desire a peaceful home so instead of saying, “I wish my home were more peaceful,” I say, “My home is peaceful.” Using my thoughts to create my reality isn’t about living in denial or not accepting what is happening. What I am finding out is that just like my mom, I’m able to fully trust that if I want something to be true, then I am capable of manifesting it by believing that it is. If my home is peaceful then there isn’t yelling. A peaceful home does not have squabbling, screaming children. I am responding to my children out of the mindset that I am a calm parent and I can help my children build the skills necessary for them to be harmonious. Through my individual coaching, I help parents understand in more depth how they can begin to make the conscious shifts they need. The key is acknowledging that “what we focus on, grows.”