In the Vicinity - Help the Universe Help You

Introduction
This book came about as a result of a
personal growth quest beginning from a
time in my life that it seemed the Universe
shouted at me, “Hey, Teri, it is time you
got your life together!” several times –
several ways – until I started listening.

Introduction
I suppose my life wasn’t markedly
different than most people of my
generation growing up in the 60’s and 70’s.
It was an exciting time to be a teenager
and young adult. Traditions were being
challenged; boundaries were being
broken; civil rights being acknowledged,
even legislated; parental authority, as well
as church and state, were being
challenged and rebelled against on a scale
never before recorded. Lyrics in music
became a universal message for change.
There was a shift of energy; something in
the air that only a few wise ones
understood. I was not one of them, by the
way.

Introduction
For me it was also a very confusing time. I
guess you could say I went into pleasure
overwhelm, indulging myself in whatever I
perceived would be a thrill. I allowed
myself to get caught up in the rebellion
without really understanding what I was
rebelling against. I was all about the
personal freedom without a clue about the
responsibilities.

Introduction
I had parents that loved me. However,
they were just not equipped to deal with
the changing times and the ‘wild child’
they found themselves trying to see safely
into adulthood. Having said that, I would
like to point out that, after the hell we put
each other through during my youth, both
of my parents and I developed a fulfilling,
loving and mutually respectful
relationship. I am, and will forever be
grateful for this. My parents were truly
wonderful, generous people. Yes, they
had flaws. Who doesn’t? Having raised
two children myself, I challenge any
parent to claim they haven’t made
mistakes along the way.

Introduction
The point I wish to make is that, were it
not for the mistakes my parents made,
and were it not for the mistakes I made, I
would not be who I am today and would
not have been in the vicinity to reap the
benefits of life experience. I perhaps never
would have started on this incredible
conscious journey of self-­‐discovery.

Introduction
When the call came for me to take a good
look at myself and where I was going, I
realised that I was nowhere near where I
wanted to be. At least that was my
perception. I was in a career that when I
first entered, was exciting and rewarding
but then became sour and un-­‐motivating.
In fact, had I been any less motivated, I
would probably not have been breathing!
I hated getting out of bed in the morning, I
hated getting home late at night; I hated
having most of my weekends interrupted
with meetings and work-­‐related calls. I
simply hated the pressure of working and
the pressure of having to work just to pay
the mortgage.

Introduction
I began to read as many self-­‐help and
spiritually enlightening books I could get
my hands on. I came across concepts such
as “finding your purpose”, “discover your
passion” and “manifesting dreams” to
speak of some. I particularly found the
Law of Attraction very exciting. What an
amazing concept, I said to myself. I have
the ability to manifest whatever I want?
Cool! I’ll buy that trick! So, what do I want,
I ask. Well, this sent me on a path-­‐finding
journey to discover what exactly I really
wanted and, ultimately, lead me to writing
this book.

Introduction
It is my desire and my hope to give you,
the reader, the benefit of my
misunderstandings and mistakes and the
amazing difference it made in my life
when I finally understood and began to
use the Law of Attraction according to the
principles discussed in this book.

Introduction
In this book, I want to focus on the law of
attraction and why it didn’t seem to be
working for me and why others, perhaps
even you, find it a slow process and maybe
not even working. What I will say right
now is that it is always working. It can’t
not work. The law of attraction is one of
the universal laws of science and like the
law of gravity, it is always going to do
exactly what it does. What I hope you will
find in this book is why you might not be
getting the results you are looking for.
What I hope to be able to give you is a
guide on how to use the law of attraction,
together with other important universal
laws to your advantage.

Introduction
It is my passion to share this with others. I
truly believe that when we are happy
within ourselves and when we are living
the life we really desire, we automatically
improve the lives of others around us.
Imagine what the world would be like if
everyone had abundance, if everyone
loved themselves enough to
unconditionally love others; that is the
kind of world I want to live in and, yes, as
far-­‐ fetched as it may sound, particularly
when you watch the news, read the papers
and see the popular format of
entertainment and social media, I believe
we can create a world of abundance and
joy – starting with ourselves.
Happy Journey.

What is the
Law of
Attraction?
The law of attraction, simply put is: like
attracts like. It is the ageless “what you
put out comes back to you” maxim. There
are those who call it Karma. Ancient
philosophers taught this, so it is not
exactly a new concept. What this
presupposes is that a person can manifest
their own reality, their own destiny. In
short, the law of attraction or manifesting
is ‘see, believe, receive.

What is the
Law of
Attraction?
This is done by visualising your desired
outcome and seeing yourself as already
having achieved that outcome, believing
the desired outcome can be and will be
realised and that outcome will then be
manifested. The Secret written by Rhonda
Byrne took the world by storm and started
a lot of people on an incredible journey,
myself included, of creating for
themselves what they wanted out of life.
Better jobs, more balance in their work
and personal time, better relationships,
even creating new relationships.

What is the
Law of
Attraction?
However, there are those of us who
struggled or who may still be struggling
with the visualisations becoming realities.
I will address possible reasons why in
upcoming chapters. First I’d like to
address the question:
How does it work?

“If you want
to find the
secrets of the
universe,
think in
terms of
energy,
frequency
and
vibration”
Nikola Tesla

How does
it work?
Energy is a part of and flowing through
everyone and everything on this planet, as
well as in the universe. The very creation
of our planet is theorised to have been a
result of one large burst of energy – the
‘Big Bang Theory’. Whether you are a
Creationist, Naturalist or an Evolutionist,
Energy is a fact and it affects us all. Every
living thing on the planet is energy.
We send energy out which attracts other
same-­‐frequency energy. It is a Universal
Law.

How does
it work?
Expectation has a lot to do with outcome.
Henry Ford’s famous quote of
“Whether you think you can or can’t, you’re
right”
is more than just a motivational phrase, it
is absolutely true.
However, for a lot of people, there are
certain areas that need to be overcome
before that phrase becomes not just wise
words but a belief system.

Clarity
It is important that in order for us manifest
what we want, we must know precisely
what it is we do want. Clarity is essential.
If you are not clear with your desires, then
the vibrational signals are warbled, not
too unlike radio signals getting jammed by
an enemy. (I know; I probably watch way
too much sci-­‐fi!) The Universe may
eventually ‘decode’ the signal getting a
vague idea and give you what? Vague
results! So, one of the first things you’ll
want to do before engaging the help of
the Universe, is to get clear on what
exactly it is that you wish to manifest in
your life. In my upcoming book, I will go
into detail and provide exercises that can
help you achieve this.

Core
Beliefs and
Values
Our core beliefs are deeply embedded in our
subconscious and are usually developed
very early in life. Of course, as we grow and
our awareness broadens, we take in new
information. In fact, it would be silly to say
that we are not constantly learning.
However, it is what we retain and integrate
into our belief system that forms our core
beliefs. Our subconscious will filter out what
we perceive to be “meaningless” or perhaps
even “dangerous” for us, i.e. did we at some
point, develop that by having wealth was
“dangerous” to our spiritual salvation?
Conversely, have we simply not put any
personal value to achieving a particular
goal? These embedded beliefs and values
have a large impact on whether or not we
achieve or realise that which we consciously
think we desire and want to achieve.

What is
your Inner
Dialogue?
Words are very powerful and carry energy of their
own. This has been proven with studies on how
water molecules are affected by simply talking to
it. Plants have undergone similar experiments.
The words we say to ourselves, whether they be
said out loud or silently in our minds have a
profound effect on us. Our thoughts are just as
powerful as our words. If you call yourself stupid
enough times, you will, in your subconscious mind,
accept that you are stupid and your behaviour will
exhibit this. If you tell yourself and others that you
are clumsy, you will certainly find yourself bumping
into things, dropping things and maybe even able
to trip over an imaginary line! (Which was a
particular skill of mine, until I told myself to stop
doing that!) We CAN and must change the way we
speak and think if our current speech and thoughts
are not working for us.

Love
Yourself
This is where your journey will begin. The most
important person in the equation is YOU! I truly
believe that before you can unconditionally love
others, you must first love yourself unconditionally.
Unconditional love is without judgement and with
acceptance.
Loving yourself may be a difficult concept at first.
Most of us are taught at an early age “not be full of
ourselves”, “don’t show-­‐off”, “don’t big note
ourselves” or “toot our own horn”. It may seem
selfish or self-­‐indulgent. However, when we know
our strengths and accept our weaknesses, we can
build on our strengths and transform our
weaknesses. We can even accept our weaknesses
and still love ourselves. I love that I am creative
and knowledgeable. I accept that I am not a skilled
accountant. Therefore, instead of berating myself
for that lack of skill, I simply hire a bookkeeper and
seek professional accountancy advice when
needed. There, I still feel good about myself, plus, I
am providing others to practice proficiency in their
respective skills as well as helping with the
economic flow.

Love
Yourself
In learning to love yourself, you will find
improvement in your relationships with
others and/or begin to distance yourself
from those who, rather than support you,
would have a negative influence on you or
don’t have your best interests. This can
happen as a natural course or by
intentional choice. Remember, energy
attracts like energy. Loving yourself takes
you into a higher vibration and you will
begin to attract and be attracted to higher
vibrational people.

Put the
Past Away!
Every single person on this planet (that is from this
planet) has done, said or experienced something
they wish they hadn’t. Most of us have probably
been hurt or wronged in some perceived way;
some more severely than others. It is natural to
feel disappointment and anger when we feel
someone has wronged us; and it is natural to feel
anxious and fearful when experiencing an incident
that results in physical or emotional injury. It is all
too common that for some time after the wrong
doing or injurious incident, emotions of hurt, anger
and fear are still present. In some cases, these
emotions are held for years. Sometimes, we might
shift the blame, or at least, share the blame. For
example, if we hadn’t been there at that specific
time; if we hadn’t let ourselves get involved with
that person or activity, and so on. Now guilt enters
the stage and the scene is replayed endlessly.

Put the
Past Away!
It is important to keep things in
perspective. Letting go of the past can be
a difficult thing to do especially if it is was
a traumatic event. In these more severe
instances, there are a multitude of
professionals trained in a variety of
methodologies available. Find one that
works for you.

Put the
Past Away!
Love yourself enough to seek this help.
Love yourself enough to forgive yourself
and forgiving others becomes easier.
Forgiveness is an essential part of letting
go. It does not make the situation
magically disappear, nor does it make a
wrong right. It is accepting that whatever
it was, happened. Whatever was done is
done and reliving it, blaming it, being
angry or hurt for prolonged periods of
time serves no purpose. Take whatever
lesson or knowledge you can from the
experience and know you are better off for
the knowledge.

Put the
Past Away!
Let go of the past and move into the
present. The present is the only place we
can make things happen!

Surround
Yourself
with
Positive
If you want to raise your vibration, it is
important to put yourself where the
vibration is higher. When you are wanting
to change you will want to have
encouragement and support and
therefore should associate with those who
can provide this.

Surround
Yourself
with
Positive
There are many ways you learn to raise your vibration,
such as: meditation; going to a place you find beautiful
and uplifting; spending time with nature; attending a
motivational or educational seminar; reading
motivational books. However, your vibration can be
brought down pretty quickly once you are back in your
mundane routine. Depending on your personal
circumstances, this may mean that you stop associating
yourself with negative people. You may want to explain
to your family members and close friends that you are
wanting to avoid negativity and focus on positive
activity. This can seem like a difficult thing to do,
especially if you fear losing some friends. You needn’t
take extreme measures like making a public
announcement that lists specific negative people in
your life that they are no longer your friends. And,
hopefully, you won’t feel you need to call someone just
to tell them not to call you anymore. However, if you
have someone in your life that is abusive, either
physically or emotionally, that may be just what you
need to do. Again, there are organizations and
professionals that can assist in these circumstances.

Surround
Yourself
with
Positive
I can assure you that, once you begin to
operate on a higher frequency, you will
begin to encounter and attract those
vibrating on a similar frequency.
I personally found, in the beginning,
meditation extremely effective. When I
meditated with the intention of attracting
positive energy and with the intention of
self-­‐development, I was amazed at the
“coincidences” that began happening. I
would find myself picking up a book that
gave me the precise information I needed at
that time. I began to meet people who were
on a similar path and a similar place on their
path to me. I also encountered people who
were able to help me along my path. I found
myself drifting away from those who were
not conducive to my desired growth and
gravitating to those who were.

Be
Grateful
Gratitude is extremely important and can
be one of the more difficult things to
practice in the beginning, especially if you
are presently unhappy with circumstances
in your life. However, remember we are
working with energy and what is going out
is coming back. If you are constantly
thinking from a lack perspective that is the
vibration you are experiencing and
attracting. So begin with things that for
which you know you CAN be grateful.

Be
Grateful
You may not have the perfect home, but it IS a
home. Realise that it is a roof and shelter that
protects you from the elements. It is your private
space. Perhaps you can de-­‐clutter (which is a
powerful exercise in letting go and clearing on an
emotional level); or you could make small
affordable cosmetic improvements to reflect your
unique self. In your personal life, you could focus
on being grateful for significant friendships,
relationship. Be grateful you are alive and
experiencing this crazy, wonderful journey called
life. Whatever you can be grateful for, begin to
meditate on that gratitude. It does become easier
with practice. I can say from my personal
experience that once you begin to be grateful for
the things that you have, the Universe with give
you more. Go ahead, make a list of that for which
you are grateful and look at that list several times a
day. Take time to reach each item on the list. FEEL
the gratitude. The feeling is the vibration.

Be
Grateful
Be grateful you are alive and experiencing
this crazy, wonderful journey called life.
Whatever you can be grateful for, begin to
meditate on that gratitude. It does
become easier with practice. I can say
from my personal experience that once
you begin to be grateful for the things that
you have, the Universe with give you
more. Go ahead, make a list of that for
which you are grateful and look at that list
several times a day. Take time to reach
each item on the list. FEEL the gratitude.
The feeling is the vibration.

See it,
Feel it,
Thank it
Once, you know what it is you want to
manifest, visualising it brings it a little
closer to reality. If you can SEE yourself as
if you already have what you desire, you
are sending a message to the Universe and
it will scramble to catch up with you. I find
putting photos of what I want to bring into
my life in prominent places around my
home is powerful. I’ll have them on the
fridge, taped to my dressing table mirror,
bathroom mirror. My husband tends to
panic when I have a photo of a suite of
patio furniture, or similarly large desire –
he thinks I’m hinting for a birthday gift.
When I tell him I’m asking the Universe, he
sighs in relief and leaves it up to the
Universe.

See it,
Feel it,
Thank it
The most effective way to visualise is
through meditation. While you are
visualising yourself as having already
achieved your desire, be sure to get
excited. How would you feel if you were
being handed the keys to that new car, or
being in that perfect relationship? Hold on
to that feeling as long as possible. See
and feel it within as if it is real. And, of
course, be grateful. Thank the Universe
for this wonderful gift. Hold on to that
feeling of gratitude.

And……
Action!
This little ingredient is often left out of
other Law of Attraction books, but is
what, I think, one of the most important.
The Universe can do only so much. You
may begin to encounter seemingly
coincidental opportunities, but it is up to
YOU to take advantage of them. When
working with clients I often ask the
question, “what has to happen for you to
achieve your desire?” We then break it
down to steps. 1 st step, 2 nd step and so on
until that goal is reached.

And……
Action!
It is all well and good to sit back visualise
yourself living a grand life, but doing
nothing to try to achieve it. This, my
friend, is not manifesting – it is
daydreaming. Daydreaming is a great
thing and I encourage it!
We often get great inspiration this way.
We must remember to take responsibility
for our own happiness and take action.

Summing
it up!
To sum it all up: when you find your clarity;
align your beliefs and values with your
desired outcome; ensure your inner
dialogue is positive, supportive and
nurturing; love yourself enough to know
you are worthy of your desires; leave the
past where it belongs and surround
yourself with positive, supporting and
nurturing people, you have put yourself in
the vicinity to help the Universe help you.

Get in
Touch
If you are interested in obtaining a copy of
my book upon completion that includes
more detail as well as helpful exercises,
please fill in your details on the website to
subscribe.
By providing your details, you will be
entitled to receive a free telephone
conversation. Be sure to include your
contact phone number if you wish to take
advantage of this.

0433 505 695
teri.a.mcdonald@gmail.com
teresa.mcdonald42