Originally published in The UWM Post by Madison Goldbeck 

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“You are what your deep, driving desire is. As your desire is, so is your will. As your will is, so is your deed. As your deed is, so is your destiny.” 

Those were the opening words to the book The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success by Deepak Chopra that hold the secrets to grasping all your dreams. His teachings are condensed into seven powerful principles that anyone and everyone is capable of applying to their everyday life for a lifetime of results. Though the book is titled laws for success, it actually implies laws for life. Everybody’s definition of “success” is different, and in this case, the wealth Chopra speaks of doesn’t necessarily refer to money. The wealth of life could be your happiness,  your love, or your passion.

The seven powerful spiritual laws below teach readers how to use the spiritual approach of affluence, which is the abundant flow of all good things to you, to achieve success.

The Law of Pure Potentiality 

This law reminds us that only pure consciousness can be our spiritual essence. The more you experience your true nature, the closer you can be to the field of pure potentiality. Chopra reminds readers that there is no separation between you and this field of energy; only unity. Chopra pushes you to discover your Self. The Self is our spirit and resides outside of object-referral. Our thinking and our behavior are always in anticipation of a response.  In order to get in touch with the field of pure potentiality, you must take time each day to be silent and to just Be. Mediation is encouraged for thirty minutes twice a day. Listening to nature, watching sunsets, and enjoying the ecstasy of your own silence, are all ways to enter this energy field. Lastly, this law asks you to practice non-judgment. The true essence of the Self is beyond the ego. This essence is free, fearless, and stays immune to criticism. It enjoys challenges, never feels superior or beneath anyone, and is mysterious yet incredibly enchanting.

The Law of Giving

Giving and receiving are flows of energy in the universe and through this practice, the universe continues to circulate in our lives. The universe operates through dynamic exchange and your energy is a mirror of cosmic energy. So, if you want something, you must give something in order to keep that energy flowing and circulating in our lives. The easiest way to achieve what you want, is helping others achieve what they want, and this can be done through collective consciousness. It is the consciousness that knows how to fill needs, such as joy, love, laughter, and knowledge. If you seek things like this first, such as peace, for not only yourself but for others, all else will come to you spontaneously. Chopra tells readers that he has taught his children to always enter someone’s home with a gift. This gift could be note, or a prayer, or even a compliment.

In order to put the Law of Giving into effect, you must always bring a gift. Wherever you go and to whoever you meet, always leave that person with a gift from you. In addition, you must be grateful for the gifts given to you every day. These gifts could be the birds singing or a sunny day. Lastly, make a commitment to receive and give the gifts of caring, loving, and appreciating in your life.

The Law of “Karma” or Cause & Effect 

Every action you make generates a force of energy that returns to you in a similar nature. Karma is related to conscious choice making. This law asks followers to always be conscious of the choices you are making in absolutely every moment. Everything happening to you in this exact moment of your life is happening because of previous choices. All choices lead you to where you are now.

According to Chopra, unfortunately we make a lot of our choices unconsciously. When someone insults you or compliments you, you have the choice on how you are going to react. Our emotions are by choice; we can control them through our consciousness. Our emotions are conditioned reflexes that are triggered by certain people, actions, and situations, and are all predictable outcomes of behavior. We are just simply making the choice of being angry or sad unconsciously because they are conditioned.

The Law of Karma asks that in every choice you make, ask yourself two questions: “What are the consequences of this choice that I’m making?” and “Will this choice bring fulfillment and happiness to me and also to those who are affected by this choice?” Ultimately – when someone insults you, ask yourself these two questions. You can literally choose how that insult is going to affect you. Do not let your unconscious win.

Lastly, this law asks you to find guidance from your heart. Follow the comfort and uncomfortable feelings it radiates.

The Law of Least Effort

The Law of Least Effort calls for you to practice acceptance, take responsibility, and keep your awareness established in Defenselessness.

To practice this law, you must be in harmony with nature and be established in your true Self. Your actions must be motivated by only love. Through this, your energy will multiply and accumulate. This energy can be channeled to create anything you desire. When you practice this, your physical body can be used as a device for controlling energy. If not motivated by love, be very careful of what you set your intentions for. You waste energy if you only seek control and power. Attention to the ego consumes the most energy.

Accepting things as they are will free you from most negativity surrounding your life. Accepting people, situations, and events as they occur means you are acknowledging that this moment is as it should be. The universe is as it is, and so is this moment you’re experiencing right now. You must accept things as they are, not as you wish they would be. When you feel frustrated and upset with a person, remember that those are your feelings. By doing this, you are taking responsibility for your own feelings. By taking responsibility, you have the ability to have a creative response to the situation as it is now. You can transform energy to make it into a better situation.

Allow every tormentor or tyrant to become your teacher. Look at them as a challenge from the universe; a challenge you’re ready to take on. Whatever you have going on in your life, you attracted for that exact moment because you precisely need it right now. There is a hidden meaning behind all situations and most are serving to your own evolution.

Lastly, this law reminds you to relinquish the need to convince or persuade others of your point of view. When you have no point to defend, you deny the birth of an argument. If you stop fighting, you fully experience the present.

What you want is available to you whenever you want it. If you keep your “want” from a level of happiness, and not from a level of fear or anxiety, then you do not need to justify; just simply declare your intent to yourself.

The Law of Intention and Desire 

This law surrounds the fact that energy and information exist everywhere in nature. This law urges you to write down your intentions, desires, and goals on a piece of paper and carry it everywhere with you. Look at it regularly. Think about it regularly. Hold it in your hands when you meditate. Read it before you go to bed and again when you wake up in the morning. Most importantly – trust your list and trust the universe. Once you trust the universe, surrender. Believe that when things don’t go your way, there is a reason. Know that there is a grander plan the cosmic have in store for you; so big you can’t conceive it. You cannot fix the past and you can’t predict the future – all you have is the now and you must indulge yourself in it. Set your attention on the present and accept it as is, and the future will be manifested through your deepest intentions and desires.

The Law of Detachment 

In order to acquire anything in the physical universe, you have to relinquish your attachment to it. You give up your attachment to the result.

Attachments are based on the questioning belief in the power of your true Self. If you detach, it means you trust the power of the Self. When you only seek security, it is very ephemeral. Those who seek security end up chasing it for a lifetime only to never find it, because security is only an illusion. According to Chopra, “The search for security and certainty is actually an attachment to the known. And what’s the known? The known is our past. the known is nothing other than the prison of past conditioning. There’s no evolution in that – absolutely none at all. And when there is no evolution, there is stagnation, entropy, disorder, and decay.”

Stepping into the unknown means you are walking into the field of all possibilities. There is so much magic in that. When you’re attached, your intention gets locked into a ridgid mindset. However, don’t get confused with goal-setting. You can still have the intention of going a certain direction, you still have that goal. However, between here and there (being your goal), there are infinite possibilities.

If you ignore the law of detachment, you are slowing down the process of evolution. Essentially, you’re killing your own evolution.

The Law of “Dharma” or Purpose in Life 

This law states that we have taken manifestation in physical form to fulfill a purpose, just like the divine takes human form to fulfill a purpose. We are here to discover our true Self, to find out on our own that the Self is spiritual, and that we, ourselves, are spiritual beings that have taken manifestation in physical form. We are not human beings who are spiritual – we ARE spiritual beings that have occasional human experiences. Each and every one of us are here to discover our higher self. Once that is fulfilled, we must discover and focus on what we are here to give.

According to Chopra, inside us is a god or goddess in embryo that wants to be born so that we can express our divinity. This means: there is one thing you can do, and one way of doing it, that is better than anyone else on this entire planet. You’re so invested in it that when you’re doing it, you lose track of time. The expression of that talent takes you into timeless awareness.

This law always relies on service to humanity through that talent. Instead of asking, “What is in it for me?” ask “How can I help?” There is a clear distinction between which one is the ego speaking versus which one is the spirit speaking. Go beyond the ego and experience the domain of your spirit; the awareness and universality.

After Thoughts…

“We are travelers on a cosmic journey – stardust, swirling and dancing in the eddies and whirlpools of infinity. Life is eternal. But the expressions of life are ephemeral, momentary, transient. Gautama Buddha, founder of Buddhism, once said, ‘This existence of ours is as transient as autumn clouds. To watch the birth and death of beings is like looking at the movements of a dance. A lifetime is like a flash of lightning in the sky, rushing by like a torrent down a  steep mountain.’ We have stopped for a moment to encounter each other, to meet, to love, to share. This is a precious moment, but it is transient. It is a little parenthesis in eternity. If we share with caring, lightheartedness, and love, we will create abundance and joy for each other. And then this moment will have been worthwhile.” – Deepak Chopra