On the surface, not much.

This article will explain why Abraham’s work is so highly actionable (even though that word is problematic), even when their writing can seem so esoteric. So here is the quote that we will be discussing.

“the basis of life is free-dom; the result of life is expansion—and the purpose of life is joy.”

This is one of the things I love about Abraham-Hicks work: Despite all the weird new-agey sounding stuff, the teachings are actually completely pragmatic. Take for example that little kernel of wisdom. Rather than seeing at as a bunch of gobbledygook, it’s actually highly functional. Let’s break it down.

First of all, it’s easy to understand, the sequence comes in a pleasing set of threes, and each statement leads to the other.

“the basis of life is free-dom” This is essentially the core belief you have to have to get anything done with the law attraction. If you don’t think you are free or instead that you are at the whim of some higher power, then you will attract things that show that to be true. Not only that, but since your brain isn’t a closed system, you will find moments of peace and might feel that this higher power is toying with you. If, on the other hand, you believe that the basis for all your experience is freedom, you will see that your life (whether you want it or not) was chosen by you deliberately. That’s crazy! And it’s a hard pill to swallow if you don’t like aspects of your life.

“the result of life is expansion” This one helps me a lot, because I am sometimes just brimming with desire. Sometimes I feel that what I want is greedy. Often I believe that I’ll be happy when I get this one thing that I want, but then I remember that expansion is the whole point. The whole point is to continually have new unfulfilled desires and then watch them manifest. This is a whole different focus than a spectrum where selfishness and selflessness reside on opposite ends. Both are an inherently a desire and both are your right. I want to have a pile of money and to do good for others and I don’t see how those conflict.

“the purpose of life is joy” Notice that it doesn’t say the purpose of life is expansion. I think of purpose as being the center point of your focus. Your purpose is something that you focus on that brings you into higher vibration, so of course joy or something like it would be correct. If, instead the purpose was expansion, that’s the western mindset right there – “do do do, more more more, bigger bigger bigger,” in the words of Robert Scheinfeld. If instead, expansion is the result, then expansion is a given. That leaves your only purpose in the day to day as having fun, being in joy, flowing with the stream of life, etc etc. To put it another way, it’s not your purpose to be the one pushing your own life forward, just like you can’t push a river forward. Yet, that expansion is taken care of by you fulfilling your purpose. I feel like here lies the great journey of those who’ve been taught that action is the key to success; the people that are taught to “Crush it” or “Pound pavement”, or any other smashy sounding inspirational phrase. Action worshippers learn that the grit and the work are part of the process and sometimes even learn to derive a feeling of accomplishment only if they execute massive action. I’m using words here that are harsher to demonstrate just how not in the flow of life that is.

I love breaking it down like this, because so many people talk about how you have to be here now, or be present, or be mindful. For me, that it not actionable advice. This is the difference between empty platitudes and actual improvement.

Perhaps the platitudes are something that would make sense and be inspirational (in the sense that they would inspire action) if I was at the right vibrational wavelength, but instead they seem, not meaningless, but not finished. Abraham-Hicks, more and more, seems complete. They aren’t trying to sell you on their next book. They have the answers you are looking for, even if it’s just a few answers repeated again in the same way. Sometimes what we need is repetition.

But how is this actionable?

What I mean by actionable is that it’s something you can take and use in your life. It’s not something to pore over (like I’m doing here), but it’s something that will make your life better now. In the simplest terms, by starting from the basis of your life being freedom, you open the door for empowerment. By shifting your focus from expansion to joy, you let the expansion take care of itself.

How you apply that to your life is something you have to come to on your own, but as you read this right now the tools to do so are coming into your life. Expansion is the result of your desire to know how you can apply this in your life.

Have you gained power and insight from phrases or quotes? Which ones spoke to you and why? Leave a comment below.