"It's just uncanny," one of his sales directors said, "but every month, somehow, he pulls it off. He just never misses his sales targets. I just don't get it. What is he doing different?" That question was asked with passion and a certain frustration, because the person he was referring to just didn't appear to be any brighter or different from other people in the same position. Yet, he never misses his quotas.

I must admit, I wondered the same thing myself. How could it be that someone who has less education and requires more task-oriented assistance can achieve better than others with equal or better qualifications? Seems an odd question and, from a universal perspective, a question that I was going to get a chance to find the answer to first hand.

Through a series of unexpected and seemingly unusual events, I found myself working for this person. Never would I have expected nor wanted this to be the case. I felt devalued and angry. Here I am with all this education and competency and people skills working for someone who was "less than me." However, in life, we often find that the universe has a way of sending us teachers when we need them or providing us experiences that we can learn from, if only we pay attention.

In her new book, "The Secret," (www.thesecret.tv) Rhonda Byrne talks about the very concept that is the direct answer to the question posed by the sales director above. Re-read the question and focus on the real issue: "What is he doing different?" Byrne states that, "The Great Secret of life is the law of attraction."

Just what is this law? Like attracts like. We attract whatever we give our attention to, whether we like it or not. Stated differently, when we think a certain thought we attract like thoughts to us. It seems so simple, yet it is so profound. In fact, Byrne states, "the only reason why people do not have what they want is because they are thinking more about what they don't want than what they do want." Even one of the hot topics today - Quantum Physics - provides that our thoughts, not just our actions create our reality.

The answer to the question raised at the beginning is so simple and obvious that it could easily be missed. I must say, it took me a while (and a little tribulation) to get it. The guy who never missed understood the law of attraction. He focused on success. It never crossed his mind that he would do anything but achieve. There was never a doubt. Further, he surrounded himself with like people. In addition, he allowed other people to focus on the problems and other distractions while he focused on achieving the quotas.

By focusing on success he drew to him - success. He had the same team as his predecessor and yet from the time he arrived each and every month the team performed and achieved. They hadn't done that in the past. The only change was what was happening as a result of the law of attraction in action. The previous manager hoped to achieve the quota but knew, based on the past, that achieving consistently would take time.

Keep in mind how the law of attraction works. Because his predecessor believed it would take time to achieve quota, it took time. His focus on time created time and time was not what the company was looking for in success. Whereas the new manager expected performance and performance he received. Those people who are efficient in using the laws of attraction have trained their minds to focus on their desires. The new manager fit into this category. When you focus on what you want and hold that focus, you put into motion one of the mightiest powers of the Universe.

As I took an employment role to support this new manager I was told, "Learn as much as you can from him as quickly as you can." Honestly, I wasn't sure what I was to learn and with a certain amount of internal resentment, I wasn't sure I wanted to learn. What could he possibly teach me that I didn't already know! I had a choice to make and in life we all make choices and every choice has a direct consequence.

My choice was to learn the lessons or to shut off the opportunity and stubbornly allow my ego to get in the way. How fortunate that I was willing to move out of my own way and allow a learning opportunity to unfold. Having lived with consequences from bad choices resulting in prison 11 years ago, it was easier (in some ways) to step away from myself. Had I stayed in my own way, I would have missed the important message about focusing on what we want. We can be blind to what takes place around us and miss the wonder. Likewise, we can expand our awareness and gain the benefits from life's lessons.

Creating what we want is the law of attraction at work. What greater gift than the real awareness that we are in control. My keynote speech "Make it Happen" was founded on the principles of the law of attraction. In Mariah Carey's song, "Make it Happen" she states, "If you believe in yourself enough and know what you want, You're gonna make it happen!" What a profound statement and affirmation of the glorious law of attraction.

For information on Chuck Gallagher's presentation(s) please visit his web site http://www.chuckgallagher.com or e-mail him at chuck@chuckgallagher.com.