Business and personal problems are often dealt with by looking for a ‘fix’ rather than looking at the cause. The “Seven A’s” is a useful tool that works in sequence to identify and deal with problems. They are: • Awareness • Acknowledgement • Acceptance • Appreciation • Attraction • Action • Abundance

1. Phil…on Awareness to Abundance: the Seven A’s
Business and personal problems are often dealt with by looking for a ‘fix’ rather than
looking at the cause. The “Seven A’s” is a useful tool that works in sequence to
identify and deal with problems. They are:
• Awareness
• Acknowledgement
• Acceptance
• Appreciation
• Attraction
• Action
• Abundance
1. Awareness
Be aware of what you need to be aware of. Information that is passed on
about us in the corridors often doesn’t get back to us. So for example, you
may be dogmatic but not know it because people have not told you your true
pedigree. Become aware of the things you need to learn most or the things
that get in the way of what you are trying to achieve. If, as a leader, you are
inclined to stray off-subject or go out on a tangent, then it is important that you
become aware of that. It can be done through 360 degree feedback, asking
people for feedback in a group or personal situation. Once you know (are
aware of) something, you can start to do something about it. An alcoholic
often doesn’t know he is an alcoholic until he becomes ‘aware’ of it.
2. Acknowledgement
Whilst one can become aware of something, it needs to be acknowledged.
This may seem like semantics, there is a difference. Awareness shows no
personal ownership whereas acknowledgement does. Until some ownership
develops, nothing will be done about it. You might not like what you have
become aware of, but by acknowledging it you can start to deal with it.
3. Acceptance
Accept where you are at. You may gain awareness that you are dogmatic
through feedback from others and acknowledge it. Then you need to accept
that you are dogmatic. That is not to say that you like it. Once you have
acceptance then you can do something that leads to…
4. Appreciation
Appreciate what you are. If you don’t, you will continue to fight against it. The
more you fight, the harder it is to let go. Appreciate that there is a good part to
what you are, then you can start to work on the negative side because
everything has a light and a dark side. You can determine what is good about
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2. it, what is not and what you want to change. Therefore you have some
appreciation of where you are at. Sometimes appreciation can come before
acceptance.
5. Attraction
Attract and act in the positive rather than the negative. Rather than try to stop
being dogmatic for example, try to minimise negative aspects and accentuate
the positive. Therein lies the opportunity to attract the right type of
environment around yourself. Certain situations encourage you to be more
dogmatic, therefore start to attract the type of situations that don’t allow you to
be dogmatic.
For a smoker who says ‘I don’t need a smoke’, the brain hears the word
‘smoke’ which encourages them to have another cigarette. Look for situations
that allow you to do something else. Accentuate the positive; the negative will
minimise itself.
This ‘Law of Attraction’ is what the book The Secret is built around. However,
it can backfire because what you think about is what you attract. If you have
negative thoughts you start attracting those things into your life as well.
Therefore, it is important to have the previous elements in place – awareness,
acknowledgement, acceptance and appreciation. These are what help you
attract the right things.
You also become more aware or conscious about what it is that you are
attracting. This can be difficult in a world that focuses on negativity. Media
coverage is built on negativity, advertising especially focuses on a sense of
lack, of something missing. We get to feel that lack and want to fill the
vacuum it creates; that is why we go out and buy, that is the premise of retail
therapy.
6. Action
Whilst it is important to attract and allow things to occur, it is also important to
take some ownership of a situation and act on it. Define the positive steps
forward that you are prepared to take. Affirm to live a healthy life, rather than
say “I don’t drink anymore”. Take positive action rather than try to minimise
negative behaviour.
7. Abundance
In the belief that a glass is half full rather than half empty, focusing on the
positive increases awareness that you do already have an abundant life;
knowing this allows that abundance to grow.
Like attracts like – attract the abundant positive rather than the negative.
Positive affirming actions are more successful than trying to ‘get rid of’
something. Constant mini diets do not work; to act on the decision to enjoy a
healthy lifestyle is more likely to work.
Through positive actions we create abundance.
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