New Year or not, I’ve been away from this blog too long, and it’s time to get Musing again. My extended absence has been due to a number of factors, not the least of which is that The Rev and I are getting ready to take a road trip to, of all places, Montana. I lived there as a child, but haven’t been that far up North in years. We’re going to Helena next week to meet with a new client. Call us crazy for taking that trip this time of year, but we need to meet with our client now, and we’d much rather drive than fly. (Fortunately, The Rev knows how to drive in snow.)
We’ve also had the usual run of project deadlines and everyday crises. Among the latter was a situation last week with Rex, our 135-pound Rottweiler-Doberman-black lab mix. Rex apparently sustained an injury when making whoopee with one of our other dogs, Layla, a terrier-hound blend. Although Rex was neutered nearly eight years ago, he somehow retained his ability to mate. We haven’t gotten around to having Layla spayed yet, and though we’re careful to keep her away from fertile male dogs whenever she comes into heat, Rex just can’t stay away from her during that time, and vice-versa. When this first started happening a few years ago, our vet said there shouldn’t be any harm in it as long as the dogs didn’t injure each other. Since Rex is "firing blanks," we haven’t had to worry about contributing to the pet overpopulation problem (or over "pupulation" problem, as the case may be). And so for several years, we've let the canine lovers engage in what seemed like nothing more than innocent fun.
But apparently Layla accidentally injured Rex the other day while attempting to…er…disengage, resulting in a painful priapism for the big guy. Of course I realize the term "painful priapism" is a redundancy; all Viagra jokes aside, the condition is no laughing matter in either dog or man. Anyway, after a long sleepless night for all of us, we took Rex to the vet the next day. Fortunately his injury was not permanent, and the vet was able to…how can I put this?…get the car back into the garage, in a manner of speaking. (In fact, that is the very euphemism The Rev used when describing the incident to his "second mom," a sweet Southern belle.) As for the remedy the vet employed, I won’t go into details, but it involved a little water, a lot of sugar, and some…ah…manual labor.
Needless to say, Rex and Layla’s sporting days are over.
And speaking of annoying big pricks that just won’t go away Meanwhile, it’s business as usual in the New Wage world as the self-help gurus continue to help themselves to ever greater riches. So it looks as if I’m going to have another busy year on this blog.
I have, however, done a complete turnaround regarding one of my former favorite targets, The Secret.* A new friend I’d met on another blog sent me a piece that has been making the rounds on the Internet. Described by some as a "cheat sheet on manifestation," this list is a compilation (compiler apparently unknown) of quotations from The Secret DVD. After reading these gems, I realized I have been completely unfair in my judgment of The Secret.** Mea culpa!
And so I feel compelled to share the list with you, Dear Ones. Herewith, everything you need to know about the greatest Secret in the Universe (and by the way, today’s picture was inspired not by the topic just discussed, but by item number 13 on the quotes list):
100 Quotes from "THE SECRET"
1. We all work with one infinite power.
2. The Secret is the Law of Attraction.
3. Whatever is going on in your mind is what you are attracting.
4. We are like magnets - like attract like. You become AND attract what you think.
5. Every thought has a frequency. Thoughts send out a magnetic energy.
6. People think about what they don’t want and attract more of the same.
7. Thought = creation. If these thoughts are attached to powerful emotions (good or bad) that speeds the creation.
8. You attract your dominant thoughts.
9. Those who speak most of illness have illness, those who speak most of prosperity have it ... etc.
10. It’s not "wishful" thinking.
11. You can’t have a universe without the mind entering into it.
12. Choose your thoughts carefully ... you are a masterpiece of your life.
13. It’s OK that thoughts don’t manifest into reality immediately (if we saw a picture of an elephant and it instantly appeared, that would be too soon).
14. EVERYTHING in your life you have attracted ... accept that fact ... it’s true.
15. Your thoughts cause your feelings.
16. We don’t need to complicate all the "reasons" behind our emotions. It’s much simpler than that. Two categories ... good feelings, bad feelings.
17. Thoughts that bring about good feelings mean you are on the right track. Thoughts that bring about bad feelings means you are not on the right track.
18. Whatever it is you are feeling is a perfect reflection of what is in the process of becoming.
19. You get exactly what you are FEELING.
20. Happy feelings will attract more happy circumstances.
21. You can begin feeling whatever you want (even if it’s not there) ... the universe will correspond to the nature of your song.
22. What you focus on with your thought and feeling is what you attract into your experience.
23. What you think and what you feel and what actually manifests is ALWAYS a match - no exception.
24. Shift your awareness.
25. "You create your own universe as you go along." (Winston Churchill)
26. It’s important to feel good ( ( ( (((good))) ) ) )
27. You can change your emotion immediately ... by thinking of something joyful, or singing a song, or remembering a happy experience.
28. When you get the hang of this, before you know it you will KNOW you are the creator.
29. Life can and should be phenomenal ... and it will be when you consciously apply the Law of Attraction.
30. Universe will re-arrange itself accordingly.
31. Start by using this sentence for all of your wants: "I’m so happy and grateful now that ..."
32. You don’t need to know HOW the universe is going to rearrange itself.
33. The Law of Attraction is simply figuring out for yourself what will generate the positive feelings of having it NOW.
34. You might get an inspired thought or idea to help you move towards what you want faster.
35. The universe likes SPEED. Don’t delay, don’t second-guess, don’t doubt.
36. When the opportunity or impulse is there ... ACT.
37. You will attract everything you require - money, people, connections ... PAY ATTENTION to what’s being set in front of you.
38. You can start with nothing ... and out of nothing or no way - a WAY will be provided.
39. HOW LONG? No rules on time ... the more aligned you are with positive feelings the quicker things happen.
40. Size is nothing to the universe (unlimited abundance if that’s what you wish). We make the rules on size and time.
41. No rules according to the universe ... you provide the feelings of having it now and the universe will respond.
42. Most people offer the majority of their thought in response to what they are observing (bills in the mail, being late, having bad luck ... etc.).
43. You have to find a different approach to "what is" through a different vantage point.
44. "All that we are is a result of what we have thought." (Buddha)
45. What can you do right now to turn your life around? Gratitude.
46. Gratitude will bring more into our lives immediately.
47. What we think about and THANK about is what we bring about.
48. What are the things you are grateful for? Feel the gratitude ... focus on what you have right now that you are grateful for.
49. Play the picture in your mind - focus on the end result.
50. VISUALIZE! Rehearse your future.
51. VISUALIZE! See it, feel it! This is where action begins.
52. Feel the joy ... feel the happiness!
53. An affirmative thought is 100 times more powerful than a negative one.
54. "What this power is, I cannot say. All I know is that it exists." (Alexander Graham Bell)
55. Our job is not to worry about the "How". The "How" will show up out of the commitment and belief in the "What."
56. The "Hows" are the domain of the universe. It always knows the quickest, fastest, most harmonious way between you and your dream.
57. If you turn it over to the universe, you will be surprised and dazzled by what is delivered ... this is where magic and miracles happen.
58. Turn it over to the universe daily ... but it should never be a chore.
59. Feel exhilarated by the whole process ... high, happy, in tune.
60. The only difference between people who are really living this way is they have habituated ways of being.
61. They remember to do it all the time.
62. Create a Vision Board ... pictures of what you want to attract ... every day look at it and get into the feeling state of already having acquired these wants.
63. "Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions." (Albert Einstein)
64. Decide what you want ... believe you can have it, believe you deserve it, believe it’s possible for you.
65. Close your eyes and visualize having what you already want - and the feeling of having it already.
66. Focus on being grateful for what you have already ... enjoy it! Then release it into the universe. The universe will manifest it.
67. "Whatever the mind of man can conceive, it can achieve." (W. Clement Stone)
68. Set a goal so big that if you achieved it, it would blow your mind.
69. When you have an inspired thought, you must trust it and act on it.
70. How can you become more prosperous? INTEND IT!
71. "Checks are coming in the mail regularly" ... or change your bank statement to whatever balance you want in there ... and get behind the feeling of having it.
72. Life is meant to be abundant in ALL areas.
73. Go for the sense of inner joy and peace--then all outside things appear.
74. We are the creators of our universe.
75. Relationships: Treat yourself the way you want to be treated by others ... love yourself and you will be loved.
76. Have healthy respect for yourself.
77. For those you work with or interact with regularly ... get a notebook and write down positive aspects of each of those people.
78. Write down the things you like most about them (don’t expect change from them). The Law of Attraction will not put you in the same space together if your frequencies don’t match.
79. When you realize your potential to feel good, you will ask no one to be different in order for you to feel good.
80. You will free yourself from the cumbersome impossibilities of needing to control the world, your friends, your mate, your children ...
81. You are the only one that creates your reality.
82. No one else can think or feel for you ... its YOU ... ONLY YOU.
83. Health: thank the universe for your own healing. Laugh, stress free happiness will keep you healthy.
84. Your immune system will heal itself and your body.
85. Parts of our bodies are replaced every day, every week ... etc. Within a few years we have a brand new body.
86. See yourself living in a new body. Hopeful = recovery. Happy = happier biochemistry. Stress degrades the body.
87. Remove stress from the body and the body regenerates itself. You can heal yourself.
88. Learn to become still ... and take your attention away from what you don’t want, and place your attention on what you wish to experience.
89. When the voice and vision on the inside become more profound and clear than the opinions on the outside, then you have mastered your life.
90. You are not here to try to get the world to be just as you want it. You are here to create the world around you that you choose.
91. And allow the world as others choose to see it, to exist as well.
92. People think that if everyone knows the power of the Law of Attraction there won’t be enough to go around. This is a lie that’s been ingrained in us and makes so many greedy.
93. The truth is there is more than enough love, creative ideas, power, joy, happiness to go around.
94. All of this abundance begins to shine through a mind that is aware of it’s own infinite nature. There’s enough for everyone. See it. Believe it. It will show up for you.
95. So let the variety of your reality thrill you as you choose all the things you want and get behind the good feelings of all your wants.
96. Write your script. When you see things you don’t want, don’t think about them, write about them, talk about them, push against them, or join groups that focus on them ... remove your attention from don’t wants ... and instead place them on DO wants.
97. We are mass energy. Everything is energy. EVERYTHING.
98. Don’t define yourself by your body ... it’s the infinite being that’s connected to everything in the universe.
99. One energy field. Our bodies have distracted us from our energy. We are the infinite field of unfolding possibilities. The creative force.
100. Are your thoughts worthy of you? If not - NOW is the time to change them. You can begin right where you are right now. Nothing matters but this moment and what you are focusing your attention on.
There you have it – all the wisdom you’ll ever need. My thanks to J for alerting me to this list.
Now, y’all get out there and manifest something, ya hear?
* Okay, not really.
** In that The Secret is, quite possibly, even more absurd than I had previously thought.
I like #71, I have thus changed all my account statements and returned them to the bank for their processing.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure the funds are there somewhere...
Hi, CD! I like #71 too. I hope your bank goes along with it. Just to be safe, you should also do #62 -- create a Vision Board with pictures of lots of money. Also type some letters to you on your bank's letterhead. You can make your own bank letterhead by grabbing the appropriate logos off of the bank web site(s). Being a bitmap, the result won't be as pretty as it would be on offset-printed, embossed and foil-stamped letterhead, but it will be close enough. The letters should be from your account manager (make up a name if you have to) informing you that there has been a grievous miscalculation of your balance -- in your favor, of course. Be sure to tack those letters onto your Vision Board as well. That ought to do the trick. Good luck; let me know how it goes!
ReplyDeleteWell, Connie, seems I am not getting much traction with the LOA crowd these days because I am fond of pointing out contradictions and weak arguments. An interesting aspect of wholeheartedly embracing the LOA is that you can tell someone they are being negative when they disagree with you, and you know what that entails! negative manifestations. So be positive all the time. No existential angst permitted.
ReplyDeleteYep, "Me," I've noticed the same thing about the LOA crowd. No negative thoughts (or "bad feelings") are allowed. They're doing the adult (?) equivalent of covering their ears with their hands and making loud noises to drown out all the naysayers. I really do think, though, that once that "Secret" high wears off, many LOA'ers are going to find it more and more difficult to continue convincing themselves that "it's all good."
ReplyDeleteOf course, most of it *is* good for the LOA gurus who continue to rake in the dough by convincing their followers that the Universe is a mail-order catalog.
Connie, it seems much of what the secret people promote is not much different from what Maxwell Maltz says in a little book called "Psycho Cybernetics" that was a bible of the hippies in the 1960's (so I have been told). It's all about manifesting positive things in your life (with some scientific 'evidence'). An ex-hippie therapist recommended it to me a few years back. A quote: : "Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be (Abraham Lincoln)", sound familiar? . Some of it is probably helpful, but was obviously not the miracle cure. I suppose it went through an evolution of the kind the secret is going through now. I would recommend it over the secret, though, since the techniques he uses are more grounded in reality, and there are no new wage hustlers promoting it at the moment. I wouldn't be surprised if much of the "create your own reality" idea was stolen from this book.
ReplyDeleteHere is an excerpt from book mentioned above: [section titled: how to promote faith and courage]"...you can gradually accept and digest these gradual doses of optimism and faith. After having the thought of the desired end result as a definite possibility- begin to imagine what the desired outcome will be like. Go over these mental pictures and delineate details and refinements. Play them over and over to yourself. As your mental images become more detailed, as they are repeated over and over again, you will find that once more appropriate feelings are beginning to manifest themselves, just as if the favorable outcome had already happened, This time the appropriate feelings will be those of faith, self-confidence, courage- or, all wrapped up into one package- "that winning feeling...."
ReplyDeleteIn short, the Secret" is not such a secret. It has been promoted many times before. I suppose the promoters will make more money if they can convince people that they unearthed this ground breaking revelation all by themselves themselves.
Excellent points in both comments, "Me." And you're exactly right: the secret to The Secret's success is taking old ideas and packaging them in a new way. Take an informercial-like format starring some of the leading lights of the new wage industry, add a few whiz-bang special effects, throw in some mystical-sounding music, add an aggressive viral-marketing campaign...and you've got yourself a hit. I have to hand it to the folks behind The Secret: they may not be offering anything new, or even of value, but they've marketed it brilliantly.
ReplyDeleteThe Garden of Eden syndrome is prevalent here. If we simply imagine ourselves in this place, we are there! No work, no strife, no struggle!
ReplyDeleteWoo hoo!
Me had some excellent comments. In our modern age it is natural for folks to want some relief from the velocity of everyday living. It used to be called a vacation, now folks want a vacation from responsibility and accountability.
Keep a positive mindset, by all means. Believe in the innate good of mankind in all people, absolutely! But make sure you are ready to roll up your sleeves when all that sweetness and light doesn't jump into your lap doing the hamster dance.
TR - Walk softly but carry a big stick
And you made some excellent points too, CD. The problem is that "walk softly but carry a big stick" (or "trust in God but tie up your camel") just aren't as marketable as magical thinking.
ReplyDeleteIn all fairness to the Law of Attraction crowd, not all of them are saying that you merely need to think your way to success or bliss, and that you don't have to take any action. But the reality that you do have to take action, and that you sometimes have to work your butt off to achieve your desires, and that even then you may not get what you wanted -- all of these things are too often part of the "fine print," if they are even mentioned at all.
Some LOA defenders say that if your heart is truly in your efforts, then achieving your desires will seem effortless, even if in fact you are working hard to make your wishes come true. In other words, if you really, really want it, you'll get it if you really, really try. (Sounds like an old Jimmy Cliff song, doesn't it?) Many LOA'ers would tell you that if you sincerely desire it, you'll get it, because the Universe wouldn't have it any other way.
Try telling that to the hundreds of American Idol wannabes who never made it to Hollywood. (And I know this example has been used before, in other contexts; Steve Salerno used it in a radio interview a few months ago. But it's a good example.) Many, if not most, of the AI hopefuls want more than anything to be a pop star. Even the most abysmally non-talented folks want to be the next American Idol. And no doubt, many will continue to try to break into the music business, even after being given the thumbs-down by Simon, Paula and Randy. Yet most will fail. Even those who most passionately desired to become famous singers will fail to achieve that goal. And that's the true "reality" part of the reality show that AI pretends to be.
Reality aside, the hook that sells so many books and DVDs is the message that the Universe is like a mail-order catalogue, and all you have to do is flip the pages and point out what you want. "It's really that easy!" as one of today's top LOA promoters said in "The Secret."