However, I feel this book is invaluable, especially for those of just deciding what exactly it is we want our lives to be, what our joy is, and discover we are the makers of our own destiny.
All that is has come about by thoughts. The whole precipice is that you get what you think about. If you are negative and have "don't," or "can't" thoughts, you'll get those things you don't want and more. Like attracts like. So be happy - expect, believe, and receive. I'm summarizing here- seriously, go out and get this book!
But getting to the point, one thing I thought pertinent to the arena of politics- particularly Campaign '08, came from the chapter "The Secret to the World." Hale Dwoskin is quoted saying,
"So if you're anti-war, be pro-peace instead. If you're anti-hunger, be pro-people having more than enough to eag. If you are anti-a-particular politician, be pro-his opponent. Often elections are tipped in favor of the person that the people are really against, because he's getting all the energy and focus."BINGO. My greatest fear? President Barack Obama or President Hillary Clinton. What are all negative thoughts based on? Fear. Let's change the feeling and the vibe. I am now going to put my energy TOWARDS McCain and away from Obama and Hillary. I am going to be pro-McCain and what he can do for the country. Or pro-my conservative Mayoral candidate, what have you. The more we worry about Obama or Clinton, the more our thoughts will shift toward those candidates, and the more we'll probably read, see, hear, and think about them to the point that they will win the election. I believe this is likely true.
The point is we all have the energy inside us to re-focus our thoughts and wants. I want a safe nation with a strong leader. Forget the negative. Focus on the positive and the "want." Join me?
Perhaps over pizza. I'm now thinking I want that and will have it. ;-)
2 comments:
The Secret is the latest and by far the worst example of a HIGHLY profitable trend where self-help gurus with fabricated new age titles and little relevant education, credentials or legitimate expertise brainwash us into believing that they know what is best for us, our marriages and our families.
Often their only contribution to society is introducing some exotic sounding, new age philosophy. However, they often cleverly form an incestuous group of like-minded “experts” who cross-promote each other by swearing their success is due to following the beliefs of another member of their “cult!” All the while, they ply the airwaves jockeying for an ever-larger audience by appearing in the national media to garner third-party endorsements.
The Self-Help Movement has become the Self-Destruct Movement by diminishing or destroying our critical thinking skills to choose and evolve on our own. We have given up the freedom to build healthy lives, marriages and families based on our unique history and life experience. Instead many victims, blinded to the value of their own life experiences, are attracted to the latest secret in self-help, in an attempt to find out what they should think, feel and how they should act... this is the definition of a cult.
The solution is a return to our (common) senses! The best way out of this learned “self-helplessness” is to go cold turkey. Stop following ALL self-help gurus now. Begin, instead, to reclaim your natural, God-given ability to think for yourself. The common sense that was once readily available to all of us is still there free of charge and waiting to be applied to just about any challenge we might face in life… all you have to do is use it.
Please, let's all work together to stop the flock of "sheepeople" who blindly move from one UNPROVEN concept to the next, looking for the answers to life's challenges that you already possess and that is the OBVIOUS!
I disagree. Many of the principles highlighted in The Secret are found in many other books, be them self-help, non-fiction, or children's literature. I agree that while Barnes and Noble and the rest of them, Oprah included, can make a buck off of exploiting the work of others, I do not believe they are without extreme value.
Do we lose the ability to think for ourselves? No, we merely highlight that perhaps we have not been thinking on our own, or perhaps we have been caught up in life's trivial matters. So here are some tools we can use to get back on track. How many times have I let my own emotions get the best of me for a week or two and alienated friends, family, my job, etc. A simple reminder in a self-help book can go a long way, when one is wrapped up in oneself for far too long.
For me, it's not about following some self-help technique blindly, like a wandering sheep in a herd being pushed off a cliff. It's about using the wisdom, and often bluntly-stated truth from others' words and relating them to my own life, taking them also with a grain of salt.
Have you ever had a mentor in a practice or job you loved and wanted to succeed at? You wouldn't go "cold-turkey" from that person's advice and think for yourself because you would come to all the knowledge and wisdom in that field on your own! That would be stupid. You should learn from the experience and wisdom of others. That helps us grow just as any other life experience would.
Do you have a favorite quote about life or experience? It's probably from someone who went a long time before and learned something that he or she wanted to pass on to future generations.
Finally, I certainly am not blinded by my own life experiences. It's funny though how some of these books- be it The Secret or a Joel Osteen book or Harold and the Purple Crayon -HELP put your life experiences into perspective. They've helped many people live happier lives. Think of these books as a lightbulb- you read and can switch it on to wake yourself up.
Some people need a little extra help than others. It's not a reflection on their character. Perhaps their lives have been a lot more difficult than you will ever think or know.
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