"The Secret"
I’ve started reading “The Secret”, a book I received for my birthday last week, and so far I’m really enjoying it.
As I already incorporate many of the concepts from the book in my everyday life, it’s serving as a great reminder of the power of positive thinking.
Have you read the book, or seen the seminar? I’m curious as to what other people think of the “law of attraction” which, according to the author’s theory, means that thoughts, good or bad, “attract” more of whatever they’re about? Do you believe that this is true?
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Not read it but know someone who is reading right now and have taken a few peeks. Positive is good. My little mantra is ‘there is fun going forward’.
rashbre
98% of all readers of “The Secret” become Scientologists .
Vern… Your comments are totally making me laugh out loud these days
Argh! Censorship! My comments don’t appear after I submit them. Third time’s the charm, maybe?
The folks at the Vancouver Bloggers May Meetup didn’t care for The Secret. Find witty writeup up why here:
http://tinyurl.com/yqbzvb
i read bits of it and watched the movie(you can watch a very lo-res version for free online via a link on wikipedia). i think overall it’s interesting and i too already use a lot of the theories already without the book. i wasn’t impressed with the whole religious aspect which they sneak in it at the end (of the movie), but it has some general overall ideas besides that. i do believe in the like attracting like, with or without the secret tho’. putting thoughts “out there” really does work to some degree for some weird reason. but i too agree with rashbre’s mantra!
I haven’t read the book, but I’ve watched the movie and my fiance and I have purchased a number of other books and DVD’s from their online store. Some of our thoughts on it can be a bit controversial I suppose because we are not religious but previously couldn’t put our finger on why we could not identify with any religion, nor atheism. This movie provided some answers for us.
For example, we didn’t believe in God but couldn’t deny that prayer works at least some of the time. I believe the concept of the law of attraction and positive thinking explains why prayer works. The law of attraction is now helping me become a more positive person (my thought patterns tended to be very pessimistic previously). And we’re putting it to use to focus on big things and little things to improve our lives and the lives of others (i.e. I have used it to cure my hay fever and also to get good parking spaces in packed lots during peak shopping hours! We’re now focusing on helping my brother who suffers from VERY severe clinical depression. Believe it or not, we have seen impressive results in all three of these areas since we started.)
The only real problem I have with the “law of attraction” is the terminology. It makes it sound like a passive act. We don’t simply “attract” things/events/circumstances by way of our thoughts. We CREATE them. It is not at all passive but an active process that we need to take responsibility for. I wish they would call it the law of creation.
Paul & I have it on the PVR if you would like a copy to watch? It reminded me of the Celestine Prophecy. I think that your attitude does impact what happens to you. I always try to be as positive as possible, but sometimes it is hard to see the silver lining! I think yes you need to actively work on maintaining a positive attitude and how you interact with people and the world around you. I don’t think it told us anything we did not already know, either. I know I prefer to be around positive energy and find negative energy draining. You do not always have a choice, though. I try to make the little piece of the world that I touch as positive as possible.
Being positive is a good thing. Mentally, physically. All groovy.
That being said, I think the secret is like… psychobabble junk food for the masses. Though I agree with the underlying message (wouldn’t it be nice if everyone was a ray of sunshine?) for whatever reason, and I’m not sure if they needed to dumb down the message to cater to society’s need for a ‘quick fix’ approach, but some of the things they were saying in the video were, well, really for the materialistic.
Want a new car? Just think about it? Want that better paying job so you can consume more? Just think about it! Want to win the lottery so you can be rich, have a nice house, bigger SUV, and even bigger TV, and you can spend, spend, spend? Just think about it!
Come on. On one side they talk about enlightenment, then they talk about how you can use it to get all the material wealth that you’ve dreamed of. Seems a bit contradictory.
Also, I have a hard time swallowing ‘messages’ that can’t be quantified. I know I’m not putting that right but it seems like with the Secret, it works if you believe it works. Not working? Well you don’t believe it enough. Still not working? Believe harder (oh, and buy more of our books to help you believe). It works because… well you told yourself that it works. But does it? Well, you’ll never really know because as soon as you question it, it stops working because you don’t believe in it 100%. It’s a paradox. But some can make that argument for religion as well.
Bottom line though, feeling good about yourself, what you do and where you are is the important message. Karma baby, karma. What goes around, comes around. Did you need to buy their book, DVD and everything else they sell for you to know that? Maybe. And if it helps you, then all is good in the world.
I wish a phenomenon of gratitude and deep sense of the abundance that those of us in the west already experience would sweep our popular culture as thoroughly as The Secret has …
Glad you are reading it as I have watched the DVD. I find it is very repetative & I think that is because they are trying to drill something into us.
As you know I have always been a positive person but we all have moments when we aren’t quite so positive. I think it is ok to lose perspective so long as you don’t stay in that negative zone. We are all humans (at least I think we are) & we have moods, so realize you had a bad spot & go looking for that good one.
shnewt, I think they just use the examples of house, money etc as examples to illustrate the concept. They’re not implying that that’s all that it’s about, although it will work for those things too.
Judging from what a friend has told me, it’s not of me. But I’ll be looking forward to your comments after you finish!
Hey guys… Really thoughtful comments! I promise to follow up with this entry once I finish the book in it’s entirety!
Vern diagnosed it well. You’re gonna be a Scientologist after reading the book. Sorry, Tan.
*snort*!
Oh come on, Tan. Think of it as a good thing. Think of all the Hollywood (flakes) Stars you’ll be able to hobnob with. It’ll be amazing!
Watched the DVD and listened to the audio book. Great stuff. Alot in common with ‘What the Bleep’ with regards to the power of positive thought, etc.
I highly recommend both.