My Monday Morning Inspiration from The Secret

Inspiration

If you are feeling a bit negative or uninspired on a Monday morning, here is a short video that might help, it never fails to to put shivers down the back of my spine.

I actually posted the video in an article I wrote last year about the Secret Sequel, but I love the clip so much I reckon it's worth of putting up again. It will give you a great start to the day.

Press play, sit back and turn up the music...Planet Earth Forever.

The Secret Teachers Gathering: Major Upcoming Event.

"For the first time in history, the planet's leading transformation experts and best-selling success authors have gathered to deliver a message and program of epic proportions..."


TheMasters are Gathering

I just received the information that The Teachers from The Secret and many other top transformation experts and best selling authors have gathered for a once in a lifetime event...

THE MASTERS GATHERING

Here are some of the experts that will share their knowledge with you:

T.Harv Eker

Jack Canfield

Bob Proctor

Joe Vitale

John Demartini

Bob Doyle

David Wolfe

Loral Langemeier

Dr. Ben Jonson

John Assaraf

Hale Dwoskin

Bill Harris

Marci Shimoff

Janet Atwood

Mary Morrissey

And More

They are about to release exclusive videos from some of the experts, and it will happen very soon!

Make sure to be the first one to watch and be notified when it happens, you don't want to miss this.

www.the-secret-dvd.net/recommend/MastersGathering


I will make sure to keep you updated about this event.

Richie. (Global Secrets)

The Secret Sequel Book to be Released First

The Sequel to The Secret - When will it be released?

Special Update 3^rd November, 2008:

For the latest update on The Official Secret Sequel ‘The Secret Daily Teachings’ go to www.the-secret-dvd.net or the most recent blog post Newsflash: Official Secret Sequel ‘The Secret Daily Teachings’ release due December.

Updated August 2008

Questions are still being asked to me about The Sequel to The Secret?

We are starting to hear whispers from some of our contacts about The Sequel not being too far away .
At this stage they are still very small whispers, but we do know for sure that Rhonda Bryne and team are definitely working on a book to follow on from The Secret Book, and THEN a Sequel to The Secret DVD too. The DVD will be based on the new book we are told.

When is this to arrive? September was mentioned, but we’ll see.

If you would like to keep up to date with the release of The Secret Sequel make sure you are on our newsletter mailing list.

If you were hoping to get the Secret Calendar again this year I’m afraid you are going to be disappointed. Even though The Secret Calender was very popular last year, Rhonda is so busy with the other projects that she is not going to produce one for 2009

Planet Earth Forever

The most recent release from The Secret is a wonderful inspirational clip called Planet Earth Forever.
Who knows, maybe this is what the sequel to The Secret will be about.

Do take a look at this lovely film clip, just sit back and enjoy the music and our beautiful Planet Earth for three minutes. It’s good for your soul.

The REAL Secret

Here's a (non) news flash: I like "The Secret." In fact, I like it so much, that I encourage as many people as I can to see it. And -- as many of you know -- I even sell it from one of my other websites (http://www.the-secret-dvd.net/).

So, again: I like The Secret.

And more than mere liking, I'm very grateful to The Secret for helping bring ideas and concepts into the "mainstream" that otherwise were being ignored. Yes, it goes without saying that nothing in The Secret is actually new information. But what is new is that people who otherwise wouldn't come close to anything remotely "new age" or "metaphysical" are, indeed, talking and thinking and even experimenting about the ideas, lessons, concepts in The Secret. I consider all of this to be VERY GOOD NEWS and am glad that it's happening. Indeed, when polished, professional, successful and credible business people talk about "new age" -- more people listen. That's just how it is.

But while I like and am grateful to The Secret, I'm also of the opinion that there is actually a deeper secret behind The Secret that, quite possibly, many of the people very closely connected to The Secret don't know -- or, maybe, don't talk about as much as they should.

It's about acceptance.

The real energy behind The Secret is not, in my view, about visualizing a better reality -- one where you have a better job, or a nicer car, or whatever else you may have on a "dream board." The real mechanism of The Secret is to get you to somehow stop fighting with your present reality. And yes, one way for you to do that is to simply have you envision something better.

It's not, however, the most efficient way.

It's a bit like this:

You may have a child at home who -- like many other children -- hates to eat fruits and vegetables. And yet, you know that fruits and vegetables are essential to the child's health and well being. Furthermore, you'd really like to somehow help your child create a healthy habit of (sometimes) eating fruits and vegetables.

"Ideally" you'd simply like to talk to your child and help them understand. But that's not realistic, right? So you create a story of some kind -- something that helps the child eat their fruits and vegetables. They receive the benefit in terms of health, and eventually, you hope that they "figure it out" on their own so that when they make their own eating choices as they get older, they choose fruits and vegetables, sometimes, over other non-healthy snacks.

That "story" you told your child was helpful -- it was needed; there was no other way. It was simply unrealistic to expect your child to see things the way that they might 10, 20 or 30 years "from now" -- one where a doctor is saying: eat more fruits and vegetables to stay healthy!

Yet while the story was helpful -- it "did the job" -- it's simply not the most efficient way. The most efficient way is always a straight line (a lesson from math that applies here as well), and by taking things through a "story" there is some momentum that is lost; some effectiveness falls through. Instead of eating, say, 4-5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day, a child "following a story" may each 4-5 servings a week. That's still better than NO servings a week, but it's not as great as 4-5 servings a day/28-35 servings a week.

So that difference between 28/35 servings and 4/5 servings is the "difference" that a story makes. It diminishes things. It slows things down. Yes, things are still headed in the right direction -- and that's great. But not as rapid as it could be.

When you "envision" something you remove yourself from the present moment; and that is simply an inefficient thing to do, because the present moment is all you have to work with. And so the very idea of envisioning is, in essence, an inefficient thing to do with your time. You are much, much, MUCH better off accepting reality as it is -- not as you want it to be, not as it "should be" and not as it "could be" if someone else would only do this, or if a certain situation would change.

But getting people to accept reality as it is, is not easy -- and in many cases, not practical. We are accustomed, culturally, to not accept reality -- that very "habit" is ingrained in us as children. We are always either dwelling on the past or projecting into the future. And so if The Secret or some other teaching tried to "get you to just accept the present," it likely wouldn't work for most people -- not because the teaching is wrong, but because the lesson is too difficult.

Look, for example, at the difference between pre-Oprah Eckhart Tolle and the Secret DVD. Before Oprah endorsed Eckhart's first book, The Power of Now, he wasn't selling anything. In fact, he was hand-placing copies of his book in little stores in Vancouver Canada. I believe, in fact, that he had 3000 copies created on a small press, and was unable to sell them (I could be wrong about the exact figure, but even if it's 5000 or 10000, the point is the same).

Compare this to The Secret, which sold millions and continues to do extremely well in all forms, including the amazing wealth of "secondary markets" that it has generated: speakers, workshops, books, you name it.

What Tolle was saying in "The Power of Now" was, actually, the most efficient method of achieving real change: accept the now. But, again, the message was too direct; too harsh for most people to accept.

So The Secret came by and helped people "accept the now" -- in a less efficient form -- by envisioning something better. By envisioning -- by the mere act of not resisting the now -- people started to RELAX. And by relaxing -- and NOT by anything else -- things started to open up. Fresh new possibilities emerged through that relaxation.

Of course...this has created a problem, too. It's that many people who experienced some real benefits thanks to The Secret -- because it indirectly enabled them to RELAX into the now -- don't know why they experienced those benefits. They think it's because of the envisioning; and hence, they start to become tense because what they envision "isn't happening" anymore. The irony of this shouldn't be lost on anyone: it was the "relaxing" that made the progress and positive change happen in the first place, but without awareness of this fact, tension sets in an serves to suffocate and stall that same progress and positive change from happening.

And so many people, I believe, are confused right now: they experienced pleasant growth and change "before" but now they don't see much happening at all. And so they think that they aren't "envisioning" well enough.

That's not it. It was never, actually about the envisioning in the first place.

It was about RELAXING so that you can ACCEPT THE PRESENT MOMENT.

That is the real secret behind The Secret -- to accept the now.

If you can do that, you don't "need" The Secret anymore; you become The Secret.

You Cannot use the Law of Attraction

The Law of Attraction is very, very, very, very old. It's flat out ancient; and it goes by many names. However, it's largely because of The Secret that some places in the world -- such as the US -- are talking loudly and publicly about the Law of Attraction and its related/associated elements. This is, of course, good -- I mean, think of what people could be talking about? Hurting other people? Blowing things up? When you think of all of the ridiculous and potentially horrific things that folks can talk about, by all means, talking about The Law of Attraction is really a good idea.

However...(yes, there's usually a however, isn't there?)

The "appearance" of The Secret in the west -- again, particularly the US -- has brought with it what I'd call a rather US-Centric view of things; kind of like when you're on vacation and order a food that is native to your country of origin (whatver that country may be), and find that while it's somewhat the same, it has been interestingly transformed and "adopted" by the local culture. We can say without offending anyone that this has indeed happened with the Law of Attraction in the US.

Specifically, the cultural US approach to things is, typically, based on the concepts of achievement, initative -- of taking something and changing it. It's a very extroverted, active approach to living; and, naturally, to self-help too.

As a result, the US-based approach (and I don't mean this politically or in an offensive way -- it's just an observation) to The Secret is -- unsurprisingly -- one of invoking it; of somehow "using" the Law of Attraction. Of, in a way, "conquering reality" through the law of attraction, just as, say, one could conquer medical health through scientific laws or conquer poverty through economic (behavioral or sociological) laws.

I'm not here to criticize this at all -- criticism is the wrong word. But I am here to politely suggest that this approach to the Law of Attraction is fraught with fundamental errors; and many people who approach it this way -- this aggressively -- will find that it doesn't work for them.

The Law of Attraction is not a tool; it's not a piece of information that a person can use to their advantage -- like a hot stock tip. The Law of Attraction is a law; which means that it works all of the time regardless of whether you invoke it or not.

Think of the law of gravity. Do you need to "command" the law of gravity to work if you (unfortunately) fall off a ladder? Would your denial of the law of gravity somehow prevent you from falling? No. The law of gravity works for you, it works for your ladder, it works for anything you had in your pockets as you fell...it works. It more than works; it is. Even if you weren't there -- even if you weren't falling -- the law of gravity still is.

Many people simply don't have the right approach to the Law of Attraction -- because, again, in US culture (and yes, it's other places too), information like this is typically perceived as knowledge -- as tactical or strategic. In other places -- India, for example -- such laws are quite ordinary, really -- they're simply a part of everyday life. The idea of "doing something" with them is as absurd as trying to "do something" with the law of gravity. It just is.

Try to understand this on the deepest level of your being: the law of attraction is prior to your beliefs. It is. It doesn't need (or require, or want) you to invoke it -- it's not a skill. It's like a person knocking on your door all day long. You can simply open the door to let them in. You don't have to go and find them, manipualte them to come to your house, and pay them (or envision them) to knock on your door day after day. It's happening already.

Instead of "invoking" the Law of Attraction, start to receive it -- simply welcome it, just as you "welcome" the law of gravity -- you don't even think about the law of gravity, you simply know it's there. You don't even bother with it. You don't envision the law of gravity. You just accept it as part of reality.

The Law of Attraction is the same thing. Even if there were no people on earth (and who really knows what's going to happen), the Law of Attraction will still be in effect; just as the law of gravity will be. It's not about what YOU can do, it's about how you can actively and alertly RECEIVE the law of attraction in your life.

Try it. See what happens.

You're Searching for a Feeling...

The Secret isn't a single insight, such as the Law of Attraction or the importance of being grateful for something (instead of grateful from). The Secret is an array of interconnected insights that all work together in harmony.

And one of the key insights that some people may have overlooked -- because they didn't spend much time on this in The Secret -- was that this is not about thinking; this is about feeling.

Now, this is not the old "head vs. heart" thing -- and if you consider yourself to be a cool, rational, level-headed person, then if you don't clearly get what is being shared here, you may think that in order to benefit from The Secret you suddenly have to start hugging everyone and crying all day and that kind of thing.

It's not like that.

When I say that that this is about feeling, I mean it very simply. In all of your searching and seeking for various things -- success, fame, power, whatever -- what you're really searching for is a feeling. Or, to put it even simpler: you will only accept that you've found what you're looking for once you experience that feeling. If you don't experience that feeling, then even if you get what you thought you wanted, it won't satisfy you; instead, it will leave you more depressed than when you started, because back then you at least had the hope that getting this new thing would "make you happy" -- but now that you've got it and don't feel happy, you have to face the fact that your prediction -- your expectation -- was wrong.

This is what happens to MANY people who achieve some measure of worldly success; they get the dream job that they coveted, or they get the bigger house (the one that, you know, makes everyone else jealous), or they get the degree, or the whatever that they were CONVINCED was going to make them happy.

But...it doesn't.

Why not? It has nothing to do with money. If you're going to live on this planet, here's some good advice: having money is better than not having money.

It has to do with the feeling that you want -- the feeling that, deep inside, is at the core of your desire. That FEELING is what you expect to get from whatever it is you acquire or achieve -- be it a better job, a "better" partner, or whatever.

Please don't get me wrong. By all means, go and get those things if you want them -- why not? Get a better job, get a bigger house, find a better partner, do what you need to do. Don't just tune out of the world -- that doesn't work either (where will you go?)

Just be alert that, deep inside, what you're really searching for is a feeling -- a feeling of unity, of completeness, of peace. You're searching for an exit from the endless, chronic fear/greed movement that makes life infinitely more miserable than it needs to be. You're searching for home.

You're searching for you.

And guess where you are?

Right here. Right now. As you read this -- there you are. You can't find you anywhere else but right here, right now. You can find everything ELSE somewhere else. But you can only find you in one place. Here, now. And that's ultimately what you want to find -- you're just looking in the wrong places.

Once you find yourself in the here and now, you can do whatever you want and will enjoy it. Because you won't be looking for yourself in anything that happens to you (or anything you get/achieve/experience/etc.). You'll simply be enjoying reality as it is.

Strange, isn't it?

Freedom?

The post on "Gratitude FOR instead of Gratitude FROM" seems to have attracted a lot of people from all over the world, and so today I wanted to look at the same core idea, but focused on something else that I feel will resonate with as many (if not more) people: freedom.

Again, just as with gratitude, the difference between freedom FROM instead of freedom FOR is profound -- and we need only to pick up a history book to see that this is, all too often, a difference that plays itself out with cruel and unwanted consequences. Indeed, very often, the people who "struggle for freedom FROM" something -- be it a dictator or tyrant -- end up implementing a system of justice or control that is, arguably, worse than the one it replaced. Stalin is one of the most glaring examples of this -- but there are others, including many happening right now.

What is the core misunderstanding here? It's that freedom FROM is not, in essence, a positive vision. And by "positive vision," I don't mean positive thinking; I don't mean looking at the silver lining on a cloud or that kind of thing. I don't mean optimism. I mean positive vision in the literal sense: a vision that is defined by what it is instead of what it is not.

For example, many people want freedom from money problems. But if the focus -- even in a deep, unconscious level -- is revolving around this freedom from problems, even if money arrives, the underlying anxiety and disconnect with the peace and power of the present moment doesn't arrive. Indeed, we see this very often in people who have, in fact, achieved great wealth after struggling -- do they look happy to you? Do they act happy? No; they are, in many ways, more confused and frightened and before -- except NOW, with some wealth, they have a little power -- and so they can be quite destructive in their own, legal way (remember, just because it's legal doesn't mean it's right!)

Again, the core problem here wasn't one of effort -- it was of alignment. People who focus on freedom FROM often find that, once they emerge into a reality that is without the thing that they were fleeing FROM, they don't know what to do -- and they become surprisingly unhappy (and hence make other people unhappy, too :) They needed that FROM in their lives. They needed that thing to fight against -- that bad situation, that wrong-ness, that lack of money.

And now that the FROM thing is gone -- a new equilibrium forces itself upon them...and it's a shocking, unwelcome surprise. That's one reason why many people simply go from one problem to another -- the core problem is the same: freedom FROM. They're addicted to being free FROM something; and if that condition disappears or changes, they unconsciously go and find something else. Today it could be a "bad job." Tomorrow, it could be a "bad relationship." The day after that it could be a bad government, or bad whatever. Such people often see themselves as "change agents" or "fighters" who are always champions -- that's really not the case. They're just addicted to being in perpetual opposition to something; they need to exist in freedom FROM.

The consequence of this, sadly, is that they never experience FREEDOM FOR. They never enjoy the freedom that their years of hard work and sacrifice make possible.

Spend some time today, tomorrow and in the coming days, and reflect on your FREEDOM FOR. If you want wealth...why? What will you do with the freedom that comes with that wealth? If you say "I'll be free of paying bills!" then beware: that's freedom FROM, not freedom FOR.

The same goes for anything else that you want in your life; anything else that you envision. Ensure that you have a positive vision -- FREEDOM FOR -- and not freedom FROM.

You may be surprised -- strangely; surprisingly -- at how this small shift in perception changes your whole outlook...and your whole life!

Be Grateful FOR...not Grateful FROM!

The Secret looks at being grateful for what you already have, so that you can attract more of it. That seems like good advice (and it is). But that doesn’t mean that everyone is interpreting this good advice the same way.

Some of us are, unintentionally, being grateful FROM instead of being grateful FOR.

Confused? Don’t worry, I’ll explain this – or, at least I’ll try to!

The difference between being grateful “from” versus grateful “for” is very subtle; one of the most subtle distinctions you can imagine. Yet, its power to define your reality is PROFOUND, because of this: If you are grateful “from” something, that means that you’re grateful by default; you’re grateful because “things could be worse” or something bad “could be happening” to you.

Yes, this is a kind of gratitude, but it’s actually a rather low quality and, more specifically: you cannot be grateful “from” something unless you focus, constantly, on what you’re glad you DON’T have or is NOT happening.

For example, you may be grateful that you aren’t sick. Yes, that seems like gratitude; and it is. But, built into the very fabric of this kind of gratitude, is the idea that you could be sick. You are always, therefore, forced to remember that you aren’t sick. You must dwell on not being ill. You can't avoid think about this -- illness -- as you feel grateful.

Compare this to being grateful FOR good health. Gratitude FOR something doesn’t compel you to constantly think of what you’re “avoiding” – gratitude FOR is a positive vision. If you’re grateful FOR health, you are really grateful for health!

If you’re grateful FROM being ill, then you aren’t really tapping into gratitude; you’re simply glad that something bad isn’t happening. When you dwell on negative things – being grateful that something BAD isn’t happening – you actually attract more negativity. It can’t be helped. It’s like a little message that goes out that is constantly ringing with the negative – what you’re grateful FROM.

Stop living in the default. Find out what you’re grateful FOR and start to focus on THAT!

What is Success?

The Secret is kind of like one of those Zen parables that seem remarkably simple on first glance, but reveal layers and layers (and layers and layers) of enhanced meaning the more deeply you allow yourself to explore. I wouldn’t call this “deceptive simplicity” – rather, I’d call it ‘mysterious simplicity” – because the minute you think you’ve figured something out, there’s a whole new level of meaning to play with.

Take, for instance, the whole idea of success. Now, many people gravitating towards The Secret – either consciously or unconsciously – may feel pulled by the idea of “success.” That is, they want success in some part of their life. They want to experience success. They want to celebrate success. That makes sense. Who doesn’t want success?

But…the very idea of this – wanting success – compels us, whether we want to be compelled or not, to address an even more fundamental question: what is success?

Really. Ask yourself. What is it?

Is it a bank balance? Is it “stuff” that you have – cars, homes, other toys? Is it measured on terms of approval, the way that people vote for a politician (ack!). Or is it measured some other way? Is it measured in terms of peace, of awareness, of love?

I can’t answer this question – and I’m not even going to try. It’s not a question for me to answer for you – only YOU can answer it; and that means, you have to sit back, reflect, and really understand what success “is” to you. Otherwise, even if you GET what you think you want – what you think will make you successful – you won’t actually feel like a success. Somewhere deep inside you’ll feel…empty and confused; because that idea of success hasn’t been satisfied.

Spend some time reflecting on this idea, and developing your personal definition of success. Here’s a big, maybe even life-changing hint to get you going in the right direction: pretend that you were the ONLY person on earth. Really. What would success mean to you?

Saying Goodbye to IF, THEN

One of the most important teachings in The Secret -- I'd say, the most important -- is the basic fact that you have to participate in the Law of Attraction (LOA). That doesn't mean that you have to aggressively pursue your goals -- in fact, that doesn't work! As you must know from experience -- getting what you've wanted through aggression, manipulation, politics and other strategies has left you more miserable than before, with a shorter lifespan ahead to get it right...not a good deal.

What "participating in LOA" means is that you have to SHOW UP in your life; you have to actively decide, with the power of your intent, that you want to see a change in your life. As we've discussed in previous posts, perhaps that change will come from you; but more likely, it will come through and around you -- and you have to be ready for that change. You have to welcome it, embrace it, appreciate it, and indeed, be grateful for it.

And all of these things -- the welcoming, the embracing, the appreciation, and so on -- can only happen when you show up in your life. In other words, you can't play an "if-then" game with reality. You can't say:

• if life gives me a million dollars (or more), then I'll start being generous



• if life gives me good health, then I'll start enjoying my body



• if life gives me fame and recognition, then I'll start accepting myself



• if life gives me loyalty and security, then I'll start relaxing



• if life gives me approval, then I'll start having fun



• if life gives me success, then I'll start sharing and creating with others



• if life becomes more enjoyable, then I'll start focusing on things that matter



• if life becomes safer, then I'll start accepting other people as equals



• if life becomes more peaceful, then I'll start generating change and growth



• if life becomes more understandable, then I'll initiate and lead growth

And you can probably fill in your own "if, then" statement if you don't see one up there that, in some way, covers your current situation.

Today's lesson is simple (they're always simple!). Put aside the if-then statements; because the universe simply doesn't work that way...fortunately!

So...What Do You REALLY Want?

The Secret looks at three areas of life -- we might call them themes -- within which the Law of Attraction (LOA) can work: career, relationship and health. Now, obviously, LOA must, by definition, be able to work in other areas of life, too (it is a law after all, not a preference). But the folks behind The Secret decided -- probably after much discussion and reflection -- to focus on those three areas in the production: career, relationship and health.

Personally, I think they made a very wise decision in choosing these three areas, because they really do "cover" many of the areas within which we find ourselves searching for solutions or, more often, running into the same blocks and obstacles over and over.

However, as wise as The Secret is -- and without question, I'm a dedicated proponent of its teachings and I'm grateful for the contribution it continues to make in the world today -- there is a piece of the puzzle that really needs a little more exploration. Again, I'm not criticizing The Secret for missing out on this -- because I really think they had to make an "editorial decision" to either go deeply into it, or leave it out -- and so, really, they left it out (though they may indeed look at it in The Sequel to the Secret -- we'll see!).

What's the overlooked aspect? It's the title of today's post: what do you really want?

It sounds like a...well, maybe even kind of a dumb question, right? If you need money, you want money. If you're ill, you want health. If you're lonely, you want to find that special friend or life partner. Isn't it obvious? Well...no :) It's not.

You see, many people are actually confused about what they want. Or, to put it more pleasantly and in friendlier terms (because we are all about friendliness here :), they are not clear on what will actually lead them to the happiness that they seek.

Confusing? Let's look at a practical example.

Let's say that you're a self-admitted -- perhaps even proud -- "workaholic." You work at least 10 hours a day, including on the weekends, and a vacation for you is really not a vacation at all: the scenery changes, but you and your "workload" remains the same. And like most workaholics, you really don't see anything wrong or "unhealthy" about being a workaholic! In fact, you're amazed that more people aren't as focused on work, success, productivity, efficiency, and other things that are important priorities in your life. You wish the world would work as hard as YOU -- then things would improve!

Uhhh....(you know what I'm going to say, right?)

Hard work is good -- within reason, and if it's for the right things. But workaholism isn't good; in fact, it's a neurosis. It's pathological -- it is a mental illness. The fact that so many people these days share this illness simply makes it less overt; harder to see. But that doesn't mean that it's not a legitimate and potentially serious problem. People who cannot not work are not in control of their work anymore; they are simply trying to "keep up" with work. And eventually, energy levels fall...breakdowns occur...and things can get really, really ugly.

Now, this post today isn't about the dangers of workaholism; it's to help you understand that, in this example, if you are a workaholic, then guess what you're going to "ask" the universe for?

For peace?

For love?

For happiness?

No. You're going to ask for more efficiency! You're going to ask the universe to serve your neurosis somehow. You're going to ask the universe to help you sleep less, so that you can work even MORE. You're going to ask the universe to get rid of your inefficient, lazy co-workers so that you can work MORE. You're going to ask the universe to help give you more energy and stamina so that you can...yup, you guessed it: work MORE!

Basically, you're asking the universe to destroy you.

And, gladly, the universe is not really interested in doing that :)

And out of that fondness, the universe may not in fact give you what you claim that you want: more time, less sleep, more energy. Because deep down inside, the universe KNOWS -- even if YOU DON'T KNOW -- that what you really want is to be yourself; to be peaceful, loving, generous, and (yes) HAPPY.

And if the universe thinks that giving you less sleep and more energy is simply going to feed your ongoing campaign of unhappiness, it's not going to do it. And you should be VERY GLAD that it doesn't!

Imagine a child who loves ice cream (and who doesn't?). How "wonderful" a parent are you if you simply keep giving your child ice cream and nothing else? You're HARMING THE CHILD! Yes, a little ice cream is good. But entire meals of ice cream is beyond bad parenting; it's destructive.

The universe is not destructive. PEOPLE can be destructive, yes; but the universe as a whole is fundamentally creative (hence why creative people are the happiest people -- have you noticed?).

So here's today's advice :) Before you start asking the universe for stuff, sit back in a quiet space, relax, and deeply reflect on whether getting what you're asking for is REALLY going to make you happy -- or if it's simply going to add fuel to a neurosis or an ongoing sense of unhappiness.

Eckhart Tolle, author of The Power of Now and most recently A New Earth, said in one of his talks that there are two ways to be unhappy: not getting what you want, and getting what you want.

I think what he meant by this is precisely what we're talking about here today: when people get what they "think" they want, they're often profoundly unhappy...because what they thought they wanted isn't REALLY what they wanted. And so they start wanting something else...and then something else...and then something else..and even if they get it, it's always not what they thought.

The universe will give you what you want -- that is the nature of the universe: unending generosity. But what do you REALLY want? Sit back, relax, close your eyes, put your feet up, and reflect. Come to your inner center and start to see what you want.

You may be rather pleasantly surprised :)

The Secret of Being Miserable

The...what of what what? Yes, you read that right: The Secret of Being Miserable.

Really. Why not? After all, we've spent a lot of space here talking about The Secret DVD; and we'll continue spending a lot of space on it in the future -- especially when the Sequel to the Secret is released.

But right now, we can take a little detour :) from our path and look at something that many of us have in-depth personal experience with in one way or another: the secret of being miserable.

And before you move that mouse cursor over to the "comment" box, let me take the bold step of confirming that, yes, it is a secret; in the sense that it's something so many of us aren't aware of. You could say it's an unhidden secret. But given that so many of us continually overlook it, it's about as well-guarded as any other secret out there. Maybe it's even more well guarded because it's not well guarded at all! In other words, maybe we're expecting some complicated or "deep" answer that requires years and years of meditative inner-exploration.

Well, that's not what we're going to do here. Instead, we're just going to go out and blurt this unhidden, unguarded secret, and hope that the fact that this isn't wildly-complicated isn't a disappointment to you.

Want to know? Are you sure?

Because once you know what this secret is, you're never really going to be able to fully be miserable again. Oh, you may be miserable from time to time -- but it won't go as deep; it won't last as long. And for some people, being miserable is something they've cultivated for years. Saying goodbye to something that you've spent time with for so long -- even something as utterly destructive as chronic misery -- can be difficult. People become accustomed to misery; just as they become accustomed to joy.

Remember, too, please: we aren't talking about sadness, or even despair. Those are, indeed, authentic emotions that are worthy of experiencing in their own way. When we engage injustice, cruelty, loss of life or health, or any kind of suffering, feelings of authentic sadness and empathy can emerge within us. That is not merely "okay" -- that is HUMAN.

Misery, on the other hand, is a really lousy emotion; it's probably the worst one. Because it's not authentic; it's kind of like a by-product. It's like junk food. It seems to taste okay, but it's not nourishing. It just fills you up, but once it's inside you, it actually starts to act quite...unfriendly. Quite violent. Your body doesn't like it, and it doesn't like you. Misery is the same way. Your soul doesn't like misery; it doesn't align with it. It can do nothing with misery. It cannot transform misery into empathy, into compassion, into silence, into stillness, into anything of value. Just like junk food fills you up with "empty calories," misery fills you up with "empty energy." And your soul DOESN'T LIKE empty energy. It has dignity. It wants authentic nourishment.

So...

After reading all of that, are you SURE that you're ready for this? Because, like I said, even if you disagree with what I'm about to share with you -- and by all means, disagree if you want to! -- if even a tiny piece of your soul grabs hold of the truth of this, it will start to change your whole life. Remember: once your soul hears or reads the truth, it can never let go. That is the "characteristic" of authentic, eternal, timeless truth: it sticks to your soul.

Ready?

It's just one word (see, I warned you it was simple.)

And that word is...

Comparison.

Wait. I know what you're thinking: huh? What?

Shouldn't the "magic word" be something more...well, more miserable? Something like "death" or "pain" or "violence" or "greed" or something?

No. The word for today is comparison.

You cannot be miserable without comparison. Remember: we are not talking about sadness. Sadness is something altogether, qualitatively different. Sadness can be (and often is) quite beautiful and poetic. Sadness is a part of the human experience; it is something that MAKES us human.

But as we said, misery is just a lousy "substitute" for sadness; it pretends to be sadness, but it's just empty energetic noise that can ruin your day, your week, your year, your decade -- and for many people, most of their ENTIRE ADULT LIFE.

Think about it. Really. After you "close" this blog, sit back and think about it for yourself. How can you be miserable if you don't compare?

Comparison is the language of the ego. The ego cannot exist unless it is comparison. After all, the ego is obsessed with analysis: with giving names to things, with categorizing them, with pretending that it "knows" what something is, simply because it "knows" what that thing is called. And how can you know something without comparison?

Don't get me wrong. When you decide what to watch on TV, what websites to visit, what car to buy, what home to buy, or even what to name your new cat, you may indeed be comparing -- but that comparison is entirely different than the kind we're talking about here. That comparison is intelligence. It's simply looking at the reality of different things and making an informed decision. There is no suffering in it; there is no poor me story. There is no emotional drama attached to it. You simply choose the option that fits with your requirements, your goals, or whatever else. That's normal; that's healthy.

But when you dwell in comparison -- when you sit and ruminate miserably on what you "could" have that you don't, what your rivals have that you don't, what you could be "if it weren't for a limitation"...then you are entering the realm of misery.

Sound bizarre? Again: don't take my word for it. THINK about it. Reflect on it for as long as you'd like, and then the next time you feel yourself descending into misery, try and give yourself a little "wake up" call and think of this blog. See the mechanism of comparison as it is working in you.

When you see it, something utterly miraculous happens: you are no longer unconscious of it. You become the witness of your own mechanical misery-making machine. And that's the first step towards joy.

Try it. I'd love to hear about your experiences -- please share!

Until tomorrow...

More on LOA and Change

Hello again friends. Last time we met here, we asked "whether you were embracing change?" and looked at how life is change -- and therefore, that the Law of Attraction (LOA) is change, too. We looked at how a situation may be trying to change in ways that, deep down inside, we may be resisting simply because the change isn't what we expected, envisioned or even dreamed of.

Today, I'd like to elaborate a bit more on this, because I think this particular issue -- change -- is really the defining element (for lack of a better word) of whether LOA will work for you or won't. True, there are many other aspects to consider, but I think that this is the MAJOR roadblock for some: dealing with change.

You see, it's not that change can "occur" in ways that we didn't envision; it's that the change we're seeing may seem negative from our short-term, limited perspective. And that can really SCARE us from pursuing anything remotely connected to LOA; and ultimately, squash our dreams before they have a chance to manifest in our lives.

For example, let's say that you "hang around" with people who share with you a unifying common denominator: you complain about things that you don't like about life. Now, these complaints may not be very mean-spirited (or then again, they might be). And some of those complains may be quite valid, from a "common sense" point of view (or then again, they might not). But whatever the unique configuration of your complaint-based-relationship may be, it's enough to say that the glue that holds it together is a kind of chronic, ongoing, endless, aimless, rather dedicated effort to complain about something not being the way it should.

And this may have gone on for so long -- decades, perhaps -- that, oddly, there is a kind of...enjoyable tolerance of the misery of complaining. There is a kind of nourishment that comes from it; a kind of therapy, really, from complaining. It's kind of like scratching an itch; it feels GOOD to scratch an itch, but if you keep scratching it for years and years, not only will you do some really serious damage to whatever you happen to be scratching (your leg, your face, whatever), but you'll also never actually SOLVE the itch. You'll just scratch the symptom.

Complaining, in and of itself, unmotivated and without any actual purpose, is like scratching a mental itch. It feels good, but if you do it for the long term, it's kind of...well, it's really kind of insane, really. Of course, so many people do it, that it seems normal; or, at least, there are so many more abnormal things out there that are worthy of the term abnormal. I mean, with people getting out of their cars and beating each other up, or people doing all kinds of other mad things, mere complaint seems to be the least of our social or personal problems.

Be that as it may...

Now, let's say that you start bringing LOA principles into your life. You start finding things to be grateful for. You start seeing solutions instead of problems. You start seeing beneficial opportunities for creation (even if they're very small and minor). You start becoming friendly with life itself; in a way that, perhaps, you haven't done since you were a small child.

Guess what's going to happen to your chronic "complaint-based-relationship"? It's going to change. It has to change.

And for many people, that can be a big emotional problem -- because who wants relationships to change and crumble; even if those relationships aren't nourishing, helpful or positive? We all want to think that friendships are stronger than preferences; that there is something deep and abiding about them. This is, ideally, true.

But it's simply a question of balance: by adding LOA into your life, other things will change. You don't even have to change them; in fact, you almost certainly WON'T have to change anything. New people will simply enter your life -- that's the fun part. And existing people will EXIT YOUR LIFE or at least take a much reduced role in it; and THAT can be difficult. It can make you feel like a bad friend, a bad person, or even expose you to rather dreadful criticism from people who are offended that you have the audacity to change. Maybe in the past you complained as much as anyone else in the group, and now, you simply don't contribute. You don't PREACH your views of LOA or anything else (don't do that!), but you simply don't contribute in the ways that you used to.

This can, will, and does offend people who aren't on the same path as you.

Some will follow and be inspired by what is changing in you. That's wonderful.

Some...will resent you, ridicule you, maybe even attack you -- YOU can become the subject of that criticism, all of a sudden.

This can make you feel incredibly sad inside; and may shake your commitment to transforming your life.

The choice -- as it has always been -- is up to you.

Things will come to you -- things that you like. That is positive change. Things will LEAVE you -- things that you thought you liked -- and that can seem negative.

It's up to YOU to alertly, and with awareness, embrace the new, and gently let go of what has to go. It may be relationships. It may be habits and behavior patterns. It may be small things -- it may be big things.

Remember, some things will leave you WITHOUT first "asking you" if it's okay :) And this may seem very negative. A job may leave you. Something else that you valued may leave you.

Again: stay alert, be aware, and give yourself the chance to really SEE what is happening. Don't react to events; respond to them. Adjust to them. And embrace change -- change is LIFE.

Are You Embracing Change?

One of the enduring aspects of The Secret is, of course, it’s underlying reference to the Law of Attraction (LOA).

And while LOA is quite simple in and of itself – it’s essentially the principle of like attracts like – there are aspects about it that are a bit more sophisticated and quite elegant. Understanding this deeper level will likely help you understand why LOA is working for you or why it ISN’T working for you.

This deeper elegance of LOA is really about the most emotionally-loaded word in the language; and probably, the word most responsible for more creation, more destruction, more love, more hate, more peace, more war, and more everything than anything else.

This word, of course, is change.

Life is not merely “about change” – it is synonymous with change. If the word “life” were to somehow disappear altogether from the English language, it could (and perhaps even should) be replaced by the word ‘change.’

Life cannot be static. Even if it seems to be routine, ritualistic or just plain repetitive at times, this is a perception; not a reality. As old Hereclitis says: you cannot step in the same river twice. He’s right. Change is built into the very fabric of life. It is the raw ingredient from which life is created, expressed, and ultimately, transformed from one form to another.

Now, here’s the thing: since LOA is an aspect of life, this must mean that LOA is an aspect of change. In other words: if you want to benefit from LOA, you must – by definition – accept change as part of your life.

And that, for many people is…well, it’s a problem! Because change means opening up to something new; it means, fundamentally, surrendering yourself to unimagined possibilities. It means letting go of what you think you know, because what you don’t know may very well be the change that needs to come into your life for LOA to “work” in the way that you want.

Let’s look at a practical example to help illustrate this.

Imagine that you’re in a stressful corporate-type job and it’s just becoming an exhaustive, draining, depressing experience. Instead of looking forward to another day on the job, you’re dreading it. And worse, because you’re getting “older” each day, you find yourself with less energy to stay alive (or merely survive) in your unfriendly, political and “left-brain dominated” corporate landscape.

Now, let’s say that you watch The Secret (click the link to get a copy if you haven’t seen it yet) and accept that, yes, LOA could help you free yourself from this knot of corporate pain and start your own home-based business. You may even have a friend or family member who has started their own home-based business, or you may have seen an Internet site or been to a seminar, and so you have an “idea” of what a home-based business could be about: and you want it!

And so you start absorbing and expressing the LOA principles: ask, believe, receive. And you do this with sincere intensity for several weeks, but…nothing happens. Things at work may have even become worse (it’s possible).

What might be happening here?

Paradoxically, the belief that the ONLY way to change your negative work situation is to start a home-based business (of one kind or another) may, actually, be PREVENTING your solution from manifesting itself! In other words: because you are “locked into” solving your problem a certain way, you may be resisting the change that has to take place into your life. You’re basically trying to PRESCRIBE the universe on “how to help you.” You're directing; not accepting.

The universe, fortunately, doesn’t work that way. Can you imagine the tires on a car all “intent” on going in a different direction – even of those different directions were, in themselves, ethical and “good”? The car would come apart. It would be destroyed; and the tires would actually lose far, far more than they gain, because the very vehicle that “drove” them – the body of their being – would be broken and unable to move them anywhere at all.

The message for you today, is to accept that, maybe, the change that has to happen in your life ISN’T what you envision it to be. Yes, your work situation may be a kind of living hell right now (and many work situations certainly are!). But maybe a home-based business isn’t the kind of positive change that you need. Maybe what you need to do is take a class in the evening, or maybe volunteer some of your time, or let something ELSE come into your life that will, ultimately, create a better situation for you. Maybe your workplace will start letting you do more work at home through the Internet.

Or it may be something that you can’t even imagine right now.

Yes, LOA promises that a solution to your problem is “on the way.” Now it’s up to YOU to position yourself to receive that solution. If you become obsessed with receiving only a particular solution – one that “fits” with your vision of what it “should be,” then you will almost certainly miss out on what is meant for you.

Be open, be alert, be welcome, and be aware. Watch how the universe conspires (in the nice way) to CHANGE your situation to the better.

The universe is always – always – focused on positive change. Always.

Embrace change. And then see how LOA “works” FOR you!

Creative vs. Competitive

One of the most interesting -- and important -- aspects of The Secret is this: creativity is not competition. In fact, they're polar opposites.

However, in today's business world (and probably other worlds, too, such as some social worlds and recreation worlds) it's extremely easy to "believe" in the overwhelming power of "scarcity." And that belief drives us to compete, not to create.

One of the reasons that this is so challenging in everyday life, is that we can easily forget just what it means to create, and what it means to compete. In other words: we can, somehow, delude ourselves into thinking that we're creating when we're really competing. During these times -- and they usually happen when we're under stress and unaware of our present moment realities -- we could really use some simple, clarifying pointers to help guide the way. That's what we'll focus on today.

YOU KNOW YOU'RE COMPETING IF...

• you cannot "win" without making someone else "lose"


• your underlying motivation to take action is based on fear


• you are making decisions and/or taking actions that you know are not in alignment with your values -- but you have to "silence" this inner voice


• you cut yourself off from the feeling of what you're doing, and become completely cerebral and "stuck in your head"


• you do not honestly feel good about your accomplishments; instead, you feel empty, guilty or ashamed


• the value of your contribution has actually taken away something from the world -- it may be very small and perhaps nobody will notice, but YOU know


• if you met yourself (really, pretend that you did), you wouldn't be able to look yourself in the eye and clearly describe what you're doing, why you're doing it, and why you don't stop doing it

YOU KNOW YOU'RE CREATING IF...

• you can only win when other people win alongside you


• your motivations are self-generating; instead of "talking yourself into" doing something, you simply ride a wave of authentic enthusiasm that is beyond your power to incite


• you are not obsessed by the outcome of your actions, but powerfully aware that the means and the ends are, in fact, part of the very same contiuum and are "part" of each other (much as the cloud is part of the rain; and the rain is part of the ocean)


• you are open and adjust to reality and to nature; you don't impose your agenda on the world, but instead, embrace and respond to it


• you would do what you're doing regardless of whether anyone was there to applaud, appreciate, or pay you to do it


• if you met yourself, you'd give yourself a great big HUG for being so creative :)

As you can see, the difference between creating and competing is quite vast; it's the difference between a positive contribution and a negative contraction; between giving something fresh and new to the world, or taking something from it; something that could have been divine and celebrated.

Yes, of course, here in our nice friendly blog, it's easy to see the difference: it's day and night, white and black. But "in reality" -- particularly in the business world -- it's so easy to lose this clarity, and to start "moving" that line between what we know to be creative, and what we know to be competitive.

When those moments emerge in your life -- and yes, they will happen; that's the nature of life to test us in many ways -- then please consider coming back to this safe, friendly blog and re-reading this post (you may even want to bookmark it). It could be the clarifying wake-up call that you need to ensure that your path is the creative...not the competitve.

Tomorrow, we'll talk about something that many of you are going to find very, very interesting -- we're going to visit our old pal Charles Darwin, and re-create his so called "survival of the fittest" observation. It's something that will affect many of you and help you really understand whta Darwin meant -- and what it means NOW. Check back tomorrow and see for yourself!

Until then...