Blessings. It sounds corny, but you know what? Bless some people. See what happens. You don't have to do it out loud; just say it silently, in your head. Or maybe you mentally hold a hand up to their forehead, or maybe you just wish them all the happiness in the world. After a while, your mood changes. You become excited to bless people, excited to encounter people.
I am an introverted person, so I tend to retreat from people more than I approach them (not that I'm not friendly, or can't be outgoing, but this is where my tendency lies). I tried this one day as I was walking around the lake around my house. I decided to bless every person I passed until I reached home. At first, it was difficult; I didn't feel I had much to give people. But after the first ten or twenty, it was simple, and after thirty or forty it was fun. I felt a part of the world more than not, which is a new and different feeling for me. I felt positive and helpful and hopeful for myself and others.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Saturday, July 28, 2007
The Best Way Out of a Rut? Ask the Expert -- YOU!
I've been having a hard time lately dealing with--guess what--money issues. But I think things are on the upswing, which is good. It's a slooooow upswing, though. In trying to just feel better I was having some problems. I was releasing (using Sedona Method, see earlier posts), which is great, but I guess I really just needed a quick fix. I just wanted to feel good, and to even know what feeling good felt like.
And then a thought occured to me: why not ask myself? So, I asked myself, "How would you like to feel?"
I felt a surge of joy, coming over me in increasing waves. I felt my heart loosen and open like I do when I've made a breakthrough. Tears actually came to my eyes as I stuck with this question over and over and over. So this is what "feeling good" feels like, I thought. My body knew all the time; it's just that my thoughts were fighting it.
Try it. You don't need to be by yourself in the room, but being in your own world helps. You can be walking or meditating or anywhere where you feel you can speak to your innermost being. And ask yourself, "How would you like to feel?" It's amazing once you open up the possibility of feeling good. We get so trapped in the habit of worrying, that we don't even open up the possibility that we should feel good. Perhaps this is society; perhaps it's self-punishment for not doing everything perfectly; perhaps it's regression to a childlike state, our thoughts being the oppressors, telling us we need to feel guilty and bad for the things we haven't done right. In any case, times of feeling good often come few and far between, so that the cause seems arbitrary, the times random. Sometimes it's a good day, sometimes bad, but we don't control it. We allow something else to control it for us, to the point where we forget what "feeling good" feels like.
So, there you go. You are your own best friend. Whenever you feel stuck, fearful, anxious, frustrated, or anything that seems to debilitate your sense of freedom, ask yourself questions. If you want to feel good, ask yourself to feel good, or what it feels like to feel good. You can ask yourself why something bothers you, or why you can't finish a certain task. You can ask yourself about your life purpose. I did this recently; I was at the end of my rope, as far as getting rejected for acting roles. A role which I had informally been told was mine actually wasn't. I went down to the mini-park by my house. I smoked a cigarette or two (I know, I know) and just tried to ask God, the Universe, what was up. What's going down? Should I quit acting? I felt pretty much like I should. And I will say, when you reach out, you will feel the support. I felt my spirit guides around me, I felt the universe ready to unfold. I felt support. I heard a voice say, "Persevere, " and, "you'll get there." So, I'm still here. But in moments when we feel all alone in some way or another, when you reach inside yourself, you'll see you're far from alone. It's fun, actually.
And then a thought occured to me: why not ask myself? So, I asked myself, "How would you like to feel?"
I felt a surge of joy, coming over me in increasing waves. I felt my heart loosen and open like I do when I've made a breakthrough. Tears actually came to my eyes as I stuck with this question over and over and over. So this is what "feeling good" feels like, I thought. My body knew all the time; it's just that my thoughts were fighting it.
Try it. You don't need to be by yourself in the room, but being in your own world helps. You can be walking or meditating or anywhere where you feel you can speak to your innermost being. And ask yourself, "How would you like to feel?" It's amazing once you open up the possibility of feeling good. We get so trapped in the habit of worrying, that we don't even open up the possibility that we should feel good. Perhaps this is society; perhaps it's self-punishment for not doing everything perfectly; perhaps it's regression to a childlike state, our thoughts being the oppressors, telling us we need to feel guilty and bad for the things we haven't done right. In any case, times of feeling good often come few and far between, so that the cause seems arbitrary, the times random. Sometimes it's a good day, sometimes bad, but we don't control it. We allow something else to control it for us, to the point where we forget what "feeling good" feels like.
So, there you go. You are your own best friend. Whenever you feel stuck, fearful, anxious, frustrated, or anything that seems to debilitate your sense of freedom, ask yourself questions. If you want to feel good, ask yourself to feel good, or what it feels like to feel good. You can ask yourself why something bothers you, or why you can't finish a certain task. You can ask yourself about your life purpose. I did this recently; I was at the end of my rope, as far as getting rejected for acting roles. A role which I had informally been told was mine actually wasn't. I went down to the mini-park by my house. I smoked a cigarette or two (I know, I know) and just tried to ask God, the Universe, what was up. What's going down? Should I quit acting? I felt pretty much like I should. And I will say, when you reach out, you will feel the support. I felt my spirit guides around me, I felt the universe ready to unfold. I felt support. I heard a voice say, "Persevere, " and, "you'll get there." So, I'm still here. But in moments when we feel all alone in some way or another, when you reach inside yourself, you'll see you're far from alone. It's fun, actually.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
When You Just Can't Believe: Some Suggestions to Whip You into Positive Thinking and Feeling
There are times when you know you should be thinking and feeling positively, but you just can't. This is a point I think The Secret fails miserably on, because it seems to forget that we are, in fact, humans with human feelings, and having bad feelings is OKAY. That's right--it's okay. Trust me. You would be insane otherwise.
The Secret talks about "secret shifters" that turn your frown upside down, but I don't believe that just thinking of good memories will put you in a better mood. In fact, when you try to force bad feelings out, they often become even more stubborn. So, I have listed a few of my favorite techniques to put you in a more positive frame of mind.
The "Magic If"
I can't claim this one myself; in fact, it is an acting technique devised by none other than Konstantin Stanislavski, the father of most theatre technique taught today, and founder of the world-famous Moscow Art Theatre.
Why is the "if" magic, you say? Let me demonstrate. Listen and respond to what I tell you. Ready? Okay, right now you are no ordinary human. In fact, you are only 2 inches tall.
Do you believe it? Now try this: behave as if you were only 2 inches tall.
See the difference? If you walk around, trying to follow the Law of Attraction by believing you've received what you ask for, it can be difficult. If you say, "I have a million dollars in the bank," undoubtedly, you'll get a little voice back saying, "no, you don't." But, if you try to walk around behaving, feeling and thinking as if you had a million dollars in the bank, it's a lot easier.
The reason is that the concept of "if" opens the mind up into an imaginary world without contradicting the current one. We don't feel like we're fighting logic or deluding ourselves by acting "as if" we have all of our current dreams happening.
So, if you're feeling in a bad place and are trying to believe, try to believe...as if.
As if. :)
Live on Vacation
When I go on vacation, I prefer to plan as little as possible, which surprises my husband because in life, I feel very out of control if I don't plan things out. This started when I went abroad to Italy when I was 21 years old. Before the semester started, I traveled through England, Scotland and Ireland with my friend, Bryn. Bryn is extremely laid back but outgoing, and very spontaneous, so we just bought the plane tickets, the train tickets, and made one reservation for a hostel the night we arrived, so that we wouldn't wander around homeless the first night in London. From there on, we just went wherever the hostels had rooms. We tried Salisbury, but they were booked, so we tried Canterbury and scored, and were ecstatic we did. When I eventually got to Italy, we could take weekend trips to the best destinations in the world: Rome, Sicily, Florence, Siena, Tuscany, Lake Como, and so on.
One weekend my friend Bill and I took a plane from Venice to Sicily, the biggest trip I had made while staying for the semester. We planned so little it was scary, but to my surprise, everything worked out. We found the most beautiful little towns by accident, and got some great spots purely by coincidence. One night, it was 9pm and we had been unable to find a room for the night. We asked the waiter if they knew a room that might be available, and to our surprise, they did; a couple owned a building with a spare room upstairs for a very reasonable price, and thankfully, directly across from the big cathedral in Monreale.
Why are vacations so fantastic, anyway? I'll tell you--because we're living in the moment, and we're also trying to get as much as possible out of every single moment. Why? Because we're paying for it, but also because we've set aside time to allow ourselves to do this. Now, look at where you are right now. Now close your eyes. Imagine that instead of being at home on your computer, or at work avoiding work, you were at a cafe in France. Nothing denies it--you can't see where you are. Just imagine, and note how you feel. Chances are, you felt freer, excited, adventurous, spontaneous, and probably opened your eyes disappointed that you weren't at that cafe in France. But the only thing that changed was your perception of your surroundings.
Vacations are full of surprises and fun, and that's how life should be. So, pretend you're on vacation, even if you're walking down the same old street you've always been on. Imagine that you didn't live here and could appreciate all the beauty and character around you.
Living a Dream
Once I had done a tarot reading, and one of the cards, the Ace of Swords, told me intuitively that anything I asked for was possible, but I had to go out and get it. It spoke to me with such conviction that I couldn't help but believe it. I knew that anything I wanted was available to me--I just had to go out and get it.
This conviction let me move forward with such surety that I started viewing life as a dream. What if the real world had as much symbolism and meaning as the dream world? I began seeing everything as symbols, as signs of where I was and where I was going.
For fun, imagine this is so. Imagine that your waking life is a dream. You have no idea what's coming next, and you also have, if you choose to take control, the authority to change the reality at will. Treat it like a dream--a lucid dream.
This may seem flighty, but just try it. It allows you to live in the moment and to realize that no matter how serious something is, it isn't reality. Have you ever had a dream where you were convicted to life in prison, or something equally as serious, only to wake up and have that entire reality melt away? Life is a dream--our dream. We create everything as we go along. It might not turn into a paper crane and fly away as our dreams so creatively can do, but honestly, "reality" is highly overrated. You have the ability to interpret your surroundings as you wish.
Live in your dreams...your life is a product of your dreams anyway, no matter how paltry or insignificant it may seem. But life has as much symbolism as the dream world. Notice it.
Peace.
The Secret talks about "secret shifters" that turn your frown upside down, but I don't believe that just thinking of good memories will put you in a better mood. In fact, when you try to force bad feelings out, they often become even more stubborn. So, I have listed a few of my favorite techniques to put you in a more positive frame of mind.
The "Magic If"
I can't claim this one myself; in fact, it is an acting technique devised by none other than Konstantin Stanislavski, the father of most theatre technique taught today, and founder of the world-famous Moscow Art Theatre.
Why is the "if" magic, you say? Let me demonstrate. Listen and respond to what I tell you. Ready? Okay, right now you are no ordinary human. In fact, you are only 2 inches tall.
Do you believe it? Now try this: behave as if you were only 2 inches tall.
See the difference? If you walk around, trying to follow the Law of Attraction by believing you've received what you ask for, it can be difficult. If you say, "I have a million dollars in the bank," undoubtedly, you'll get a little voice back saying, "no, you don't." But, if you try to walk around behaving, feeling and thinking as if you had a million dollars in the bank, it's a lot easier.
The reason is that the concept of "if" opens the mind up into an imaginary world without contradicting the current one. We don't feel like we're fighting logic or deluding ourselves by acting "as if" we have all of our current dreams happening.
So, if you're feeling in a bad place and are trying to believe, try to believe...as if.
As if. :)
Live on Vacation
When I go on vacation, I prefer to plan as little as possible, which surprises my husband because in life, I feel very out of control if I don't plan things out. This started when I went abroad to Italy when I was 21 years old. Before the semester started, I traveled through England, Scotland and Ireland with my friend, Bryn. Bryn is extremely laid back but outgoing, and very spontaneous, so we just bought the plane tickets, the train tickets, and made one reservation for a hostel the night we arrived, so that we wouldn't wander around homeless the first night in London. From there on, we just went wherever the hostels had rooms. We tried Salisbury, but they were booked, so we tried Canterbury and scored, and were ecstatic we did. When I eventually got to Italy, we could take weekend trips to the best destinations in the world: Rome, Sicily, Florence, Siena, Tuscany, Lake Como, and so on.
One weekend my friend Bill and I took a plane from Venice to Sicily, the biggest trip I had made while staying for the semester. We planned so little it was scary, but to my surprise, everything worked out. We found the most beautiful little towns by accident, and got some great spots purely by coincidence. One night, it was 9pm and we had been unable to find a room for the night. We asked the waiter if they knew a room that might be available, and to our surprise, they did; a couple owned a building with a spare room upstairs for a very reasonable price, and thankfully, directly across from the big cathedral in Monreale.
Why are vacations so fantastic, anyway? I'll tell you--because we're living in the moment, and we're also trying to get as much as possible out of every single moment. Why? Because we're paying for it, but also because we've set aside time to allow ourselves to do this. Now, look at where you are right now. Now close your eyes. Imagine that instead of being at home on your computer, or at work avoiding work, you were at a cafe in France. Nothing denies it--you can't see where you are. Just imagine, and note how you feel. Chances are, you felt freer, excited, adventurous, spontaneous, and probably opened your eyes disappointed that you weren't at that cafe in France. But the only thing that changed was your perception of your surroundings.
Vacations are full of surprises and fun, and that's how life should be. So, pretend you're on vacation, even if you're walking down the same old street you've always been on. Imagine that you didn't live here and could appreciate all the beauty and character around you.
Living a Dream
Once I had done a tarot reading, and one of the cards, the Ace of Swords, told me intuitively that anything I asked for was possible, but I had to go out and get it. It spoke to me with such conviction that I couldn't help but believe it. I knew that anything I wanted was available to me--I just had to go out and get it.
This conviction let me move forward with such surety that I started viewing life as a dream. What if the real world had as much symbolism and meaning as the dream world? I began seeing everything as symbols, as signs of where I was and where I was going.
For fun, imagine this is so. Imagine that your waking life is a dream. You have no idea what's coming next, and you also have, if you choose to take control, the authority to change the reality at will. Treat it like a dream--a lucid dream.
This may seem flighty, but just try it. It allows you to live in the moment and to realize that no matter how serious something is, it isn't reality. Have you ever had a dream where you were convicted to life in prison, or something equally as serious, only to wake up and have that entire reality melt away? Life is a dream--our dream. We create everything as we go along. It might not turn into a paper crane and fly away as our dreams so creatively can do, but honestly, "reality" is highly overrated. You have the ability to interpret your surroundings as you wish.
Live in your dreams...your life is a product of your dreams anyway, no matter how paltry or insignificant it may seem. But life has as much symbolism as the dream world. Notice it.
Peace.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
The Secret: The Fad Diet of Spirituality
The Secret. I can't put it down; how could I? One of the best things about the book is its position that we are all responsible for our own actions. In a world where people constantly point towards outside elements as the cause for their pain, I think this message is vital. I am a strong believer against many psychiatric medicines, for example. I understand their usefulness; I wouldn't say to get rid of them altogether. However, I think they are prescribed too loosely, and should only be a means to an end. They should never be a permanent band-aid. Ultimately, we should have no permanent band-aids at all.
The marketing for the film is just outstanding; it goes to show what viral marketing can really do in this day and age. The trailer is just fantastic; the movie, eh, I liked What the Bleep better, but this one is more inspirational and less informational than that, and than many other processes. What bothers me is its overarching sleaziness that penetrates the book at every moment, even in the most generous and enlightened phrases. The problem with the book is that it markets to anyone and everyone who wants things for nothing. Who is that? Everyone. It's me, it's you, it's my Aunt Jeanne, it's my cousin Clem in Alabama singing on his banjo in the trailer park. Everyone wants something for nothing. Free money. Free men/women. Free home. Free vacation. And notice most of these things are bought with money. Money plays the biggest role of "wants" in this book. The authors say that we are meant to have abundance, and that is probably true; however, if you search that above all other things, you are not a follower, or a true follower, of what The Secret is trying to communicate.
Basically, the movie and book market to people who think "I want/need money" and try to then convert them into "I only want happiness." I don't know if it works that way. The messages in the book weigh heavily on the side of materialism and less on actual happiness and a sense of peace. Granted, the book tells you things like: "it's important to give;" "it's important to love;" "happiness starts within." These are things that great spiritual leaders have told us from the beginning of time. The Secret uses them, however, as a catalyst to get what you want rather than mentioning them as necessary ingredients. Byrne often uses little catch phrases like "turbo-charge" to mention these processes as though you were talking about a workout.
The sleaziness comes in because the solutions are often too simple and underthought, and also because the people interviewed in the book brag about themselves to prove that The Secret works. Jack Canfield, author of Chicken Soup for the <Shitty> Soul (okay, there's no "shitty" in there, I just think the books are kind of lachrymose), mentions how once he started using The Secret, his life turned around, and now he has a 4-million dollar mansion, a wife to die for, and takes vacations to all the best spots around the world. I'm sorry, but do we really need to know how much your house cost? I think if you say "mansion," which is bad enough, we get the point. I'm not saying he can't be a wonderful person or a great speaker because of this, but he and the book play the reader by giving a fast solution to their problem. It's my belief that while spiritual awakening can bring you wealth, it only does so because you don't feel the need for it, or the need to brag about it. But of course if Jack Canfield said that now he feels unbounded happiness and he doesn't care about the want or need for money anymore, the reader would not relate to him and would put the book down.
The other point of sleaziness is that, as I say above, the solutions are too simple. Most of it is an overview, which is a great source of inspiration for the reader, but doesn't offer much in the way of guidance. Most of these books organize things: the x amount of emotional states, the x steps to financial freedom, the x habits of effective people, etc. The only formula used is "How to Use the Secret." Step one: ask. Okay, makes sense, "ask and you shall receive," sure. Step two: believe. Okay, so believe it's coming for you, don't second guess it. Step three: receive. And the book actually says this: "believe that you have received." So...isn't that step two? It could quite easily be two aspects of one thing, but in believing, you're believing you're receiving what you asked for, and in receiving, you are automatically believing in this process and that what you've asked is true. So...huh?
One major aspect I think she either forgot to mention or completely overlooked is the concept of detachment. I think if you truly do the erroneous process, and believe, then that touches on detachment because if you believe you are going to get something, usually you let the wanting go. For instance, if you order a book online, you may check the mail to see if it came, but usually you let it go because you know it will come, or that Amazon needs to answer to you. However, I think that letting go is a huge major component of manifesting what you want. When I think back on times when I've really tried to manifest, the manifestation always came when I had forgotten my own wanting. In other words, the phone will never ring if you stare at it all day.
This concept of detachment is in many other books, and I know it plays a huge role in Eastern religions, but I am definitely no expert in those beyond what popular culture has taught me. Well, a little bit more than that, but not much. One book I compare to, contrast to, and compliment with The Secret is The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success by Deepak Chopra. I really need to write a whole review on that book, but he talks about manifestation within the context of much more important things: detachment, giving, awareness, and one's life purpose. You cannot just selfishly manifest money into your life, and you must always work to find your life's purpose in serving the world. Serve others, and you can have the life of your dreams. That seems more accurate.
However, I like The Secret. "What???!!!?" you say, eyes wide open, mouth aghast. Yes, I do. It's a great source of inspiration when I need it, and if you know where to find them, it has wonderful nuggets of information. The sleaziness of it has a good purpose, too: to get the word out. There is a strange paradox with spirituality these days that says a certain method is only good if it is obscure and not in the public eye. If too many people followed The Secret correctly, I'm sure many would denounce it for being "mainstream," "simplified," and "hype." But isn't it a good thing to get as many people on the right track as possible? Is there any way to do it other than marketing? I don't think so. For instance, back in the day, I used to do a new fad diet every month. I followed and really enjoyed the South Beach diet. My mother was denouncing it once and I let her know that while it was marketed towards people who wanted to be skinny, it actually taught you how to eat whole foods, i.e., to eat healthily. She had never thought of it that way.
So is The Secret the fad diet of spirituality? I think so. I recommend it, but not without picking up some other books in the Spirituality/Self-Help section as well.
The marketing for the film is just outstanding; it goes to show what viral marketing can really do in this day and age. The trailer is just fantastic; the movie, eh, I liked What the Bleep better, but this one is more inspirational and less informational than that, and than many other processes. What bothers me is its overarching sleaziness that penetrates the book at every moment, even in the most generous and enlightened phrases. The problem with the book is that it markets to anyone and everyone who wants things for nothing. Who is that? Everyone. It's me, it's you, it's my Aunt Jeanne, it's my cousin Clem in Alabama singing on his banjo in the trailer park. Everyone wants something for nothing. Free money. Free men/women. Free home. Free vacation. And notice most of these things are bought with money. Money plays the biggest role of "wants" in this book. The authors say that we are meant to have abundance, and that is probably true; however, if you search that above all other things, you are not a follower, or a true follower, of what The Secret is trying to communicate.
Basically, the movie and book market to people who think "I want/need money" and try to then convert them into "I only want happiness." I don't know if it works that way. The messages in the book weigh heavily on the side of materialism and less on actual happiness and a sense of peace. Granted, the book tells you things like: "it's important to give;" "it's important to love;" "happiness starts within." These are things that great spiritual leaders have told us from the beginning of time. The Secret uses them, however, as a catalyst to get what you want rather than mentioning them as necessary ingredients. Byrne often uses little catch phrases like "turbo-charge" to mention these processes as though you were talking about a workout.
The sleaziness comes in because the solutions are often too simple and underthought, and also because the people interviewed in the book brag about themselves to prove that The Secret works. Jack Canfield, author of Chicken Soup for the <Shitty> Soul (okay, there's no "shitty" in there, I just think the books are kind of lachrymose), mentions how once he started using The Secret, his life turned around, and now he has a 4-million dollar mansion, a wife to die for, and takes vacations to all the best spots around the world. I'm sorry, but do we really need to know how much your house cost? I think if you say "mansion," which is bad enough, we get the point. I'm not saying he can't be a wonderful person or a great speaker because of this, but he and the book play the reader by giving a fast solution to their problem. It's my belief that while spiritual awakening can bring you wealth, it only does so because you don't feel the need for it, or the need to brag about it. But of course if Jack Canfield said that now he feels unbounded happiness and he doesn't care about the want or need for money anymore, the reader would not relate to him and would put the book down.
The other point of sleaziness is that, as I say above, the solutions are too simple. Most of it is an overview, which is a great source of inspiration for the reader, but doesn't offer much in the way of guidance. Most of these books organize things: the x amount of emotional states, the x steps to financial freedom, the x habits of effective people, etc. The only formula used is "How to Use the Secret." Step one: ask. Okay, makes sense, "ask and you shall receive," sure. Step two: believe. Okay, so believe it's coming for you, don't second guess it. Step three: receive. And the book actually says this: "believe that you have received." So...isn't that step two? It could quite easily be two aspects of one thing, but in believing, you're believing you're receiving what you asked for, and in receiving, you are automatically believing in this process and that what you've asked is true. So...huh?
One major aspect I think she either forgot to mention or completely overlooked is the concept of detachment. I think if you truly do the erroneous process, and believe, then that touches on detachment because if you believe you are going to get something, usually you let the wanting go. For instance, if you order a book online, you may check the mail to see if it came, but usually you let it go because you know it will come, or that Amazon needs to answer to you. However, I think that letting go is a huge major component of manifesting what you want. When I think back on times when I've really tried to manifest, the manifestation always came when I had forgotten my own wanting. In other words, the phone will never ring if you stare at it all day.
This concept of detachment is in many other books, and I know it plays a huge role in Eastern religions, but I am definitely no expert in those beyond what popular culture has taught me. Well, a little bit more than that, but not much. One book I compare to, contrast to, and compliment with The Secret is The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success by Deepak Chopra. I really need to write a whole review on that book, but he talks about manifestation within the context of much more important things: detachment, giving, awareness, and one's life purpose. You cannot just selfishly manifest money into your life, and you must always work to find your life's purpose in serving the world. Serve others, and you can have the life of your dreams. That seems more accurate.
However, I like The Secret. "What???!!!?" you say, eyes wide open, mouth aghast. Yes, I do. It's a great source of inspiration when I need it, and if you know where to find them, it has wonderful nuggets of information. The sleaziness of it has a good purpose, too: to get the word out. There is a strange paradox with spirituality these days that says a certain method is only good if it is obscure and not in the public eye. If too many people followed The Secret correctly, I'm sure many would denounce it for being "mainstream," "simplified," and "hype." But isn't it a good thing to get as many people on the right track as possible? Is there any way to do it other than marketing? I don't think so. For instance, back in the day, I used to do a new fad diet every month. I followed and really enjoyed the South Beach diet. My mother was denouncing it once and I let her know that while it was marketed towards people who wanted to be skinny, it actually taught you how to eat whole foods, i.e., to eat healthily. She had never thought of it that way.
So is The Secret the fad diet of spirituality? I think so. I recommend it, but not without picking up some other books in the Spirituality/Self-Help section as well.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Update on the Sedona Method
Continued from the last posting…
Monday, July 9, 2007
Sedona Method
A long, long time ago I picked up this book of my husband's. We had just moved in--well, no, let me rephrase that--we had lived together six months and I was finally getting to putting everything away. The book was called the Sedona Method, and my husband immediately wrote it off, saying, "Yeah, it looked good, but then I realized all it was saying was 'let it go.'" So, I didn't pay much attention.
I picked it up again, and while it isn't as enticing a read as The Secret or many others, I finally found its value. Yes, it is saying "Let it go," but how often has someone said that to me and I couldn't even do that? In fact, "letting it go" is much harder than it seems.
It's a little bit of a frustrating read, but when I actually committed to reading what it was saying, it was really eye-opening. So, I tried some techniques...I will go into this more later because I only have the computer for about 30 more seconds, but here's the thing: lately I've had a lot of insecurity over money, my car which needs to be fixed, and my career, among other things. I got to allow my anxiety to come through, realize what was causing it, and let it go because I finally acknowledged its presence. I came home and immediately felt the gusto to clean the apartment--well, the kids' room, which is the worst part--and I don't feel burdened or overwhelmed by anything. In fact, I feel quite at peace.
Check it out. In response to "The Secret" (which I still need to write my full review on) it gives practicality where "The Secret" offers none, so I find that very useful.
Cheers.
I picked it up again, and while it isn't as enticing a read as The Secret or many others, I finally found its value. Yes, it is saying "Let it go," but how often has someone said that to me and I couldn't even do that? In fact, "letting it go" is much harder than it seems.
It's a little bit of a frustrating read, but when I actually committed to reading what it was saying, it was really eye-opening. So, I tried some techniques...I will go into this more later because I only have the computer for about 30 more seconds, but here's the thing: lately I've had a lot of insecurity over money, my car which needs to be fixed, and my career, among other things. I got to allow my anxiety to come through, realize what was causing it, and let it go because I finally acknowledged its presence. I came home and immediately felt the gusto to clean the apartment--well, the kids' room, which is the worst part--and I don't feel burdened or overwhelmed by anything. In fact, I feel quite at peace.
Check it out. In response to "The Secret" (which I still need to write my full review on) it gives practicality where "The Secret" offers none, so I find that very useful.
Cheers.
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Monday, July 2, 2007
The Secret: Help or Hype?
This will be a short post, and I'll post more later.
However, what about the Secret? I've seen it, read the book, and part of me is a little wary, though I think it has a really good message. I believe that empowering people is always a good thing. I believe that positive thinking is always a good thing. However, there are times when it gets a little materialistic, and I have to wonder how much of it is good marketing, and how much of it is just honest knowledge.
I think whenever we encounter something that is put out like The Secret is, it is both extremely encouraging and slightly sleazy. Sleazy IS a strong word, but it's marketed towards people that want instant gratification, and that bothers me. It mentions that being thankful, helpful, and full of love are great ways to "get what you want" but only after it's lured you in with promises of money, a perfect job, and a perfect spouse.
However, is that bad? Everything is marketing; it just depends on how skillful you are at pulling it off being the "honest" marketer. That's why so many commercials use the "regular guy" or girl, for that matter. And humor helps alleviate the spin they put on you. On the other hand, this is not a bad thing. I work partially in marketing; I understand the value of presenting something well. Self-fulfillment on the other hand just seems like something that perhaps should be in the corner, dark, mysterious and understandable only to those of us that are "ready" to understand the message...I don't know.
More later.
However, what about the Secret? I've seen it, read the book, and part of me is a little wary, though I think it has a really good message. I believe that empowering people is always a good thing. I believe that positive thinking is always a good thing. However, there are times when it gets a little materialistic, and I have to wonder how much of it is good marketing, and how much of it is just honest knowledge.
I think whenever we encounter something that is put out like The Secret is, it is both extremely encouraging and slightly sleazy. Sleazy IS a strong word, but it's marketed towards people that want instant gratification, and that bothers me. It mentions that being thankful, helpful, and full of love are great ways to "get what you want" but only after it's lured you in with promises of money, a perfect job, and a perfect spouse.
However, is that bad? Everything is marketing; it just depends on how skillful you are at pulling it off being the "honest" marketer. That's why so many commercials use the "regular guy" or girl, for that matter. And humor helps alleviate the spin they put on you. On the other hand, this is not a bad thing. I work partially in marketing; I understand the value of presenting something well. Self-fulfillment on the other hand just seems like something that perhaps should be in the corner, dark, mysterious and understandable only to those of us that are "ready" to understand the message...I don't know.
More later.
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