The power of positive thinking
There has been a lot of buzz lately about a book and a video called “The Secret”. You may have seen it on Oprah or other talk/news shows and wondered what it is about. I think the name is somewhat misleading, but it serves well to give this concept a handle that people can grab on to. Calling it a secret makes us curious and curiosity can be a good thing if it leads us out of our self limiting beliefs and behaviors. What is The Secret? Is it really a secret?
There have been many people over the years that have tried to introduce others to the basic concepts that are given in this video. Typically it would be someone trying to make a buck off of teaching you how to turn your life around selling tapes, books, or a series of lectures, or maybe to get you to sign up for multi-level sales. Some of these instructors managed to go on to be quite successful and even famous, but if these self professed life gurus really had the answer for the rest of us then why didn’t more people find success following their principals?
After attending one of these lectures you would feel pumped up for a while, and then reality would return and so would your old ways of thinking and managing your life. If the subject was for the pursuit of money you would soon find that it really didn’t fall from the skies or magically appear in a pyramid of people wanting to buy your products or sign up “under” you. Your bubble would burst and down you would float to the real world. If your desire was to lose weight you may feel motivated during that meeting, but then stop and get ice cream on the way home.
So what about The Secret? Is there something that makes this different from all the self help programs that have gone before? Should you spend your $39 or save your money? I hesitate to advise anyone to part with their hard earned dollars, but in my opinion this is worth it. Just the fact that it is creating so much interest and that so many people from all backgrounds and lifestyles are reporting the same results makes it worth looking in to.
At the very least you can go to www.TheSecret.tv and watch it once through for $4.95. I did and then decided to buy the video. I have watched it a couple of times and have come to the conclusion that it takes a few viewings to really understand what they are trying to teach us.
The “Secret” is the law of attraction. It is based in scientific principles and even though at first it seems like they are talking about hocus pocus, you soon learn that the message is simply this, positive energy attracts positive energy. Thoughts become things. Without giving too much away and possibly not presenting it as accurately as they do in the video, I will say this…I know that if you really apply this to your life it can cause tremendous change.
Without knowing it at the time, I applied The Secret to my own life 6 years ago when I lost 120 pounds. It was by instinct that I used the techniques they now are talking about and I have often shared it with my customers that this was what made the difference for me this time. My way of saying it has been “Change your thinking and you can change your world”, meaning that your thoughts determine your actions as well as the energy you attract to your life. Changing your thinking can actually effect your body chemistry and cause feel good hormones to release in to your system. Some research has even shown that those who face life threatening illnesses have had relief or even recovery by adopting a positive attitude and by visualizing your body as healthy and strong.
If you believe yourself to be an obese sickly person then it is not likely to change. If you instead decide to see yourself as a healthy vibrant person fully engaged in life then eventually your reality will catch up with your thinking. It may seem too simple or even silly, but all I know is that it works. 12 step programs for addicts say it like this, “Fake it ’till you make it”. There is more to it then this of course so I do encourage you to take the time to watch the video or borrow the book and see for yourself.
If you are one of the many people who have been frustrated with your inability to lose your weight and are losing hope of ever being able to, then this may be the boost you need to realize your goals. If you are afraid it may contradict your religious beliefs I think you will find that it actually compliments them. Is this just the latest craze? I don’t believe so. It really is not that kind of “Secret”.
You can look back at some of the greatest minds in history and see that they practiced these same ideas. These secrets have always been with us and many have tapped in to them to find great success in all areas of their lives. It is a different way of thinking, but consider the fact that your current way of thinking is what has brought you to where you are today. If your life is not what you want it to be then don’t be afraid to open yourself up to discovering how great it really can be!
