I got The Secret last year and shared it with my friends. Though excited at the time - we loved it and got very fired up - some months later, I see no real change in my buddies - if anything their old cars are older; they are still in the same houses they'd rather not be in given an option and they still need me to buy them a pint from time to time. You get the idea.

Don’t get me wrong, my love affair with American-style personal development programmes isn’t over and this isn’t a bad case of sour grapes. It’s just that - as the pumped-up vapours of passion-driven law of attraction and manifestation energy have evaporated - the good sense I’m occasionally fortunate to glimpse has returned to the landscape of my perception.

And no, I’m not criticising The Secret as some others are because it’s not right to not work hard to get what you want or because it panders to the most basic, materialistic urges in pseudo-spiritual new-agers. No, not either of these; because focussing on your intentions - for as long as is required to make them manifest - IS hard work; and wanton satisfaction of your most basic wordly desires can work wonders for spiritual development (see: “Buddha”).

For me, The Secret fails humankind (yes), because it creates wanting.
Whilst posing as a way to happiness, it creates the exact opposite - a state of mental unrest and longing - however pleasurable or modest.

When we want, we are no longer content in the moment where we belong - where all happiness is. Put another way: you can’t be happy later on in your life (when all that stuff you are busy manifesting shows up); you can only be happy now. In this moment - NOW!

And by the grace of God (or whatever other thing you beg to or praise in your worst and best moments respectively) that is only right. All have access to the joy of the moment right now - whatever their circumstances - regardless of what the future (and past) hold.

So please don’t wait to be happy - when pay day comes or when the mother of all manifesting gives birth a la Secret - do it now.

Love that strawberry!

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If you're wondering what strawberries have got to do with anything then Carl is referring to this story: http://www.taoism.net/living/2003/200301.htm

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Hey there
I was drawn to you like - well you know plenty of phrases to go here.
For me the journey of positive attraction has been by-and-large a painful one. Not understanding why such-and-such hasn't manifested. Not that I ever wanted anything that much, just simple stuff really, well until I got the vision for the mag that is.
Anyway, this has happened to me recently and it was as a result of watching The Secret and then reading some of what Brian Hingst had to say about not getting it.
It was like a vision, somehting I could see but it wasn't there and the vision came about when I read these words, 'Why don't you have the things you have believed for? Because you are resisiting them from coming into your life that's why.' So the vision of a avoid, between me and the things I really want was identified and I eventually was able to say this of that void. 'The void is my inability to receive.' So now, after Ihave prayed to be healed of this inabilty to receive, doors have started to open for me, like being invited to co-host a TV show.
Have you tired strawberries with cream?
Have you tried strawberries with chanpagne?
If you've tried strawberries you have the essence and the foundation of your dreams, so ask to be healed of the inability to receive and let me know what happens.
Yes! Keep in touch.
Blessings
Julie

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I feel it depends on your own beleifs.
I have always heard that there are many roads in the Spiritual life to attain the same goals, many beliefs, practices, arts.
So why not many ways to acheive the goals of the life we desire and the things we want in it? For some working hard does it for them, for some it is helping others acheive their goals, and for some it is using the Law of Attraction.
All ways can see the same stumbling blocks of not really wanting it to happen, alot of success if stifled from fear of ' what next?' after goals are reached. I think the Secret will help alot of people begin to focus on using positive energy's in thier lives, wether they get the luxury or not.
People claim to want alot of things in their lives, give it to them and watch them run. Alot of people want change outwardly, yet fear it inwardly.
Perhaps the people you spoke of like their cars, like the idea a good freind like you that will buy them a pint, more than they really desire the other things.
I do know this for certain though. Unless we truly start to beleive in the greatness of ourselves, life will not change for any of us, even we have all the money we desire, regardless of how we got it.

Darrell

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I think for me the Secret was a confirmation of the connectivity of the universe with mySelf. Over the years I have to say, I've found out that the secrets in the Secret do work but what I have learned is:

1. to take personal responsibility for what I manifest - and
2. that if I don't put something along the lines of "for the highest good of all" along with whatever I'm focusing on, its an ego-driven want and therefore usually brings with it some form of 'suffering'.

Over the years I've also realised that I'm much more successful when I spend my time focusing on the present (as best I can) - which, as Carl said at the start - is where true joy exists.

The present really is the "present" - and the only unwrapping that needs to be done is to pull away the ribbon of one's "past or future oriented mindset", take the wrapping of old hurts away from one's heart - and the present is far more than one small ego can possibly imagine in its visioning for something 'grand' in the future.

Not to take away from our incredible God-given gift of manifesting (in the image of our Creator) - which I think is a tool that can be used to create in line with the visions that arise from our souls.

Cheers,
Aannsha

Last edited: 25-02-2007 09:10:34 PM

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I have been studying the Law of Attraction for a long time, some 20+ years. And have often been frustrated and dissappointed by my lack of manifesting. I worked so hard to try and make this thing work that I become a self-improvement addict. I can tell you that Attraction cannot be understood in some simplistic term of think a happy thought and poof, there it is. Our vibrations go much deeper than what we consciously think and that's the stinger that is often missed when someone attempts to focus on what they want.

Also, I believe Spirit is not concerned so much with our material desires but our growth and expansion is very exciting to IT and that can come through many paths and some of them are painful. My first husband was me best teacher in life. The things I had to heal as a result of that relationship led me to love myself and love being single and I honestly believe that's why I am happily married now. It's almost a fairy tale marriage but I know what I had to heal and release to get here.

I feel bad when people get so excited and then get so let down thinking - this stuff doesn't work. It works, it's working and what we are attracting can seem like the worst and turn out to be the best but we have to understand that we can't always understand and that what Spirit and our Higher Self deems for our highest good may be the last thing we want in the moment.

I think movies like The Secret and What the Bleep Do We Know give us the hollywood version and do a good job of getting us to think we have a say in how our lives turn out. But don't think for a minute that there's some genie in a lamp that is going to satisfy our every whim and if there were - we'd be in big trouble cause it's more often true than not that we don't have clarity about what we truly want but are more in tuned with what we don't want.

Peace and Blessings,
Robin

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Power of Intention

I think you should check out this video that I just watched the other day. I think you will really like it. Gives you more of a clear understanding and actual ways you can benefit from this its not as mysterious as the Secret. I tried to put the link above it is called

Dr Wayne Dyer's 'Power Of Intention'

You can watch it at:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-9002882253039527684

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I am a student of LOA, and have been for many years. I think one of the things that people miss with it is that you must take inspired action toward your goals.

We live in a physical Universe where we must interact with physical things to create what we want. Sure - I can sit in my office all day long and dream about $1 million. But, if all I do is dream, my $1 million isn't going to drop through my ceiling - but wouldn't that be great?!?

Rather, if I want the $1 million, I have to visualize having it, believe I can have it, ask for it, and then take inspired action. I may be inspired to create a new product for my niche, or I may be inspired to join a new networking group to be seen by more people - thus creating more prosperity in my business.

There is more to LOA than, "ask for it and be open to receiving." Those are the two main components, but you cannot forget the action piece.

Another important piece is the belief piece - you must believe you can have whatever it is that you want. If you lose faith, you will stop taking steps toward your goal. It's as simple as that. So often, that self-doubt creeps in and robs us of our desires - if you let that take over, it will sabotage your efforts.

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I haven't watched the video Lynn, but I have read his book. I found it very good (as are all of his books in my opinion). Good link, thanks.

Aannsha

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Carl said:

[For me, The Secret fails humankind (yes), because it creates wanting.
Whilst posing as a way to happiness, it creates the exact opposite - a state of mental unrest and longing - however pleasurable or modest.]

I understand what you're saying, but what you fail to see is that "want" was already there. As a matter of fact, it's been here for an eternity (on Earth, anyway). Even people who have no idea what "The Secret" is are wanting something more from their lives. "Want" doesn't necessarily have anything to do with commercialism. I see people every day through my work who are completely happy in their lives, yet they want to continue their own spiritual growth and understanding. I feel the same way. I'm happy and I'm also a positive person. This doesn't mean that I will stop wanting my life to grow with my positive outlook. Instead of looking at life as "not being good enough so I 'want' it to get better", let's look at it as "my life is great and it can only get better". A little bit of positive reinforcement goes a long way.

Dawn

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