Beyond "The Secret"

Have you read "The Secret," watched the DVD, or seen the "Oprah" shows? Are you inspired to make changes to your life based upon these concepts?

"The Secret" is a great jumpstart to making changes in your life. The author uses very attractive quotes and suggestions from other experts, but the bottom line questions remains,"Can I make dramatic changes in my life using the information in the book? What happens if I try and do not accomplish my goals? Will I feel worse than before?"

"The Secret" is based upon the concept that thoughts are things.
Change your thoughts, and you change your world. This is true, but for most people, changing your thoughts can be challenging. First of all, what ARE your thoughts? Can you differentiate between your thoughts and the thoughts you have absorbed from your parents, peers, and society? Who are YOU in the process?

The "Law of Attraction" says that whatever you give out comes back to you; think positive thoughts and receive only positive experiences in return. This also sounds simple. But who only thinks positive thoughts? What created YOU? You are a combination of positive and negative experiences. Remember, it is the manure that makes the garden grow!

Acknowledge ALL parts of yourself; both positve and negative. As a microcosm of the macrocosm, you contain BOTH positive and negative. If you only see the positive side of someone, then he/she is hiding something, because every person is a package, including YOU.

The negative presents your greatest challenges and pushes you into areas of yourself that you might not otherwise venture. The negative helps you tap into your greatest strengths; it pushes you out of the status quo and into new avenues of action. Acknowledginging its place in your life helps you to make better, more informed choices.

While "The Secret" states that the Universe is Friendly, keep in mind that it is really NEUTRAL. Use a recipe for anything, and you get a result, positive or negative. Even the power of love must be re-examined. You can love alcohol, gambling, drugs, etc. You can love so much that you go to war to fight and kill. Love has a negative side as well as a positive side. All emotions are equally as strong--it depends upon how you choose to use them.

There are lots of good ideas in "The Secret"; lots of places to jumpstart a new beginning for yourself. But do not be discouraged if they do not work immediately. Even the book says that some people take years before their goals materialize.

Have patience with yourself; know that there is life beyond "The Secret." What you need will be revealed to you a step at a time.