The Secret of Life

The Heart Of The Secret 4 - Gratitude

This is the last of a series of posts in which I've been focusing on The Secret, the DVD which has done so much to publicize the law of attraction, the idea that we can create our own reality through the power of positive thought. I've been discussing the three elements of The Secret which I believe to be the most important, and the third technique is perhaps the most valuable of all.

This one appears on The Secret DVD but does not, in my opinion, receive sufficient emphasis. The message is a simple one: give gratitude. Give thanks for all the good things in your life.

There may be many such things in your life or there may be very few just at the moment, but everyone - at least, everyone who is reading this - has something for which to be grateful. So make a list of your blessings - however short it may be! - and give thanks for them.

You may find that, as with the second technique, this is a valuable exercise in itself. It makes you feel good just to do it. But I think you will also find that it triggers the law of attraction. The way this works is obvious really. If someone gives you something good, they're more likely to do it again if you show that you're grateful. So why should the universe be any different? If you don't show that you're grateful for something, how does the universe know what you like? How does it know what to send you next? If, on the other hand, you give thanks for what you receive, then it may send you more of the same...

This is an idea which resonates with me, and I think it may be the reason why  religions seem to stress the importance of giving thanks. I used to wonder about this. Why does God need all that praise? Does he have a personality disorder or something? Why should this omnipotent being need the emotional crutch of having its ego stroked all the time? Why should something so powerful be so needy? But now I realize this isn't about what's good for God after all, but about what's good for us. We're asked to give thanks because this is the way the universe works. If we give thanks for what we like, we receive more of what we want in our lives. The exhortation to praise is simply telling us this.

If you aren't convinced by this, I can only suggest what I usually do: give it a try and see. There are two things to watch though. First of all, the gratitude has to be genuine. If you concentrate only on what you're going to get out of it, it won't work. But don't worry - I think you will find that as you practice gratitude, you will find it is such a pleasurable experience that you will be happy to do it for its own sake, instead of focusing on any rewards you may get.

The second potential problem is that those old familiar negative thoughts can rear their heads. You may find yourself asking why you have to be thankful for A when you have to put up with B. And for that matter, what about C and D, which are also a pain in the butt?

The way I deal with this is to tell myself that I can think about B,C, and D later. For the time being, I'm focusing on how good I feel about A. I can think about that other stuff when the gratitude session is over. This tactic seems to work for me, so I hope it will work for you.

The Secret suggests that this gratitude technique is particularly useful for relationship problems. If some things about your partner are annoying you, stop dwelling on them and make a list instead of the things you do like about them. Practice gratitude for these positive things and you will encourage more of them, while those annoying habits you are now ignoring will fade away.

Quite apart from the spiritual dimension, this seems like a good common sense idea to try. Law of attraction or no law of attraction, we see what we focus on most...

And of course, we don't have to concentrate just on ourselves. The same technique can be used to manifest peace and joy for the world. It is all too easy to focus on what is wrong with the world. Spend some time focusing on what is right with the world instead - and give thanks for it.

These, then, are my top three tips for 'law of attraction' techniques to practice - especially if you find that negative thoughts tend to get in the way of your imaginings. The first of them (described in Walk Before You Run!) is simply a beginner's version of the classic 'imagine what you want and so attract it' technique.  The other two (described in this post and the previous one) may be less specific than the idea of summoning up a fast car or a dream house, but they are delightful exercises in themselves. And who knows? - perhaps it is better not to be specific. It may be that the universe has a better idea of what will bring you happiness than you do...

(To read the Heart Of The Secret posts in sequence, please start here.)

Jyothi Transmission

I was talking recently about all the resources which are now becoming available for personal transformation. Here is another one: Jyothi (or Jothy). Have you ever heard of it? No, neither had I. I reflected for some time before passing the following on to you because I usually like to have some understanding of the background of what I'm talking about. I know nothing about Jyothi at all, so please understand that this is the basis on which I publish these details. All I can add is that it appears to be genuine enough and Chris and I have signed up for it ourselves. So it seems like the right thing to give you the same opportunity! I suggest you take a look and see how you feel about it. Here is the information...

(Nov 25th: I have now removed the information because the transmission has already taken place and the link is out of date. There will be further transmissions in the future and I'll post about my own experience in the comments. I've now located the relevant web site, so if you would like to know more, please take a look here. If you received the Jyothi transmission and would like to share your own experience, please add a comment here.)

May's Blog

May at Sitting In The South recently ran a heartfelt and very thought-provoking post, She Knew That She Hadn't Been Wanted, raising all sorts of issues about parenting and her own miscarriages. As May's is a new blog, the post hasn't so far received as much response as it deserves, and it occurred to me that some of my friends who visit here may have something worthwhile to add. Please consider taking a look at May's post here.

The Heart Of The Secret 3 - Contemplating Perfection

Earlier this year, The Secret DVD did much to publicize the law of attraction - the idea that we can create our own reality through the power of positive thought. In this series of posts, I'm highlighting what I see as the most useful techniques in The Secret, and the one I'd like to talk about today is one which you may not have encountered before even if you've seen the DVD, because it doesn't appear in the movie, only in the accompanying book.

The reason it didn't make it onto the DVD may be because it will only make immediate sense to those who are already familiar with the idea of being in the moment and connecting with the energy which can be found there. If you read this blog regularly, you'll already know what I'm talking about. Otherwise, I urge you to look at one of Eckhart Tolle's excellent books The Power Of Now or the briefer Practicing The Power Of Now, which will explain all about it.

You could also try taking a look at one or two of my earlier posts. Feeling What Is briefly describes the process of coming to rest and connecting with the moment, while An End To All Abuse contains a visualization in which you imagine being one with the universe, an integral part of everything that is.

Both of these are gateways to the same state of consciousness, in which you realize that you are an integral part of everything: a part of the force of nature, a part of the universe. In such a state, you are able to focus on your own perfection, on your own boundless abundance, for if you are a part of this great energy, then you too must share its attributes, you too must possess its limitless power.

With a focus like this, there is no longer any room for the anxious thoughts which might creep in if you were trying to imagine a new house or a car. Those nagging questions "will it work?" or "do I deserve it?" become irrelevant. Once you are aware that you are part of this energy, that you are one with the universe, there can be no doubt that you share in its perfection. So focus on that perfection - and bring it into your life.

This technique can be particularly useful for working on your health. The Secret DVD suggests that to improve your health, you should imagine yourself being well, but this can be hard to achieve if you are severely disabled or in great pain - or even if you've got a bad cough for that matter! In such a situation, doubts can be hard to dispel. If you feel really ill, it isn't always easy to imagine feeling better again.

If, however, you realize that you are one with all that is, that you are not separate from the life force which puts the buds on the trees and brings the green shoots from the earth, then you cannot fail to understand that on a spiritual level at least, you are perfection. Contemplate this perfection - and feel it seep into the cells of your physical body.

This is a wonderful exercise, but if you have difficulty with the whole 'oneness with the universe' thing, I came across a useful variation at Sue Ann Edwards' excellent blog, Always Embraces All Ways.  This has the rather dull title of Standard Technology (not Sue Ann's name!) but it's a very powerful exercise.

Briefly, what you have to do is to imagine that there's a perfect cell in your body. I think all of us are willing to accept that we have at least one of them! Imagine that cell all vibrant and happy, then set it as the standard for all the other cells in your body. And watch the perfection spread throughout your being...

If you like the sound of that exercise, please go and read all about it at Sue Ann's blog here.

Next time, in the last of this series, I'll be talking about the most powerful law of attraction technique of all. And this one is very, very simple...

(To see the previous posts in this series, please click here: part 1 - part 2)

Spreading The Word

The 'Spread The Word' Blog Directory is the brainchild of the dynamic Mel from Monday Morning Power. As Mel says, it's a great way to:

• Share your blog
• Explain why you blog
• Find new blogs to read
• Promote your blog
• Obtain instant links
• Increase readership

If you have a blog and you'd like to join in, please feel free! The rules are set out below.

Or if you're more interested in finding new blogs, you can find the directory here. The great thing about this particular directory is that all the bloggers link to what they believe is 'their most important, most representative, or most relevant post'. So what you'll be getting in every case is the best of what they have to offer: a more enjoyable way to sample a blog than just turning up and reading their latest post.

Here are the rules:

**Start Copy Here**

We have a voice;
We must be heard;
Therefore we blog;
Now spread the word!

This directory is based on a recent post that was conducted asking the question “Why do you Blog?” and the rewrite “Why do you Blog? - Reworked.” The purpose of this directory is to tell our tales by spreading the reasons that we blog to as many sites as possible. We get to explain ourselves, direct traffic to our site and highlight our most important, most representative or most relevant post in an SEO favorable format. This will be a positive experience for everyone who wants to get involved. This will enable you to create a short advertisement for your site that will be spread across the blogesphere; a growing directory of blogs.

This is an open directory.  You do not have to be tagged to join in.  All you have to do is follow the rules.

Please let me know when you have added your site by leaving a comment on “Master List” with a link to your post. This will insure an up-to-date list, giving you even greater distribution. You then need to copy the growing list back to your site on a regular bases.

Rules:

1. Copy the archived directory from *Begin Directory* to *End Directory* and place it in your archives (back date it so that it does not appear on your front page. This list is too long for your front page.) Title this post "Spread The Word" Directory
2. Copy from "**Start Copy Here**" through "**End Copy Here**" on this post
3. Paste into a new post
4. Create an inventive post title
5. Write a brief introduction to the post.
6. Before “**End copy here**”, In place of my paragraph, please add your name, site name (with link), a very brief description (2-3 sentences) of why you blog, and your most important, most representative, or most relevant post (with link.)
7. Make sure that the link at the end of your post links to your archived directory, not mine.
8. Tag others to participate.  This is a request, not a requirement.
9. Leave a comment and a link to your post on “Master List.”  That way I can grab your addition and add it to this growing list.
10. Schedule regular visits to the "Master List" so you can copy/paste into your archive, keeping your list current. 

**End Copy Here**

Hi there! I’m Secret Simon. A while back, I got ill and most of my life came to a sudden, crunching halt. Faced with lots of time on my hands, I started to wonder what it all meant. What was I doing here? Why was I ill? And where exactly were all these questions coming from anyway? I started thinking seriously about 'life, the universe and everything'. My blog, The Secret Of Life, is a part of this ongoing process. And what is 'the secret of life'? The closest I've come to attempting an answer is in a post called Feeling What Is.

Click here for the complete directory.

**End Copy Here**

The Heart Of The Secret 2 - Walk Before You Run!

As I mentioned The Heart Of The Secret part one, what I'm hoping to do in this series of posts is to highlight what I see as the most valuable things which appear in The Secret, the DVD which has done so much to publicize the law of attraction (the idea that we can create our own reality through the power of positive thought). There's a lot in the movie about imagining big houses and expensive cars, and if you are managing to manifest such things, then that's brilliant! (If you can do a bit of work on world peace and saving the planet too, that'll be even better...)

But if, on the other hand, you're struggling with the big stuff, you might try starting with something more modest and work up to bigger things gradually. This suggestion is actually given in The Secret, but it's kind of hidden away, so you might have missed it in your scramble to imagine a Porsche.

What The Secret suggests is to start by imagining parking spaces. Next time you're out in the car, imagine that a perfectly positioned parking space will be waiting for you when you reach your destination. Imagine yourself skilfully parking your car in the space and then focus on the gratitude you will feel to have found it. Then - and this is very important! - put the whole thing out of your mind until you get there. If you're not dwelling on whether or not this will work, there'll be less opportunity for negative thoughts to creep in.

As I explained in the earlier post, these negative thoughts such as "Will it work?" and "Do I deserve it?" tend to get in the way of your positive thoughts and mess up the whole business. The idea is that by starting with something relatively unimportant such as parking spaces, these unhelpful thoughts are less likely to intrude. You are therefore more likely to be successful, so that you can build up confidence in the law of attraction and work up to something bigger.

This also gives you the opportunity to get used to the various elements of the process. It might be useful to run through them here. First of all, imagine clearly what you want, then imagine your gratitude and delight at having it. Next, put the whole thing out of your mind while you set about the all-important business of taking whatever action you need to achieve your desire. These steps can be summed up as follows: CLARITY - GRATITUDE - RELEASE - ACTION. You need the clarity because otherwise - to use an extreme example - you might end up with an elephant instead of a parking space; you need to release your attachment to the outcome to stave off those negative thoughts; and you need to feel gratitude for the simple reason that feelings are more powerful than mere thoughts. If you doubt this, just take a look at the state of the world. 'Bad' thoughts are a problem, but it's 'bad' feelings that are really doing the damage...

And don't forget the all-important final ingredient: take the necessary action. If you watch The Secret, you might be forgiven for thinking that the universe will take care of everything like some kind of  fairy godmother, while you sit at home watching TV. Well yes, sometimes opportunities may arise out of nowhere, but most of the time you are likely to have to work for them. If you use the law of attraction, you may well find that the path of action will be smoother than it might otherwise be, but you'll still have to do what needs to be done . In the case of the parking space, for instance, you'll have to get in the car and drive there. It won't work if you just sit at home going "Vroom, vroom!"

When you've tried out this exercise and managed to get yourself a brilliant parking space a few times, you can build up to something more ambitious, but there's lots of scope for slowly advancing your skills, even with parking places. Once you've started getting convenient spaces at the supermarket, you'll be ready for the high street on a Saturday afternoon...

This post has been about taking the first steps towards using the law of attraction to bring a specific object or outcome into your life. But the law can also be used in other, subtler, less obvious ways: ways which may well be more accessible to those of us who struggle with the classic 'imagine a sports car' scenario. The technique I'm going to discuss next time does not even appear in The Secret DVD, only in the accompanying book, and it's particularly useful for improving our health...

Hitting The Mark & Blogrush

Many thanks to Grace of The Wild Pomegranate for kindly presenting me with this Blogging That Hits The Mark Award. This is my first ever blogging award so I shall treasure it always!

However much effort I put into a post, there is always the nagging suspicion when I finally hit the 'publish' button that I have just sent a load of total garbage out into the world. So it is nice to know that - at least occasionally - it goes 'Splat!' in the right place. Thanks again, Grace!

While I'm on about blogging, this seems like a good opportunity to mention Blogrush, which splashed onto the scene a few months ago to great excitement but has recently faded from favor. You may notice the little box titled 'From The Blogosphere' in my sidebar with links to headlines from other spirituality blogs. (It's just below the Personal Development List.) The idea of Blogrush was that widgets like this would increase traffic exponentially throughout the blogging world. But it didn't happen. 'Click-through' rates have been disappointingly low and it turns out that 'Blogtrickle' would have been a more appropriate name.

Even so, I kind of like Blogrush. Big name bloggers who post about making money online may only be interested in attracting vast floods of traffic, but those of us who blog about more, ahem, esoteric subjects appreciate a trickle or two - that's how we get our readers. On top of which, I enjoy clicking on Blogrush widgets myself - I've found them to be a gateway to some interesting blogs which I might not have otherwise seen.

If you have a blog and are interested in joining Blogrush so that you can have a widget of your very own, you can sign up here. Then you should get a few more visitors to your blog. And of course there's one of those complex systems where the more people who sign up from this link of mine, the more 'referral points' I get. This means that if you sign up, then sometime a fortnight on Thursday, someone may click on a Blogrush widget and discover The Secret Of Life for the very first time. So they may be happy, I will be happy, and you will have the satisfaction of knowing that you made it all possible...

(The Heart Of The Secret part 2 will follow almost immediately, honest.)